LIVE TRANSFORMED
Announcing our next study starting on Monday, June 2nd.
During a 4-week period, everything I thought was certain and settled in my life inexplicably fell apart. What I had conceived as a solid foundation crumbled into splinters of doubt that threatened to dismantle all my peace and joy. First, I almost lost the job I had dedicated my life to for over a decade because my new boss was not disposed to believe I was the girl for the job. Then, the man I was sure would one day be my husband unceremoniously informed me that he held a much different perspective regarding my future destiny. The rejection was palpable.
The pain in my heart began to send a clear and constant message to my mind: You are worthless and unlovable. No one values you, and your life is not worth living.
All the negative thoughts screamed loudly, and I recognized that these lies were an attack from the enemy of my soul. The father of lies likes to torment us by filling our minds with twisted false accusations and irrational fears. He shows no mercy when we are struggling with discouragement and uncertainty.
A dear friend knew I was fighting to overcome all the “stinkin’ thinkin,’” and she encouraged me to open up my Bible, find Scriptural truths that would strengthen my faith, and write them out to arm myself with wisdom. I grabbed a fresh pack of lined 3 x 5 cards and my favorite pen to begin my new “think right” project. I asked the Holy Spirit to control my mind and restore my peace.
I wrote out all of Romans 8 to remind myself of this unchanging reality:
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” (Romans 8:38, NLT)
I desperately wanted to be a woman who was “convinced” that God would not fail her. Instead of giving way to a pessimistic outlook on life, I desired to take captive my thoughts and align my perspective with what the Bible said. Yes, I knew what God’s Word declared, but now I needed to decide if I wold trust those Truths and live in light of them when my difficult circumstances, naysaying skeptics, and my own erratic feelings all insisted: “This no longer holds true and won’t work for you.”
Friend, perhaps you have more questions than answers right now because bewildering circumstances have confused you and caused you to wonder if anything is assured in this ever-changing broken world. Trust me when I tell you that you are not alone. Sadly, none of us are immune to rejection, betrayal, pain, and deceit.
To live transformed lives in the midst of all the adversity, we must stop trying run our own lives and relinquish the keys to the Lord. Living with conviction in an uncertain world will require that we. . .
Know the truth.
Examine our own thoughts in light of what the Bible says.
Yield to the Holy Spirit and align our lives to God’s Word.
Surrender our will to walk in obedience.
The Apostle Paul was a man who thought he had it all together and tried to run his own life, but God stopped him in his tracks and turned him around to re-shape his perspective and give him a new purpose. You could call the letter of Romans a “testament” to the Truth. If you want the truth to take over your thinking, this book packed full of doctrine is the best place to begin your study.
Let’s spend 20 days grounding ourselves in the unchanging reality of the gospel to help us replace the lies of the enemy with the powerful truth that transforms lives. We’ll read through Romans together and discover how to give God control of our thinking and live fully convinced of His love.
Our study starts June 2nd.
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Romans 12:1-2, NLT