“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”  2 Corinthians 5:17, 18

A friend of mine, recovering from a deep depression, said his turn-around came when he realized, “I have a choice. I can continue to blame my upbringing, past traumatic experiences, and life’s injustices for the emotional mess I’m in, or I can focus on today and begin to take small steps of recovery.”

Like him, I got myself out of a pit of self-pity and despair by focusing on the fact that if Jesus Christ lives in me, I am a new creation. I can leave the old thought patterns behind and claim my new position in Christ. But it was a choice I had to make many times a day.

When a negative thought or temptation would come, I would say,

“That doesn’t belong to me anymore. I’ve died to that way of thinking and acting. In Christ I have received a new nature, the very righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). I am a new person.”

Then I’d replace the thought with a truth from Scripture or a song. I’d write it out and carry it in my pocket so I could say it often.

God has given to each of us the privilege of making choices and the responsibility of living with the consequences of those choices.

“Every choice we make takes us down a certain path. Either to a person that is in harmony with God and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself,” writes C.S.Lewis.

You are not born a winner. You are not born a looser. You are born a chooser.

Dear God, today I want to see myself as a new creation in Christ and make choices that honor You.

By Helen Lescheid
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Up From Depression
• Depression Story – There is Hope
• Place of Struggle

The post I Have a Choice appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.”  Ezekiel 18:32 (NASB)

The metal door slammed shut, echoing its finality in the hallway of the prison. In his loneliness and despair, the man cried. “I didn’t deserve this. I didn’t have a fair chance at life!”

Many people, even if their own imprisonments are less extreme, live in a similar state of mind as this prisoner. Whether they are held captive by prison doors, their addictions, marriages, jobs, or financial situations, it’s difficult for us to play the role of judge. It’s not our job to try to weed out whose fault things are in most situations. Many times the seeds of hopelessness and despair are planted long before adulthood; this makes holding someone accountable for their actions murky at best.

God knows the truth about us all. He reminds us that He holds justice and mercy better than anyone. Therefore, we should leave the ultimate judging to Him. He doesn’t want anyone to feel the pang of death created by sin. Instead, He wants us to choose life. In our verse today, He has given us a task: live! We get to choose to walk away from the darkness and do our best with the choices before us. After we’ve done that, we are able live peaceably and with joy.

Dear Father, today I ask that You would take every dark corner of my mind and heart and purify me. Free me of the sin that so easily entangles me. Help me to remember that You, my maker and my redeemer, have given me permission to live well. I love you Lord, and I place every worry and judgment in Your capable hands. Guide me in the ways that lead to everlasting life with You! Amen.

Thought: Instead of licking our wounds or playing the blame game today, let’s put our situation in God’s capable hands and repent of anything we’ve done to contribute to the mess around us. Then, take a deep breath and live in the purity and freedom of mind to be who God has created you to be.

By Christa Hardin
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Ending the Blame Game – by Charles Stanley

Wrongfully Convicted – by Thomas Pujol

The Blame Game’s Source – by Karen Woodard

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The post The Blame Game appeared first on Thoughts About God.