2020 - Blast-off!
As I have been praying into 2020, I firmly believe it is a “blast-off” year for many, many people. However, even as I ponder this, I realize that there are things we do and decisions that we make that will impact the “blast-off”. The little moment by moment choices that we make have the potential to influence our ability to successfully move into and navigate the next season. As I was in the Word last week, I landed in Philippians 4. As I began to read further into the Scripture, I came to the understanding that God has given us a “MAP” for walking in His strength through each and every season of life. As Paul penned the book of Philippians he was in jail. It wasn’t an easy season but he had learned some major keys that influenced his moment by moment decisions. So, let’s dive in and see what we can learn from Paul that will help us navigate this new year that we have graciously been given!
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4 Rejoice in the Lord always ; again I will say, rejoice! In every season of life we must learn to rejoice. Granted, in difficult seasons rejoicing is a major challenge. However, as I read the words that Paul wrote, I realize that the only one that we can rejoice in is the Lord. And, how often are we to rejoice in Him? Always!
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5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near. When we learn to rejoice there is a guaranteed result which effects all of those around us. We were never created to live in a bubble but rather we were created to have visible impact on those around us. We have a promise that God is near which leads us to the next point.
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6 Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your requests known to God.
We must develop an anxious free/worry free lifestyle. I immediately saw the words “do not” which tells me that somehow, it must be possible to develop this type of lifestyle. (Trust me, I’m still working on it!). The word “but” is key as it tells us that the only way to tackle that anxiety and worry is to immerse ourselves in prayer, petition and thanksgiving. In other words , we walk in intimate relationship with God.
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7 And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus .
We have to learn to allow the peace of God to transcend our rational thought process. In other words, we must learn to see, think and feel at a kingdom level rather than from an earthy level.
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8 Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things . In addition, we have to allow God to transform our minds. What we gaze on will ultimately infuse every part of our being.
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9 The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things , and the God of peace and well-being will be with you. Paul’s final words in this section give us a promise of peace and well-being. We just have to follow the instruction manual!
Before you move forward with your day, take a few minutes and dream with the Lord. What would your moment by moment life look like if you were to follow these steps for 2020? Can you imagine the growth in your relationship with God? Can you imagine living with less stress and anxiety? Can you see yourself impacting those around you in a way that leads them closer to the Lord? So, what do you think? Is 2020 a Blast-off year for you? I do believe it is!
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