Old Habits die Hard: beaten but i'm victorious

Why can’t you get this right … You’re such a failure”, “maybe you should just leave it... I mean it’s not that bad anyway right? “You’ll never get through it”, “why even bother?” “Do you think Jesus loves you and you keep falling for the same sins?”, “am I really saved?”

These are the many thoughts which have often plagued my mind during a period of brokenness, impatience, after failing at something, or when I felt like I took two steps forward and ten steps back. Recently I went through one of those periods whereby I have been impatient. I was just hard on myself and felt like I just wasn’t where I needed to be in life and I was failing at life miserably.

So I said to God I needed Him to come and work on me and He shown a light on something I had lost  my grasp on. A key thing which he revealed and I have come to learn and understand especially during a point of weakness is that there is a there is a difference between conviction and condemnation. 

Conviction: It’s a horrible feeling but it has good purpose so we can be converted and renewed to be in the image of Christ (see Isaiah 1:18). That is God’s way of tugging at our hearts to say, “Be on guard, you’re a child of God and Satan seeks to take you out”, “you’re slipping away, come home”, or “you know that didn’t please me, that was your old sinful nature, but come meet me in prayer and let’s get you clean”. Condemnation: This is no good feeling either and it’s certainly not from God. It’s not God’s will for any to perish (see 2 Peter 3:9). Jesus himself said he didn’t come to condemn, but to save us (see John 3:17). Condemnation is that voice when you hear “you will never get through this,” “you're a failure” “you need to show them” “just leave the church” or “God doesn’t love you and will never forgive you.”

Don’t get it twisted, God is not and will never be happy when we sin, and He certainly will not turn a blind eye to it, BUT He won’t simply cut you off for making a mistake. The bible shows that God is gracious, and only leaves us to do whatever we want when we clearly show Him we don’t want to listen (Romans 1:20-32). This was one of the things I was really finding it hard to come to grips and understand. This led me to a refresher on the prodigal son. This is one of many examples of what happens when we decide to do our own thing (sin). God is watching and waiting daily for us to return, but he won’t force us to come back. Yet, his love is displayed when He sees we made the effort to come back and He will run to meet us (Luke 15:11-32). Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (James 4:8).

This was a major point for me. The major point being when WE make the EFFORT to come back and choose to lay aside our sins every day. See coming to God is a personal choice but know that we can’t be for God and be partaking in sin and many other trifling behaviours because it’s NOT God. In other words “he ain’t about that life”. This is where conviction comes into play and The Holy Spirit prompts us to let it go and chose to live Holy. When we disobey we are rebelling just like Satan did and we are essentially saying we are on His side. Disobedience will always catch up with you. I know this first hand. We can’t do the opposite of what God wants then pray for His blessings. There are many examples of this such as the Children of Israel. God was patient with and He would take them back with open arms but because they constantly chose sin and rebellion of Gods laws and precepts, eventually, they came to the place where the presence of God was no longer among them. The glory of God had departed and this is why they were defeated during wars.

God will not tolerate habitual sinning under any circumstances, so just because the process is long doesn’t mean you just give in. This is why we need Jesus to come and cleanse us from our deliberate and secret sins and old mind-set (see Psalm 19:12-14). Yes we are human and we all know from experience (I know I do) that we have our weaknesses, which is why we must seek God for strength because it’s a process whereby we need to learn and realise we can’t do it without him. I know in many cases I have cried especially when going through something hard that if only it would just go away with one prayer and that’s it, struggle done, or I have felt like if I was somewhere else then my life could be different.However, God allows us to have these struggles so we can only rely on His grace for strength (2 Corinthians 12:5-11).  It is through experiencing hardships or when I would rather be elsewhere doing something else that I really realise that without God it’s impossible.

 I have had to really wake up to this because it can be easy to think that because I’m living for God and I’m trying, I’m not gonna have any issues. This is far from the truth. I believe this is something which is often overlooked in our church today and we fail to really tell and to testify to people that this walk is not easy. Problems are a guarantee because it’s the package that comes with being in a sinful and fallen world however, victory is promised and GUARANTEED through Jesus. That is why Paul says he rejoices in persecutions and areas of weakness, because we can use it to our advantage. If we didn’t have any issues, we wouldn't see our need for Jesus. Our shortcomings teach us to be more reliable in Christ, they force us to have to pray and read our bible more and apply it.  

This Christian walk is a journey and process of character refinement and some things will  not happen overnight which is where I had got it wrong especially when I would beat myself up about not being where I wanted to be or not getting over something quick enough. I wanted discipline without the devotion and experience with God. I sometimes still do. However, without Christ, I cannot make core changes that will last and that requires an everyday sacrifice and devotion to God every second. I’m learning that it is through my devotion to Christ that I am able to be disciplined.

God wants a devoted people who are willing to change and let go of their sins. God wants a people committed to him as well as to the PROCESS of sanctification in order to be impactful to our communities and lead others to Christ too, so they can see and experience the great work He did and IS doing.

If I am going through this process I know someone else is too and I want to encourage you along with me to not allow our struggles to become our identity. Lets together trust God in this journey we are on, even when its stagnant or super hard.

No sin or problem or place in life outweighs grace and no stronghold is greater than the Holy Spirit. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that was in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:35-39).  Don’t give up because of some mistakes or shortcomings, just decide to choose God each time. He will not cast away His work which He has started in you. It’s not in Gods character to turn away a repentant sinner, “He is not a man that He should lie…” so don’t run away from Him (Numbers 23:19)

I know that although my old habits are not leaving immediately, in Jesus name I will kill those old habits daily as God molds me into His image. I am free, in Jesus name! I am loved, accepted, and forgiven by the mercy and grace of God! Let’s allow ourselves to go through the process and learn especially in the toughest periods of life when we feel like nothing is happening or changing to let God do His greatest work on us.

Old habits die hard, at times I’m beaten but I’m always victorious through Jesus. Im on a journey and I'm making it!

Love Rejoicexox       

Overcoming negative thinking: 5 steps towards more peace in the new year.

In our excitement to welcome the new year it can be easy to forget that just like the previous year, everything WILL NOT be perfect and most likely you will be carrying over the same old mindset into the new. Challenges will arise and there are gonna be issues you need to address. However, I’m so grateful that we serve a constant God, if he could strengthen us through last year, he is faithful to do the same this year. However, to make this life a little bit easier, we have to work with him and protect our peace. This is incredibly vital because eventually the newness of the year is gonna wear off and if we are not careful our emotions are gonna run our lives when people get on our nerves or most importantly when we fail to meet the expectations we set for ourselves. I’ve come to realise that it’s in those moments that it becomes easy to forget who we are through Christ and who we are living for.

Now the reason I thought it was important to write about this, is because that’s an area I sometimes really struggle with and God had to check me on this. If I’m to be completely honest with you, I had one too many tantrums last year and allowed seeds to grow in my life that should have never been planted which led me to be VERY upset. I was an emotional mess until God went and got me together. I remember one night as I was having my devotional I cried in frustration to God because I just felt so attacked by thoughts in my own head!

It was literally as if my mind was plagued with things I wanted to happen, events, and worries about my future. I cried Lord I claim your word that “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13) and you “…have plans to prosper me and give me an expected end...” (Jeremiah 29:11) but I’m finding it hard to be positive and walk out in faith claiming your promises! What I knew I ought to do, it seemed impossible for me to do and I was about ready to be done. As I sat talking to God I began to cry because of all my anxieties and He spoke to me and said

 “Rejoice, what door is open in your life that you’re allowing the devil to come through and breed these false and negative thoughts? Are you allowing social media such as Instagram, relationship posts and the music you’re listening to, to plants seeds of discontentment? Who are you following, watching and wanting to be like that it's causing you to doubt who I say you are. I need you to guard your heart Rejoice so I can tell you my secrets and show you my heart and things that are unseen, not these temporary earthly attainments. Stop using these things to make you feel good about yourself, I want your entire heart and you have to grow up. Once you let go of these worldly ideals can you then be content in every area of your life. My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in your weakness”.

 In that moment, I repented to God for putting other things before him. I also decided to hit back negativity with the word of God and what he says about me, not what is fed on media and other people’s expectations. The world will and IS trying to deceive you by telling you that if you don’t have this or are going through that, then your life ain’t popping, you’re missing out or could be better. Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with setting goals for ourselves, but we are to fix our eyes on Jesus for heaven is the ultimate goal (Colossians 3:1-2).  Trusting in the Lord brings ultimate safety, peace, joy and assurance of the future. This is a daily decision you will have to make if you want to win against Satan’s attacks and threatening thoughts. We can't afford to be distracted by silly things when there is heaven on the line. What door have you kept open which the devil comes in to steer you off track? Now I’m going to share with you, my 5 practical tips which help guard me against negativity and fear in order to keep my peace.

1.      Put on the whole armour of God- look at Ephesians 6:14-17. Too many of us are refusing to get dressed each morning and are walking around in rags or even naked, because we don’t read and apply the word of God DAILY and wonder why things aren’t going so well.(Belt of truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes of the gospel of peace, Shield of faith and Helmet of truth.)We are in a spiritual warfare and our salavation is on the line!
2.    Mind your company- Bad company corrupts good character ( 1 Corinthians 15:33). Whether we like it or not the people and the things we entertain rub off on us, hence why we start to imitate friends’ expressions or characters on the tv shows we watch. If you have friends who are constantly talking down about themselves or other people or better yet if they love to sit and compare other people’s lives etc it's time to evaluate those friendships. If you allow yourself to feed of those types of conversations, they will start to affect you in your subconscious and you wonder why you’re negative?? A person who TRULY loves God will not actively go and engage in an environment which does not cultivate their faith or is contrary to the bible without being UNCOMFORTABLE or CONVICTED.
3.    Believe the best! -  Why are you talking to Satan? You need to capture those thoughts and make them obedient to the word of God. God has not given you a spirit of fear, but through him, you’re more than a conqueror.  I always try and base my thoughts on Philippians 4:8. (whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable). I like to ask myself Is what I’m thinking true or have I made up this scenario in my head and ran off with it, now I’m making myself feel bad over what’s not a reality? Am I being led by my feelings and emotions which change? What is the goal of thinking these bad thoughts? There is always good in something so dwell on the positive. Track down your stimuli and get tough with them! What gets your mind going? Is it the explore tab on Instagram, music or a particular tv show ?
4.   Know what the Bible says -  if you’re not sure go to the Bible or go and google some verses concerning your situation then go sit before the Lord. If you don’t know of what God says about you and the future how can you have assurance? The bible will put things in perspective for you and help you to stop making bad decisions and running ahead of God.
5.    Spend time with God- How can you have trust and love for someone you don’t know? Time with God is pure JOY and only He can meet your needs and give you the SPECIFIC diagnosis for whatever is happening in your life. Too often we like to look at other people’s spiritual experiences and lives and then compare it to ours etc. Trust me I have done that! The only person we need to be looking at is God for he was the ultimate example. God wants to spent time with you, Jeremiah 33:3 is just one of many examples where God has called us and said “Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.”.  Only when you spend time with him and APPLY the word, you are able to be unbothered by negativity and concentrate more on living a life pleasing to God that will draw others to Him. 

No matter what happens this year, let’s not forget the work God is doing in us and wants to complete in us. As we pray for blessings and opportunities this new year, lets pray that God imparts in us a steadfast spirit that will endure all the hardships to come. Let us pray that we don’t feed our imaginations, fantasies and daydreams based on loneliness, anxiety or desperation. Let us pray that the lord will renew us. As Romans 12:2 says “Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Things will happen and we can’t control all that will happen, however, we do have the CHOICE to depend on the Lord.

REMEMBER Cheerfulness Brightens the Pathway—It is the duty of everyone to cultivate cheerfulness instead of brooding over sorrow and troubles. Many not only make themselves wretched in this way, but they sacrifice health and happiness to a morbid imagination. There are things in their surroundings that are not agreeable, and their countenances wear a continual frown that more plainly than words expresses discontent.2MCP 759.1

These depressing emotions are a great injury to them healthwise, for by hindering the process of digestion they interfere with nutrition. While grief and anxiety cannot remedy a single evil, they can do great harm; but cheerfulness and hope, while they brighten the pathway of others, “are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.”—The Signs of the Times, February 12, 1885. (My Life Today, 153.)

STOP stressing out! major biblical keys on combating worry and stress

  ‘We gon be all right, do you hear me? Do you feel me? We gon be alright!’ 

It was very ironic that this was the song playing as I was talking to a friend about the number of different things we had to do and some of our fears and concerns. One thing that kept ringing through my head was if God has brought us this far, surely He is ABLE to see us through.

Psalm 37:23-24 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand.

It is now that time of year where mid-terms and EXAMS are on your case. In my case, I have my 9000-word dissertation to do and it’s very easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged. This led me to think of this point. Imagine the most challenging thing you have ever had to deal with. Now imagine life a month before that event happened. Even if you can look back and say “Oh, I knew it was gonna happen,” there was no way you could have truly known how things were going to play out, how the situation would make you feel, or what lessons you would learn. 

Uncertainty is such an unsettling feeling. As humans we have the tendency to always focus and wonder about 2 years from now, 5 years from now and so on and that can rob us of today’s joy and living in the present moment. Uncertainty is overwhelming when you allow it consume you, HOWEVER, because there is a God who holds tomorrow and takes care of us no matter what, we have no reason to worry about the unknown! So, STOP stressing out because you don’t know what next week, month, SEMESTER, or YEAR is going to look like…

It doesn't all have to be gloomy... His yoke is easy and his burden is light

Now the Bible is such an AMAZING book for it holds so many treasures and REAL-LIFE applications to many of the things that we go through and one person we can certainly learn from is Paul.

In his journey as a Christian, the Apostle Paul had no idea what he was going to face or what would become of him in the days to come. In fact, this man SUFFERED and went without the comforts of life that we are accustomed to as he was living out his purpose for Gods mission. One thing that helped him to keep going in life was to PRAY about EVERYTHING, not worry and to be CONTENT.  

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I CAN do EVERYTHING through Him who gives me STRENGHT” (Philippians 4:12-13). 

Paul LEARNED that it is far more valuable to focus on God and what He was called to do as opposed to stressing out over what might go wrong even if it meant going to prison. Don’t let yourself be afraid of the unknown.  You are where you are in this stage of life for a reason; it’s all part of the journey and you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t meant to be. When we worry, it can often make us complacent rather than dealing with issues at hand. This is because our emotions can cloud our view of what we have to do. Give yourself time to find out who God really is and how He has been faithful in the past to supply the needs of his people, AND GUESS WHAT? He STILL does the same today. When we get worried and fret to the point of discouragement and weariness it means we do NOT TRUST God. When you look to God for your answers, it will grow your confidence and trust for the future because you know God has it under control so then what should you fear?

God used Paul mightily and He was there for him continually and He wants to do the same for us today.  

We live in a sinful world with many hardships and various encounters which can often lead us worried and stressed. Some of those worries and causes of stress are issues such as:

 1. Not knowing how your school year is going to go.
2. Being uncertain about what to do about your job or different career opportunities

3. Not knowing what your current relationships will look a month from now
4. A situation with your health or your family that's completely out of your control
5. Feeling stuck about how you should approach a situation with a friend or someone your ‘talking’ to.

I would encourage you to give such matters to God and leave them with Him. Don’t pick them up and worry again and know that God will tell you what to do and life will plan out as it should. In order to do this, we must turn down the world's volume so we can be in tune with God.

God will continue to be with us for as long as we live. Keep your focus on finishing the course He has called you to. Don't give up on praying or reading His word because of what hasn't been sorted out yet. Don't stop worshipping and doing His work as you seek Him daily about the decisions or circumstances you're faced with.

You've made it this far and He is NOT going to LEAVE you now!
Love Rejoicexox

Devotional inspiration from* Philippians 4:4-13 and Acts 20:22-23