Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Happy New Year!

Let’s begin the new year with new thinking!

Today’s scripture, Romans 12:2 (NLT) says…
[2] 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.

Consider…
Psalmist Fred Hammond sings a song that says…
Let me encourage you while I encourage me

Initially that was going to be my only reference, but the surrounding lyrics speak to some of my stinking thinking.

For example, the song begins…
Falling apart and tearing at the seams
Tribulation lends a hand and squeezes all your hopes, your dreams
You say you retreat, you say you just can’t win

Far too often I find myself wallowing in the duldrums of inadequacy and disappointment in me. The crashing waves of negativity wash over my mind and make me want to withdraw from the world around me. My stinking thinking tells me to sink into solitude.

But I continued listening to the song and heard…
Before you let your circumstance tell you how the story ends
His word says you can stand
He’ll cover you with His grace
Everything you need is in your hand
So lift up your head and say
All things are working for me even things I can’t see
Your ways are so beyond me
But You said that You would let it be for my good
So I’ll rest and just believe

When I heard, “everything you need is in your hand” I thought, that seems wrong. Then I remembered Moses. Exodus 4:1-15 (NLT), shares…
[1] But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The LORD never appeared to you’?” [2] Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. [3] “Throw it down on the ground,” the LORD told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back. [4] Then the LORD told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand. [5] “Perform this sign,” the LORD told him. “Then they will believe that the LORD, the God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—really has appeared to you.” [6] Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out again, his hand was white as snow with a severe skin disease. [7] “Now put your hand back into your cloak,” the LORD said. So Moses put his hand back in, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body. [8] The LORD said to Moses, “If they do not believe you and are not convinced by the first miraculous sign, they will be convinced by the second sign. [9] And if they don’t believe you or listen to you even after these two signs, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on the dry ground. When you do, the water from the Nile will turn to blood on the ground.” [10] But Moses pleaded with the LORD, “O LORD, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” [11] Then the LORD asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD? [12] Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” [13] But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.” [14] Then the LORD became angry with Moses. “All right,” he said. “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you. [15] Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do.

I included the entire passage because we see…

• Moses declared his insufficiency (people won’t listen to me)
• God revealed His pre-planned provision (the shepherd staff and covering). God wants us to know that we’re equipped and covered before He ask us to do anything.
• Mosed declared his inadequacy to speak
• God reminded him of HIS Sovereignty and creative authority!
• Moses confessed the truth, he was a coward
• God got angry, but gave grace in the person of Aaron

This illustration is a wonderful revelation that God doesn’t force us to do anything, but instead repeatedly reminds us that He’s our everything and has provided all that we need to serve Him.

God already knows our inabilities, He is asking us for our availability. In fact I believe God made us with insecurities and inadequacies so that we would not rely solely on our skill, but instead completely trust His will.

The Holy Spirit, is letting me know, God just wants us to say and do what He says, and trust Him to provide the delivery method.

That’s the first transformational thought God is giving me, stop focusing on my inadequacy and fully trust that God has equipped and covered me adequately to serve Him according to His will.

You see the world measures success by results, but God measures it by faith and obedience to Him. That’s why Joshua 1:8 (NLT) declares…
[8] Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

This provides another transformational thought, which is stop evaluating life by the world’s standards and only worry about meeting God’s standard.

As I wrote that the Holy Spirit directed me to Matthew 6:33 (NLT), where Jesus said…
[33] Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

This verse emphasizes we must prioritize God’s Kingdom and living right in His eyes more than anything else.

Pressing resume on Fred’s song, I hear…
I know you think you’ve got it bad right now
But let me say I know that feeling well
To make good plans for life
And then watch them take a downward spin
Let me encourage you while I encourage me
He sees the raging rain and wind
But He’ll speak peace and it will come to an end
The truth is He cannot lie
I’m in His hands and I’m on his mind
He promised me He’d always be there
So by faith He will answer my prayer

I love the line, “I’m in His hands and I’m on his mind”. It makes me think of Psalms 121:2-3 (NLT)…
[2] My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! [3] He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.

I must remind myself that the LORD is my help and is actively and constantly watching over me. Actually, the Psalmist testimony has been upgraded, because according to Romans 8:11-12 (NLT)…
[11] The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. [12] Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.

Whereas the Psalmist had to look to the hills for his help, we just need to listen to God’s Spirit that lives within us.

Wow, the Holy Spirit just flashed Immanuel (Matthew 1:23). And the Holy Spirit scrolled John 1:14 (NLT) on my confidence monitor for life…
[14] So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

You see, the Holy Spirit showed me that Paul said the Spirit of God for a reason. He, the Holy Spirit, is only one part of God’s Spirit. God is transforming my understanding to embrace the same Triune God that said, “let US make human beings in OUR image”, in Genesis 1:26, is the one who raised Christ Jesus from the dead and whose Spirit dwells in us.

WOW again, the Holy Spirit is also telling me that the same God who breathed life into my physical man at birth, is now breathing new life into my spiritual man daily. He gave me 1 Corinthians 15:45-46 (NLT) to help me better comprehend…
[45] The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. [46] What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later.

Which brings me to transformational thought number three. As Donald Lawrence sings…

You’re not a natural being
Having a spiritual experience
But you’re a spiritual being
Living this natural experience
You’re not a natural being
Having a spiritual experience
But you’re a spiritual being
Living this natural experience
Everyday when you wake
Your confession should constantly say
Oh Lord
Let me be spiritual, spiritual
Let me be spiritual, spiritual

Stinking thinking subsides when our mind orientation is transformed. Simply said, when I stop thinking about myself physically and start thinking from God’s perspective spiritually, I begin to look at everything and everyone, including me, from God’s unfailing love and abounding grace. Thus I see the good internally despite what may look like flaws externally. That begs the question, what’s good internally? Romans 8:10 (NLT) declares…
[10] And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.

I’m not good, Christ who lives in me makes me good. As Mary Mary says, “it’s the God in me”.

These encouraging transformational thoughts are great, but there is some stinking thinking that requires more sobering transformational thoughts.

For example, Galatians 6:3-5 (NLT) says…
[3] If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. [4] Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. [5] For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

Transformational thought number four is humility and self-governance must be hallmarks of service to God.

Also, Psalms 1:1-3 (NLT) exhorts…
[1] Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. [2] But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. [3] They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Transformational thought number five is we must focus on God’s word not other’s voices to bear fruit for God. I like the way the Psalmist ends with, “Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”, which makes me think of evergreens that remain consistent through every season. Oh to be an evergreen for God!

Still another sobering transformational thought comes from Ephesians 4:21-24 (NLT), which emphasizes…
[21] Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, [22] throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. [23] Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. [24] Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

The transformational thought is we must throw off our old nature and listen to and obey the Spirit’s instructions for putting on Christ’s new nature. It’s like having a new suit, you must take the old clothes off and put it on to wear it around. We have to intentionally clothe ourselves in Christ, but that requires taking off the slave clothes of sin first. Romans 13:14 (NLT) explains it this way…
[14] Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

Finally, the seventh and last transformational thought to perfect the expulsion of stinking thinking and graduation to a Godly mindset is focus on God’s good rather than your bad. The supporting scripture the Holy Spirit gave me is Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT), which instructs…
[8] And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. [9] Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

If you want to feel the presence of God in the midst of your thoughts, you need to meditate on who He is, rather than who you think you are. The scripture encourages us to think of ways that God is…

• True
• Honorable
• Right
• Pure
• Lovely
• Admirable
• Excellent
• Worthy of praise

…when our thoughts are fixed on the goodness and sufficiency of God, we won’t wallow alone in the disappointment and insufficiency of ourselves or others.

If this message resonates with you, I encourage you to join me in letting God transform our stinking thinking to God pleasing thoughts about everything and everyone, including ourselves.

Today’s Song is…
Take My Life

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)