Don’t look inward.
Paul has already been there and he concludes, “No good thing dwells in me.” -{Rom 7:18}. “Don’t lean to your OWN understanding,-{Prov 3:5-6}. It’s a little like having a huge garbage can, ten feet tall, packed full. If you begin at the top to remove it and work downward towards the bottom, you will find the deeper down you go, you still find garbage, rotten fish, fruit, meat and maggots and you think surely I should keep going, but the further down you dive the worse the stench. STOP, CLIMB OUT… So often as believers, trouble comes and we tend to LOOK INWARD… to OURSELVES, as though there can be some comfort found there, when Comfort is found in Christ. LOOK AWAY TO JESUS.
When tough times comes, when difficulties arise, and the temptation is to take your hurt and turn INWARD, and in turn spiral downward with thoughts that focus on self, and further and further your emotions swirl around and you find yourself falling down in despair. Time to stop- SPEAK TO YOURSELF. the Psalmist teaches us, “why cast down o my soul, PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD…. Surely I would have despaired UNLESS I believed to See the GOODNESS OF THE LORD in the land of the living…“Bless the LORD O my SOUL and all that is WITHIN me…. BLESS His Holy Name.” The Psalmist teaches us to LOOK UP… Speak to your soul- ask yourself, why are you so down?… and then speak the truth to yourself and act upon it- PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD. Speak to yourself and say, “SOUL… and ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME…,” irrespective of how I “feel” – the bottom line my “feelings” will not dictate and decide how I think, behave. Our “feelings” must be governed and in line with HIS Word.
Read Philippians 4:8 THINK RIGHT and verse 9 “DO RIGHT,” as the way to develop your faith and the feelings will fall in line. if we allow out “feelings” to lead our life we will end up living spiritual “roller coaster” lives, dictated to, distracted, dominated by what we “feel’ rather than what His Word says!
In “newness of Christ,” you have newness of life and new power to love, obey, trust Him, you have the Holy Spirit to teach, guide, empower and “precious and magnificent promises” to encourage you in your living. You are equipped. empowered and now to live out who you are “In Christ!”
The Choice to make in such troubling times is either to Look Inward or look to the LORD.
Speak to yourself;
I choose to BLESS Him.
I LOOK UP, by His Grace through the truth of His Word, by the power of the Holy Spirit to illumine His Word and reveal Jesus Christ to me In His Word!-{Luke 24:27}
I take Him at His Word.
I choose to look to Him as my resource rather than turning inward to myself!
One will elevate and exalt Him, the other will turn you inward and lead to spiraling Downward into despair!
Speak the truth to yourself!! Praise Him… submit to His Word and by faith Think on the TRUTH. DO the Truth and be continually transformed by the Truth {Romans 12:2}.