What if.

What if today you decided tomorrow would be different.

No giving in to the complaining.

The fear.

The insecurity.

The unforgiveness.

The jealousy.

The pain of failure, or rejection, or defeat.

A new day, “fresh with no mistakes in it”.  A day when we choose to NOT hold on to those things that only hurt us.

“Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and deny the truth.  Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.”  James 3: 13-18

The wise decision would be to walk away from the “bad fruit” and choose to be healthy. I know, sometimes it’s easier to hold on to the past.

To the familiar.

The problem is, those things can become idols.

Yes, IDOLS.

In the book of Amos, this eighth-century prophet spoke to the human tendency to do the wrong thing, rather than the right thing–and his harshest criticism was against the people who practiced an outward religion without an inward repentance.

“Take a way from Me the noise of your songs!  I will not listen to the music of your harps.  But let justice flow like water, and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.”  Amos 5:20

Why is it we spend so much time on the externals, while neglecting the internal?  Letting go of the past is more than forgetting–it’s forgiving.  Forgiving yourself and forgiving others.  Ask God to forgive you for those mistakes of the past, and accept His offer of mercy and His gift of grace that will fill the void that is left from emptying yourself of those things that are controlling you.  When you do that, He will fill you with the healthy fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.

The only way to really live–to live a healthy life that is growing this kind of fruit, is found in God’s Word.

Don’t you see?  We can’t obtain these precious fruits on our own.  They are a gift–and no amount of “striving” will produce the desired result.  This is a fruit that cannot be ingested–it grows from the inside out, when our soul is fertile ground for growth.

And it’s never too late, you know.

Tomorrow can be different.  And it starts today.  I pray this for you:

“For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.  I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit, and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love,  and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”  Ephesians 3: 14-19

With love,

Vickie

***We’re almost finished with memorizing a verse from every book in the Old Testament!  This verse, Amos 5:4 may be simple, but it is profound.  Seeking the God who created you is a journey.  The promise is true, whether you are a new believer or one that has just forgotten: “You will seek me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)