Trying!

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1-2 NIV)

Do ..... Or ....... Do Not, there is no try! This famous line from Star Wars Yoda is so very true for many areas of our lives. Once we turn our life to Christ we are done with sin. I know, I've said it, "I'm trying!" But we either do it or we don't. It is in our minds. Our thoughts control wether we live earthly lives or Godly lives. I have to admit my thoughts often get the best of me. The battle rages inside me. Rick Warren gave some great advice for controlling your thoughts. He said we need to:

1. Explore why I feel the way I do? - if I just look at why I'm angry, frustrated, or "hateful" it becomes easier to control those thoughts, keeping the good and discarding the bad.

2. Are my thoughts true? Deciding wether my thoughts are true or not can go along way to eliminating those that are not true. If my thoughts and feelings are legitimate, a plan can be developed to deal with them or discard them.

3. Are these thoughts helping or hurting me or someone else? This is key for me. Many of my thoughts end up coming out my mouth and that's not always a good thing. I need to think before I speak and trying to decide if my thoughts are helpful or hurtful is a good filter before they end up being heard by my family, friends, and coworkers.

When we starting battling earthly thoughts, human desires, we need to step back and analyze those thoughts. If those thoughts are not true, noble, kind, or uplifting, we need to change those thoughts.

I need to be closer to God in 2015. My thoughts are the key. Lord help me to think about my thoughts and how they further the kingdom of God. I need to do more than try. I need to DO. As I reflect, help me to destroy the earthly thoughts and expand on those pleasing to You!