A Beautiful Exchange
Last year I gave up hopelessness for lent. This year I wanted to do something similar because I was given an amazing gift last year by giving it up. I began to realize early this year that I had gained a powerful focus to see hope in everything. Never thought I would be able to say those words after the past ten years of grief and loss.. not only for loved ones but for lost dreams and desires...loss of precious possessions and meaningful relationships. Its been a long journey through the valley but one well worth it.
I began praying this week.. asking Jesus what could I do to honor Him this Easter season..This morning He reminded me of what He said to me 10 years ago..
"You are my witness, declares the LORD,
and my servant whom I have chosen
so that you may know and believe
and understand that I am HE"
Isaiah 43:10 NIV
He said to me.. "Julie, I have chosen you to be my witness."
So, I have come to learn that when I experience Him and see Him work in my life I am to witness to others about His goodness. In reality, this is what He calls all of us to do... yes.. You too:) He chooses us, we don't choose Him. And, when He chooses you.. He gives you a unique and special assignment only you can do. Pretty neat! I guess if He can make every snow flake different .. Its not a big deal to make our special purpose and assignments unique and one of a kind for us. The pattern I see with Jesus and me is that what He told me in the beginning He keeps telling me today. When He told me that I was a witness I did not understand all that I would be a witness to.. but today He reminded me of what He told me early on in my journey. He gave me a formula of how to combat the negative emotions associated with grief. It began with a statement that awakened my heart to the battle raging with in me and around me..
This is a picture of my 1st journal. It was when I began to fight against the heavy grief in my heart and in my home. My heart was broken over so many things and this is what the Lord told me..
"There will always be war until the heart changes"
Followed by a quote by Milton
"War, open or understood, must be resolved."
There was a war going on in my heart and my home and it had to be resolved.. and it would not change until there was change in my heart. The war was over my heart.. The enemy wanted to kill it.. numb it with grief.. and the Lord wanted to awaken it and bring it fully alive with grief. Go figure.. what an amazing God principle seen here.. what the enemy wants to use for your bad.. God always wants to use for your good!
The next thought Jesus brought to my mind was the formula He gave me to hold on to while I journeyed the next few years...
This is a picture of page 5 in my first journal..
Here He showed me how to pray..
Pray for hope.. it opens the door to Grace and allows Jesus to do the works of faith in my life
which planted and produced the fruit of the spirit with in me...
I have practiced this formula for many years.. It was after I secured hope this past year that the Lord began to teach me that the fruit of the spirit is a wonderful gift.. but it is more powerful when I use it as a weapon against the enemy.
So, my first ah ha moment this morning was.. Wow, the Lord keeps bringing me back to the first thing He told me.. Which reminds me.. of who I am in Him.. A witness. And I should tell others about His goodness. His message for us is always the same.. He just keeps going deeper into it to show us a new revelation in it for our lives.
I believe the Lord is going to establish something powerful with in me this Easter season by feasting on the fruit of the spirit.
I have been listening to many of Graham Cooke's lessons lately and they have brought deeper understanding to my revelation from God..
"But the fruit of the spirit is
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
&
Self Control
Against such things there is no law"
- Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
What does this scripture actually mean?
That NOTHING works against it outside of Christ.
So, When you actually practice.. feast on the fruit of the spirit.. NOTHING can work against you!
Once again.. My mind has been blown! The fruit of the spirit is actually the nature of God and how He relates to us and our enemy. The nature of God sets us free from the enemy. So, everything that works for us by His nature automatically works against the enemy.
When we feast on the fruit of the spirit we will encounter the nature of God. This will lead us into an ongoing experience with Him that will open us up to the fullness of who God is for us. This will become a lifestyle that He will take the greatest pleasure in..
What God is offering us is His unchanging Self so that we too can become unchanging in our way of life. That means unchanging in our nature and character. Unchanging in the sense of.. I am going to become like Jesus no matter what occurs.. and I'm unchanging in that desire so that I become constant and consistent regardless of those in my life who are good, bad or ugly.
The fruit of the spirit gives us confidence in His relationship with us.
As I commit myself to feasting.. practicing the fruit of the spirit.. I am sewing into His Character and reaping back from His favor..
So the fruit of the spirit is where I learn to abide in His nature...
The fruit of the spirit is the power of God that enables me to become more and more like Christ..
So, my plan is to focus on the characteristics of each fruit and practice them.. feast on them.. and allow my nature to look more like His..
Here is what each fruit looks like:
Love is:
exclusive affection
about cherishing
about treasuring
the tangible favor and goodness of God
about having regard for someone with benevolence attached
about taking delight in someone or something so that you cause someone to feel
beloved-ed just because you are a friend in their life.
Love demonstrates loving kindness
Joy is:
about an intensity of gladness
about delight
bigger than all your circumstances
James said consider everything joy..so that you could swamp your circumstances with the Joy of the LORD
who God is
our strength
an intensity of gladness
about elation
about having a sense of wonder
about taking absolute pleasure in someone or something
being jubilant
cheerful
triumphant
celebratory
When we practice joy we learn the art of celebration..
What are we celebrating?
God is for me
God is with me
His is on my side
He is in me
He surrounds me
Everything about Him is for me and He will Help me
So.. we re-joice
rejoicing is our response to who God is
when we rejoice we are joyful because God is the happiest person we know
we rejoice in the fact that we know what God is like
Peace is:
a state of being quite
about learning to be calm
to be restful
a freedom from disturbance
an ease of mind
about stillness
having an inclination towards calm so that when you walk into a troubled situation you bring the peace of God with you.
about being undisturbed
about being untroubled
about being content
about being composed
about being free from strife
Patience is:
The quality of being able to persevere under pressure with a good heart and mind.
about endurance without complaint
not easily provoked
having a calm expectation
being even tempered
a quiet persistence in the nature of God
Kindness is:
being considerate
being thoughtful towards someone
being benevolent
being compassionate
being generous
being loving
showing superior qualities of grace
Goodness is:
about looking out for someone's welfare
Acting with honor
being favorable towards someone
blessing someone
lifting someone up
giving someone a divine advantage
Faithfulness is:
being consistent
being constant
being unceasing
being firm in your promise
being loyal
being reliable
being unwavering
keeping your word
being trustworthy
Gentleness is:
about having a powerful humility
being meek.. understanding that meekness is strength under control
being merciful
being sweet spirited like a dove
being tenderhearted
Overcoming
Self Control is:
about being restrained
having a good frame of heart and mind
exercising discretion
believing the best about someone
being composed, disciplined and even tempered
having a moderating influence on people and situations
Written above are all the attributes that God regularly practices in relationship with us....Now it is my choice to learn and practice to relate back with Him in the same way..
I'm just going to confess. this doesn't look easy.. but it looks like it will produce a lot of good in me..
So, what to do next? I guess I will print off this post and keep it with me over the next 40 days to remind me how I am to respond to God, myself, others and my circumstances. I will keep you posted on what I "witness" along the way:) I can already confess that I have told myself twice while writing this post that "Love is not easily provoked" I guess I'm going to be a witness to many changes over the next 40 days:)
