Ever find yourself needing an attitude adjustment? Ever get something stuck in your craw and you just can't let it go? Well that has been me the last couple of weeks. I would determine every morning I was not going to let this issue get to me, but by the end of the day I would be so angry I could spit venom. The stress of it was getting to me and spreading to others..
This morning I sat down with a notecard to do my quiet time. A lot of times I sit down with a card so if a verse really speaks to me I can jot it down and take it with me. That way I have it at work with me and I can ponder it though out the day. The memory is going (darn old menopause), and writing it down helps. Added bonus I am getting a cool collection of verses to use if I know someone neeeds a quick pick me up.
So, this morning before I even opened my bible I wrote out this prayer on the card.
God help me to be:
Part of the solution - Not the problem
An encourgaer - Not a destroyer
Humble - Not proud
Gracious - Not greeedy
Grateful - Not envious
Helpful - Not hurtful
Spirit filled - Not Janet filled
God centered- Not me centered
Then I opened my bible and asked God to give me a verse to help me with that prayer. I am reading in Galations so there were lots of verses that could apply. But then I came to Galations 5:16, "But I say walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."
I went back and looked at my list and it appplies to everything on it. If I walk in the spirit I will be those things. I will be an encourger, humble, gracious, grateful, spirit filled, etc.
As I read the verse over and over God began to say Janet there is more here than what you are taking away. God said your desire of the flesh is that you want to make yourself be all those things on the good side. But, you can't on your own power. The key to this verse for me is to walk by the spirit. If I keep my thoughts on God, and stay in the spirit then those other things will fall away.
If I walk in the spirit I will be an encourager instead of trying not to be a destroyer. I will be humble instead of trying not to be proud. I will be gracious instead of trying not to be greedy. I will be grateful instead of trying not to be envious. I will be helpful instead of trying not to be hurtful. God is all of those things. If I abide in him and he abides in me I will be those things instead of me TRYING so hard not to be the others.
Thanks for reading!
