Breaking Yokes - Part VI.
Continuing on with our Study on breaking the yokes of negative thinking that we have been bound up in for years. It is so past time to let these things stop eating away at us. Amen?!
31. I feel guilty
Today, we're fasting from the thought that says: "I feel guilty."
Ever thought that or felt that way? Honestly; I use to be so eat up in guilt that I didn't need anyone else to beat me up- I did a good enough job on my own. But I don't beat myself up anymore and I don't allow anyone else to either. And neither should you!
Or how about its cousin thoughts: "You don't do enough. You're not good enough. You don't say the right things. You don't take care of yourself. You don't measure up. You don't do as much for others as you should. You aren't a very good Christian. You aren't a good enough mother, wife, husband, sister, brother, son, daughter etc. etc." Blast if the list isn't endless when it comes to us feeling like we aren't absolutely Perfect people- something we can NEVER BE but that doesn't stop us from feeling like a complete and total failure because we aren't. Ohhh the guilt. Yes, Guilt.
All this line of thinking produces is guilt, which leads to self-hatred, anger toward others, bad decisions, harsh words, procrastination and fear.
So often, we feel guilt because we THINK we don't do enough for God and for others. We're not good and holy enough.
This thinking has enslaved people for centuries.
Nothing seems to rob us of our true purpose more than thoughts and feelings of guilt.
God doesn't motivate by guilt. That's manipulation. God motivates by love. Romans 2:4 says "It's the love and kindness of God that leads us to change."
Often people put a guilt trip on us, to get us to do something or to give in to them. God isn't like that, and He wants you free.
Let's fast from guilt:
1. Jesus declares you: NOT GUILTY. This doesn't mean that you've never done wrong. This means, that He washes your wrong with His blood.
2. See what God sees. Accept Colossians 1:22 which says through His blood "He presents you holy and faultless and unblameable in the Father's eyes."
3. Meditate on Job 10:7 which says "According to your knowledge, I AM INDEED NOT GUILTY..."
4. When you blow it, don't deny it. Admit it; confess it. 1 John 1:9 says "If you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive you and to CLEANSE YOU FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS."
5. It's already done! Believe that it is already done! Hebrews 1:3 says "He cleansed us from our sin."
6. Stop thinking that you have to FEEL GUILTY to be forgiven. Sometimes we think we owe it to people to feel guilty and feel bad for everything. Stop thinking that. You don't owe anyone. Don't think guilt somehow pays for something. The blood of Jesus paid it all. It's an insult to His blood, when we feel like we owe God guilt or we owe it to others to wallow in guilt.
7. Stop beating yourself up about what you haven't done. How? Live in the "now". Living in the now, stops your mind from bombarding you about the past and future. Enjoy that moment in the now. When you're praying, the devil says "you should be cleaning." When you're cleaning, the devil says, "you should be reading your Bible." Shut that garbage up. Live in the now. Hebrews 11:1 says "NOW FAITH IS the substance of things hoped for." And 2 Corinthians 6:2 says "NOW IS THE TIME OF SALVATION."
8. Rest in the fact that you don't have to be perfect. God is not holding you to a perfect standard. Jesus is your perfection. JUST REST!
THINK IT & SAY IT:
Jesus has declared me: NOT GUILTY. Even when I feel I don't do enough, or that I'm not good enough, God says FAITH IN HIM IS ENOUGH.
I don't have to feel guilt to be forgiven and I am not going to feel guilty when I blow it. I will receive God's forgiveness, since He already cleansed from my sin. I will admit it, receive His mercy and move on.
I stop TODAY, beating myself up about all that I haven't done, or have done. I choose to live in the now. I will enjoy the moment that I'm in and praise God in the midst of it.
I rest in the fact that He is my perfection. I don't have to be perfect. He already is, and I put my faith in Him.
32. I'm Not Worthy. I Don't Deserve To Be Blessed
(After All I've Done Wrong).
The battles of life are won or lost between our ears. It's in our heads.
Satan understands that the root to everything in our lives is what we think about. That's why he fights so much to fill your mind with wrong thinking. But we have declared war on wrong thinking!
Today, we're fasting from the thought that says:
"I'm not worthy. I don't deserve to be blessed (after all I've done wrong)."
I can't be the only who has had this thought. The below steps take us deeper in our freedom from guilt.
1. Stop focusing on your "wrongs," and focus on His "rights."
We've all done enough wrong in life, to send us straight to hell. But God doesn't judge us based on our right or wrong. He judges us based on what Jesus did right. We just need to believe it.
2. He doesn't bless us because we deserve it.
He blesses us because He promised He would. This will free you when you know that God is a God of promise. Genesis 17:1 says, "I will bless you and multiply you and make you exceedingly fruitful."
3. Blessing flows when you believe you are forgiven.
Romans 4:7 says, "Blessed are they whose sins are forgiven." This is amazing! Putting your faith in God's forgiveness is the gateway to blessing in your life. That's why Jesus said to the paralytic man, whose friends lowered him through the roof, "Son, your sins are forgiven." THEN He said, "Take up your pallet and walk." You see, the blessing of healing was the RESULT of BELIEVING HIS SINS WERE FORGIVEN. (Mark 2)
4. Jesus IS WORTHY of God's blessing, and you are IN HIM.
Galatians 3:29 says, "If we belong to Christ, we are Abraham's seed and heirs according to promise." Galations 3:9 says, "Those who are of faith are blessed..."
5. Stop condemning yourself.
STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE. Romans 14:22 says, "Blessed (happy) is the man who does not condemn himself."
6. He took the curse so you could take the blessing!
He deserves to see you blessed, because of what He went through to take your curse! "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us... on the cross...that the blessing of Abraham might come on us through Jesus Christ." (Galatians 3:13)
THINK IT & SAY IT:
I take my eyes off all that I have done wrong, and put my eyes on all that He has done right for me.
He blesses me because He promised that He would, therefore I expect to be blessed coming in and blessed coming out.
I choose to believe I am forgiven, and therefore BLESSING FLOWS. I belong to Christ, therefore I am blessed with Abraham. Genesis 24:1 says, Abraham was blessed IN ALL THINGS - therefore that's what I expect.
33. It's Not Going To Happen For Me.
Today we are fasting from the thought that says: "It's not going to happen for me." Ever heard that or thought that?
Or thoughts like: "I'm not going to get the job. I'm not going to find the right guy or girl. My situation is not going to turn around."
Let's begin thinking that it is going to happen for us. Ready?
1. Expect something good to happen to you today.
The Lord has done great things for us! (Psalm 118:24 & Psalm 126:3)
2. Know that God has a good plan for you today!
Jeremiah 29:11 says, "I know the plans I have for you, plans for good, to give you a future and a hope." (Notice those 2 words: "I know." This means that God is certain about it. It's definitely going to happen. Take it to the bank! It's coming!)
3. Expect doors to open.
Psalm 5:12 says, "Favor surrounds the righteous like a shield." Favor means: God opens doors that no one can close. Expect doors to open today.
4. Believe in God's fairness.
Life's not always fair, but God is! Romans 12:19-21 says He will right every wrong. Remember, it happened for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; therefore, it will happen for you. The Bible says, "God is no respecter of persons." (Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11) That doesn't mean He doesn't respect you. It means that He won't show partiality - blessing one person and not another. But you have to believe it and expect it. What He did for Abraham, He has promised He would do for you. Galatians 3:29 says, "For if you belong to Christ, you are Abraham's seed, and heirs of the promise!"
5. Think "solution thoughts".
No matter what the problem is, no matter what hasn't seemed to happen for you yet, expect a solution. Expect an answer. James 1:6 says, "If any man lacks wisdom, ask of God...who gives to ALL men generously." Notice, He gives to all men, not some. You're one of those who He does give it to. You're not just in line. You're in the front of the line!
6. Think about some good that has happened in your life.
This shows the past faithfulness of God. Since He never changes - expect His faithfulness AGAIN today! (Psalm 23:6)
THINK IT & SAY IT:
Something good is going to happen for me today. Things are going to work out. God has a good plan for my life today. He is certain that it is good, therefore I'm certain as well.
I expect favor today. Favor surrounds me like a shield. Doors are going to open for me that no one can close.
God is going to right every wrong, and show the same help to me as He did for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He gives me wisdom and holds nothing back. I am in the front of the line.
I remember the good that God has already done, and therefore I expect Him to do it again. Good and right things are going to happen in my life today - goodness and mercy shall FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE!
34. Things Aren't Getting Better. They're Getting Worse!
Today we're fasting from the thought that says, "Things aren't getting better. They're getting worse!"
Gang, thinking this way is NOT AN OPTION.
This thinking keeps us bound to the past, or moving backwards. The media espouses negativity. The spirit of darkness is behind all these thoughts. The devil promotes doom and gloom, to get people depressed, on drugs, fearful and timid, distracted from the worship of God and the work of the gospel.
The world is full of bad news - the economy is getting worse, society is getting worse, etc.
But we reject this thought TODAY!
1. The path of the righteous ... gets brighter and brighter until the full day.(Proverbs 4:18)
2. "Evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:13) But the opposite is true about you! Goodness follows you, therefore, you go from good to better!
3. Don't think "glass half full or glass half empty." Think: My cup runs over! (Psalm 23:4)
4. Your life is going to end up better than it started!
Eccl. 7:8 says, "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning."
Haggai 2:9 says, "The latter days of this house shall be greater than the former."
5. Believe that God has saved the best for last.
John 2:10 says, "...But you have saved the best for last!"
6. God only has the best in mind for you.
In Luke 15:22 the father said, "bring the best robe, and put it on my son..."
Follow the pattern of how God does things-
He takes us from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant; from the blood of animals to the blood of Jesus; from law to grace; from sin to righteousness; from sickness to health; from adversity to prosperity; from defeat to victory; from unclean to clean; from empty to filled.
Everything in God's kingdom gets better and better.
The kingdom of God is in you (Luke 17:21) therefore, expect things to get better and better in every area of your life.
THINK IT & SAY IT:
No matter what is happening in this world, things are getting better and better for me! God has made me righteous through His blood; therefore, my path is getting brighter and brighter every day.
My inner man is being renewed, day by day. Evil people may go from bad to worse, but the goodness of God follows me, so I go from good to better, every day.
I can celebrate in the presence of my enemies, because my cup runs over, and never runs out! God has saved the best for last in my life, and my latter days will be better than my former days, in Jesus' Name.
35. I Just Can't Stop Blowing It. I Always Seem To Mess It Up.
As we celebrate another awesome day in Christ Jesus, I want us to particularly fast from thoughts that take for granted what Jesus did for us. We need to appreciate the power of His blood, and the power of His sacrifice.
Today we're fasting from the thought that says, "I just can't stop blowing it. I always seem to mess it up."
Jesus did more than just forgive us from our sins when He died on the cross and rose again. He gave us power over sin! No more should we see ourselves victims of a defeated, beaten life. We are the head and not the tail; above only and not beneath!
1. Rejoice in the grace of God.
Romans 6:14 says, "For sin shall not have dominion over you. For you are not under the law, but under grace." Titus 2:11-12 says the grace of God enables us to say "NO" to ungodliness.
2. Stop beating yourself up.
Romans 14:22 says, "Happy is he who does not condemn himself..." Remember, God doesn't beat you up, He builds you up. 1 Corinthians 8:1 says, "Love builds up!"
3. Remember the woman caught in adultery.
In John 8:1-11 Jesus said to her, "I don't condemn you. Now go and sin no more." Notice, first there was acceptance and forgiveness. Then there was POWER over sin. The power over sin was the RESULT of recognizing her freedom from it. Sometimes we feel we have to repent of everything before we can be forgiven. Jesus forgives first, and that gives us the power to be free.
4. Believe in the power of the blood.
Paul said not to drink the communion cup in an unworthy manner. We need to renew our mind about what makes us worthy. It's not our holiness that makes us worthy to drink the cup. It's the "cup"; it's the blood of Jesus that has the WORTHINESS to cleanse us and empower us to overcome anything. (1 Corinthians 11)
5. Think about the 3 gifts God gives in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given you the spirit of fear, but POWER, LOVE AND DISCIPLINE." You have the power of discipline and self-control. Stop thinking you are out of control and realize you have been given the power of self-control.
THINK IT & SAY IT:
I am not a slave to sin. I have dominion over it. It doesn't have dominion over me because I am not under the law, I'm under grace.
I expect the free gift of God's grace to enable me to say NO to ungodliness. I am free because I am forgiven. God is love and love builds me up today!
I put my faith in the blood of Jesus to forgive me if I have fallen; but also to empower me to be free from the things that I'm struggling with.
I have the power of self-control. I am no longer out of control. I have been given power, love and a sound mind. I am free from fear and free from sin.