“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” (Romans 8:5-6 NLT)
Everyone has a story we secretly tell ourselves that either motivates us to move to Christ, or stifles whatever He’s trying to do in and through us. What’s your story? Are you excited to know and love Jesus, or is it painful for you to even think seriously about Him? Perhaps your story doesn’t leave room to even consider God’s existence.
Whatever our story, many times it relates to something we experienced in a positive or negative way at some critical point in our life. Often when we think of turning points in our life’s journey, a face or faces will appear on the screen of our mind. A parent who was critical, demeaning, angry, mean, impossible to please, who always tore you down, or a relative or family “friend” who introduced you to things that traumatized, frightened, or hardened you to the things of God.
On the other hand, perhaps your parent(s) and or significant adults in your life were good, kind, caring, godly, living out Christlikeness in easy to embrace ways, leading you to learn of Jesus at an early age and long to follow and obey Him. You knew from your earliest remembrance that you were loved, welcomed, desired, and an integral part of a loving family.
How ever your life was impacted and whatever the resultant story that has led you to become the person you are today, if you look in the mirror and you don’t like who’s looking back, I have some great news – there’s still hope for you! Perhaps, like me and untold others, you’ve done something in your life and the story you tell yourself is that you don’t deserve forgiveness; you don’t deserve to live a healthy, whole, forgiven life, but gratefully, that’s not the story of the Savior, Jesus.
In my weaker moments the devil will still remind me that I’m nothing worthwhile and don’t deserve the good things God has given me and done for me. Far too many times across the years of my life I’ve sabotaged my own success by believing the lies of Satan and acting in ways that resulted in what I had come to expect, not what God desired for me.
I’ve learned that there’s sometimes a delicate balance between what’s true and what’s not; what’s healthy and what’s not; what’s beneficial and what’s destructive. Satan can mask himself as “an angel of light,” leading us to think and do things that are not in line with God’s will for us. How we live is in direct correlation to how we think.
Whatever dominates our thoughts will direct our paths. If our story exalts Jesus or leaves Him out altogether it will be revealed in how we live; who we demean and who we honor, not the least of whom will be the person in the mirror.
Is your story filled with hope, forgiveness, aspiration, joy, anticipation, and love for God and others, or is it filled with self-disgust, anguish, regret, disappointment, and hopelessness? It’s hard to see light when your heart and mind are filled with darkness.
Here’s the bottom line: If your story isn’t telling you to run to Jesus, it’s a lie! The wonder and majesty isn’t that you can accept and embrace Jesus, it’s that He will accept and embrace you!
Jesus is offering you Himself today, and all you need to do is say “YES!” Check out this link to Ron Hutchcraft’s Bridge to God, so you can know for sure the story you’ll be telling yourself from now on will be one of hope and new life in Christ!
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 