I think one of our greatest callings as believers and followers of Jesus Christ is to focus on His plans over ours. I believe in order to truly accomplish this, it is necessary for us to constantly turn over our negative feelings and emotions for God to take care of instead of holding on to them ourselves. To me this is an essential step in maturing in faith in observance of Philippians 3:12-15. (See V*1). This set of verses implies that we are all works in progress and not fully mature in our faithwhen it says: "Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it." in other words we are to essentially pursue God's heavenly call until we reach our goal. Also, we shouldn't expect every single Christian to have this mindset, but only those who are mature in faith. How are we to maintain our relationships with others, let alone our relationship with Jesus, if we hold on to feelings of condemnation, anger, guilt, bitterness, self-pity, anxiety, stress, depression, or fear in our heart, mind, and spirit? I sincerely believe that these sorts of emotions and mindsets not only hinder our relationship with others, but also detract from our relationship with Jesus Christ.
On a day-to-day basis I ask God to remove all the negative emotions and mindsets that sneak into my life during my prayers. I also ask Him to help me to forgive those that have wronged me, and likewise for those that I have wronged to hopefully forgive me if it is part of God's plan. Although I do seek to be at peace with everyone and I sometimes ask for God to lead those that I have wronged to forgive me, I do not dwell on the situation any further. I forgive myself of wrong doing, ask God to remove me of my guilt in His timing, occasionally pray the individual forgives me, and move onward. We certainly should strive to be on good terms with everyone whenever possible, but it is a simple fact of life that not everyone will agree with you or even like you. In fact the Bible is clear that we may sometimes be persecuted to some degree because of our faith. (See V*2). We are not of the world, we are God's children, and we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds to discern what God's will is. (See V*3).
If we do not turn over all of our worries to God and trust Him to take care of us we certainly wouldn't be able to live out God's plan for our lives. (See V*4). This verse in Philippians 4:7 also tells us that when we do these things He will bless us with His Peace, which guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. I can honestly tell you that when I seek God's will over my own, I truly feel a sense of indescribable peace and fulfillment that I am sure other believers and followers of Jesus Christ can relate to.
A lot of us, including myself at times, tend to look at the small picture instead of the big picture of life. We sometimes hold grudges against individuals that have wronged us in any way, instead of forgiving them so that we can move on. Many of us fall victim to spending hours, days, or even weeks contemplating and replaying the same negative thoughts and situations over and over again in different ways in our minds. This is not at all what God wants us to do. On the contrary, we are supposed to dwell on positive things such as: peace, justice, and moral purity. (See V*5). Anything that is excellent and praiseworthy we are to dwell on such things.
God has great plans for you, to prosper you and not to harm you. (See V*6). Remember to hold your head up as one of God's faithful servants, and use your gifts and talents to honor, glorify, and acknowledge Him in all your ways. He will keep your path straight and take you to new heights!
- Victor Nunez
Biblical References:
V*1- "Not that I have already reached [the goal] or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this to you also." Philippians 3:12-15 (HCSB)
V*2- "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs." Matthew 5:10 (HCSB)
V*3- "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 (HCSB)
V*4- "Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (HCSB)
V*5- "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable- if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise- dwell on these things. 9 Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 (HCSB)
V*6- "For I know the plans I have for you- [this is] the Lord's declaration- plans for [your] welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (HCSB)