Trust in the Lord and do good… ~Psalm 37:3a (NIV)
The more we trust in the Lord, the less the enemy is able to "rattle our cage" and the more we will see a transformation in our lives stemming from change in our daily habits. A habit is something you do regularly or repeatedly. The word habit comes from the Latin word habitualis which means “relating to dress” or what you put on. We can “put on” God’s character every day through the finished work of Jesus Christ. He has opened a way for us to be partakers in the very nature of God. In Colossians 3:12-14 the Lord tells us “as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you and over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (NIV) Just as we make up our mind what we will wear for the day, it is even more important to make up our minds about how we will act today. No matter what comes our way, as children of God we are to act like children of God. We are to set aside our natural desire to “fly off the handle” or “set people straight” and start looking for God’s perspective in handling any and every situation that we encounter. If we aren’t committed to doing things the Lord’s way before we ever walk out the door in the morning, how can we possibly expect to make it happen when the choice presents itself?
How are you going to act when things don't go your way? What about when you experience injustice? Are you going to try to make things right yourself or are you going to take it to God in prayer and ask Him to make all the wrongs right while you trust in Him and act accordingly? You can bet the enemy's initial approach is going to be telling you that time is of the essence. He wants you to act on his word before you seek God’s and if you don’t watch it, you will jump out there and make a big fool of yourself before you have even had a chance to plan your course of action. That is why we are to seek God first in every situation! It is going to take an act of your will to clothe yourself with God’s character, but the truth is when we profess to be Christians and don’t act like Christ the only thing we are showing a lost world is hypocrisy. Jesus walked in love and trusted God with the rest. He expects the same of His disciples. Make up your mind to cultivate habits of showing compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness…no matter what comes your way today and no matter how others may act. Don't fret if you have to forgive grievance after grievance all day long... God is on the throne. He is in control. Don't let the enemy “rattle your cage” and cause you to give up your peace by acting foolishly...it only leads to regret. Require some perseverance from yourself and set your face like flint. The most important thing you can do is clothe yourself with love which binds all of the Lord's good character traits together in your heart. Trust in the Lord and do good!
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. ~1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)
How are you going to act the next time things don't go your way?
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