1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.”

 

Just because something is technically legal does not mean it is spiritually appropriate. If you are serious about spiritual growth, seize the opportunity to say no to yourself when faced with the tiniest temptation. Then one day you will be able to say no when it really matters. Daniel started by saying no to eating the king’s food, and later was able to say no to bowing to the king’s idols. Focus on the undisciplined areas of your life; the ones you keep excusing, rationalizing, and delaying dealing with. Paul measured his actions by this yardstick: “Is it beneficial? Does it have the potential to control me?” You have a “right” to eat a big bowl of ice cream every night. It is permissible, but it is not “beneficial” to your health, wellbeing, and physical fitness. You have a “right” to spend your money as you please, but do not complain when you end up broke or in a strangulating debt. You have a “right” to watch whatever you want on TV, iPhone, or the internet, but exposure to wrong influences will inevitably weaken your character, rob you of self-respect, and enslave you to sin. So next time you are tempted to fall into a bad habit, make a conscious effort to say no, especially if you are serious about your spiritual growth. You need to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles you (Hebrews 12:1). Never forget: When it comes to replacing bad habits with good ones, the only person who can make that happen is you!

 

Exodus 5:22 “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me?”

Moses knew it was not going to be easy to persuade Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but he was probably shocked at the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart, despite the many miracles that God did through him (Moses). Exodus 5:22-23 describes Moses’ disappointment and discouragement. Moses discovered for himself that being in the will of God does not mean you will be free from opposition, attacks, and challenges. So, when you face opposition, it does not mean you are doing the wrong thing. It probably means you are doing the right thing. Sometimes we think that once we commit our lives to Christ and choose to follow Him that we will never face any battles. Instead, we find ourselves facing opposition from the devil. We experience pushback from unexpected sources. It may be from our families, our friends, fellow believers in Christ, and from nonbelievers. That is called spiritual warfare. The moment you become a Christian, you enter into a spiritual battle. Either you will choose to fight and win, or you will choose not to fight and ultimately lose. Either you will gain ground in this battle, or you will lose ground. There are no other options!

.

 

 

Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

The difficulty of adapting to freedom is well-known in the prison community, where in some cases, once released prisoners deliberately commit crimes in order to return to the familiarity of structured prison environments. Of course, we are all familiar with the account of the Israelites who having been set free from their bondage in Egypt, shortly thereafter started making comments suggesting they wanted to return (Exodus 16:2-3). In his letter to the Galatians, Paul addressed spiritual bondage (Galatians 4:8-9 NIV): ^“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? Thankfully, God has shown us a way to adapt to the freedom we have in Christ. To be set free from the bondage of sin, we must become servants of God and one another. In real meaning, true freedom is actually exchanging one form of bondage for another.  When we replace the bondage of sin with the willingness to be a bond slave of Jesus, only then do we experience true freedom.

Philippians 3:13 NIV “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,”

We all have a past, and in that past, we all experience some sort of pain and/or suffering at times. Whether it is painful memories, disappointments, frustrations, loss, or something else, facing challenges in life is expected (John 16:33). This journey of life is not guaranteed to be a bed of roses, as everyone goes through painful times. Many people cope with the negative emotions just fine. But there are many who do not cope in a positive way. The pains are real, and I do not make light of them, but God has provided way of escape and healing in His Word that are more real than your pain. Healing the past and the pain associated with it is vital to experiencing a more peaceful, joyful, and satisfying future. One of the ways to heal the past is to avoid a “victim or poor me” mentality. It is time to really face and embrace past hurts and hang ups, forgive any wrongdoers (Ephesians 4:32), including you. What happened ten years ago or even ten minutes ago is done. Make a quality decision to get rid of past pain and hurts. Let them go. I know that it is not easy, and it is certainly a process that takes time. I want to encourage you today to heal your past through forgiveness to clear the way for future success!

Psalm 3:3 NIV “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.”

Too often, I see people with their heads hanging low, bowed down by the burdens they are carrying. Some of them may have no one to talk to, while others show no hope in their eyes. They are desperately looking for answers. Many more have resigned themselves to the challenges they are battling with. What about you? Is your head bowed down today because of a burden you are carrying? Are you desperate for God to come through? When we are downcast or gazing downwards, our eyes are fixed only on a small area of the floor around us. What we see therefore is a very limited space and Satan will do everything possible to keep our gaze on that small space. But, when God lifts our head up, we will see the whole horizon before us; the largeness of what He has created for us to enjoy! We will see the greatness of our God. The Good News is that Jesus is well able to ‘lift up your head’ and He is waiting to do so! Psalm 3:3 says, “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head” (ESV). God, through Jesus, wants to lift up your head. Today, I want to assure you, that Jesus wants to “lift up your head”.  Allow Him to do so. It will change your outlook on your problem! Will you call upon the mighty name of Jesus and ask Him for help now? Please do!