I’m learning a lot during this time of bed rest. Day 7 woo! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t going a little crazy haha. I do miss working out so much and I want to be able to go outside and walk around. I’m cooped up in a little white room with no windows haha. (Bring in straight jacket) However, I made up my mind that I would not watch movies or waste my time too much on social media. I want to tap into everything God is trying to teach me right now. So, i’m reading and praying and meditating a lot.
God is teaching me about stillness and meditation. God really does speak a lot when you just stop talking. Stillness is the pathway to peace. When you practice (because it does take practice) stilling your mind and all thoughts that aren’t on things above, and you choose to fix your mind of what is pure and lovely and of good report your perspective begins to shift. You can take every thought captive and STILL your thoughts. When you meditate on Scripture and on His goodness you start living in a constant state of gratitude. Gratitude births contentment. Scripture says that godliness with contentment is great gain. Gratitude keeps you present. As children of God we literally have access to PERFECT PEACE. At all times. No matter what. Period.
Paul in 2 Corinthians 7:4 was going through afflictions of every kind, and he said “In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.” As Christians we are promised not only perfect peace, but joy in every situation. A mark of Christian not only should be how we treat people with love and generosity, but also how we walk in perfect peace and overflowing joy.
We literally have access to OVERFLOWING JOY, and it can be genuine. Not fake but God wants to fill our mouths with laughter Psalm 126 says. I’m learning to switch my perspective to constant gratitude. The Bible says we come into His presence with thanksgiving. When we live in a state of constant gratitude unto the Lord we are just constantly walking, living, breathing, being in HIS PRESENCE.
In 2 Corinthians 5:13-15 in The Passion translation it says “If we are out of our minds in a blissful, divine ecstasy,[a] it is for God, but if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. For it is Christ’s love that fuels our passion and motivates us,[b] because we are absolutely convinced that he has given his life for all of us. This means all died with him, so that those who live[c] should no longer live self-absorbed lives but lives that are poured out for him—the one who died for us and now lives again.” We are not supposed to look like those who are in the world. We are supposed to look set a part. That doesn’t only mean we live set a part holy lives unto God, this doesn’t only mean we treat people with the deepest kindness and love, but this also means we walk in a PEACE that passes all understanding. Our level of peace should not make sense (or since I don’t know which is the right one) to people.
The joy of the Lord is our strength. When the rest of the world around us is suffering from anxiety. (Which I have been there and I understand anxiety is a real issue and i’m not downplaying it at all.) However, when everyone around us is “so stressed” and “so busy” and “living in a high level of stress” these things should not be our state of being as children of God. Yes obviously we get busy and have families and jobs and things that are stressful. However, God gives us The Holy Spirit in dwelling in us to keep us at a constant state of peace and joy. When our thoughts get out of alignment and we get into our flesh and worry we have the Holy Spirit to call upon to realign us back to a state of peace. God gives us the tool of gratitude to bring us back into alignment with the Holy Spirit. We are children of God. We are children of light. Our light should be so evident through our peace and joy and love to others around us.
ISN’T THAT THE BEST NEWS EVER! We literally get to live in a state of constant overwhelming peace, contentment, overflowing joy, and we get to be lavished in the Father’s love every single day.
God gives us so much! He lavishes us with good gifts. He has great plans for us. This is because he is such a good father, and our confidence comes from being his friend. We can live in such a state of confidence because of our intimate friendship with God. I don’t know about you but that excites me so much! Today start by switching your speech to gratitude. Take time to be still before the Lord and meditate on His goodness. Allow the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit to be your source of joy. We really do have a good life you know!
Liv
