The Mustard Seed blog
The person who knows "How" will always have a job. However, the person that knows "Why" will always be his boss!
After Thomas Edison's fame had become international, he was advised to have scientists come to his lab and help him understand just why some of his inventions had worked. Edison didn't see much use for it, but being open-minded, he consented to the idea. As a result, a brilliant research scientist from Germany came to his lab to explain the principles behind some of his innovations.
2019 can be different and can be your best year if you follow the wisdom of the Bible. Instead of trying to look at the whole year, follow the advice of God’s word. God gives life, not in weeks, months or years but days! So if we focus on the day and choose to make each day count, we will end up with a great year! So, how can we do that? Let me give you several things to do daily.
In 1871 a young medical student was worried and upset over his future, like so many of us he was overthinking his path, “what area of medicine should I get into, what direction should I take.” Questions and thoughts like this are not uncommon but if they occupy all of our emotional real estates they leave no room for God.
So how can we change our perspective, our outlook, our picture of our future? James Allen in his groundbreaking book, “As a Man Thinketh” said, “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he not only embraces the whole of a man’s being, but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life. A person is literally what they think, our character being the complete sum of all our thoughts. As the plant springs from, and could not be without the seed, so every act of a person springs from the hidden seeds of thought.”
We all have many things in common, but there’s one big thing we all have in common and when this is understood we can change our future. So what is this big thing that can change our future?
All of us live our lives out of a narrative, a story. Regardless of our background, religion, or culture. This narrative has been formed from many sources, through family, friends, tragedies, experiences, culture and religion. These narratives have built pictures, images in our lives that control or influence the way we act, the decisions we make, the career path we choose, the type of person we marry and the opinions we form. Since a story can be seen it can be concluded that if we can change what we see by changing the story we can change our future.
The Bible is God’s story, His story of creation, His story of redemption and His story of salvation. As we see God’s story it begins to have a great influence upon our lives. So what is God’s story and how can it change our future?
God’s story is a story of creation. God created the world and He created it wonderful, filled with an expression of Himself. No doubt you have visited places where you can hardly take in the beauty of it. All creation is a reflection of its creator. Like us, whenever we build or design or construct something it’s a reflection of us.
God’s story is a story of how we left Him to go on our own. That’s when mankind fell and fell apart. How can we discover our true identity and worth apart from the one that created us? But the story continues.
God’s story is a story of redemption. God never gave up on us. He sent His son in our likeness and as our substitute to take upon Himself the full penalty of our sins so we can be reconciled back to Him
God’s story is a story of salvation. Salvation came through His son Jesus and through Him we can be reunited back to our creator placed in right standing because of what Jesus did.
So how does that story affect us and how can we change our future? When we allow God to introduce us to us, we gain a picture of us that is bigger, better, stronger ad greater than what we could have come up with. Through God’s picture of us we can change our future.
-Dr. Rob Carman, Is the founder of Victory World Missions, a prolific author, church planter and well-know conference speaker. www.robcarman.com
"If God be for us, who can be against us," Romans 8:31. Personalize those words so they will apply to you. Say, "If God be for me," and then bring to your mind a picture of all the things you think are against you. Now, bring a picture into your mind of God facing your obstacles. Can they stand against God? Practice this until it builds an incredible strength in you. No problem, obstacle, or difficulty needs to defeat you. Accept that as a fact, hold it confidently and firmly in your mind until it becomes a reality. Remember, this must be done with a humble faith in God and not an inflated faith in your own power. Everyday fill and refill your mind to overflowing with that kind of faith until your thoughts and thinking has been completely renewed.
Faith, the greatest power in the world, moves mountains and throws obstacles aside. It overrides so-called impossibilities. It crushes fear. It makes life vital, dynamic and joyful. The answer to all of your struggles, to all your defeats, and to all your hopes as well, is faith! Wholehearted, enthusiastic faith in a God who believes in you so much that He sent His Son to perfectly redeem and restore you back to Himself and by the power of His Holy Spirit came to live in you! "If God be for us, who can be against us."
Action steps:
1). Right this moment bring to mind all the things you think are against you, and begin to see God facing them with you.
2). Memorize the following. "If you have faith..nothing shall be impossible to you," Matthew 17:20. "If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes," Mark. 9:23.
3). Remember, God is for you and nothing shall succeed as your enemy.
-Dr. Rob Carman, Is the founder of Victory World Missions, a prolific author, church planter and well-know conference speaker. www.robcarman.com
