Beliefs Influence Thoughts And Thoughts Influence Feelings

Females can be emotional... happy on one day, and feeling like the world is crashing around them the next. Smiling in the morning and then crying—sometimes for no discernible reason— only a few hours later.

 

And apparently, changing feelings are the norm for others and not just females.

 

Beliefs influence thoughts, and thoughts influence feelings. One way or another, all our emotions, both positive and negative, overflow from what we're inwardly convinced of. Think about it. If you believed that your mocha latte had been poisoned, would you actually consume it like you normally do—savoring every last sip?

So, what am I getting at?

As Christians, we often allow our emotions to wreak havoc with us:

 

We don't always feel like God loves us.

We don't always feel zealous for the gospel.

We don't always feel overwhelmed with joy.

We don't always feel forgiven.

 

We deeply desire to feel these things, but sometimes... well, the feelings just aren't there.

Take a look at Job. On a day during the height of his enjoyment of God's blessings—without any warning—two things happen that change his life forever. A breathless servant arrives, carrying a message: Job's wealth has been obliterated. Before he has even a second to absorb this, another messenger arrives, with even worse news. Job's children have met sudden, violent deaths. And what does he do? Not what most people would expect—he falls to the ground, and there, face down... he worships.

 

He worships!

 

In the midst of Job's greatest crisis, he exclaims, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised" (See Job 1:21b) springs spontaneously from his lips. Job's reaction doesn't make rational sense. In fact, it defies cause and effect.

 

How could his first, reaction be to praise God?

Acceptance is one thing, but adoration?

There's only one explanation—Job's emotional response came from a firm, unshakable conviction.

 

It was his belief in the goodness of God that compelled him to worship. Job's relationship with God wasn't based off of circumstances, or the feelings produced by those circumstances. The reason he "didn't curse God and die" (See Job 2:9), as his wife advised, was because his relationship with God rested on one solid, reliable foundation—truth.

 

If we allow ourselves to be directed by our feelings, we will quickly find ourselves obscured in fog, upside down, and probably headed for disaster. We need a stronger foundation—a foundation informed by the truth and supported by belief, not sustained by emotions. Only this kind of relationship will enable us to produce God-glorifying feelings in any circumstance.

In All Things

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Do you feel misunderstood or forsaken by those around you—family, friends, acquaintances, or those in the work place—from time to time?

Joseph, who was sold by his brothers into slavery (See Genesis 37:28), went through such a time in his own life. Still, he was conscious that God was in it with him every step of the way. Though his life was not necessarily what he had in mind as each detail unfolded, he believed that it was not an accident.

Even though a lot of the things that were happening to him were not all good, he believed that God was making all things work together for his good. And it was indeed so, for Joseph eventually rose to the most powerful position in Egypt—second only to Pharaoh (See Genesis 41:40).

Probably, this consciousness that God was in it with him was the reason he forgave his brothers when they came back later in his life to seek his forgiveness. As well as, show favor on them by providing for them when they were in great need. Joseph told them, But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life (Genesis 45:5).

So like Joseph, whatever you are facing now, be conscious that God is in it with you. For when you are Jesus-conscious, though you may have nothing or not much now, you have everything when you have Jesus!

Water For Life And Health

With God's creative touch, water is the most used and needed form of non-nutrient substance for life and overall health.

 

Water acts:

 

• As a coolant to regulate body temperature.
• As a natural cleanser by flushing out excess chemicals, toxins, and wastes.
• As a lubrication to joints and protects organs.

 

Water helps:

 

• Maintain electrolyte balance (sodium and potassium).
• Maintain proper muscle tone.
• Maintain and aid in digestion and helps relieve constipation.
• Maintain and helps suppress appetite, aids in weight loss, and helps metabolize stored fat.

How Much Water Do You Need?

 

Clearly, water is the greatest elixir on the planet—which brings us to the question: How much does your body really need daily to flow smoothly?

 

One way to know, is to multiply 0.5 ounces of water per each pound of your body weight if you're sedentary, and 0.7 ounces of water per pound of body weight if you're active.

 

If you're one of the many who wait until you're dying of thirst before you reach for a glass of water, beware. By the time you actually feel thirsty; your body is already dehydrated, which can affect your physical and mental abilities. Dehydration is an even greater problem if you're big on caffeine found in coffee or soft drinks (which accounts for more than 27 percent of American beverage consumption). These beverages serve as diuretics by promoting additional urine output.

 

The signs of dehydration are:

 

• Dark, yellow urine (the more hydrated you are, the clearer your urine will be)
• Dry mucous membranes of the mouth and nose
• Blood pressure and heart rhythm changes
• Dry skin and poor muscle tone
• Decreased digestive efficiency and constipation
• Kidney stones and other medical complications
• Poor physical and mental performance  

Helpful Hints for Drinking Up

 

Here's how to do it:

 

• Carry a water bottle to work with you and drink it throughout the day.
• Squeeze orange or lemon slices into water.
• Drink one-third of your water in the morning, one-third midday, and one-third in the early evening. Try not to drink too much water in the late evening, because the more you drink in the evening, the more you'll have to go to the bathroom during the night.

When you look at it this way, drinking more water sounds simple, doesn't it?

 

What's keeping you from drinking the crystal clear beverage that God designed for our body's?

 

Exercise Caution

 

The more you exercise the more water your body needs.

 

Drink:

 

• 16-20 ounces two hours before exercising
• 6-16 ounces 15-30 minutes before a workout
• 3-7 ounces every 15-20 minutes during a workout

Teach Me Your Ways

Teach me your way, O Lord, lead me in a straight path.

 

Psalm 27:11

 

There's never a day that passes without us being taken to school in some way. Life is really all about teaching and learning. And there's a way in which neither stops from the first until the last day of our lives. So, perhaps one of the most important diagnostic questions that each of us should be asking is this, "Do I approach life as a student?"

If we are committed to know and understand, if we are committed to journey from ignorance to knowledge, and from foolishness to wisdom, if we are interested in more than our own plan and perspective, then it only makes sense to learn at the feet of the world's best Teacher.

 

Who could know more or be wiser than the One who put the universe into motion, who presently holds it together, and who controls its destiny?

 

Who could know more about the true meaning and purpose of life?

 

Who could know more about your identity?

 

Who could know more about the environment in which you live?

 

Who could know more about the foundational questions of life?

 

John Calvin's paraphrases it well, "There is no knowing that does not begin with knowing God." There can be no better place to go to school than to the University of the Lord and there could be no better course of study than the way of the Lord.

His way is wisdom and wisdom requires understanding His way.

 

So where are you going for wisdom?

 

Whose school have you been attending?

 

Who shapes your definition of the meaning and purpose of life?

 

Who tells you who you are and what you should be doing?

 

Who crafts the way you look at the surrounding world?

 

Who defines your problems?

 

Who instructs your ways?

 

Who helps you to determine your life direction?

 

Who tells you what's functionally important and what isn't?

 

Who shapes your relationships?

 

Who clarifies your thinking?

 

Are you really a faithful student in the school of the Lord, or do you just attend now and then when it's convenient?

Here are a few characteristics of a student in the school of the Lord:

1. A healthy cynicism toward your own wisdom– We were never created with the autonomous capacity to be wise. Wisdom doesn't come through research, experience, and study. Wisdom comes by revelation and relationship. You only get wisdom from the One who is it's ultimate source—the Lord.

2. A humble sense of need– We know more today than we did yesterday and then we quit working to know more tomorrow. Rather than gratitude for what God has taught us, motivating us to learn more, we get smug and lazy, quite content to consider ourselves to be God's graduates.

3. A willing and open heart– Willingness and openness are the essential characteristics of any good student. Why? Because learning not only shows us what we didn't know, but points out the places where what we thought we knew was, in fact, wrong. Willingness to listen, consider, and change are in the heart of every good student.

4. Discernment, focus, and determination– Discernment means that you have to make sure that you're submitting yourself to qualified teachers. Paul says in Colossians 2:8: See, to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Once we are sitting at the feet of those who represent the Teacher of teachers, then continued learning takes focus—we live in a world of many, many voices. One truth opens the doorway to another truth. One truth functions as an interpreter of a truth previously introduced, but now understood more fully. Learning is a lifelong process and it requires perseverance.

5. Commitment to act on what is being learned– We all know that the real learning takes place after we leave the classroom and practice what we have been taught. God who is our teacher will orchestrate events, situations, and relationships for the purpose of causing us to live what we have been learning. Life is His classroom and every new location on each new day provides a rich and God-given environment to understand more deeply and to live more wisely. So, good students always carry with them the commitment to look for ways to apply what they've been learning and they know that as they do, their learning will continue and become more ingrained in them.

By God's grace we haven't been left to our own wisdom. We've been brought into personal communion with the One who's the source of everything that's wise and true. So, these questions remain:

 

Are you a committed student?

 

Whose school are you attending?

Celebrating God In Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it…  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

John 1:1-5; 14

 

 

Although the date is not the actual day, it is the date that was chosen to celebrate a real, true, historical event that took place in this world—the birth of Jesus Christ. Don't be mistaken, this day took place and is a fact.

 

Yet, let it be known... Jesus did walk the earth.

It is a major contradiction to say that Jesus was a good prophet or a great teacher. He was God in human flesh—the awaited Messiah! Some may try to hide from this fact but history itself was marked by Christ birth (B.C) and death (A.D.).

 

He walked the earth and dwelt among us.

 

He is God.

He is the Savior.

He is the Messiah.

Christmas is the day chosen to celebrate the birth of our Lord.

 

When we say Jesus walked the earth, we are saying God Himself, the creator, walked the earth—fully human and fully God!

 

This is what we are celebrating on Christmas and should celebrate throughout all the year. Let us celebrate our Savior Jesus Christ and not just during Christmas time but throughout the year!

Watching

O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

 

Psalm 5:3

 

 

 

As you read Psalm 5:3, what word strikes you at the end—watch. Has it ever dawned on you that normally you only apply the first part of this verse: O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you. 

 

Rarely do you follow up my praying with "watching".

 

When we put into action the last word in this verse it means we are to be on the lookout for the answer to our prayers; to expect that God's grace will come.

 

So, don't just make your request known to God, but be on the watch for the response to your prayers.

 

Be encouraged as you pray and follow through with watching today and everyday?

Seasons

In God's Word we find David and Job comparing the span of our lives to a breath:

 

Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow (Psalm 144:4).

 

Oh, remember that my life is a breath! (Job 7:7a).

 

 

A breath takes only a second or two and it happens continuously without us even thinking about it!

 

Now if our lifespan is comparable to breath that means the seasons of our lives are only minutes long. Think about that… whether you are a teenager, a single adult, a husband and wife, or whatever your season—you have only a few minutes left before this season ends.

 

The problem is that sometimes we get so bogged down with daily life that we forget life is passing quickly. In fact many of us function as if our present season is going to last forever. 

 

John Calvin has a word for us in this regard.  He said:

 

Whence proceeds the great stupidity of men, who, bound fast to the present state of existence, proceed in the affairs of life as if they were to live two thousand years…. In short, men are so dull as to think that thirty years, or even a smaller number, are, as it were, an eternity; nor are they impressed with the brevity of their life so long as this world keeps possession of their thoughts… How speedily our life vanishes away.  The imagination that we shall have long life, resembles a profound sleep in which we are all benumbed.¹

 

Let's live in the present season that God has for us—doing what He has called us to do and be for His glory—but let's live as if we have just a few minutes remaining before we are brought to the next season of our lives.

 

This seems like a subject matter to ponder as we come closer to the end of another year and begin to embark on a whole new year full of adventure and wonder—a new season.

 

 

[1] John Calvin, Heart Aflame, (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1999), 219.