Life is full of seasons. Ups and downs. Sharp corners and mountain tops we must climb. It is a roller coaster ride. Looking back at history these cliche comparisons describe the way life is for everyone. Knowing we will have highs and lows forces us to prepare for them. The trick isn't keeping the lows at bay, the trick is battling them head on when they come our way. (The rhyming was unintentional...)
Yesterday and day 10 were designed to help you think about that preparation. What are you going to do to combat life's lows? Redirecting our thoughts towards God's greatness and focusing on worshiping Him transforms our hearts, while keeping the world and their nonsense at bay. We discussed this before (day 2), but I'm going to spend today reminding you - especially now that you have Romans 12:1-2 in your back pocket...
Day 27
In the midst of Job's trials and tribulations what was Elihu's advice? It's the entire purpose of the book of Job: "...stop and consider the wondrous works of God." (Job 37:14) When we rehash everything Job went through in losing his children, wealth, reputation and health we are able to use Job as our example on what to do (and what not to do) when trials and tribulations come our way. I truly believe Elihu's advice to Job should be applied to our every day ups and downs.
What better way to combat loneliness than to bask in the greatness of God? What better way to battle tribulations that come our way than to simply stop and consider His works?
We have been given what we don't deserve time and time again. The perfect example of God's mercies? The gospel. It is a wondrous work of God on our behalf! He gave us Himself. This gift of salvation through Jesus Christ should put our lows in perspective and give us renewed hope in the promise that we will spend an eternity with Him. By acknowledging that Jesus lived, died, rose again, is seated at the right hand of God, and will come back someday all according to Scripture, works wonders on our hardened hearts.
This entire challenge forces us to redirect our thoughts and actions to Christ to give us renewed hope, purpose and understanding... I didn't fully wrap my mind around this challenge until I sat down and wrote out all 40 days. There's a reason behind each day and the order it's in, so use to today to add to your list based each day of this challenge thus far...
On low days go back...
- ... to the gospel...
- ... to the wondrous works of God...
- ... to resting in God's Sovereign hand in your life...
- ... to using music to calm your heart...
- ... to celebrating how God is working in your life...
- ... to using Scripture like Proverbs 3:5-6 to remind you of God's promises...
- ... to putting Jesus first, other second, yourself last...
- ... to praying and giving everything to Him...
- ... to your purpose for living: Christ alone...
- ... to making Christ your innermost desire...
- ... to understanding the GREATNESS of God and joyfully giving Him your life as a living sacrifice...
- ... to focusing our minds on God...
- ... to learning about God and what He says about Himself in Scripture, and knowing our husbands so we can joyfully serve them better as well ... even if you don't feel like it...
- ... to appreciating how God made men and women differently and how He uses the unique gifts He gave us to glorify Him, as one flesh, side by side...
- ... to using Scripture to PRAISE God...
- ... to God's perfect, selfless qualities of love that He gives us daily...
- ... giving of yourself freely...
- ... to treating your husband how you'd want to be treated...
- ... to submitting everything to God, including His command to submit to our husbands...
- ... to respecting your husband, even though he may or may not deserve it...
- ... to why God is calling you to display self-control...
- ... to pure thoughts, actions, and words...
- ... to God's calling you to manage your home for His Namesake...
- ... to being kind...
- ... to why loving your spouse is so important...
On low days go back to Jesus' statement that it's necessary to do this daily, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23) We are supposed to deny self daily. If we don't renew our mind daily we are in danger of being conformed to the world and their crap.
This challenge is almost over, but today's challenge is to be a living sacrifice, to renew your mind daily. (I'm hoping the more I say daily the more it sinks in that this challenge doesn't end on day 40....) So, this challenge may be doing a number on you (like it is me) but I don't want it to stop once it's over. USE the skills given here to transform your mind and grow in Christ on a daily basis.
It's not over yet, there's a few more pieces I'm excited to share, but I needed a day to remember the order and the why behind this challenge. Give of yourself daily, not just these 40 days because I'm challenging you to do so...
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