You become what you behold
Lord thank You for this morning and being able to breathe and move my body, exercise my mind, and awaken my soul with Your word. I am so thankful that You Lord have been patient with me, forgive me when I get anxious and frustrated. I truly believe those moments You use to mold me. “Hard things make us stronger lovers”, is what I had heard the Lord whisper to me. One sip, two sip of my coffee I hear Him say another one liner “You can’t crack a neck that is stiff”; it needs to be relaxed, not tight or stressed. In order for it to be regularly reset, we must have a release of the tightness before we can attempt to reset. So we must release and let go of what we are holding onto in order to be rest, and renewed by our Maker. This isn’t a blog post about a visit at the chiropractor or even the physical consequences of stress, but the spiritual condition of our soul. When things are heavy, we are to come to Him and surrender them at the foot of the cross. This sounds easier said than done. It takes awareness and perception to understand what must be laid down. Our human fleshy muscles like to get in the way of our stiffneckedness. But truly we are to be free of tension/stress and instead be joyful always, not ceasing in prayer and always be grateful. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Then something else I connected with this thought is an excerpt from a MARKETING BOOK…PEOPLE A MARKETING BOOK WILL PREACH! It said: “
Children are persistent
Children ask a lot of questions
Children refuse to be restricted by the realties of others
Children have very active imagination
Children rarely accept no as a final answer
Children enjoy learning
Children love to be the first to talk about something new
Children try to make everything fun
Children talk until they believe that they’re understood
Children also examine all new facts with wonder and curiosity. I ask you to do the same.”
This may have been for a marketing book, but I do know 1 thing…have childlike faith. I believe the times of frustration are the very moments and evidence we are learning. If we were not learning then why would be frustrated about something we don’t understand. I love that the last bullet says children will talk until they believe that they’re understood… In fact, I feel like I can resonate with all these bullet points of being a child of God. I have so many questions for Him all the time, sometimes He stills me so He can speak. I have a very creative imagination (that He gave me) sometimes I get doubleminded, and He leads me beside still waters. I rarely accept no as a answer to anyone in my life, He’s strengthening me in enduring for the sake of the Kingdom and heavenly treasures. I enjoy learning, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”. Children refuse to be restricted by the realities of others, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Children are persistent, And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Children love to make things fun, Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Children love to be the first to talk about something new, Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
In my head I combined these passages together because the very frustration you may be facing is a sign of growth. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. BUT IT YIELDS THE PEACEFUL FRUIT! We may have stiff necks, stress, and need to let go of some things, but come to the Father who breaks all strongholds, renews our minds, purifies our hearts and be renewed to the image of Christ.
We become what we behold. What are you beholding?