Change Or Regret

I caught part of a sermon this morning on the story of Joseph, as preached by Pastor James MacDonald. He was talking about how Joseph described his time on earth. His days were few (130 years) and evil. That's how Joseph summed up his life. To which James responds to Joseph (and to all of us, for that matter) with the following advice.

Change your thinking! Or regret it later.

Doesn't it sound easy? 

And I know life is complex and so are the issues that weigh upon us. While I don't want to discount or dismiss legitimate struggles and difficulties, at the same time, I think we easily acknowledge our hindrance and give it way more power and influence that perhaps it deserves without every trying to change... without ever deciding first, that we will do whatever is possible to diminish or overcome that issue.

There's so much potential that is both dismissed and ignored because we buy the excuse, whether real or perceived, without having put forth much effort, be it our own or with the help of the Holy Spirit. Even now, somebody is reading this, thinking that I don't understand. And you are right. I don't understand. I don't understand why I even have difficulty simply making the decision to change my thinking. And tons more people of deeper reasons and realities than I do are having cause with this advice.

But as such great wisdom has so often been shared; whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right.

People overcome problems and issues every single minute of every single day. Some are so incredible that every person who hears stands in awe and amazement. Others, you might consider a problem so minuscule as to be child's play. And yet to that person, a win is a win. Victory is sweet, no matter how grand.

But it will never be tasted if one never steps on to field to consider the possibility to seize it.
It will never be seized if one doesn't play determined to reach out and grasp it with both hands.

Handicaps should be viewed as special circumstance which comes in handy rather than a hindrance by which the possibilities of one's life is capped. What will be the focus of your thought-life?

On this #deaconThursday, pray for those in church leadership struggling to breakthrough because of thought patterns and the problems and issues of life that stand in their way. Pray that God would help them break the cycle(s) in their life that wage war in the spirit, discourage the heart and trouble the mind. May God give them strength as they determine to live life with purpose, clarity and intention; with a renewed sense of passion and resolve... with no regrets. Pray God would help them to rise above, having overcome the greatest depths and developed a mature faith as a result of their perseverance.

With no excuses and no regrets,
May we see and think with God perspective.
For His glory alone.

- PNC