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 12:2 Devotionals Daily Think Great Thoughts by John Ortberg, The Me I Want to Be: Becoming Gods Best Version of You Meet John Ortberg One Saturday night our house was assaulted by an odor so indescribably noxious we had to evacuate. We figured it was a gas leak and called both the gas company and the fire department. As it turned out, a skunk had gotten very close to our house. I made a few phone calls, but no exterminator would come to look for a skunk, so we figured the problem would go away on its own. Most of the odor faded away, and what lingered we got used to. It didn’t bother us — until a visitor would enter and say, “It smells like a skunk around here.” A week later I was on the road when my family called to say the skunk had struck again. I had to find someone who specialized in the ways of the skunk — a “skunk whisperer.” The man discovered that we had two live skunks and one dead one permanently residing in the crawl space under our house. It cost a lot to get the skunks removed. But it was worth it. You cannot get rid of the skunk odor without getting rid of the skunk. Our sense of smell has a unique power to evoke emotion, and in our inner lives, our feelings are like aromas. Our positive feelings — joy, pleasure, gratitude — thrill us like the scent of freshly baked bread. Negative feelings — sadness, worry, anger — can make us want to evacuate our lives. When they hit, your mood dips, you lose energy, God seems distant, prayer seems pointless, sin looks tempting, and life looks bleak. But our feelings never descend on us at random. As a general rule, our emotions flow out of our thoughts. Discouraged people tend to think discouraging thoughts. Worried people tend to think anxious thoughts. These thoughts become so automatic that, like the lingering skunk odor, after a while we don’t even notice we are thinking them. We get used to what is sometimes called “stinking thinking.” This can happen to anyone. The prophet Elijah had reached a high point of his life when he defeated the prophets of Baal. Then one event — the opposition of Jezebel — plunged him into fear. Look at his thoughts: he felt worthless (“I am no better than my ancestors”), hopeless (“he ran for his life”), isolated (“I am the only one left”), and unable to cope (“I have had enough”). He actually wanted to die (“Take my life, Lord”). But God is the great healer. He had Elijah take a nap and eat a snack, then He did a little divine cognitive therapy to replace each of these life-killing thoughts. He gave Elijah an epiphany (“the Lord is about to pass by”), filled his future with hope because God would accompany him (“go back the way you came”), revealed that he was not isolated (“yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel”), and infused his life full of meaning because God had a mission for him. Elijah thought his problem was Jezebel, but there will always be a Jezebel in our lives. The real challenge is between our ears. The way we live will inevitably be a reflection of the way we think. True change always begins in our mind. The good news is that if God can change Elijah’s thinking, He can change ours. What makes people the way they are — what makes you you — is mainly the way they think. Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think (Romans 12:2 NLT). Becoming the best version of yourself, then, rests on one simple directive: Think great thoughts! True change begins in our minds People who live great lives are people who habitually think great thoughts. Their thoughts incline them toward confidence, love, and joy. Trying to change your emotions by willpower without allowing the stream of your thoughts to be changed by the flow of the Spirit is like fumigating the house of the skunk smell while the skunks continue to live in your crawl space. But God can change the way we think! We will look at two ways we can open ourselves up to His work: learning to monitor what happens in our minds, and then resetting our minds to a better frequency. It is time to go after the skunks. Excerpted from The Me I Want to Be: Becoming Gods Best Version of You by John Ortberg, copyright Zondervan. * * * Your Turn Are your thoughts typically more negative than positive? Start developing healthy habits for your mind! If you dont know where to start, pray this simple prayer: Holy Spirit, would you help me? Would you give me the right thoughts? Come join the conversation on our blog! We would love to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily Comment Deal of the Day Save 20% on The Me I Want to Be for one week only! The Me I Want to Be Regular Price: $15.99 Sale Price: $12.79 Buy Now If God has a perfect vision for your life, why does spiritual growth seem so difficult? John Ortberg has some intriguing answers to that question, and he has organized his thoughts and Gods words into a straightforward and timely guide for living your best life in The Me I Want to Be. This book will show how Gods perfect vision for you starts with a powerful promise. Ortberg urges you to recognize your brokenness, understand that God is the project manager, and follow His directions. As you start living in the flow, you will feel: — a deeper connection with God — a growing sense of joy — an honest recognition of your brokenness — less fear, more trust — a growing sense of being “rooted in love” — a deeper sense of purpose God invites you to join Him in crafting an abundant and joy-filled life. The Me I Want to Be shows you how to graciously accept His invitation.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 12:19:35 +0000
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