This Changed My Whole Life! Part 2

When I was born again there was something essential that I did not understand. After I had lived the "Christian" life in misery for more than 15 years, I discovered the following verses that changed my Whole life, seriously.

Romans 10:9-10
 if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 

You ask, "How did you get "born again" if you hadn't already known those verses?

I mentally knew those verses. I had openly declared Jesus is Lord, but I had NO comprehension what I was confessing really meant.

Then I found these verses:

Luke 6:46
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 

Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

I looked up the meaning of "Lord" to find out that it means: Lord, Master, Supreme Authority.

At that moment I realized that I had never ever truly made Him Lord, Master or Supreme Authority of my life. Not even one time. I was still the Ruler of my life. 

I believed He is the Son of God. I believed He died, shed His blood for the payment of my sins. I believed He rose again from the dead. I believed He was seated at the right hand of the Father. But, although I had said the words "Jesus is Lord". I had NEVER submitted to His Lordship.

I struggled with the words "Depart from Me, I never knew you, you doers of wickedness." I sobbed as I had realized my situation. I did not want Jesus to tell me "depart from me" because I had never made Him Lord, Master, and the Supreme Authority of my life, so as to do His will and not my own.

I repented and this time I knew what it meant to declare Jesus is Lord and this time I meant what I said when I confessed Him Lord of my Life. "Not my will, but Your will be done". Teach me. Help me.

The following verses only continued to impact my decision....

Revelations 3:15-16
“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

I certainly did not want to happen to me. My foolish complacency was definitely over. My heart had been pierced by God Himself.

James 2:19-20
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

James 1:22-25
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.

Luke 6:46-49
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he  is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

I was convinced by the Word of God, that my life had been miserable because I had not yielded myself to Jesus as Supreme Authority of my life. I had been a fool. I was not at all a doer of His instructions. I had continued in my own ways of thinking and doing and the resulting ruin of my life was obvious.

That day Jesus truly became the Lord, Master and Supreme Authority of my life. It is hard to express all that happened to me as a result of of that decision. It was truly a heart change that resulted in changes in my life in so many ways. I had a respect for God and His Word that I never had before. I truly started taking God at His Word, without trying to make excuses or justify my own wrong behavior. "Yes, Lord", was a far better approach. I became more and more sensitive to seeing, admitting and responding to the things that needed changing in my life as God, through His Word, revealed them to me. I desired to please God, it wasn't a set of rules that I was obligated to perform. It truly was because His way is a far better way and I really did want to please Him. I was tired of the struggles and the outcome of trying to be the controller of my life. Admittedly, I wanted the better results that obeying God offered.  I chose to humble myself and I truly was repentant. I desired to study God's Word, I wanted to learn and do things His way, I wanted Him to tell me "Well done, Good and faithful servant..." .....the results were well worth it all.

The biggest issue was that I had no idea how I would ever be able to implement the changes I saw necessary to obey Him, but my desire to please Him and my aversion to going back to a miserable life have been so great that I have received His correction, often in tears, and cried out to God for the help to change.

Honestly, His Grace has been sufficient for me, is not just a fine saying. The power He extends to me to do His will has made the work of changing mostly in the decision to submit and obey. The actual changing has been far easier than I thought it would be.  

Denying myself and choosing to obey has, at times, been a challenge. I really do not want the fruit of my own ways again. When I am in a rebellious curve of "what about Me?" It is far better to yield to my Master and say, "not my will, but thine be done, O Lord!" At times I have gone back to foolishness and yielded to thinking my way is ok. I quickly find out that it still remains totally undesirable. It doesn't take me long to repent and do things God's ways again! He is faithful to forgive me and cleanse me from my wrong ways.

Life is good as long as I continue submitting to Him as the authority of my life. This has been the pathway to the happy, peaceful, prosperous in every way, life that I now enjoy. It's so much better not being the boss of my life. God is All-Wise and I am not interested in being a fool any longer!

This is not to say that difficulties and challenges haven't come my way. Still, in and through those times, doing things God's way remains the preferable way to handle life and it's issues. It has taken some serious talking to myself at times, like when I have been hurt and don't want to forgive. I always have choices to make. The choices I make determines the trajectory of my life. Choosing God's Way keeps me on the desirable path. God is always my ready help. He never has left me alone and He never has left me without His help. This is not an issue of the power of my own will. It is a matter of recognizing who God is and my proper attitude and position before Him. He is the Supreme Authority of my life, Not me! I really DO like it that way!

What about you? Is Jesus truly your Lord, Master and the Supreme Authority of your life. I encourage you to humble yourself and embrace His ways. It is the wise way to go. He will be your help, too.

Proverbs 3:7-8
Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.

This Changed my Whole Life!

I didn't understand! I had been a Christian for 15 years. Why was my life worse after 15 years than it was when I got born again? "God, Where are You???? God, Fix This!!!! God, change Him!!!" That is what I was constantly praying, yet things continued to get worse in nearly every aspect of my life.

Why?

Why wasn't God doing anything about my problems?

Finally, I changed my question saying, "God, What am I not understanding? Help me to know what to do!!!! Help me! I don't want to live like this anymore!"

It was then that things began to change. The blame game was over.... no more "Fix Him!" Pass the bucket was over, too.....no more, "God, You fix it!" It was down to Me. What is my problem, anyway? What do I need to do differently?

I finally humbled myself. I finally was willing to change, and to be changed. I was willing to be taught and to learn and to do things differently.  Reading the Bible became a necessity to me. It was no longer a religious duty where I would read then walk away not even knowing what I had even read, remaining unchanged. I was desperate to find help. Now God's Word became alive to me. I don't know how to explain it well. I wanted to learn, I was searching to understand. I was willing to receive instruction. I was fed up with life as I knew it. I was willing to change MY ways, finally! Things simply had to change! As I read God's Word, things began to make sense to me and certain words and statements captured my attention and impacted me from deep within. It was not just in my head, it was in my inner self.

I recognized that it was Me that needed to change, not everyone else or things, but me!

But How? What?

There are several major things that I learned that have changed my life radically. If you learn these and respond accordingly, you will be changed too.

Today I will share one thing I learned. In upcoming days I will share more.

#1 - I recognized I was a Fool

Proverbs 12:15
Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

Proverbs 1:7
Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise (disrespect) wisdom and discipline.

Isaiah 5:21
Woe to the wise in their own eyes, And -- before their own faces -- intelligent!

Proverbs 3:7
Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the LORD and refuse to do wrong.

I thought I knew what needed to be done to fix things. I thought I knew Who needed to change and WHAT They needed to do. I was right....in my own eyes, but a Fool never thinks HE is the Fool.

Proverbs 18:7
The first to speak in court sounds right— until the cross-examination begins.

I began to be cross-examined by God's Word and the Holy Spirit, only to find out that my wisdom was nothing more than that of a fool.

I had not respected the wisdom or the  discipline of God. I had not obeyed God and I had not turned away from my own way of doing things. Truly, I had been a Fool.

Proverbs 26:12
There is more hope for fools than for people who think they are wise.

Could it be possible that I was worse off than a fool?

It was hard to believe that I, myself, was the fool. But my attitude, my behavior and my thoughts and words revealed my true condition. The comment that I heard a lady say once clearly reveals a fool's perspective. She said "I don't really need to take time to spend with God. I am doing pretty well on my own." Being wise in her own eyes, she did not realize how needy she actually was. She was a Christian, by the way.

We do not know what we do not know. That is not a riddle. We simply do not know what we do not know. By ourselves we are in an echo chamber, recycling our own way of thinking and processing things. Until we hear another perspective, our thoughts only rotate around what we already know, whether it is right or wrong. It is necessary that we learn from another. It is necessary that we learn from those who are wise. God Himself is the All-Wise God. Who better to learn from? We must follow the instructions given in Proverbs 1:5 - Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

Proverbs 14:14
The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

Proverbs 1:29-33
For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. They rejected my advice
and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”

I was a Christian, but I was still doing things my own way. I was A Fool. I was simply experiencing the results of my own ways. I was complacent and I was being destroyed. It was the fruit of living my own way.

Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Doing things my own way was the way of a Fool. I was full of pride. I thought that I knew best. I had not humbled myself to either learn from God or do things God's way. I was only reaping the consequences of my choices.

So, the first lesson I learned that changed my life was to realize I was a fool. My problems were the result of doing things my way. I had not taken the time, effort or interest to really want to know God's advice on how to live my life. I was complacent and I was being destroyed by doing things my own way. I had assumed that now that I was a Christian, everything was up to God to fix. How wrong I was!!!! More about this issue to come in future posts....

Please take what I have learned seriously. Learn from the truths from God's Word. Give attention to God's ways. Refuse to be a fool. Refuse complacency. Destruction is a downward spiral so sadly brought upon us by the choices we make. Choose to learn God's ways. Stop thinking YOU know the way to go, humble yourself and learn and follow what God says about the wise way to go. If you don't like the fruit in your life, stop being a fool. Grow in true wisdom and knowledge instead. God's ways are the right ways.

Be Quiet!!!

I used to think I could say whatever I wanted to, to whomever I chose with no restraint, with no self control or consideration for another.

When I was angry or frustrated, I could tell someone off with skill! Unfortunately,  I had learned effectively from example and by practice. But just because I wanted to say whatever negative, hurtful thing that came to my mind, just because I felt justified to say whatever I wanted and because I was quite capable to do so, didn't mean that it was smart to do so.

There were some hard lessons I went through in the process of learning to deal wisely with my tongue.

Proverbs 10:8
The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.

Proverbs 10:13
Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling fool invites disaster.

It is not so sweet when you find out you are a babbling fool. How many times do we need to fall flat on our faces or experience disaster before we find out that gaining instruction and treasuring up that knowledge to become wise is far better than the results of being a babbling fool, saying whatever I want, whenever I want, to whomever I want because I can?

Proverbs 10:17
People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life. Those who ignore correction will go astray.

Discipline is not easy, but if you want to experience the life Jesus came to give us, you'd better start learning that God's way is the Right Way to go and humble yourself to receive correction and discipline to learn to live His way.

Proverbs 10:19
Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.

Keep my mouth SHUT!!!! Say what? I never had considered that way of handling things. That was a new thought to me. Too much talk = sin??? Really? Stop and think about that for awhile!

Proverbs 11:11-12
Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart. It is foolish to belittle ones neighbor, a sensible person keeps quiet.

Proverbs 11:25
The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Proverbs 13:3
Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.

No wonder things weren't going very well for me, I was inviting my own destruction by not controlling what I said. I tore down my own neighbor instead of refreshing them. I was a fool with my own tongue. I had no one to blame but myself.

Proverbs 17:27-28
A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even tempered. Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouth shut they seem intelligent.

That scripture cured me! I had enough of being a fool and didn't want to be that way any longer.

Proverbs 18:21
The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

Are you liking the consequences of what you are saying, if not consider holding your tongue. 

Ponder these additional scriptures and respond according to the wise way!

Proverbs 10:19 ESV

When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Matthew 12:36-37

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Proverbs 21:23

Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Proverbs 17:27

Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

Colossians 3:8

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

Proverbs 15:4 

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

James 1:26

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

There are many more scriptures that talk about this subject. If those haven't convinced you to guard your mouth, then you need to ponder these scriptures longer and remember that God's Word is true, He cannot lie. If you do not like the way your life is going, perhaps you should do a review on the words you are speaking and be quiet until you can use your words wisely.

If you see that the words you have been speaking are not pleasing to God and you do not want to be a fool with your words any longer. Ask God to forgive you. Repent (turn your behavior around so as to do differently) and ask God to help you do what is wise with the words of your mouth. You will be surprised how His grace (His power extended to you to help you) comes in with what you need to change, if you are serious about doing it God's way.

Cheer up Buttercup - Part 2

In case you were not convinced yesterday that obedience to God's ways is a key to true happiness, here is some more truth to persuade you.

Luke 11:28
Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

Psalm 128:1-2
Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord whowalks in his ways!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

Deuteronomy 5:33
Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

Joshua 1:8

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Cheer up Buttercup!

I used to think I would be Happy....if he would do this, if he wouldn't do that! I used to think I would be happy if I got married. I used to think I would be happy if I had a child. I used to think I would be happy if I had more money, if we could go on vacation, if we could get a new car, if we had a bigger house, if I have a smaller house. I used to think I would be happy ...... but in all those things I never found happiness.

I have heard those type of comments made by other people, too. I have learned that if we are not happy from within first, that nothing from without will make us truly happy either.

Now I am happy if he does or if he does not. I am happy I am married. I am happy with my son. I am happy with grandkids, too. That is truly Blessed! I am happy on vacation. I am happy when I am not. I am happy in my car, or in a smelly pickup truck!😖 I am happy in a big house, I am happy in a small house. I am happy with what I have got and happy inspite of what is not. I am happy here or there. I am happy anywhere. Ok.....not funny Dr Suess!

Seriously, though really, I have actually been rather surprised at myself that I have been happy, even joyful for no particular reason even in the midst of the craziness of the world around me and all of the issues. I am Happy.
 
How? WHY?

I found these scriptures this morning that answered those questions. These are not just words.  What David says is truly the reason for my happiness. I am free from the trying to be happy and wishing that I was happy to truly being happy and here is the reason why...

Psalm 119:1-3
Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD.
Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His ways.

Psalm 119:35
Direct me in the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.

Psalm 112:1
Praise the LORD! How joyful are those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying his commands.

That is it! Obey God and you will find happiness from within regardless what is without. Seriously, God's Word is True!

I can screw this up!

You are facing something that is out of your comfort zone, but you are sure you must proceed. You don't know the outcome. It could be good and it could be bad, but you know you can't draw back in fear, so you move forward.

Have you ever said, "I know what I am capable of, I can screw this up!"

God says, "Yes, but do you know what I am capable of?

Philippians 2:13
For it is God who is producing in you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases him.

2 Thessalonians  1:11
So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.

Ephesians 3:20
Now to Him who is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

So, it's not about me screwing this up....it's about look what the Lord will enable those who are willing to do by His abounding grace and power.

Hebrews 3:20-21
Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

Look what the Lord will do!

Moving Forward?

What happens when you are quite confident that God is directing you into something new....a new job, a new relationship, a new business, a new ministry, a new direction or addition to what you already are doing and you think that this is the right path to take, however, every thought in your head is causing you a dilemma.

Words like: "Who do you think you are? You are not trained for this! People will think you're arrogant, they already think you are, you know!!!! You are not educated formally to do this!!! You Can't do this! You will Fail! You've Never done this before! You will be rejected! Nobody will come! They will kick you out! Who wants to listen to you, anyway?!!! You are crazy to even think you have heard from God about this!

These thoughts create in me fear of failure, fear of rejection and fear of man.

How do you deal with all of that? What will you do now?

1. Evaluate.
Evaluate what you are thinking of doing. Ask yourself reasonable, non-condemning questions like: Is this sinful or selfish? Would this be pleasing to God? Standing before God, can I be confident if I do this or would I hang my head in repentance? Do I desire this or do I feel pressured against my will?

2. Count the costs.
Ask questions like: What will it mean for me to do this? Am I willing to be committed to this endeavor? If I were to fail, would I see that my efforts were honest, at the very least? If I don't do this, will I regret that I hadn't pursued it, always wondering 'what if'? What are the potential positive impacts on other people if I pursue? What are the potential negative impacts on other people if I do not pursue this? What are the costs to me.....time, energy, financially, stress, family commitments...? Does this whole idea even sound like something God would ask me to do? Does this follow His Nature, His Character, His Word, His Love????

If after pondering all of this, you're fairly certain that moving forward is still the thing to do, your desire to press forward won't leave you alone and you see that it is good for your benefit, for the benefit of others and pleasing to God, but all the negative, condemning thoughts still plague you....

What do you do now?

3. What does God say???
You must find out what God says about this situation? You ask God what He has to say....if truly God is leading you to move forward you will find His encouragement and confirmation in His Word. His Word will motivate you, convince you more and inspire you.

If you are being led astray, God will make that clear to you, as well. If you have a humble heart you will yield to God's counsel even if it opposes your ideas and desire. If you are determined to do things your own way, apart from the counsel of God, in spite of what God says, you may be on a path to learn things the hard way, like the prodigal son.

Let's assume this is a positive situation. You are really confident that what is in your heart and mind to do really is God directing you, but the thoughts plague you and you know that if you do this, it would definitely push you out of your comfort zone.

4. Judge.
Judge the plaguing thoughts...in this case the thoughts are condemning, critical, negative, defeating and even harsh. Does that sound like "Love"? Would a Loving God talk to me in such a way? Even if I were on a pathway that God opposed, would He talk to me like that? No! No one who really loves me would use those words to help me on the right path!

5. Identify.
I identify those negative thought to be those of the enemy in effort to cause me to back off due to fear and derail me from the direction I believe I am to go. He must be afraid that if I follow through, it would not be in his best interest. He wants to steal from me, kill what God wants to do in me and through me and destroy what God wants to do in my life that has the potential of making a difference in the lives of people for God's purposes.

6. God's Perspective.
Next - the biggest of all issues....what does God's Word have to say about me moving forward in this?

1 Thessalonians 5:24
The One calling you is faithful, who also will do it.

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.

Hebrews 13:6, 7
So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” Remember your leaders, those who have spoken God's word to you. Think about the impact of their lives, and imitate their faith.

Hebrews 13:20-21
Now may the God of peace—
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep,
and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

Philippians 1:6
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:13
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Roman's 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 

Acts 4:13
Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained (common) men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

Shall I continue?

7. Deal with the Fear.
How do you handle the fear? What did Jesus tell Jairus when his people came out and said your daughter is dead...? Jesus told Jairus, "Do not be afraid, Only Believe."

What did God tell Joshua on the brink of a new responsibility that he had never encountered before?

Joshua 1:8-9
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Hebrews 10:38
but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

Proverbs 29:25
It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the LORD, you are safe.

Those verses show me that I Can Choose not to be afraid. Jesus tells me that I need to deal with fear. He says simply "Do Not Fear! Ha! you say! Easy to say, not so easy to do! 

Dealing with fear requires choosing what I  think about and what I say. I can choose to do as the Isralites did in the Wilderness and focus on what I don't like and complain about everything that was wrong, uncomfortable, fear producing and visually impossible and I will not progress to fulfill God's plan for me...........

Or.........

I can agree with God, think and speak words of confidence in what God says and in Who He is and stay on God's side, in spite of the circumstances and negatives from other voices like Joshua and Caleb did. If I respond in that manner, fear will not have any say in my life, because I choose to think God's way and give no room to fear or the enemy. I will be spiritually minded (thinking in accordance with God), which is life, not carnally minded, (thinking in accordance with what is naturally perceived by senses, emotions and circumstances), which is death. It is in trusting God and being willing to move forward that I stay on the path of fulfilling God's plans for me.

So, instead of thinking thoughts that promote fear of man, fear of rejection and fear failure, all of which are inspired by the enemy and focused on the natural, carnally minded way of perceiving things, I choose to respond from God's point of view.

Let's continue...

What else does God tell me? I am NOT apart from God. I am NOT without God in this world. He is with me. He is for me and NOT against me! In fact, if God is for me, WHO can be against me???? Who dares to defy God!  God actually dwells in me! The Spirit of God, himself, dwells in me and quickens my mortal body. He empowers me. He strengthens me. I live and move and have my being in Him. He is my Protector! He, God Himself, is a shield around me - imagine that!!!!. He never leaves me and He will never forsake me. He will not let me fail. He makes me More than a Conqueror! He goes before me to prepare the way. He walks with me! He guides me in the best path to take and He goes behind me as my rear guard!!! He will open doors and shut doors as needed to keep me going in the right direction. He gives me favor with man, but if man does reject me I should not be surprised, for they actually rejected Jesus! If I go somewhere that they do not receive me, I am instructed to Shake the Dust off my feet and go to a different town! Just move on!!!

Isaiah 41:13
"For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.'

Well, if you are not convinced by now.....at least I certainly am.