Determining God's Will

In life, when we are at crossroads and need direction, how do we determine God's will for us? What choices do we make? Which way do we go?

When bombarded with all these questions and options, we want to choose the best for ourselves.

There are five guidelines that will help you;

• Pray for guidance and search God's Word... He will never contradict Himself
• Talk and listen to the wise people in your life, they will give you a fine perspective of where you need to go.
• Watch for open and closed doors, opportunities coming and going. When God closes a door, it wasn't meant for you. Look out for the open one.
• Look out for the inner peace or turmoil you experience with regards to a choice you need to make. Always follow the peace in your heart.
• God uses our obedience to God, just take one step at a time as long as it is in God's will. And He will provide light for the next step.

Living a Christian life is a big blessing that calls for making wise choices day by day. Even when we fall, may we get get up and walk on, choosing life. 

Guarding the Heart

Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" 

The heart and mind are the two parts of our lives that determine the state of our being. The mind is in the brain and the heart is in the soul... The mind handles your thought processes and the heart handles your life. We have a duty to take care of both. Today I'll share about the heart.

So many things come at us everyday, and so many things come from us too. It is our duty to take care of our hearts because no one else can do it. Only God cares about it, and He cared enough about it to send His beloved Son to die on the cross and pay for our sins. That way the burden was lifted from us and that makes it possible for us to live in freedom from sin. 

These are some issues of life that spring from the heart;

• Love for God and for people, Luke 10:27 "He answered, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
• Light, 2Corinthians 4:6, "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ."
• Health, Proverbs 17:22 "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
• The whole fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
• Strength, Psalm 73:26 "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

All these are very important aspects of our lives. We must guard them from sin. The heart suffers from sin in two ways; Sin from the inside and sin from the outside.

Sin from the inside, Mark 7:15, "Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them." And by nothing coming inside, Jesus is talking about food. Our sinful habits defile our hearts. These can be broken by repentance and then obedience to God's Word.

Sin that influences the heart from the outside comes in form of;

• Corrupt friends and family, Psalm 1:1 "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers" 
• Also from sinful culture, allowing to be influenced with the worldly ways that go against God's Word.

Protect your heart by reading God's Word and meditating on it day and night. Hiding the precepts in your heart that they may be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path, directing your thoughts and actions.

Also separate yourself, to the extent that is possible, from people whose ways continuously affect you negatively. Forgive them, bless them but tread carefully around them, do not give in to them.

Above all else, surrender yourself in prayer "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--"Jude 1:24

Self Mastery

We are all born rebels(though at varying degrees), we rebel against rules... Rules make us want to rebel, naturally. That is why stolen things are sweeter(before you pay the price and start regretting!)

That is also why it is very easy to rebel against ourselves, against our own rules and principles. The man who is able to be his own master is truly a great and distinguished man.

Self mastery, Self control or Strong will mean the same thing..

Merriam-Webster defines it as the power to control one's actions, impulses or emotions. In my own language, the ability to obey oneself.

It is a very important skill as it enables you to follow through with what you decide because you are your own boss.

It is a priceless thing to conquer our bodies. To tame the tongue, for example, is the highest accomplishment one can make in self control. As it is the hardest thing to do. There are easier things though; developing good habits, exercising, sticking to a healthy diet, timekeeping, waking up early, and any other things that don't come naturally.  

These are the things we struggle with in our everyday lives. We know the benefits of following through with them but we keep failing because we keep losing our resolve time and time again, just like new year resolutions. It is okay to go off track shortly as long as you get back on. Do not give up trying.

So how is it possible to make your body obey you?

1. Decide clearly what you want to do
2. Do it
3. Keep doing it (when you fall, get up and go on)

This is very easy when you do not give in to the thoughts inside you that make you procrastinate, weigh options, and strive to make you do things differently.

I have struggled for years with getting up early. I always admired 'early birds' but it was always hard for me. My sleep is sweetest at around 6 a.m. So after many attempts of trying and failing, I finally got how to do it. Set my alarm for whatever time, 4 or 5 a.m, when it goes, turn it off, sit up and get out of bed. No debating and reasoning in my head. I am my worst adviser at such moments. Now I love it, I getup before my alarm goes off  and find myself eager to wake up. No debates!

1 Corinthians 9:26-27

Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Controlling Reactions

Why do we react the way we do? Because a circumstance brings out a trait in us that is already there. Just like the quality of coffee or tea is determined by hot water.

If ten couples disagreed over the same issue; One may experience a violent reaction from either party, and the other may have a bitter quarrel. One may avoid the subject and suffer with bitterness and anger, and another couple may suffer dead silence. One couple may start treating each other badly and another may choose to have a rational and calm discussion about it and come to an agreement sooner or later.

So whenever you face a challenge, please pause and pray for wisdom on how to best handle it. And if you wisely choose to communicate, please do so in love, using gentle words and not further provoking your partner to sin.

So how we react should not be guaranteed because of the weakness we suffer. With prayer and self control, we can choose to react right.

1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it."