Yesterday, as I was preaching on Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:22-24, I kept being hit with this simple reminder. God will do His part. We must FIRST do our part.
In reading through Romans 12, Paul says that we don’t have to allow our minds to be inundated with garbage. He says that our minds can be transformed, but we have a part to play. We are responsible for the continual renewing of our minds.
How many times have you done something completely wrong, and asked God to just fix it for you? I know I have. Too many times to count.
God is ready, willing, and able to do his part – AFTER WE DO OURS.
This simple principle applies to every area of our lives:
- God please bless my marriage – How about you love, honor and respect your spouse FIRST – even when you don’t feel like it.
- God please help me to stop worrying - Focus on something (namely, Someone) bigger than your problems – FIRST.
- God please bless my health – Take care of your body and exercise FIRST.
- God please bless my finances - Honor God by trusting Him with your money through giving FIRST.
We do our part. God does His.
It’s your turn.
Hear, hear!
I love the words from this song:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Because it reminds us where our focus needs to be and when we do that all the garbage we dwell on will fades from our sight as we focus on God and we will be transformed in his presence.
I struggle with thoughts of decisions in my past constantly…I literally have to tell my brain to SHUT UP our loud!
one of my favorites:
2 Corinthians 10
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
I love it. We have to take every thought captive. 2 Corinthians 10:5