Hope for Today

Beloveds, I want us to focus on a few things that has great influence on our authority in Christ. We want darkness to flee from us when we address it and we want to be able to stand when we face difficulties, but we can not expect the devil to flee from us if we conduct ourselves in a way that glorifies him. We have to move in the opposite spirit as what the devil is trying to oppress us with so that we can overcome. Meaning, we have to pursue Gods instructions on how we should conduct ourselves as His children. How will we ever bring change and light into the world if we behave and look like the world? We do not have any excuse to behave badly as children of God, not ever. Jesus is our example of how to live. He never acted out, not even in the worst situations.

Therefore let us become more mindful of what the Word of God says on how to conduct ourselves. It is going to require some effort from our side. We will have to daily resist our default way of responding to certain things and to keep reprogramming our minds by falling back on what the Word of God says.

So let us dedicate ourselves to truly change the way we speak, think and behave! Remember that we are here to honor Jesus and display His splendor. Let us therefore make the decision to change our ways of ill behavior and embrace God’s instructions that will bring life to us.

Let us meditate on these scriptures.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Whatever is true

Definition – That which is true or in accordance with fact or reality

Whatever is noble

Definition – Showing fine personal qualities

Whatever is right

Definition – Justified or expectable.

Whatever is pure

Definition – Not mixed

Whatever is lovely

Definition – Highly pleasing

Whatever is admirable

Definition – Deserving respect and approval

Excellent or praiseworthy

Definition – Show high moral standard or warm approval / admiration

Do we think on these things? What does our days look like? Can we truly say I have glorified the Lord in my conduct today?

Are we negative, miserable and fault finding? If that is the case, our focus is obviously in the wrong place. We should not get stuck on how bad, irritating and terrible things are around us, the more we embrace this thinking the more we will only see terrible and nasty things. The devil also will make sure to send you some more irritating, miserable things to occupy you with in your day because you are entertaining things of his realm.

So, let us start finding things that are lovely, look for truth in everything, find someone to bless or compliment, don’t always think for instance that people are against you because they did not smile or greet you. It might even be that that person is wrestling with a hardship and is in deep thought – what an opportunity we will miss to bring some light into that persons day. It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Let us look at things we grateful for or find things or people that we can admire or respect. I always stand in amazement and respect of old people who you can see are struggling with a bad hip or some sort of pain who goes for their daily walk. They will shuffle along slowly but they will do it even if it takes them a very long time. That is something to admire and respect. I salute them for not giving up. To me that is perseverance and I can learn a lot from looking at them!

Proverbs 21:23 (ESV) Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Proverbs 12:18 (ESV) There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

We wonder sometimes why people are antagonistic towards us, but we gossip about others and we are quick to lash out. When we are slow to speak we can many times dodge a fight that the enemy tries to launch against us.

When the Lord started teaching me about Godly behavior my first case was my husband. We tend to get so familiar with our families, especially with our spouses, and this can become a problem. We can easily dishonor, lash out – and vent at them. We many times don’t have a muzzle on our mouths. We don’t realize how we hurt them with our rash words. One time God showed me what it looked like in the spirit when I spoke in anger to my husband. What a horrific picture – my words truly looked like the scripture above sates. Every time I was triggered and I responded in anger or sarcasm I would push knives into my husband and it looked like a murder scene. I then realized that it did not matter how I felt or what right I think I had to behave that way, it was wrong because I was busy killing my husband in the spirit. The more I did this the more I pushed him away from me.

Just by the way, if you get triggered or irritated by something someone says or does, there is some unresolved pain or issue inside of you to deal with, but you DO NOT have the right to kill people around you with your words because you have pain.

Dishwashing in the evenings was my deliverance time. God spoke so clearly and intently to me while I was doing dishes. Many times I would hear Him say: “You will not say a word, even if he is wrong. You will be quiet and you will focus on Me”. This Jezebellic behavior was part of me for many years. I grew up with it and God had to deliver me from it! Over the years I have learnt to catch myself before I lashed out and if I did I would report myself to the Lord. (I had many internal conversations with the Lord when I was in a situation that was loaded with a fight.) I would literally say: “Father, I report myself to you, I want to freak out, swear and say what I want to say, please help me now.” He would then immediately come and either convict my heart or bring peace to me. I would then repent if I was in the wrong or just ask Him for the wisdom I needed to deal with the situation. Most importantly I would push myself to NOT say a word that had hatred or revenge in it.

Over the years my husband and I have learnt to respect and honor each other and first think and gauge ourselves before we speak or behave. God has done great things, but we had to work with Him and APPLY His Word. We are careful of letting our guards down because it is very easy to fall into that trap again – we keep at it still daily.

Proverbs 15:1 (ESV) A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 25:28 (ESV) A man without self-control is like a broken city broken into and left without walls.

If you don’t have self-control there is no protection for you because your walls are down. Do we really understand what happens in the spirit to us when we can’t control ourselves? Something to think upon for sure.

Colossians 4:6 (ESV) Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

We struggle with keeping our tongues under control. How do we speak to others, when we are angry, when we are irritated, sad, etc.?

Colossians 1:10 (ESV) so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Beloveds, I want to challenge you to really start a journey of changing the way you do life. Press in with this. Don’t allow yourself to be swallowed by discontentment, miserability, anger, irritability etc. Keep in mind that You want to walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him; your actions and behavior must show it. Push against moving in the same spirit as the devil. If you fail, which you will, repent and ask forgiveness to the Lord, get up and push again until you get the hang of it. We cannot resist the devil if we have the same things in common with him. That is why many times we resist the devil and he won’t flee.

I want to encourage you to really work at this daily until it becomes second nature. Let us start walking in victory because our conduct is in line with Gods Word.

Let’s Pray: Father, I know that my conduct has been atrocious over the years. I have agreed with darkness by the way I have behaved and has spoken to others. I have killed many with my words. Forgive me for not having a guard infront of my mouth. Please forgive me for not having self-control and for being a city with broken down walls – unprotected. I repent Lord. Please cleanse me from this lifestyle. Deliver me from the deception I have lived under: for believing that I have the right to behave badly. Please forgive me! Father, I ask that You will convict my heart every time I want to move in the wrong spirit, every time I want to kill with my words. Please help me to be aware of what I am saying and doing. Father, I ask that you will cleanse me with the blood of Jesus from every evil that has attached to me because of these sins. Please cleanse my mindset with the blood of Jesus Christ. I denounce and renounce this lifestyle and I choose to walk in the light as You, Jesus, are in the light. Help me to become a beacon of light to others. I choose to display Your splendor, the way Your Word is teaching me. I pray this in the name of Jesus name. Amen and amen