Summary
The question is where does our motivation or power to change come from? Is it addressed through the will or through the nature of our thinking. In other words, is it about what we do or about what we think?
No one questions that our actions have a certain importance in our lives. If I start a fire in the middle of my bedroom, I will have to deal with the results. It will have an impact on my life. If I go surfing, I cannot, at the same time, go dancing or to a movie or out to dinner. My choices have an impact.
However, do those choices have the critical impact on my life. The answer is, no. I know there are those who suppose that the Holy Spirt empowers our choices. The Holy Spirit does have an impact on our choices but it is not through directly empowering them. It is through changing the nature of our thinking.
Our thinking ultimately defines who we are and what we do. I’m not talking about an occasional thought here or there. I’m talking about they way we see or think about our world. Is it a pessimistic outlook? Is it a worried frenzied rush as we seek to get things done? Is it worry or fear due to feeling vulnerable and alone? These are some of the ways we can experience life.
Alternatively, we can see ourselves as loved by God who has promised to guide and care for us, seeing all our circumstances in the context of how His love relates to us. We can see God working all things together for our good. We can see Him defining a new way to relate to the moral issues in our lives. If this is the nature of your thinking, then you will be optimistic and forward thinking. You will have energy to deal with the issues of each day. You will have love in your heart towards God that will spill over to those with whom you come in contact.
This sounds simple but it isn’t. It’s all well and good while things seem to be going well. However, when things go south, we wonder where God went. Rather than accepting the fact that He is working in those very circumstances to bless us, we lose it, spiritually speaking, and start stressing or feeling sorry for ourselves. We doubt God’s goodness or even His reality. Rather than fighting the fight of faith, holding on to the positive perspective God offers, we succumb to what our very limited perception of things seems to be. You can say this is just positive thinking. It would be more appropriately describes as Biblical thinking, or as John puts it, walking in the light.
While most Christians are out there trying to love one another, they totally fail to realize that their love must come from somewhere, not just their wills. It is supposed to be the result of the positive perspective that results from abiding in God’s love and care. If His love is in our hearts, will it not naturally overflow to those in our lives?
This is the basis for this website and my writing. Clarifying our picture of God’s love. Pointing out the importance of letting go of our needs and cares. Learning how to rest in God. As choices come, it involves experiencing them in the atmosphere of grace rather than the legalistic atmosphere of our fallen conscience. It involves learning that the doing part of our lives is not where real change comes from. It involves letting God change us as we focus on who He is to us, rather than becoming uptight and religious. This perspective will change your life. It must therefore often be the subject of our thoughts.
Copyright, Patrick Fagenstrom 5/2016 (edited 5/2017)
The question is where does our motivation or power to change come from? Is it addressed through the will or through the nature of our thinking. In other words, is it about what we do or about what we think?
No one questions that our actions have a certain importance in our lives. If I start a fire in the middle of my bedroom, I will have to deal with the results. It will have an impact on my life. If I go surfing, I cannot, at the same time, go dancing or to a movie or out to dinner. My choices have an impact.
However, do those choices have the critical impact on my life. The answer is, no. I know there are those who suppose that the Holy Spirt empowers our choices. The Holy Spirit does have an impact on our choices but it is not through directly empowering them. It is through changing the nature of our thinking.
Our thinking ultimately defines who we are and what we do. I’m not talking about an occasional thought here or there. I’m talking about they way we see or think about our world. Is it a pessimistic outlook? Is it a worried frenzied rush as we seek to get things done? Is it worry or fear due to feeling vulnerable and alone? These are some of the ways we can experience life.
Alternatively, we can see ourselves as loved by God who has promised to guide and care for us, seeing all our circumstances in the context of how His love relates to us. We can see God working all things together for our good. We can see Him defining a new way to relate to the moral issues in our lives. If this is the nature of your thinking, then you will be optimistic and forward thinking. You will have energy to deal with the issues of each day. You will have love in your heart towards God that will spill over to those with whom you come in contact.
This sounds simple but it isn’t. It’s all well and good while things seem to be going well. However, when things go south, we wonder where God went. Rather than accepting the fact that He is working in those very circumstances to bless us, we lose it, spiritually speaking, and start stressing or feeling sorry for ourselves. We doubt God’s goodness or even His reality. Rather than fighting the fight of faith, holding on to the positive perspective God offers, we succumb to what our very limited perception of things seems to be. You can say this is just positive thinking. It would be more appropriately describes as Biblical thinking, or as John puts it, walking in the light.
While most Christians are out there trying to love one another, they totally fail to realize that their love must come from somewhere, not just their wills. It is supposed to be the result of the positive perspective that results from abiding in God’s love and care. If His love is in our hearts, will it not naturally overflow to those in our lives?
This is the basis for this website and my writing. Clarifying our picture of God’s love. Pointing out the importance of letting go of our needs and cares. Learning how to rest in God. As choices come, it involves experiencing them in the atmosphere of grace rather than the legalistic atmosphere of our fallen conscience. It involves learning that the doing part of our lives is not where real change comes from. It involves letting God change us as we focus on who He is to us, rather than becoming uptight and religious. This perspective will change your life. It must therefore often be the subject of our thoughts.
Copyright, Patrick Fagenstrom 5/2016 (edited 5/2017)