By Practical Christianity Foundation, (PCF)
As we traverse the path of life, we, at times, come face-to-face with certain unusual circumstances which we feel are overwhelming, scary, or right out crushing! We feel we are about to drown in a deluge of enormous waves of dire conditions. We stare at fear and feel paralyzed.
Such situations make us forget who we are and preoccupy our minds with what we are looking at. While such responses seem natural, the reaction is pregnant with a spiritually debilitating outlook. Not only are we forced to view the difficult situation in light of who we are on our own, but also we become totally oblivious to the immeasurable Power dwelling in us.
If you don't mind a candid assessment, such oblivion is the defining characteristic of a starved spirit. As Christians, God is not someone we forget. But if our spirit is not nurtured with the Bread of Life and Christ's Living Water, we will not be consciously aware of the marvelous work God does for us and in us. So, when we are faced with difficult circumstances, we see the enormity of the situation before we realize that He Who is in us is greater than what is out there.
When God graciously made us His children, His redemption changed each believer from being lost in sin to being a new person redeemed in Christ. God changed us but not the world around us. So, the challenges of life remain more or less the same. However, because we are new in Christ, we meet the challenges of life with a godly perspective, knowing and never forgetting that He Who is in us is greater than what is out there.
In 1 Peter 1:5, we are told that we are kept, preserved, guarded, or protected. Jesus tells us in John 16:32-33 that, while there will still be trials and tribulations, we must be of good cheer because He has overcome the world.
The suggestion is not to memorize bible verses that we can throw at issues, but to begin replacing our fallen mind with the mind of Christ which is being cultivated in us by the indwelling Holy Spirit. That is, we should begin to deal with life according to the precepts of the Giver of life.
A point to ponder!
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