Reflections4Life
December 29th, 2013
“A
Transformed Life”
“I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable
service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good
and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2 NKJV
Scripture Contemplation: Psalm
28; Psalm 51; John 14; Romans 12; Colossians 3; James 1...
Wow! The last Sunday of 2013. Can
you believe it? So many things have happened this past year. So many
changes. Good things, bad things, horrific things, life changing
things. What will you take from 2013? What lessons have you learned?
More importantly; what have you learned about yourself, and about the
grace of God?
On Friday, I heard someone say
that this was the last Friday of the year. From that statement, God
shared with me the following: Do not let it be the only "last".
Let 2013 be the last time you doubt yourself. Let it be the last
time you procrastinate. Let it be the last time you believe the lies
of the enemy and his minions. Let it be the last time you say you're
going to do something then don't follow through. Let it be the last
time you doubt God and His promises for your life. And finally, let
it be the last time you put yourself last. How can you possibly be
any good to anyone else, if you are not good to yourself, and got
yourself together? 2014...it's on!!!! And there's no looking back!
I declare and decree that this
week's Reflections will be a continued source of
encouragement and inspiration for your heart, mind, and soul. As you
embark upon a brand New Year, leave behind the burdens of this year,
while embracing the lessons learned. Allow the set-backs and
adversity of this past year to catapult you into a transformed life
for this coming new season. There is more that God has for you.
Expect it.
Many of us have already resolved
what we were going to do in the New Year. What we plan to leave
behind us. That's all well and good. However, it is what you
determine to do for God that will bring about change in your life. It
is obedience and the willingness to sacrifice that will bring about a
transformed life. And the truth is: it begins within our minds.
If there was any lesson that I
have learned most this past year, it was about the power of our
minds. It is no wonder the enemy tries so hard to mess with our
minds. It is often said that the mind is a battlefield and the
devil's playground. I believe that whatever we think upon will most
certainly manifest. And if our thoughts are not on the things and
promises of God, then chances are that we have brought to pass in our
lives some very harsh realities. I do know for certain, that our
perception determines our reality. Whatever we perceive to be true or
real, will most certainly manifest in our lives.
If you have experienced a year of
great adversity, and you can say to yourself: I knew this would
happen, then the chances are great that you have been operating
in a negative mindset. Whatever we believe, beloved, we draw unto
ourselves. We are a magnet. Whatever we are, whatever we think, we
will most certainly attract to us. Be it situations, circumstances,
or people. Our experiences become a reflection of our perceptions and
how we think.
Romans 12:1-2 (The Message
Bible) “1-2 So here’s what
I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary
life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around
life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God
does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so
well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even
thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed
from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and
quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging
you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you,
develops well-formed maturity in you.”
Philippians 4:8-9 “Summing
it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds
and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic,
compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not
the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice
what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do
that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into
his most excellent harmonies.” (THE MSG)
In order for us to have a
transformed life in this New Year, we must renewed in our mind and
our thoughts. You can say to yourselves that you are going to do
things differently in this new year. However, unless you have a made
up and determined mind; a mind that is renewed daily; a mind that is
set upon the things of God; a mind that seeks after the will of God;
the chances are great that you will repeat the same things of the
past.
Yes. Our mind is a battlefield.
And on that battlefield the enemy has shown up, seeking to kill,
steal, and destroy. Yet, on the battlefront of that battlefield is
the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Declaring you the victor, with the
promise of abundant life, a renewed mind, a transformed life.
Declaring His love for you, lifting up the blood-stain banner of His
sacrifice for you, that guarantees you a blessed and abundant
life—should you believe, and begin to see through His eyes, the
glorious, transformed being that you are.
Take the lessons of this past
year, beloved, and all the hurts and wounds, and lay them all at the
altar. Plead the blood of Jesus over your thoughts and mind. Commit
yourself to Lord and to the reading of the word daily. Spend more
time in the presence of God. Think on those things that are of God.
Renew your mind daily, and be confident in the fact that greater is
He that is in you, than he that is in this world. Though things may
appear one way, determine in your heart that you will believe the
report of the Lord.
Remember: the enemy is a master
illusionist. Making false evidence appear real,
which is just FEAR. But God has given us a spirit of love, power, and
a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) And when we think on the things of God,
and we are in constant fellowship with our Father, our lives will
begin to reflect that. We will have a renewed mind, and a transformed
life.
As I am writing this, it really
just dawned upon me that this is the last Reflection of this
year. Wow! We have had a full year of fellowship. So many things have
taken place in each of our lives. We have shared many things with one
another. Thank you for your fellowship. Thank you for your time. Your
kind words. Your emails. I am declaring and decreeing that this New
Year will be the best yet for you and your loved ones. That, 2014
will be the year of answered prayers and manifested promises! I love
you. God Bless.
I decree that the spirit of peace
and of prosperity has found permanent rest in your lives:
spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, and
financially. Walk in the promises of God by keeping your mind renewed
daily. Take the lessons and adversity of this past year, and allow
them to propel you forward in the will of God. You were made in the
image of God. And that means that there is greatness within you.
Whatever you believe; whatever you think upon; whatever you perceive
will become your reality. So think on the things of God. Believe in
His promises to you. Stand on the word, and do not waver. God is
doing just what He said. Believe it. Expect it. Receive it. You are
Blessed. Now go...and continue being a Blessing!
©2013. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights
Reserved.
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