Choose to remember

I was just on the phone with a dear friend of mine the other night…I spoke for almost 40 minutes of our 45 minute conversation. Lots of exciting God stories to tell. What I realized through that conversation, is that remembering God’s blessings. God’s miracles. God’s provision. God’s goodness. God’s love. God’s grace and mercy…remembering those has to be intentional. But remembering hurt. Pain. Discomfort. Betrayal. Shame. Lies. Those things come naturally. Those haunt us at times when we thought we had conquered them.

Want to hear some good news? You can ‘train’ your brain otherwise. You can be stubborn…and choose to remember the supernatural. That is my mission lately. Because when I focus on the wrong thing…my days are awful. They are frustrating. They are long. They are filled with regret. And that is not how God intended for me to live life. He wants me to love life. To give thanks for what He has blessed me with. To share these miracles with those who I come in contact with.

What do you find yourself talking about most days? Blessings? Miracles? Reliving conversations you’ve had? Annoyances? Frustrations? If someone listened in on all of your conversations…would they see Jesus? Would they know you are a Christ follower without you proclaiming it? Would they see your true character? Would they experience love? Would they hear how hurt you are? Would they hear you lash out towards those you claim to love…even Christ?

Don’t worry. I have been there. I am there. I would be embarrassed to have someone listening in on some of my conversations. I did not represent Christ with each opportunity. Here lies the problem…we all know that there is a third party involved in all of our conversations. (Even the ones we have in our heads…in which we say what we are really thinking.) Christ lives in us. His Spirit is with us always. Each conversation. Each thought. Each look. Each action. Christ knows us more intimately than any other.

Again…I do not say these things to make you feel condemned. As I stated above…I am right here with you. I too, long to represent Christ with my days. With my words. With my gestures. With my gifts. With my finances. With my actions. I too, need to be reminded of my sinful, natural self. When I can recognize how the enemy is trying to use me….against me…I will learn how to fight him at his own game. And that…that makes me smile. I love to get a glimpse of his weakness. The power of Christ that works through me, must make the devil cringe. =)

You can do this as well. Choose to remember what God has done for you. And through you. Choose to see people through the eyes of Christ.  Choose to talk about the miracles that God has done. Choose to forgive, and forget the pain that came with betrayal. After all…isn’t that what Jesus did as He was dying on the cross. He forgave those who were closest to Him…that had betrayed Him. He forgave the men responsible for His death. And since sin is what put Him on that cross…you and I are on the list of those He forgave before we ever asked.

So, if forgiving and forgetting are things you are struggling with…remember Jesus. Follow the best example who ever walked this earth! And encourage those around you to do the same. That’s why I am here. =) I will pray for you. I will intercede for you. I will stand boldly before the throne of grace. I will unleash the power of Christ over your circumstance. Just let me know how I can help! Because loved one…you are stronger than you think! Don’t let satan tell you otherwise!