Habitual Improvement
Sitting in Bible Study Thursday morning, a powerful analysis tool related to Deuteronomy 6:5 (Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.) was proposed to measure the depth of our "sold outedness" to Jesus. He is to be on our minds at all times.
1) What/who is the first thought on your mind in the morning?
2) What/who is the last thing on your mind before you fall asleep?
3) What/who are your waking thoughts in the middle of the night?
Numbers one and two held the correct answer for me, simply because I awaken giving God praise for a new day, asking him for daily marching orders and the devotional topic. At the end of the day I thank Him for his presence and answers to prayers...and usually I pray for a good night's sleep! It's the middle of the night, where I need spiritual growth and control of my mind. Philippians 4:8 (Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.) is not what is happening lately. Instead of being awakened with a message from the Lord or a direction of needed prayer there is an anxiousness, a fear and an overwhelmingness that has been consuming my middle of the night thoughts. (A nasty cough and sore throat too, which is also possessing my husband.) Our discussion lead us to ask God to search our hearts concerning issues and sin that might be contributing to this predicament.
Several weeks ago I came across this "worth posting" message by Nicki Koziarz on ...
Habits of a Woman Who Doesn't Give Up. These practices should bring a vast improvement to our every thought bringing glory to God.
"Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." Colossians 3:23
Here are five habits I've discovered which characterize a woman who doesn't give up:
1. She gets up each morning and follows through with her commitments, despite how she feels.
Her feet are firmly positioned in the day's tasks. While quitting may seem like an option, she refuses to become someone others or God can't count on. Her heart understands that she must be found faithful in small steps to be trusted with big steps. "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much ..." Luke 16:10
2. She approaches the Word of God with reverence.
She opens God's Word and believes each day He has a personal message for her. She listens to sermons and teachings. Instead of automatically thinking of the friend who needs to hear that message, she knows there's something there for her. "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." 2 Timothy 3:16
3. She longs for the grace of refinement rather than the grace of relief.
She doesn't have a personal agenda to fulfill when she faces refinement. In fact, she longs for the grace of refinement, rather than the grace of relief, because she trusts how God will use this season of growth. She accepts the perspective godly people offer her in difficult situations. And she embraces the process of becoming better through her mistakes."Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life."
4. She chooses to invest in the world with joy.
Though life may turn on her, she chooses not to reciprocate. Instead, she strives to be emotionally generous towards others by investing in them with joy. As a result, when darkness threatens to loom over her she can easily chase it away by giving joy. "A joyful heart is good medicine." Proverbs 17:22a
5. She has a spirit of unbreakable determination.
Though she may feel a little [or a lot] bent many days, she never lets the bending break her perseverance toward the things God has assigned her. In the midst of rejection, she thrives by standing firm on this verse, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
Adhering to these guidelines will bring about Habitual Improvement in our daily and nightly walks with the Lord!
