We should question our reasonings regularly

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. ~1 Peter 2:24 (ESV)

Anyone who has seen the movie “Shallow Hal” obtains a somewhat spiritual concept of the way the Lord might see a person who isn’t living the life they were created to live. Someone living for themselves, totally absorbed with their own wants and needs. Totally focused on what would put a smile on their face and bring themselves what they believe would be the most joy and happiness. Do you know anybody like that?  We all do because it is the nature we were all born with. But the Lord says He wants to give us a new nature, He wants to give us His nature.  The one that will bring true peace and fulfillment to our lives. The Lord isn’t trying to take away anything.  He wants to change our perspective to be able to see ourselves, our lives and those around us from a different perspective.  The perspective of our creator. The one who built us and knows exactly what we were built for.  We were built for love, to live in love and to demonstrate love.  Believe it or not that can be a very difficult endeavor.  Especially if we aren’t able to see with our spiritual eyes. 

When we look at ourselves and others through spiritual eyes, we see things very differently.  Those who are hurting us don’t have as much power as we tend to give them. If we look at them from God’s perspective, we are able to have compassion and mercy flow through us because we see their brokenness, we see their spiritual sicknesses and impairments that only the Lord can repair. The more we take the time to seek God’s understanding and wisdom regarding those around us, the more we will be able to demonstrate His character.  Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (NIV)  Jesus was lifted up on the cross and every day is an opportunity to share that experience we had at the cross when we accepted His sacrifice and came into fellowship with our Father in Heaven.  We are called to lift Jesus up every day of our life with our thoughts, words, and actions.  We don’t have to be perfect, but we do have to be spiritually healthy to help others become spiritually healthy.  That starts with spending time with God in His Word so that He can speak to us throughout the day, bringing His work back to our memory and leading our actions accordingly.  Our knowledge of the “big picture” is so miniscule that we should question our reasoning regularly.  We should seek to know Gods will and we should plan on acting decisively and immediately when He reveals it to us.  Take for instance forgiveness, we know we should, but we don’t always do it in the moment.  That causes more harm to ourselves than to the one we are withholding forgiveness from.  We should pray regularly for the Lord to help us do His will in the moment because it saves us from having to backtrack.  Confession and restoration are part of the wonderful inheritance Jesus has given us as children of God, but wouldn’t it be more beneficial to walk as Jesus did in total victory all the time?  Let’s make that our endeavor today.  Let’s seek God in His word and prepare our hearts to act on His leading no matter what we face today. Then let’s give God the praise and glory for the opportunity to be more like Him every day of our lives!

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. ~ 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)

Have you sought God in His word today? What is He leading you to think differently, do differently or speak differently?

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