Improve YOU

Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race.  Philippians 3:13-14.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. 

What can you add to your life that will strengthen your mental fortitude?

Deepen your spiritual faith and resolve?

Improve your physical health?

What if you got up 10 minutes earlier than you usually do?

5 hours more a month.  60 hours in a year.

10 minutes more of-

Reading?

Praying?

Internalize scripture?

Working out?

Studying?

Time with spouse, child?

Listening?

Observing?

Maybe, instead of time, it is disciplining yourself to adding more fruit and vegetables every day.  More water and less soda.  More reading or quiet time and less television.  Whatever it may be, intentionally add positive and, consequently, negative will be decreased.

Subtraction by addition: adding healthy disciplines will push out unhealthy ones

When you intentionally increase with small, but consistent, disciplines into your life you are transforming your mind, body and spirit to a sharper, stronger level.

Small disciplines exercised every day produce new, healthier and stronger habits.

It will increase your resolve, confidence and optimism.

It also will begin to decrease unhealthy habits in your life.

Honor God with an ever increasing healthier and more disciplined life.  It will bless you!

Intentionally, today…and everyday…… improve YOU

Harnessed Power

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth – Matthew 5:5

 

I grew up near a racetrack that I would frequent summers in high school and college. I was/ am in awe of the incredible bulk of muscle a horse has and how powerful a horse charges.  Incredible, how easily, though, a small metal bit in the horses mouth can control him.  The jockey easily maneuvers the horse with it.

Meek – harnessed power

It is when that horse’s power is harnessed and directed constructively does the horse stay the course. Which in turn gives a chance to accomplish the objective – to win the race.

So I run with purpose in every step, I am not just shadowboxing.  I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. – 1 Corinthians 9:26-27

He that is within you is greater than He of this world – 1 John 4:4

You harness a power that can be used by God for so much good.  You harness a power that can be used by your sinful nature, by Satan, to do selfish, self centered, wasteful, vain, to do hurtful things.

We waste so much God given energy, time, money and talent on so much frivolous stuff that we can be exhausted and hurried when God wants to use the power to serve Him by serving others. The power to empower others – help, train, guide, give and bless.  We have been given so much that we are to be faithful stewards of.  To be faithful servants in which God doles out the power within us for His purposes.

Nitroglycerin – used to save a sick heart…..also used as an explosive that can blow up a building.  It’s the same ingredient, two vastly different uses.  One for construction  –  one for destruction.

It depends on who is in control of that power within.

 

Intentionally, today……and every day…In meekness, allow the Holy Spirit to allocate the power within

Honestly Evaluate Self

I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves…

–Romans 12:3

Playing football in college, we would get a scouting report of the next week’s opponent on Monday. Then throughout the week we would meet with our position coach and we would watch our specific individual opponent and watch their tendencies; strengths and weaknesses. We would use all that information to strategize a game plan on how we would attack them to be most effective and victorious.

After the game, Sunday night, we would have film session to evaluate how we did. The coaches would critique every play and pick apart all of what you did wrong, what you could of done better.

You were evaluated.

The next week’s opponent was going to get that film so that they could do the same.

We too must intentionally stop. Be still, focus and evaluate, honestly and soberly, our lives. It is easy for us to evaluate someone else. We can pick out other’s strengths and weaknesses; what they can do better and/or differently.

We need to also deliberately put changes in our lives to be more effective for God to work through us.

Where can we be more accommodating?

Quicker to listen, slower to talk?

More positive, encouraging and uplifting?

Speak more about grace and mercy of Christ?

To defer?

To listen and be teachable?

Be mentored?

More focused?

More organized?

Better Prepared?

More disciplined?

You are empowered to bring changes which will allow you to be more fulfilled in being a champion in the daily spiritual battle that you are engaged in every day that you wake up; it isn’t a choice –YOU ARE.

Remember, too, you have an enemy who is watching game tape. He is looking to see where he can get you to stumble. We cannot become complacent. We must continue to decrease that Christ may increase.

Be aware.

Be malleable

Continue to seek where God is trying to mold and reshape you; where He is trying to get you to change your thinking in certain areas.

Conform no longer to the ways of this world bit be transformed by the renewing of your mind – Romans 12:2

Intentionally, today……and every day… honestly evaluate and make adaptations