Philippians 3:1 NLT
Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
One of the greatest mistakes that I made was thinking that I needed advanced training before I even did one thing with the basic training.
I was on to the Time Management Advanced training before I even started working on making a list of things I had to do for the day called for in the basic training.
For me, I was using the two words that I think keep more people in bondage than any other words in the human language, and those words are “I know.”
What I found was that by not doing the primary activity called for, I wasn’t even getting on the playing field.
I “knew” I had to make a list, but that is too easy. So I didn’t do it, and as a result, nothing happened.
Paul’s message was always the same. And he used every opportunity he could to tell the story.
I am a sinner saved by God’s grace, and I needed a Savior, and He found me on the Damascus Road in my sin; this Savior was Jesus Christ, who died for not only my sins but the sins of the world.
I answered His call, and every day, I live out my faith in the presence of others, telling them of the hope I have in Jesus Christ.
And this was his message until he was beheaded for living his life dedicated to the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Paul also wrote most of the answers for the next to most dangerous words in the human language, and those words are “yeah, but.”
When we use the “yeah, but,” it is to deflect responsibility for something we disagree with or blaming our sinful thinking onto someone else’s actions.
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
When we start to worry about others’ coming and goings, something entirely out of our control, we forfeit God’s peace, a peace that is beyond our understanding. And a peace that He willingly wants to give us.
Isaiah 26:3 NLT
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
WOW!! This verse is a beautiful promise.
Now watch how this works; this is where we need to be careful because our thinking can go something like this.
“John, YEAH, I KNOW that is what it says, BUT “yada, yada, yada.”
The “yada, yada, yada” is any excuse that you can come up with not to have the faith to believe the Word of God.
But this is what Jesus promised:
John 14:27 NLT
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Our responsibility is to keep our focus on the things above and not of this world.
Colossians 3:1 NLT
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
Matthew 6:33 NLT
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Psalm 37:4 NLT
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your promises. I pray that You give me the desire, willingness, and strength to keep my focus on the things above and not on the pettiness that this world has to offer.
I pray that my life is a reflection of the hope I have in You. And that my thoughts, attitudes, and actions bring glory to Your name.
I thank You for the hearts of the people around me, and I pray that they come to know You are their Lord and Savior. I pray that You give me a willing heart to minister to the needs of those around me.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️
