A Spirit-Filled Life

Just got home from work and checked my personal email, which I can't access at school. This was in one of my emails:

"Dec 02, 2013

When God’s Spirit Is in Charge

Read | James 1:2-4

A Spirit-filled life does not mean one that is problem-free. Christians who are under the control of the Holy Spirit will still make mistakes, have difficulties, and fall into sin. But there are two definite characteristics that distinguish Spirit-filled followers of Christ from other Christians and from unbelievers.

First, they are not controlled by their circumstances, and second, they refocus quickly after having sinned.

When the Holy Spirit is in charge, our attitude will not be determined by what’s going on around us. In other words, life doesn’t have to be stress-free in order for us to know peace—our spiritual joy won’t diminish even if we should meet with disappointment.

Anyone can be loving, kind, and self-controlled in seasons of blessing. But what happens to our attitude in trying times? The real test of who we are occurs not when things are going our way but when misfortune shows up. If the Spirit is in charge, we will learn to do four things: to love when we want to hate; to practice kindness when we are accused; to respond gently when others are harsh; and to have self-control when temptation strikes hard.

None of us will do all of this perfectly because there is still “self” within us. But when we sin, we will respond quickly to the Spirit’s prompting. He won’t have to work hard to get our attention, because we are under His authority. We will recognize our wrong action, confess it, and refocus on God’s ways." -Charles Stanley 

Got that "wow" feeling when I read this because it goes right along with my thoughts from yesterday. Coincidence? =)

Why I'm Writing

I often find myself, as I'm sure many women do, with so many thoughts going round in my head that I can't sort them out and make sense of them. The only thing that helps is to "talk it out," whether that be through a conversation with a good friend, a texting conversation, or an online chat with someone. Sometimes, it just isn't possible or convenient to find a listening ear. Also, after a while, I begin to feel like I'm becoming a burden to people and that they might get tired of listening to me try to sort out my thoughts or feelings. I've found that even when I don't get a response, it still helps me stop the incessant flow of ideas, wonderings, memories, and worries, and helps to clear my mind for a while so I can better focus and think more rationally. If I don't "talk it out," then I feel as though my mind's windshield is all fogged up. The decisions I make during those times usually end up being regrettable, and I wonder, "What was I thinking!?!"

So...in an effort to help me keep my mind from being a chaotic mess, and to spare my friends and family from having to listen to all my ramblings, I've decided to try blogging. Of course there are some topics that I won't discuss here, and some topics and situations that I will need immediate feedback on, but hopefully this will give me a venue to express myself and sort through most of the thoughts going round in my head. I'm doing this for me. If others read and get something out of it, great. If they have advice, opinions, or other comments, I hope they respond. If no one reads it, that'll be just fine.

I thought for about 30 seconds on what to title the blog. Anyone that knows me well knows that's a record for me as far as making a decision...and not changing my mind...at least twice. =) "Looking up" is what my focus is for my life right now. First, I'm striving to look to God for his guidance in everything I do, and to follow his leading. It doesn't do me any good to know what He wants me to do and then not do it. I accepted Christ as my Savior when I was a child, and I've always known to pray and ask God to lead and guide me, but over the years, I began to rely on my own knowledge and the advice of others rather than earnestly seeking God's will. Notice I said earnestly. I'm not saying I never sought God's will, or that I didn't try to live in God's will. Now, I have a renewed desire to depend on God for help with every aspect of my life. If we let God guide us, He will deal with the consequences.

I fail daily. Sometimes I feel like I've "blown it" with God and that I'm unworthy to be His child, and satan says, "Just give up. You've made a fool of yourself. Why even try?" If we're not careful, satan can steal our joy and hinder our relationship with God. In times like this, our faith makes such a difference...will we wallow in discouragement and angst for a while, or will we immediately turn to Jesus, knowing forgiveness awaits? What a feeling when I confess and repent, and then God wraps his arms around me and says, "Welcome back!"