So
what’s new? I am a living, breathing testimony of a transformed life.
Finally
after years of struggling with worry, anxiety and seasonal depression I can
confidently say by God’s grace I am free. I know without a doubt that God loves
me unconditionally, that his promises are fresh each day that he is faithful
and I am finally able to trust him in all the areas of my life.
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 12:2
The
Holy Spirit, whispered this verse to my heart almost a year ago, and it has been
stirring in my spirit gradually revealing to me the importance of disciplining
my mind, filling it with the gospel and God’s promises. After all, as it says
in 2 Corinthians 4:4 “I am a believer, and the light of the gospel shines in my
mind” or in 1 Corinthians 2:16 “…but we have the mind of Christ.” The life
application bible also states that “only when the Holy Spirit renews,
reeducates and redirects our mind are we truly transformed.”
So,
(analytical person that I am) I began to wonder if I have the mind of Christ and
the Holy Spirit stirring in me why am I still consumed by worry and anxiety?
Then in a message from Joyce Meyer, I learned that all things Christ like
already dwell in us- in our spirit; it is my responsibility to develop it,
nurture it and tend to it so that it can bear fruit. It is a process (difficult
to accept for a reformed perfectionist such as myself) that requires daily
practice, discipline, vulnerability to cry out to God and a willingness to
persevere and not give up despite unbearable circumstances.
So
I began the daily practice of renewing my mind with God’s promises particularly
when stress (this bible study on Stressed Less Living is such a blessing),
worry and anxiety continued to touch me and I persevered although nothing
seemed to change in my heart.
Finally,
in desperation I cried out to God – “take this from me”. I surrendered control
and gave God the reigns. I even prayed for a move of God. However, in my flesh
I chose to maintain the status quo being familiar and comfortable in what I
knew so well despite the pattern of anxiety I had created and couldn’t get free
from. So I continued to do what I felt comfortable doing, renewing my mind,
praying and hoping that God would move.
In
the meantime, on April 21st I took a step of obedience and was water baptized
declaring publically that I would no longer waiver and that I was choosing in
to Jesus and 100% committed to God's purpose in my life. It wasn’t until I took
ownership/responsibility for the stress and anxiety that I created that God got
involved and fixed it by the power of the Holy Spirit – this shift allowed me
to see things differently and begin to think differently.
Although
I don't know exactly what's next for me, I am at peace, trusting and relying on
God to lead me. I am grateful that by his grace I have been released from
stress, anxiety and worry. It is a miracle and with all certainty I know that
this is God’s will not mine. I firmly believe that God will direct my path and
open the right door for me to walk through in his perfect timing.
In the past
year God has opened the eyes of my heart revealing to me the depth of his love,
his promises and his everlasting faithfulness; showing me that nothing is
possible without his intervention. Finally, I recognized the truth of the
living God and chose to have a relationship with him instead of being strictly
bound by religion and the law.
Now I see that all that is required of me is an
intimate relationship with the living God, a step of faith and a commitment to
continue living a transformed life.
On
a final note, often when I study a scripture verse, I also cross reference with
other similar verses to gain a better understanding of God’s commands and
promises. Here is what I found in reference to Romans 12:2; “Put
on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator
and become like him. “ Colossians 3:10 “Instead,
let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature,
created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” Ephesians 4:23-24Knowing that God’s commands are active is comforting and reassuring and removes anxiety and worry about getting it perfect from the get go. We truly serve a merciful God.
I
encourage you to invite Jesus to be Lord over your life and spend time with Him
every day. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you through every moment of
your day. Then wait and see what he has planned for you.
Thank
you for reading my first blog. May it provide encouragement and reassurance of
God’s promises.
May
you be richly blessed and honored with favor.
With
a grateful heart, yours in Christ
Chantale
All
text between quotation marks are taken directly from the NLT Life Application
Bible
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