Embrace the Within no. 138

“Beware lest there be any man that spoile you through philosophie, and vaine deceit, through the traditions of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

Colossians 2:8 GNV

Dude, have I found many philosophies over my nearly five decades of walking and wheeling around this earth. And not one of them led me to anywhere near fulfillment until I started living in peace and harmony with myself. Back in 2020 when the plague hit, I was scared about the lockdowns and what it might mean for my family being able to eat. I was really worried for the first time in my life that there was going to be a real problem with my ability to provide for my family. And for me that meant taking some changes to align my philosophy with my life.

I had spent years talking about personal responsibility and self ownership BUT I wasn’t doing anything to be responsible or control my life. I was like most of the folks in the world and was content to just pull up at the store every week. I had faith that the store was always going to be there, open, and stocked. That changed with the lockdowns and the plague.

So, I had to take a really important look at my philosophy and it’s vain deceit. Because until that point, everything had worked in favor of my vanity and selfishness. I was doing things just like everyone else despite my philosophy. So, things had to change.

And that has led me into the fourth year of changing my life to align with what God wants me to do. This is the beginning of a fourth year of treating my body like the temple the Lord wants it to be. This is the beginning of a fourth year of walking in His Way of love and Truth. This is a continuation of making sure that I am no longer so easily gripped by fear through faith in His provision.

I can take a lot of time winning debates and conversations or I can take the time to put God’s Will into effect in my life. And for years I was out here worried about winning. And I wasn’t worried about changing. I shouldn’t have been worried about changing other people’s minds and instead I should have been worried about changing my life. Now that I have finally made those changes, I see how self righteous and vain it was to want everyone else to change to accommodate my philosophy. It was me that needed to change. And so it was me that did change.

Today is a great day to make a change in your life as well. I am not here to tell you that change was easy. I plodded away at change every day for three years now. I started small and worked with what I had and then kept going, through God’s grace and mercy, to get here in year number four. You can start where you are today as well. You just need to decide it is time for your body, your mind, and your spirit to change and ask God to make that move.

I am not sorry for where that journey has taken me through His Will. BUT I never expected to be where I am. So, my only warning is that when you let God have control, you are going to end up in places you never imagined. I never planned for my journey to get me here today BUT it was never my journey alone. It was always His Way.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Embrace the Within no. 137

“And when you pray, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. So do not be like them [praying as they do]; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Pray, then, in this way [as a model or pattern]:

‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed [set apart, keep and treat as holy, revered] be Your name.

Your kingdom come [A plea for God’s kingdom to be inaugurated on earth],

Your [Including what God wishes to be done by the individual believer—His commands and precepts] will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread [life’s essentials] .

And forgive us our debts [sins, moral failures], as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment].

And do not lead us into temptation [lead us away from situations where we are vulnerable and have the opportunity to sin. God does not tempt man (see James 1:13) but does allow man to be tested], but deliver us from evil [Or the evil one]. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen [This clause is not found in early mss].’

For if you forgive [anthropoi] others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.”

Matthew 6:7-15 AMP

Prayer is a conversation with the Creator of All Things. It isn’t meaningless small talk or loud prayer to get the attention of others. Prayer is a conversation from the heart of me to the Heart of God. And Christ gives a wonderful pattern here in the Sermon on the Mount, an example to follow for my prayers. And it starts, most importantly with explicitly saying to whom I am speaking. And that is my Father.

And before talking about anything I want or need or desire or yearn, I am reverent to His authority and pray for His Will to be done first. This isn’t an afterthought, this is the initial step to show my obedience to His Will even though His Will is going to be done anyway. I need to acknowledge that I am not getting my way. I am not changing the mind of God. I am not doing anything BUT being obedient to His Will.

Then, I ask for what’s necessary to live and go right into asking to be right with God. I need my spirit and my what to be aligned to His Will a lot more than I do anything else. I need to change a lot more than I need others to change or circumstances to change. What always needs to change is me.

'Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God” [for temptation does not originate from God, but from our own flaws]; for God cannot be tempted by [what is] evil, and He Himself tempts no one. 'James 1:13 GNV

The circumstances are there for me to become better, to become perfect. And that is an ongoing process. I need to find how to change and adapt to the trials and temptations and obstacles and opportunities in order to better serve the Lord. I need to find His Way through those things in order to be a better Ambassador of His Kingdom.

And finally, Christ repeats the need for forgiveness at the end of this passage. I need to show his grace and mercy and love to others by forgiveness. If I cannot forgive and let go of my anger and resentment, if I cannot truly show love to my family, my friends, my neighbors, and my enemies, then I am not forgiven. I need to have the heart of Christ when dealing with the world. A heart that loves without judgment. A heart that wants the best for others before myself. A heart that forgives when it is hurting.

Christ hurts, God hurts, the Spirit hurts, when I do not forgive because He forgave me. I didn’t earn His forgiveness. I don’t deserve His forgiveness. And sometimes I can feel that way about others. They hurt me so badly that they don’t deserve to ever be forgiven BUT I forgive anyway. I don’t forgive people because they deserve forgiveness or mercy. I forgive because I am forgiven through mercy as well.

So what does my heart say about my prayers? I need to spend a lot more time contemplating what I am bringing to God and if it aligns with what He wants. Am I asking for things? Am I treating God like a genie? Am I showing Him respect and glory? Am I looking for His forgiveness BUT not showing it to others? Am I aligned with His Will to make me better?

I pray that your Will be done through me. I pray that you change my heart into the heart of Christ. I pray that I forgive others with mercy and grace. I pray that every day I am being perfected into the person you want to change me into becoming.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH