What are YOU learning?

Last week I joined Gina, from Chats with an Old Lady for a great new meme, "What are YOU learning?". We share what God is teaching us from the Word.



This week I have been preparing to speak at a woman's conference on Jan. 31st, so I have spending time rereading my message on HEART TRANSFORMATION! I would like to share with you a small part of this message for what I am learning this week. It's funny, even when we know certain Truths, we still need to be refreshed. That is why it is SO IMPORTANT to be continually washed in His Word! God falls afresh on us, opening His Word and enlightening our hearts. May the "eyes of my heart be enlightened!"

This part of the talk is about having a "Committed Heart" for the Lord!

1Peter 2:11 “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to
abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” Another
translation puts it like this, “Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t
make yourselves cozy in it. DON’T INDULGE YOUR EGO at the expense of your
soul. (Message)

So many of us are too cozy, too comfortable in the world! We accept too many things that are not glorifying to God. We think that they are okay because they are politically correct, or because our friends think they are okay. We’ve relaxed our standards. We’ve gone away from God’s standards and used the world to guide our decisions, ideals, and morals.

We have become too cozy in the world, too comfortable with its morals. We have been distracted, deceived, and led astray by our longings for the worldly.

Do we seek the presence of God or the approval of the world? Our generation has been on a pursuit of perfection- perfect skin, perfect bodies, perfect husbands, perfect children, the perfect career or volunteer “career,” and the perfect model home. In the process, we have traded in what is “perfect” for God’s best in our lives. We have missed out and gotten “sucked in.” But that time is over!

I believe God has a call on this generation of women to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to change this generation and to teach the next generation of women. God is raising up women who have hearts desiring change.

Change begins with the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:5 says, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” Paul continues in verse 13, “By the Spirit put to death the misdeeds of the body and you will live.” And Galatians 5:16, “Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

We can never do this on our own or in our own strength! We have a still, small voice that helps us and guides us. The Holy Spirit helps us to make choices between right and wrong. We need to start listening! Our choices in life need to glorify God. Even little things like the TV shows we are watching need to be pleasing to God! We need to ask ourselves with every choice, “Would Jesus buy this magazine? Would God like this movie, or would He be embarrassed by it?”

You may be wondering why little things like TV shows matter so much. You may be thinking, “I’m not hurting anyone watching this show. I’m just relaxing. It’s only TV. The kids are in bed. I'm an adult. It doesn’t matter.”

But the Bible warns us to be careful. Peter tells us “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Imagine yourself lying on the couch later at night , flipping channels and being drawn to MTV or a immoral reality show. You allow the channel to linger there for awhile, even though you feel a tinge of discomfort. You reason with yourself that watching these shows couldn’t be harmful. When you are drowsy and inattentive, you become easy prey for the enemy. Lions usually hunt at night, and there you are at night, feeding on worldly filth, allowing it to penetrate your heart.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:22-23, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” Don’t fill your eyes with images of the world that can never be erased. Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Guard what goes through your eyes into your heart! These reality shows are making a mockery of marriage and God’s plan for our best. We have shows that tell us that God’s creation isn’t nearly good enough, so we will change it by having several plastic surgeries. It is so easy to be sucked in to these shows, and then to change our ideals and morals to fit with what we are watching. Every choice we make should bring God glory.

Listen now to the Spirit of God. Ask the Lord to help you seek Him, not the world. Please pray with me.

Father God, I give You all glory and honor and praise! I thank you for your Word to help me and I thank You for Your Spirit to guide me. I pray God that you would open the eyes of my heart. I pray that You would give me a Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that I may know You better. I pray, Lord, that You will help me seek You out, not the world. Help me God to store up my treasures in Heaven, not here on earth. I pray that I would have ears to hear You and a heart to follow You. Your Word says I am strong in the Lord. Give me a boldness, Lord and a confidence to be strong in You and for you. Help me to listen to the Holy Spirit and to make every choice with You in my heart. Remind me always to ask, "Does this bring God glory?” Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.