I have been thinking a lot about Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

God’s thoughts are so much better than mine! Since that is the case, why do I too often fail to allow His thoughts to dominate my life?

I want to replace my less important, ungodly and unedifying thoughts with ones that honor God, and reveal that I have spent time with Jesus.

This is a work of His Spirit in me, and as I experience the change in me, I am further assured of my relationship with Jesus.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot produce in myself Christ’s character. That is a comfort to me.  

God isn’t expecting me to figure this all out myself. 

God isn’t expecting me to change myself.

God is expecting me to cooperate with His Spirit.

God is expecting me to spend time alone with Him – in His Word, and in prayer.

As a very young follower of Jesus, I was doing a study in the book of 1 John. John speaks about God’s love throughout the book. I remember thinking, “I cannot love like God”. I felt condemned. But God kept moving me along, and I came to realize that in and of myself, I CAN’T love like God! God has to work in and through me to produce His love. I was so relieved when I understood this truth.

Often, our character development takes place through challenges in our lives:

Romans 5:3-5: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Consider the above verses. They tell us that we should REJOICE in our sufferings! That is not the worldly perspective on suffering, but God’s thoughts are not ours! When we view our sufferings His way, something good takes place. According to the above verses, endurance, then character development, then hope are the outcome, when we think God’s way.

Consider what happens when we only gripe and complain, throw a pity party, or some other tantrum, when suffering enters our lives. We can alienate people, because who likes to hear someone have a pity party. Lending a listening ear a few times might be all someone needs, but when the person doesn’t move forward, and keeps up without taking on God’s thoughts regarding their situation, it weighs on the relationship.

That is because God wants us to take all our concerns to HIM!  

I Peter 5:7 in the NIV states this truth: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” The Amplified version states that verse this way: “casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].”

God alone knows what is best for each of us. In fact, He tells us that He has personally designed the details of our lives, and since He is our Creator, the Lover of our souls, and the One who planned our reconciliation with Himself, we should believe Him, and put our trust in Him.  Consider the following verses:

Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Proverbs 16:9: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

What are ways I cooperate with God in my character development?

Philippians 4:8 gives us direction: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” This verse is calling upon me to make the decision to center my thoughts in a Godly manner. It takes dependence upon His Spirit, but because I am His, and call upon Him for help, He helps me to turn my thoughts where they should be.

Galatians 6:7-8 provides further assistance: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” If I speak kind and edifying words to others, especially those who are unkind to me, God will bring kindness to me. It is often not from the one I’m “sowing” to, but at some point, someone speaks edifying words to me. God’s thinking in how we should handle ourselves is so much greater than what we think.

It comes down to choices. Will I choose God’s way or my way? Will I allow God’s thoughts to dominate my life, or will I lean into my own understanding?

What do I want to choose? Do I want to honor God more than my fleshly desires? If so, God will grant me success. It’s not always immediate. It’s not always happening. But God gives me chances to confess and repent, and move ahead with Him. Acts 3:19: “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out”.

Please consider Paul’s words to the Ephesians in Ephesians 4:1-3: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Paul knew what it was to suffer. He did it with rejoicing. Since God enabled him to do it, and He is the same God today, He can enable you and me to successfully walk with Him, rejoicing in our suffering.

What do you want to choose? Will you choose to seek God first, and His righteousness, and allow Him to walk with you through your sufferings, or will you choose to seek worldly means in an attempt to handle matters in your own understanding?

Since God’s ways are superior to our ways, why not relinquish yourself into His loving arms, and experience His deliverance through your challenges?

If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, then you are going through life without His power and all of His benefits. Please consider turning to Him, and submitting your life to His control. If you truly do this, you will never regret it. One day you will regret not taking this step. But God is giving you this moment to take that step.

I would be glad to help you take that step. Please contact me at:  ButGodCares@gmail.com, if I can help you make this choice for Jesus.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!

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Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.