WEDNESDAYS DEVOTION :)

[Guest guest]

FROM: THE SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE DEVOTIONAL

BY ROBERT S. MCGEE

REJECT/REPLACE

FINALLY, BRETHREN, WHATEVER

IS TRUE, WHATEVER IS

HONORABLE, WHATEVER IS

RIGHT, WHATEVER IS PURE,

WHATEVER IS LOVELY,

WHATEVER IS OF GOOD REPUTE,

IF THERE IS ANY EXCELLENCE

AND IF ANYTHING WORTHY OF

PRAISE, LET YOUR MIND DWELL

ON THESE THINGS. THE THINGS

YOU HAVE LEARNED AND

RECEIVED AND HEARD AND SEEN

IN ME, PRACTICE THESE THINGS;

AND THE GOD OF PEACE SHALL

BE WITH YOU.

__________________PHILIPPIANS 4:8-9

ONE OF THE GREATEST CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONAL MATURITY IN CHRIST IS

THE ABILITY TO BE HONEST ABOUT HOW WE REALLY FEEL ABOUT A PERSON OR

SITUATION, AND THE WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR

EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL REACTIONS IN THE DISTURBING CIRCUMSTANCES OF

LIFE. IN REALIZING THAT OUR CIRCUMSTANCES AREN'T THE CAUSE OF OUR

SELF-DESTRUCTIVE REACTIONS, AND BY APPLYING GOD'S TRUTHS TO THOSE

SITUATIONS, WE CAN GAIN PEACE AND PERSPECTIVE.

THE WORLD NEED NOT HAVE CONTROL OVER US. OUR SPIRITUAL BATTLES MAY BE

INTENSE, BUT WE WILL BE ABLE TO PERSEVERE IF WE CAN BEGIN TO ANALYZE OUR

CIRCUMSTANCES THROUGH GOD'S PERSPECTIVE AND REJECT THE FALSE BELIEFS

WHICH OFTEN CONTROL OUR EMOTIONS AND ACTIONS. FAITH IN GOD'S WORD

PREVENTS US FROM BEING BUFFETED BY DIFFICULT SITUATIONS, OR HAVING TO

LIVE " UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. "

IDENTIFYING OUR FALSE BELIEFS IS THE FIRST STEP ON OUR PATH TOWARD

NEW FREEDOM IN JESUS CHRIST. ONCE WE RECOGNIZE THAT MANY OF OUR

DEEPLY-HELD BELIEFS ARE ACTUALLY ROOTED IN DECEPTION, WE CAN BEGIN USING

OUR EMOTIONS AS A CHECKPOINT TO DETERMINE IF WE ARE BASING OUR BELIEFS

ABOUT A GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCE ON THE TRUTH OR LIES. MANY OF OUR PAINFUL

EMOTIONS, SUCH AS FEAR, ANGER, AND TENSION, ARE OFTEN THE PRODUCT OF

BELIEVING SATAN'S LIES. THEREFORE, WHEN WE EXPERIENCE THESE EMOTIONS, WE

CAN A OURSELVES, *WHAT AM I BELIEVING IN THIS SITUATION?* IN ALMOST

EVERY CASE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO TRACE OUR NEGATIVE EMOTIONS BACK TO ONE

OF SATAN'S FALSE BELIEFS. WE CAN THEN CHOOSE TO REJECT THE LIE WE HAVE

IDENTIFIED AND REPLACE IT WITH THE CORRESPONDING TRUTH THE SCRIPTURES.

THIS PROCESS IS AMAZINGLY SIMPLE, YET PROFOUND AND APPLICABLE.

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WHAT ARE SOME TRUE AND HONORABLE THINGS YOU CAN CHOOSE TO DWELL ON?

HOW WILL FOCUSING ON THESE THINGS AFFECT YOU?

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LORD, PLEASE HELP ME TO . . . .

GENTLEHUGS AND PRAYERS

SAM