God Has Prepared Me for a Fresh Start

In Colossians 2:10 I read, “You have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ. He is the highest Ruler, with authority over every other power.” (TLB)

If I’m ready to make a fresh start, I need to take a personal inventory. That means I take stock of and evaluate what I’ve got to work with. When I do a personal inventory, ask myself these three questions:

First, what are my assets? Look at my physical, educational, and financial assets. And remember my spiritual assets as a child of God. Colossians 2:10 says, “You have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ. He is the highest Ruler, with authority over every other power” (TLB).

Second, what have I learned?

Take time to write down lessons I’ve learned about life, myself, family, God, whatever I can think of. Galatians 3:4 says, “Did all your experience mean nothing at all?” (GNT) I won’t waste my experiences if I learn from them.

Especially pay attention to the painful ones, because God never wastes a hurt. Instead of having a pity party, learn from my pain. Write down the lessons. Stop regretting and rehearsing my mistakes and start learning from them. Why? Because innovation is always built on failure. It’s how I recognize what doesn’t work.

I can also review what Bible teaching has taught me. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:14, “You must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you” (NLT).

Lastly, who can help me in my fresh start?

Proverbs 15:22 says, “Get all the advice you can, and you will succeed; without it you will fail” (GNT).

Pride often keeps me from reaching dreams and goals where instead of asking for advice, I insist on figuring things out myself.

The Bible says pride leads to destruction. It also says that God gives grace to the humble. Why? Because the humble are teachable. I’ll never have a fresh start if I act like I’ve already arrived. I need other people to speak the truth, point out my blind spots, encourage me, and help me remember God’s promises.

When I take a thorough, honest inventory of my life, I’ll see how God has prepared me to make a fresh start.

In summary, I have everything when I have Christ, and I am filled with God through my union with Christ. He is the highest Ruler, with authority over every other power. So if I’m ready to make a fresh start, I need to take a personal inventory and take stock of and evaluate what I’ve got to work with. Start by asking myself these three questions: First, what are my assets? Look at my physical, educational, and financial assets. And remember my spiritual assets as a child of God. Second, what have I learned? Take time to write down lessons I’ve learned about life, myself, family, God, whatever I can think of. I won’t waste my experiences if I learn from them. Pay attention to the painful ones, because God never wastes a hurt. Learn from my pain. Write down the lessons. Stop regretting and rehearsing my mistakes. Review what Bible teaching has taught me. Lastly, look for who can help me in my fresh start? Get all the advice I can. Pride often keeps me from reaching dreams and goals where instead of asking for advice, I insist on figuring things out myself. Pride leads to destruction. God gives grace to the humble and the humble are teachable. I’ll never have a fresh start if I act like I’ve already arrived. I need other people to speak the truth, point out my blind spots, encourage me, and help me remember God’s promises. When I take a thorough, honest inventory, I’ll see how God has prepared me to make a fresh start.

As I look around, others are searching for something to give their lives a boost. Few people seem content within themselves. A strange and often hard-to-identify inner vacuum gives most an uneasy sense of incompleteness. Christ fills that vacuum! As Jesus' person is fully divine, so we, united by faith to Jesus, find personal fulfillment in him: "I am complete through my union with Christ."

 

How to Pray in Five Dimensions

In Romans 6:13 I read, “Give yourselves completely to God, every part of you, for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes." (TLB)

Since God is multidimensional, I don’t want to make my prayers one-dimensional. There are actually five dimensions of my life that I can pray about. When I pray:

Look backward to the cross. It’s good to start my prayers with the cross, because it helps me have an attitude of gratitude. When I think about Jesus dying for me on the cross, it can remind me of how deeply God loves me, how costly sin is, and how completely I’m forgiven. “God paid a ransom to save you . . . he paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” (1 Peter 1:18-19 TLB).

Look upward into the face of a loving Father. The way I see God will influence every area of my life, including whether or not my prayers are fruitful. If I only make one change to my prayers, start calling God “Father.” I’ll start to better understand just how much he loves me and how he works for my good. Romans 8:16-17 says, “For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs” (NLT).

Look inward to Jesus living within me. Jesus is in me, and I’m unconditionally accepted by God the Father. This gives me the freedom and courage to face up to my faults. Before I can get better, I have to admit what’s bad. “Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups” (2 Corinthians 13:5 The Message).

Ask the Holy Spirit to use me. Instead of complaining about or judging the world, just say, “Holy Spirit, show me what’s wrong and how I can make a difference. Use me.” When I make myself available to God, he will use me for his good. The Bible says, “Give yourself completely to God—every part of you—for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes” (Romans 6:13 TLB).

Look forward to my future in faith. Parents love to hear their children talk about their dreams, and so does God! Tell him about my thoughts, ideas, and dreams. He is a good Father who is waiting for me to talk to him. “I’m convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6 GW).

In summary, I need to give myself completely to God, every part of me, for I am back from death and should want to be tools in the hands of God, for his good purposes. Since God is multidimensional, I shouldn’t make my prayers one-dimensional. There are actually five dimensions that I can pray about. When I pray: 1). Look backward to the cross. It’s good to start my prayers with the cross, it helps have an attitude of gratitude. Jesus dying for me on the cross, it can remind me of how deeply God loves me, how costly sin is, and how completely I’m forgiven. 2). Look upward into the face of a loving Father. The way I see God will influence every area of my life. Start calling God “Father.” I’ll start to better understand just how much he loves me and how he works for my good. 3). Look inward to Jesus living within me. Jesus is in me, and I’m unconditionally accepted by God the Father. This gives me the freedom and courage to face up to my faults. I have to admit what’s bad. 4). Ask the Holy Spirit to use me. Instead of complaining about or judging the world, say, “Holy Spirit, show me what’s wrong and how I can make a difference. Use me.” When I make myself available to God, he will use me for his good. 5). Look forward to my future in faith. Parents love to hear their children talk about their dreams, and so does God! Tell him about my thoughts, ideas, and dreams. He is a good Father who is waiting for me to talk to him.

To not let sin control the way I live, to not give in to its desires, I can do the following: 1) Identify 

my personal weaknesses, 2) Recognize the things that tempt me, 3) Stay away from sources of temptation, 4) practice self-restraint, 5) consciously invest my time in good habits and service, and 6) lean on God's strength and grace. My skills, capabilities, and body can serve many purposes, good or bad. In sin, every part of my body is vulnerable. In Christ, every part can be an instrument for service. It is the one to whom I offer my service that makes the difference. I can be like a laser that can burn destructive holes in steel plates or do delicate cataract surgery. Will I give myself completely to God, asking him to put me to good use for his glory?

Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me. 

Father, help bring to mind the 5 dimensions I can pray in: Looking backward to the cross, looking upward into your loving face, looking inward to Jesus living within me, asking the Holy Spirit to use me and looking forward to my future in faith.  Also when it comes to temptations, I ask you Father for your help for me to stay away from the sources, practice self-restraint, lean on your strength instead of mine and my desires.

Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, doing well and making a difference in others lives (including my job.) I pray all these things through your Son Jesus’ name, Amen. 

God’s Guidance Won’t Leave Me Confused

In review of Psalm 77:19 it says, “Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!” (NLT).

Today’s verse is from Psalm 77 where the psalmist recalls how God led the people across the Red Sea when there didn’t seem to be a path. They psalmist in this situation that your road led by a pathway through the sea—a pathway no one knew was there!'

I can comforted through the hard times by remembering God's help in the past. Recalling God's miracles and previous works can give me courage to continue.

God can use impressions to speak to me. He can use circumstances. He can even use pain. He can use whatever he wants to use. Oswald Chambers said, “God is the Great Engineer, creating circumstances to bring about moments in our lives of divine importance, leading me to divine appointments.”

The Bible says God actively works through our circumstances. And so I cannot judge my situation apart from God’s wisdom. In other words, I must leave it up to God to interpret my circumstances. Only he is capable of understanding all the facts, and only he sees the significance of every detail. That’s why it is so important that I test it all by his Word.

If I feel overwhelmed or confused about a decision, I’m likely caught up in myself and not God’s voice. The Bible says, “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33 NIV). He is not the author of confusion. So if I’m feeling confused, It’s not God’s voice speaking in my life.

So many times I come up against enormous financial, spiritual, or physical barriers. That’s when I need to confess, “God, there are mountains on either side and an impassable barrier in front of me.” And then we wait for God to respond: “He has me exactly where he want me to be. Watch this.” God will make a pathway where there seems to be no way.

Psalm 77:19 says, “Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!” (NLT).

When I don’t know what to do, God will guide me. He didn’t design me to go through life on my own ingenuity and power. I don’t have to just hope I can figure things out. God wants to lead me on the right path, and he will when I surrender to him and his guidance.

This morning Father I ask for your guidance and leadership. I have so many things that need to be done Help me with the priorities and help me be of assistance to others, my team and those I interact with. Help me to be loving and kind and to do what his helpful. This I pray through your Son Jesus name, amen!

Jesus Wants to Bear My Burden with Me

In review of Matthew 11:28-30 it says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (RSV).

Today’s passage comes from Matthew 11:28-30, where Jesus promises rest for my soul. He tells me that if I am tired from carrying heavy burdens and loads, I can come to him and he will give me rest. Take the yoke he gives, put it on my shoulders and then learn from him. For he is gentle and humble, and in him I will find rest. For his yoke is easy to bear, and it makes the burden much lighter.

A yoke is a heavy wooden harness that fits over the shoulders of an ox or oxen. It is then attached to a piece of equipment the oxen are to pull. A person can be carrying heavy burdens of sin, excessive demands, oppression/persecution, or weariness in the search for God. Jesus frees people from all these burdens. The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God, not the end of all labor. A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.

The yoke emphasizes the challenges, work, and difficulties of partnering with Christ in life. Responsibilities weigh us down, even the effort of staying true to God. But Jesus' yoke remains easy compared to the crushing alternative. Jesus doesn't offer a life of luxurious ease, the yoke is still an oxen's tool for working hard. But it's a shared yoke, with weight falling on bigger shoulders than mine. Someone with more pulling power is up front helping. Suddenly I am participating in life's responsibilities with a great Partner, and now any frown can turn into a smile, and that gripe into a song.

If you don’t really understand what a yoke is, it’s hard to understand what this passage means. When Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you,” it sounds a lot like he was going to give me something else to deal with. My burden is heavy enough already, Lord! I don’t need to take on an additional load! Knowing what a yoke is, a board with two arches in it that you put over two cattle so they can pull a cart and that is halves the load. Without a yoke, one animal’s got to pull that entire load by itself. But if you yoke up one animal with another, then the two animals pull the load together, and the load is half as heavy.

So when Jesus says to take his yoke, he’s not saying he’s going to give me an additional load, rather He’s saying he’s going to share my problems. He’s going to share my load. He’s going to take my stress on himself and bear it with me.

He uses three notable verbs in this Scripture: come, learn, and take. Jesus says, “Come to me. Team up with me. Then, learn how I do it. Take on a lighter load. This is going to reduce my stress. This is going to make it easier for me to navigate.”

When yoked with Christ, I move together with him. I move in the same direction and at the same speed.

Bottom Line:

If your carrying heavy burdens and concern, come to Jesus and rest. Take the yoke he gives, and put it on and learn from him. For He is gentle and humble. His yoke is easy to bear, and his burden is light.

What this means for me:

If I examine my life and think about the heavy burdens and workload I experience, he tells me to take his yoke and put it on. He will partner with me and teach me his gentle and humble ways. With his help my burdens will be easier and the load will be much lighter.

In summary, I can get Jesus assistance with my heavy burdens and load. I can come to him and he will give me rest. I simply just need to take the yoke he gives me, put it on my shoulders and then learn from him. For he is gentle and humble. In him I will find rest, for his yoke is easy to bear and it will greatly make the burden much lighter. A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose. I need to come and team up with him. Learn how to do it. And then take his yoke and lighten my load. I pray this morning for your continued guidance and wisdom in handling my tasks, leading others and serving others. These things I pray in your Son Jesus name, amen!