WELCOME THIS CHANGE

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WELCOME THIS CHANGE

• 18 September, 2018

'Things we cannot see will last forever.' 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT

We enjoy the blessings of change, but not the process of change. We're creatures of habit. We form our habits, and our habits form us. Then we start to see things exclusively from our own perspective. And when that happens - we stagnate. The truth is, without change there is no growth. When you have the right attitude every experience - positive and negative - becomes an opportunity for progress. Think about it: trees need more than sunshine to produce fruit. Rainy seasons are productive seasons too, and they always precede the harvest. You don't have to like rain, you just have to understand its purpose and benefits.

The Bible says that every day 'the Lord...makes us more and more like him...we are changed into his glorious image' (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT). But to become like Jesus you must follow wherever he leads. That means following him through the wilderness of temptation, the pain of rejection, the forfeiting your reputation, the surrendering your will, and being ready to go to the place of crucifixion where you die to all forms of self-centred living. Following Jesus may mean being in a different location tomorrow than you are today. Once you grasp this principle, you'll stop fearing and resisting the changes taking place in your life and start seeing God at work in them.

Paul says: 'Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day...things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever' (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT).

Soulfood: Neh 11-13 Lk 22:14-23 Ps 78:56-64 Pro 24:6-10,

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IN HARNESS WITH JESUS

'You will find rest for your souls.' Matthew 11:29 NIV

One of the greatest promises Jesus ever gave us was, 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls' (Matthew 11:28-29 NIV). How could Jesus talk about being yoked in a harness, which suggests hard work and about rest in the same breath?

To most of us, rest means kicking back in the recliner. That's not the kind of rest Jesus was thinking about. A yoke is a harness that goes around the necks of two oxen so they can pull a load. Accepting Jesus' yoke is a picture of submission. It's also a picture of help because you're not pulling the load alone. In each team of oxen, one is the leader and the other follows. Jesus will take the lead but you must be yoked to him to get the benefit.

So to enjoy intimacy with Christ, you have to bow before him and accept his will. Jesus promises that his yoke won't choke you, it won't be wearisome or confining; you won't chafe under it. In fact, the irony is, if you want to be truly free you must allow yourself to be yoked to Jesus by submitting your will to his. Now it's possible to accept Christ's yoke, then start pulling against it when life doesn't go the way you want it to. Peace and rest come only when you relax in the yoke, and let Christ lead the way.

Soulfood: Mic 1-4 Lk 22:24-38 Ps 78:65-72 Pro 24:11-14

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THE COMPARISON TRAP 1

Don't compare yourself.' Galatians 6:4 CEV

Nothing will destroy your peace of mind faster than comparing. It shows a lack of understanding and makes you 'behave unwisely' (2 Corinthians 10:12 AMP). Cain measured himself against his brother Abel, and it ended in murder. When the disciples compared notes to see who among them would suffer and who would be spared, Jesus told them, 'That is not your business' (John 21:23 NCV).

Observe: (1) Comparisons can make you feel superior, which leads to pride. Remember the Pharisee who made a great show of thanking God because he was better than everybody else? (see Luke 18:11). Pride was Satan's downfall; that's why he loves it when you struggle in the same trap. (2) Comparisons can make you feel inferior, which leads to low self-esteem and keeps you focused on yourself. You overlook the truth that God doesn't play favourites (see Acts 10:34) and start believing he's withholding things that are rightfully yours. Society creates a sense of entitlement; then Satan reminds you of all the people who've already attained what you want, which propels you further down the road to discontentment. Anne Peterson says: 'Satan's lies have a little truth mixed in, which makes them harder to recognise. We need to refute them by saturating ourselves with the truth...it's only by learning the Scriptures that we can sort them out.' (3) We attempt to bring God down to our level by comparing how he's working now with how he worked in the past. Stop trying to figure God out, and trust him! 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts' (Isaiah 55:9 NIV).

Instead of comparing, start using and appreciating what God has blessed you with.

Soulfood: Col 1-2 Lk 20:41-47 Ps 78:1-8 Pro 23:19-21,

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