Reinvent Yourself
Matthew 7:7-8 & Romans 8: 31
In the game of chess, players can become grid-locked, where after countless moves, neither opponent can gain the upper-hand. The game can stretch out to where each player is only making meaningless moves that merely extend the game; and it becomes clear that a meaningful advancement or victory is simply not going to be achieved. At some point, the two players can agree to a provision called, “stale-mate”, in essence calling the game a tie. At that point they can wipe the board clean and start a new game.
Oftentimes our lives and/or careers seem to drag along in perpetual stale-mate: nothing is advancing and the likelihood of meaningful achievement is simply not realistic. The answer is not to quit – the answer is to “re-invent.” The week between Christmas and New Year is an excellent time to reinvent yourself, and the way to do that is to take on the mind of God. We do that by steeping our minds and souls in His word, the Bible.
This week, recognize what area of your life is stale-mated, and commit to changing “ho-hum”, “same-old, same-old” thinking about that aspect that has kept you from advancing.
Shed Your Limitation Thinking - Our self-created, self-imposed limits are not God’s limits. Our scarcity economy is not consistent with God’s abundance. Our “cant’s” are simply and blatantly wrong. Our “cant’s” are God’s “done-deals.” God’s economy doesn’t contain “lack” and “poverty thinking.” God’s economy starts with the fact that He is our source. Satan wants you to fear the future and d.o.u.b.t. the fact that God has taken care of our every need. But, isn’t that his nature - the enemy’s job is to deceive us. Our cares and needs have already been amply supplied. Fear and d.o.u.b.t. are not consistent with the Word of God at all. In 2008, we must purposely turn loose any and all fear and d.o.u.b.t. We must choose to abandon any and all scarcity and/or “lack” thinking. We must choose to shed any limitation thinking – thinking that has held us back in shackles for years.
Vision Great Accomplishments - By being consistently in God’s Word, you will be empowered by knowing the mind of God and His will for your life. He has a tremendous plan laid out for you. You’ll begin to grasp His plan, the clarity of which will inspire and stimulate your thinking. But if you’re not in consistent communion with Him by reading His Word and conversing with Him in prayer, you’ll never know what that plan is. And if you’re not living life according to His plan, you are sentencing yourself to a meaningless existence – a life of “stale-mate” that leads to nothingness. Nothingness is not His plan for you, but nothingness can certainly be the result of not going to Him constantly and faithfully seeking His will for your life.
Ask God, and You Will Know What His Will is for Your Life - When you ask, you also put yourself in position to receive. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 Jesus is telling us in no uncertain terms to go forward with God’s plan for our life. We know God’s will by seeking His will and asking Him to reveal His perfect will to us. He will reveal His plan for you without fail when you trust Him completely.
Be Bold - “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 You’re not living the Gospel message if you’re moping about, intimidated, or non-expectant. I’ll take that one step further and say, “You do not truly understand the power and importance of the Gospel message in your life if you’re not filled with joy and excitement!”
God has given you power that cannot be vanquished. We can and must be bold! When He gives you a plan, it will be accomplished through His mighty power. When you are with God, defeat is not an option. If defeat is not an option, then it is time to strike out on your own to accomplish your God-given initiatives – to implement the plans God has ordained especially for you. When implementing God’s plan, you will never be mistaken. The road will not be easy, but “easy” is a man-made concept that far too often deceives and tricks us into missing God’s true plan, sidetracking us into the pursuit of our own pleasures – human devices
Deny the Enemy - The enemy has no power over you unless you give it to him. I say an emphatic “NO” to the enemy in the name of Jesus Christ. You must verbally and confidently do the same. The enemy has no power in God’s presence. The enemy is pre-defeated. However, without God’s presence and authority in your life, the enemy will easily find an opening and have his destructive way over you. He can have power over you if you do not consciously and constantly call on the name of Jesus in all circumstances. God’s authority trumps satan’s power every time, and so we must insist on requesting and proclaiming the authority of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Father, asking them to be present in our lives continually. This is an essential and imperative modus operandi – the only way to live our life every single day – a life of empowered faith.
Reinvent - Your faith can and should grow by leaps and bounds the moment you ask God for a more dynamic, more empowered faith life. Your trust in God should grow multiplicatively. Ask that He will multiply your ability to completely trust Him. Your financial situation can and will sky-rocket. Ask God, in the name of Jesus, that He will multiply your ability to comprehend every financial opportunity and move, and then believe that all of these things WILL come to pass. Don’t be apathetic. Don’t be wishy-washy. No, be empowered, confident, and highly expectant of a great victory. It will happen in and by the mighty power of God Himself.
God has in store a mighty change and a great victory FOR YOU and Me! Be firmly committed to ‘no more stale-mates.’ Rather, let us renew our minds, recharge our faith, and rely on Almighty God to clearly show us His way. And then let us experience the very best year of our lives. I’m excited and thankful in advance for your renewal and reinvention. Be bold, courageous, and highly enthused as you confidently march forward.
