Your Mind Made UP
Your life is a gift. What you do with it is your gift to God and others (Romans 12:1).
If you are ready to experience life in a new way and have greater influence in the lives of others, there is no better time than the present. Don’t wait another day. Tomorrow might never come (Proverbs 27:1).
Below is a list of practices and prayers that can be used throughout the day to help you get in command of your emotions so you can have a different life experience. It takes self-discipline. Write them down, carry them with you, and refer to them often so you can establish a new healthy habit. Like cutting-edge computer software, you can override the old with the new and experience a renewing of your mind, body, and spirit as well as progress in your spiritual journey.
DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE
People who suffer from a growing sense of lack have a persistent feeling that something essential is missing in their life. It may be love, purpose, peace, worth, or protection. It’s not always tied to physical needs but often to emotional or spiritual emptiness. It is this emptiness that makes us feel desperate.
God creates us with a spiritual depth and hunger that can only be filled by Him. We satisfy our craving for meaning if we have a purpose. One that is aligned with God’s plan for our lives. If we don’t have both, we will be wandering the desert (Psalm 107:4-6; Proverbs 28:26), lost and afraid.
Begin to discover your purpose by asking God what your spiritual gifts are. Then walk in faith and do what is right and kind, and it will be revealed to you.
“Dear God, please reveal yourself to me this day and every day. I want to see you in the details of my day. To make my life count for you and others. Please help me discover my gifts, talents, and treasures so I can give them away. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.”
TRUST GOD
We never really know how our days will unfold. Life can be like a roller coaster, an Easter egg hunt, and sometimes a land mine. The one constant in our lives can be the presence of the Holy Spirit. Start your day talking to God. Draw near to Him. Ask Him to keep you focused on the things that matter. He promises to walk with us, to guide our paths if we acknowledge Him in everything (Proverbs 3:5–6). He commands us to not only trust in Him but to do good and commit our ways to Him. And when we do, He will give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:3–5).
Tell Him that you are willing to be a vessel for Him. Ask Him to pour out His blessing upon you—to fill you to overflowing with His light, life, and love, then see what happens.
It does not matter that you are a work in progress. And it has no bearing if you are far from where you wish to be in your life. The point is to change the way you view yourself and the words you use to describe yourself. If you extend yourself the gift of compassion and shift from negative to positive self-talk, you will shift your energy and change your life.
MORNING PRAYER
“Dear God, I surrender to you all that I am and will ever be. I ask that you fill me to overflowing with your Holy Spirit. Breathe your light, life, and breath through me. Purify my mind, body, and soul. Give me the serenity and strength to face whatever may come this day. Teach me to trust in you for my protection against the evil one. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.”
DEVELOP THE GIFT OF SELF-REFLECTION
Developing your gift of self-reflection is seminal to you feeling a connectedness to humanity and being able to see God in the details of your day. That is because when we examine ourselves closely, with the intent of growing in faith, grace, and spiritual wisdom, there will be much room for improvement. Doing so can’t help but bring us humility. When people cast blame on others or point out their flaws, it is often because they are carrying around a blob of pain and shame. It’s how they deflect their growing sense of lack.
By assessing your interactions with others, how you handled situations, and giving yourself a report card each day, you will grow your gift of reflection. Make a note of how you will do things differently next time. Be honest. Ask yourself, “Where is my sin in this transaction?” “How can I be a better person?” Ask God to give you a pure heart and a hunger for His Word. Search for ways to approach situations differently, in a more godly way.
FOCUS ON WHAT IS GOING RIGHT
Many people feel all alone, as if they are wading through one battle after the next in life. To counteract this negative energy, call upon the Lord and tell Him what you are thinking and needing. Also, think in terms of focusing on everything that is going right in your life and not what is going wrong. To do this, before you fall asleep each evening, take a few moments to reflect on your day and single out people that helped you that day and give God thanks for His provision. It could be a handyman who fixed something for you or a friend who lent a listening ear. Maybe a coworker trained you on a new task. How about the person who passed you on the sidewalk and smiled and said hello. Maybe nothing bad happened to you that day. Give thanks to God for protecting you. Perhaps you bit your tongue instead of lashing out at someone. Give God thanks for His restraining grace. Give thanks for all the people in your life that are there for you when you need them, including your friends, family, even your work family. Bathe yourself in gratitude. This will help you “do the math” right in your life by giving you the opportunity to see the good that surrounds you.
CHOOSE YOUR WORDS CAREFULLY
Changing the words you speak will alter the course of your life and those around you because your words carry with them an energy and vibration that radiates beyond your reach, like sound waves into the atmosphere. Words filled with optimism will radiate a charge that will attract people to you because they lift others up. Conversely, negativity and griping will repulse people or worse, attract naysayers to you, dampening others’ spirits. As Christians, we know the end of the book, per se. So, get in the battle to save lives by pointing people to Jesus. Make your life count! Think of something nice and affirming to say to yourself and others each day. You can change the world’s temperature, one person at a time. Make a concerted effort to lift others up each and every day (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Even if you think someone is wearing the tackiest outfit on the planet, comment on it in an engaging way. Be an encourager, or an exhorter. Find ways to use your words to be impactful.
“He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction” (Proverbs 13:3 NKJV).
LAUGH
Want to raise the serotonin levels in your brain? Laugh. When was the last time someone told you a joke? Next time you are with a friend or family member, go out of your way to share a joke. You don’t have one? Look one up on the Internet. Just the other day, a client of mine told me a joke about a parrot. I started laughing before he got to the punch line. Why? Because he was telling me a joke and that was not something he has ever done. Nor has anyone in years. I don’t know what was funnier—the silly joke or him telling me the joke. I can’t tell you how laughing for several seconds straight lifted me up. I had moments the rest of the afternoon when I laughed out loud. I shared that joke with two of my friends. They laughed like I did—before I got halfway through the joke. It was a silly, simple joke, but that was the point. To live in the moment and experience joy is the point. Create your own rainbows.
BE A LEADER
Businesses, churches, schools, and families all need leaders. Leaders can be of any age. By their example, a leader creates a garden—a foundation—where growth takes place in infinite measure. Are you, by your example, giving others a glimmer of God’s goodness? Are you walking in integrity—doing what is right and kind—not just once in a while but always? Are you avoiding complacency and striving to give your all to everything you do? (Colossians 3:23). Ask God to reveal to you your spiritual gifts and abilities and help you discover what they are so you can share with others. Prod and exercise your conscience daily so that He can use you to further His kingdom. We are called to be a light, to emulate Christ. To help lead people from darkness to light (Matthew 5:14–16). Are you doing your part? Life is a gift. What you do with it is your gift back to God.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV).
