SO, in looking back at my post of December 30th, I am going to answer the questions one by one over the next series of posts so that I can think about the answer carefully and take it all in slowly.
The first question was, "What are you going to say 'No' to this year?"
During our visit to Bethel Church in Redding California late last year, Kris Vallotton said that when we are trying to avoid doing something, the second we say 'no', it will be the first thing we think about doing or the hardest thing not to think about doing...you know, like me saying to you now...'DON'T think of an elephant!'
What Kris suggests is that we decide instead what we are going to say a big fat 'Yes' to. That way, we fill our minds and lives with positive things rather than negative and set ourselves up better for success rather than failure.
Therefore, I am going to turn the question round and ask myself, 'What am I going to say "Yes" to this year? So here goes. I am committing myself to black and white...well, black and purple!
1. I say YES to reading my Bible every day.
Even if it is only a verse. The Word of God is living and active. Holy Spirit can use the word in my life if it is planted in my mind in the first place. He sits with me as I read, testifying to my Spirit first, then to my mind and comes with me through the day to remind me of what God says. I can expect my life to change!
2. I say YES to eating healthily and YES to moving more.
This is often how I want to feel but don't. It's how I want to be able to move but can't...YET! My body is the temple of God. As I get older, I want to fulfil the urges I have to dance gracefully before God in my worship, to chase around after my grandchildren, to run out of exhilarating joy and to healthily encounter the great age that I have asked God to grant to me. At the moment, I am carrying extra weight equivalent to between 6-10 reams of paper (Yeahhhh - I am confessing!!) I say GOODBYE to it now - it is going because I say YES to right choices.
3. I say YES to Love.
I want to choose to love people as Jesus would. One thing some difficult circumstances of this year have taught me is the biblical truth that love covers a multitude of sins. Loving people is HARD sometimes. In our family, we laugh at the saying, 'That person needs a high five..in the face...with a chair!!' as we refer to folk who have upset us or hurt us in some way. But Jesus asks us to love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us. I still struggle with it but God never says His commands are easy but He did say they would work.
Therefore, I say YES to making a conscious choice to treat people the way Jesus would and trust that He can help me handle any wrong attitudes and change them. I want to know His love through me.
Seth Dahl, also of Bethel church commented that 'Curiosity will keep you out of judgement.' If someone upsets me, instead of presuming they spoke/acted/dealt with me badly on purpose, I say yes to choosing to be curious to ask them what they meant to convey; choosing to seek the best outcome for our relationship and if they continue to treat me 'badly', to choose to show love and kindness to them and choose to set aside any desire to take revenge. I want the best for us. With God, nothing is impossible.
SO LET ME SAY...if any of you think I have acted badly in any way at all to you or others, if you feel my relationship with you isn't the best it can be, please be curious and check things out with me. Likewise, if I think you have something against me or if anything needs to change, I will check it out with you and trust that you will share truth back to me.
In saying YES to love, God gets the glory and people will benefit
Saying YES to Love will also influence what I do with my time, what I give my life to.
4. I say YES to seeing myself as God sees me.
God delights in me. I am His celebration. I bring a song to his heart. Today He is singing His love song over me. He sees me as His beloved girlie, clothed in righteousness, blameless, beautiful, blessed, powerful, talented, creative. He trusts me. He believes in me. He approves of me. He thinks about me all the time. He rejoices over me.
I want to be the best I can be for Him because I love Him and He loves me. I am His.
Therefore, I say YES to making a conscious choice to treat people the way Jesus would and trust that He can help me handle any wrong attitudes and change them. I want to know His love through me.
Seth Dahl, also of Bethel church commented that 'Curiosity will keep you out of judgement.' If someone upsets me, instead of presuming they spoke/acted/dealt with me badly on purpose, I say yes to choosing to be curious to ask them what they meant to convey; choosing to seek the best outcome for our relationship and if they continue to treat me 'badly', to choose to show love and kindness to them and choose to set aside any desire to take revenge. I want the best for us. With God, nothing is impossible.
SO LET ME SAY...if any of you think I have acted badly in any way at all to you or others, if you feel my relationship with you isn't the best it can be, please be curious and check things out with me. Likewise, if I think you have something against me or if anything needs to change, I will check it out with you and trust that you will share truth back to me.
In saying YES to love, God gets the glory and people will benefit
Saying YES to Love will also influence what I do with my time, what I give my life to.
4. I say YES to seeing myself as God sees me.
God delights in me. I am His celebration. I bring a song to his heart. Today He is singing His love song over me. He sees me as His beloved girlie, clothed in righteousness, blameless, beautiful, blessed, powerful, talented, creative. He trusts me. He believes in me. He approves of me. He thinks about me all the time. He rejoices over me.
I want to be the best I can be for Him because I love Him and He loves me. I am His.
YES! YES! YES!
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