Today I choose to not get offended and to forgive quickly.
Today I choose to be a loving mother and an encouraging wife.
Today I choose to walk forward in my relationship with Christ.
Today I choose to forgive myself the way that Christ has forgiven me.
So what are you berating yourself over today? Come on all of you cape wearers you know that despite the fact that you can multi task 40 things at one time that the whole time you are doing that you have this little thought in the back of your mind of how you have failed at something. Let's talk about stinking thinking this morning.
2 Corinthians 2:5 states "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
So what does the word every mean? Pick up every toy, not a few, but every. The American Heritage Dictionary says "Constituting each and all members of a group without exception." That means that all thoughts that go through our mind need to be examined next to the Word. If it is contrary to what God's Word says then the thought needs to go. This is the time to use the curse words "Shut Up". When faced with bombarding thoughts of torment, or guilt, shame, condemnation then simply say "Shut Up, I take this thought captive in the name of my Lord, Jesus Christ." I can get these wild imaginations of what someone else is thinking about me, and the truth of the matter usually the more I think about what they are thinking about me, the less thought they have given to me. When the thoughts seems to take over, I do say to myself, "JenniLee, you know what the Word says, this isn't lining up with that, choose this day whom you will serve, yourself or God." Then I crawl out of Jesus' throne and take my place of submission once again to his divine goodness and quit serving my needs and again start worshiping Jesus.
Greg Hinnant in his book "Walking in His Ways" puts it this way..."To take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ we must do three things.
First, we must screen our thoughts, arresting or holding any the Spirit deems questionable.
Second, we must then test them, to see if they agree with God's Word. (See 1 John 4:1.)
Third, we must "cast down" (quickly reject, drop, quench) every thought that does not meet the test. Especially dangerous are "imaginations," which are day dreams and suppositions (ideas we do not know to be facts); "high things," which are proud thoughts of rebellion, vanity or unbelief; and also "every thought" of despising others for their faults, real or imagined.
Personally, I would add myself or others in that last sentence. We usually judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions, however, just like we wouldn't do it unto the lesser of these, what if we are the "lesser of these" today?
If we don't forgive ourselves, if we hold ourselves accountable for every mistake, every bad decision, if we walk around in complete forgiveness to everyone else but can't do it for ourselves then Jesus died in vain. Is our Superhero cape worth more than the blood of Jesus? Are we willing to have it stained with His blood? Was His death not enough to pay for all sins?
Lord, today I come to you to ask your forgiveness. Lord, before you I lay myself and my unforgiveness of myself. Lord, the cost you paid is more than enough to cover my sin. You have cast my sins as far as the east is from the west and Lord today I lay that unforgiveness at your feet and ask for your forgiveness. I am a precious daughter, a princess in the Kingdom because of who you are and not by anything I could do on my own. I repent, seek forgiveness and turn my back to, this thought pattern. Lord give me the ears to hear your Word. Amplify your whispers in my busy ears so that I can hear them Lord. Lord, I chose this day to follow you. I give you all the power and the glory in Jesus' might name. Amen.
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