As we enter into the New Year let’s resolve to live it God’s way to the max!!

Philippians 4:8
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

The key to how I live is not what I do or how I feel but how “I think”.
The way I think affects how I feel and impacts how I act…

Living right…starts with thinking right!

Don’t beat yourself up if you’re battling negative thoughts….we all battle negative thoughts…It’s in pulling down and “defeating them” with the TRUTH of God’s Word that’s the important part!

If you harbour thoughts about others that are dishonouring….dismissive disrespectful or bitter allow the washing of the water of the word to cleanse your mind and don’t poison the thoughts of others with your ill spoken words and wrong opinions.

Matthew 5:22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment….whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool”will be liable to the fire of hell.
Wow..I’m sure that in the moment these words were spoken…they would have been shocking.

Today, they are deeply challenging.

Jesus is saying that an improper attitude…or being unrighteously angry with another person…makes one subject to God’s judgment.
Who can honestly claim they have never been angry towards someone else…or that every wrong thought was perfectly justified…We’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…

How we treat others is important to God. He cares about actions, but He cares most about the condition of our heart. A right heart will not seek out ways to “talk badly” about others…it will not make friendly alliances through gossip and godless chatter…airing grievances and judgements about “them”.
God made man in his own image. How we treat others…is how we treat Him…

Jesus said if it is wrong to commit adultery…it’s just as wrong to “think about it”
If it is wrong to murder….it also makes it wrong to call a person worthless or stupid and kill them with our words…

As “followers” we can’t superficially obey the Word of God without any kind of heart-change. Our continual submission to the Holy Spirit is paramount in our heart softening and us becoming more like Jesus.

Unrighteous attitudes…thoughts and words…while not exactly the same as unrighteous actions, are just as much worthy to be labelled as sins.
Guarding our heart and mind is just as much a part of obedience to God as is choosing godly behavior.

Dear Lord You know negative thoughts find their way into my mind….and I am struggling. These thoughts seem stronger than me, but I thank You that because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross, they are not…and I have the mind of Christ.

Greater is He who lives in me than he who is in this world!
I choose right now to think on things that are “honourable” and true and I submit to God my “wrong ways of thinking” and resist the devil, commanding him to flee from me!

In the mighty, powerful name of Jesus… I take authority over the unclean spirits of oppression and evil thinking and I command the enemy and all of his cohorts to flee right now in the name of Jesus!

Lord forgive me for wrong thoughts and wrong actions…
Forgive me for my lack of submission to your life changing spirit…
Forgive me for not guarding my heart and mind.

Today I choose to think right and live right. I choose to speak well of others and choose love and mercy over judgment knowing that I will reap whatever it is I choose to sow.
#RubbermeetstheroadFollowers