Changing Your World

Deceiving ourselves trips us up on our spiritual walk. When we deceive ourselves, we’re blind to the assumptions we make and think we’re right when we’re actually wrong. Much of this is delivered through the pulpit; wrong doctrine deceives us so that we don’t see the truth of God’s love and grace. Letting the Holy Spirit guide us in how to live keeps us humble and protects us from pride, which is closely intertwined with self-deception.

God has great plans for our lives, but those plans are blocked when we deceive ourselves. Deceiving ourselves makes us spiritually blind to the truth of a situation; this is something God wants to deliver us from. Self-deception springs from the fall of man in the garden of Eden, and our sinful nature that resulted from it. What was true under the law may no longer be true under grace; we fool ourselves when we think we must live by an outdated covenant.

God has great plans for our lives, but those plans are blocked when we deceive ourselves. Deceiving ourselves makes us spiritually blind to the truth of a situation; this is something God wants to deliver us from. Self-deception springs from the fall of man in the garden of Eden, and our sinful nature that resulted from it. What was true under the law may no longer be true under grace; we fool ourselves when we think we must live by an outdated covenant.

God has great plans for our lives, but those plans are blocked when we deceive ourselves. Deceiving ourselves makes us spiritually blind to the truth of a situation; this is something God wants to deliver us from. Self-deception springs from the fall of man in the garden of Eden, and our sinful nature that resulted from it. What was true under the law may no longer be true under grace; we fool ourselves when we think we must live by an outdated covenant.

The most dangerous thing about self-deception is that when we’re operating in it, we don’t even know that we’re being deceived. Failing to be true to what we believe is right causes us to rationalize and make excuses. Deceiving ourselves causes a disturbance in us that we can’t reconcile, because deep down inside, we know exactly what we should do. Fooling ourselves in this manner results in spiritual blindness us to the truth.

The most dangerous thing about self-deception is that when we’re operating in it, we don’t even know that we’re being deceived. Failing to be true to what we believe is right causes us to rationalize and make excuses. Deceiving ourselves causes a disturbance in us that we can’t reconcile, because deep down inside, we know exactly what we should do. Fooling ourselves in this manner results in spiritual blindness us to the truth.

The most dangerous thing about self-deception is that when we’re operating in it, we don’t even know that we’re being deceived. Failing to be true to what we believe is right causes us to rationalize and make excuses. Deceiving ourselves causes a disturbance in us that we can’t reconcile, because deep down inside, we know exactly what we should do. Fooling ourselves in this manner results in spiritual blindness us to the truth.

Feeling like we’re inadequate causes us to focus solely on ourselves instead of on God, and brings us into self-effort to try to improve ourselves. We’re delivered from this emotion through our belief in Jesus Christ and our dependence on Him. The world has plenty of “solutions” for the negative emotions associated with condemnation, but trusting in and relying on Jesus is the only permanent one.

Feeling like we’re inadequate causes us to focus solely on ourselves instead of on God, and brings us into self-effort to try to improve ourselves. We’re delivered from this emotion through our belief in Jesus Christ and our dependence on Him. The world has plenty of “solutions” for the negative emotions associated with condemnation, but trusting in and relying on Jesus is the only permanent one.

Feeling like we’re inadequate causes us to focus solely on ourselves instead of on God, and brings us into self-effort to try to improve ourselves. We’re delivered from this emotion through our belief in Jesus Christ and our dependence on Him. The world has plenty of “solutions” for the negative emotions associated with condemnation, but trusting in and relying on Jesus is the only permanent one.

We all want to do the right thing. This is a normal part of being human; however, sometimes what others expect of us, and even what we expect of ourselves, can cause undue pressure and stress in our lives. If we’re not careful, we can get caught up in ceaseless religious striving and efforts to measure up to others’ expectations (which traps us in pride).

We all want to do the right thing. This is a normal part of being human; however, sometimes what others expect of us, and even what we expect of ourselves, can cause undue pressure and stress in our lives. If we’re not careful, we can get caught up in ceaseless religious striving and efforts to measure up to others’ expectations.

Change can be interpreted on more than one level; it can be seen as undergoing a transition, experiencing a transformation, or becoming something different. We can experience God’s best through the process of change, similar to how a caterpillar changes into a butterfly. Change isn’t always easy but, looking back over the process after we go through it, we realize how much better our lives are and how much stronger we are than before the process began.

Change is necessary for growth, and if we’ve been born again, our own lives should demonstrate transformation. Others should be able to look at us and notice some type of difference or alternate route taken as a result of our Christian walk. Yielding to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and beginning to think in line with Him begins changing our lives radically. Letting God direct and guide us as we change is similar to the metamorphosis a caterpillar undergoes in becoming a butterfly.

Change is necessary for growth, and if we’ve been born again, our own lives should demonstrate transformation. Others should be able to look at us and notice some type of difference or alternate route taken as a result of our Christian walk. Yielding to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and beginning to think in line with Him begins changing our lives radically. Letting God direct and guide us as we change is similar to the metamorphosis a caterpillar undergoes in becoming a butterfly.