 You know when one of the apps on your computer or phone won't work properly because it needs updating? Sometimes life is like that, some of your ideas or views are unhealthy or unhelpful or just plain wrong and need updating. Consider the following verses:
Romans 12:2 Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him. Ephesians 4:23-24 Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God. So, how do we update our stinkin thinkin and be more like Jesus? 1. Talk to God and ask him to show you things you need to change. Ask him to help you change. 2. Spend time reading and studying the Bible and test our ideas and values against what the Bible says. Write out relevant Bible verses and stick them around your room to remind you. CHALLENGE: What stinkin thinkin do you need to change?
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 Fish are tempted to take the bait because it looks good (to them at least) but it has deadly consequences.
Here are some examples of things that look good but have negative consequences:
But here is the good news:
 Christians are like lamps, God is the electricity that powers us and His love is the light. The only way that people can see the light is if we put his love into action, if we do good. Jesus says that when people see the good that we do they will praise Him. I don't know about you, but I find it hard to do good for others, I'm usually more interested in me. A lamp needs to be plugged in to work. That's why we need to be plugged into God. We do this by reading the Bible, praying, worshipping Him, meditating on Him, thanking Him etc.
 Life is like gardening - if you plant a lot of seeds, you will grow a lot of plants. Paul was encouraging people to be generous when he wrote 2 Corinthians 9. The Cambridge dictionary defines generous as willing to give money, help, kindness, etc., especially more than is usual or expected. Money isn't the only thing you can be generous with - you can also be generous with your time, patience, love, kindness, compliments, smiles, hugs etc. If you are generous, then you will be rewarded - you my have to wait until heaven though. Matthew 16:27 says, For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
 Image courtesy of www.pexels.com (Adrianna Calvo) God's grace is like an umbrella. Imagine that troubles are rain. God doesn't stop it raining on Christians - we have troubles, just like everyone else. But the umbrella of God's grace helps us to stand in the midst of troubles and not get soaking wet. We may get a little damp but not completely drenched. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says, We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again.
 Being transformed into the likeness of Christ is like renovating a house. It takes time and you need professional help. We renovated an old house - it took us 10 years and we employed a lot of tradesmen during the process. When you become a Christian, you don't usually radically change overnight (though some people do). Even people who have been Christians for 30 years are still being transformed - it is an ongoing process. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him. We still need to make an effort - prayer, read and study our Bibles, meet with other Christians etc. The Holy Spirit is like the tradesman who does the work. I can paint and do a bit of tiling but not as good as a professional painter or tiler. I can try to be like Christ but only God can transform me.
 The Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power I love solar lights - no electricity or batteries required. These ones hang in my studio window. Without the power of the sun though, these lights don't work. Just like Christians need time with God to enable them to do life as he wants us to. Spending time reading God's Word (the Bible) and talking to him (prayer) gives you the power to shine for him. Acts 1:8 says, But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world. That's what he wants us to do, to shine his light and tell the world about his love.
 Image courtesy of www.pixabay.com (pexels) A friend of mine died of Cancer this week and it prompted me to ask the question again, "Why does God let bad stuff happen?" The short answer is that sin entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned and it has been a broken place ever since.
Let me try and explain it like this - it's a bit like cooking a cake. You mix the flour, sugar, milk, egg and butter together, put it in the oven and it's perfect. But, if you put a cup of dirt in when you add the flour and mixed it all up and put it in the oven, the whole cake is ruined. There are a lot of good things in the world (it was all good when God created it), but sin affects everything in the world. People get sick, people die, people hurt each other, people get divorced... There is hope though. When Jesus comes again, he will restore the earth to its perfect state. 2 Peter 3:13 says, God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to that! |
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