I love the ministry of helps, Just being able to provide assistance to a fellow believer is rewarding. Not only helping a person physically, but helping spiritually as well. Helping is all about perspective. If we can shift our perspective we can see the beauty in helping. Our mindset also determines if we can help or be helpful without negative perspective. When I look at my life personally I can have a negative outlook to some situations. At times I believe it is my quondam life and upbringing that escorted my thought pattern to think this way. Many of us can be considered pessimistic in our approach to life. We can live our lives contending, and competing with gratuitous thoughts that oppose the very thought patters of God. It is worse when we are rejected in any case, we feel as though we have failed. I know this all to well in my own life. I often had a since that i lacked the dulcet presence to fit in. We can become so enthralled with these thoughts and so captivated with the idea of being unwanted that it becomes our identity. 2 Corinthian 10:5 says Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. When we cast something down it means in Greek that we “Lower it with violence, demolish, or put it down.” We must be aggressive at guarding our thoughts, especially the ones about ourselves. What are we to cast down? Those imaginations which are the computations, reasoning or conscious conceit. The truth is, we all experiences rejection at some time in our lives. It is so hard to find the peace within that helps us to resolve the discomfort we face.
In order to combat the inner peace we must recognize and embrace what we are called to do. Knowing who we are is half the battle in our every day struggles. If we can identify our identity we can endure tough seasons with confidence because our fight and struggle has a purpose. Also another way would be to focus on what God has already done for us. Don’t focus on the past failures but focus on the things that you have succeeded in and had great success. It is not wise to wallow in your failures.
Being confident enables us to walk in obedience without worry or fear of failure because God already did what He needed to on the cross. We must not allow the enemy to push us into a place of self pity. Self-pity enables wrong thinking. We often times forget that we are not the only ones who fight against worry and issues. I was always thinking negatively about myself and situations that I may have faced because that is what I was used to do most of the time. Now that my relationship with God has changed My thoughts are very different. I aim to pattern my thoughts so that they bring Glory to God. Negative thinking sends God a signal that we don’t trust Him to do it and that we are better at planning then he is. We allow the enemy to criticize, Dispraise or censure all that we do. Lets stand in our power friends. We are talking God out of the equitation. We must avoid seeing ourselves and our situation through the screens and lenses of the world. Doing this will help us maintain a healthy posture so that we can contribute to the lives of others. Why is this important? Glad you asked, some time ago I had a difficult time telling others how valuable they were because I didn’t know how valuable I was. Now that I have a clearer vision of who I am I can compliment, build up, encouragement and uplift others and help others understand their value. Sometimes when we can hear others say good job it makes us press into our purpose. God gave us all gifts and when we are empowered we can empower others!! Philippians 2:3 Talks about Esteeming others. This means we are to consider, think of others higher or to leader others higher then our self. Esteem simply is worth, value, opinion or judgement. I won’t be good at esteeming others when I have low self esteem or self worth. Though we need advancement I think we should not forget to help others to get ahead as well. In many cases if we are all walking around insecure how can anyone advance except to become as crabs pulling down who has the slightest hint of advancement. Let us not reduce our value wallowing around in insecurities that will eventually dissolve but let us become esteemer’s of one another. We are so much more then that, we don’t deserve to reduce our value. Let us exercise our gift of helps. I would like to leave you with a thought. “There is so much strength that can be had among sisters. We can either tear each other down or build each other up and I think when we decide to build each other up we are unstoppable.” Janet Nelson.
Philippians 2:3-5 3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
Yours always,
Erica Irvin
Lift Devotions 