NEW DAY, NEW YOU

Willpower: The Fair-weather Friend

Willpower sure sounds like a great thing. We are led to believe that we have enough of it to fight off every temptation that comes our way. And sometimes it works. But let me tell you a little secret about willpower. Willpower is your best friend when things go well, but it’s the first friend to check out when you get weary. I have found that if I really don’t want to do something, my mind gives me plenty of reasons why I don’t have to. My emotions even join in, saying, “I agree because I don’t feel like doing it anyway”.

Our soul (mind, will, emotions) would love to run our lives, but the Bible says we are to be led by God’s Spirit. We are never instructed to be willpower-led, we are told to be Spirit-led. Willpower and discipline are important and vitally necessary to a successful life, but willpower alone won’t be enough. Determination gets you started and keeps you going for awhile, but it is never enough to bring you across the finish line.

Zechariah 4:6 says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

What happens if, instead of turning first to willpower in your time of need, you turn to God instead? God releases His power into your willpower and energizes it to bring you across the finish line. Willpower does not get the credit for our success, God does. Jesus said in John 15:5, “Apart from me cut off from vital union with me you can do nothing.” This is one of the most important and most difficult lessons we must learn if we want to enjoy the life Jesus died to give us.

From the book “NEW DAY, NEW YOU – Joyce Meyer”

GALATIANS 5:16

But I say, Go on the Spirit, and you will not come under the rule of the evil desires of the flesh.

“DEVOCIONAL: CAMPO DE BATALHA DA MENTE”

Dia Um:

Planos bem elaborados

"Como você pôde?" Helen gritou. "Como você poderia fazer uma coisa dessas?"

Tom olhava envergonhado e impotente para a esposa. Ele tinha cometido adultério, enfrentou suas ações pecaminosas, e pediu a sua esposa para perdoá-lo.

"Eu nunca planejei cometer algo assim", Tom disse com lágrimas nos olhos.

Tom não estava mentindo. Ele sabia que estava fazendo algumas escolhas ruins, mas ele não tinha olhado para o futuro e pensado nas consequências de suas ações. Depois de quase uma hora de súplica, ele disse algo que ajudou Helen começar a compreender e, eventualmente, a perdoar.

"Eu era infiel a você antes mesmo de cometer adultério." Ele falou de sempre estar ocupado demais para passar tempo juntos, a sua atitude crítica, a sua falta de apoio emocional, ela não dava ouvidos quando ele falava sobre os problemas no escritório.

Isso é exatamente como Satanás trabalha. Ele começa bombardeando nossa mente com ações inteligentes, situações que irritam, insatisfação, dúvidas, medos e desânimos. Ele se move devagar e com cautela (afinal, planos bem elaborados levam tempo).

Tom começou a duvidar de que Helen realmente o amava. Ela não o escutava, ela não respondia aos seus sentimentos amorosos.

Uma amiga de seu trabalho percebeu sua insatisfação com o casamento.

Uma vez ela disse: "Helen não merece um homem amoroso e carinhoso como você." (Satanás também trabalhou nela.) Cada vez que Tom deu um pequeno passo fora do caminho certo, ele justificou suas ações em sua mente: se Helen não vai me ouvir, há pessoas que vão.

A amiga de trabalho ouviu.

Semanas depois, ela o abraçou e desejou que ele pudesse sentir que ela entendia ele e podia cuidar melhor que sua esposa. Foi um abraço inofensivo assim parecia.

Tom não entendia que Satanás nunca está com pressa. Tudo o que ele precisa é de uma oportunidade de injetar pensamentos profanos, egocêntricos em nossas cabeças. Se não expulsá-los, eles ficam. E ele pode continuar seu plano mal e destrutivo.

Nós não podemos permitir que esses pensamentos errados fiquem em nossas cabeças. 

Porque as armas da nossa guerra são poderosas em Deus ... ... Devemos expulsar os argumentos, teorias, raciocínios e toda coisa que esteja fora do verdadeiro conhecimento de Deus, e levar todos os pensamentos e propósitos cativo à obediência de Cristo ... (2 Coríntios 10:4-5).

Senhor Jesus, em Seu nome, eu dou grito de vitória. Capacita-me a trazer cada pensamento em obediência. Ajuda-me a não permitir que as palavras de Satanás fiquem na minha mente e roubem a minha vitória. Amém.

Retirado do livro “CAMPO DE BATALHA DA MENTE” – Joyce Meyer.

Efésios 6:12

Pois nossa luta não é contra carne e sangue, mas conta os poderes e autoridades, contra os dominadores deste mundo de trevas, contra forças espirituais do mal nas regiões celestiais. (NVI)

“BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND DEVOTIONAL”

Day One:

Well-Laid Plans

“How could you?” Helen screamed. “How could you ever do such a thing?”

Tom stared helplessly at his wife. He had committed adultery, faced his sinful actions, and asked his wife to forgive him.

“I never planned for an affair to happen,” Tom said with tears in his eyes.

Tom wasn’t lying. He knew he was making a few bad choices, but he hadn’t looked ahead at the consequences of his actions. After almost an hour of pleading, he said something that helped Helen begin to understand and eventually to forgive.

“I was unfaithful to you before I ever committed adultery.” He spoke of their being too busy to spend time together, his critical attitude, her lack of emotional response, her not listening to him when he talked about problems at the office.

That’s exactly how Satan works. He begins by bombarding our minds with cleverly devised patterns of irritation, dissatisfaction, doubts, fears, and reasonings. He moves slowly and cautiously (after all, well-laid plans take time).

Tom began to doubt that Helen truly loved him. She didn’t listen, and she didn’t always respond to his amorous moods.

One of his coworkers listened. One time she said, “Helen doesn’t deserve a warm, caring man like you.”  (Satan also worked in her.) Each time Tom took a tiny step off the right path, he justified his actions in his mind: If Helen won’t listen to me, there are people who will.

The coworker listened. Weeks later, he hugged her and wished he could feel that caring response from his wife. It was a harmless embrace-or so it seemed.

Tom didn’t grasp that Satan is never in a hurry. All he needs is an opportunity to inject unholy, self-centered thoughts into our heads. If we don’t kick them out, they stay. And he can continue his evil, destructive plan.

We don’t have to allow those wrong thoughts to take residence in our heads. For the weapons of our warfare are…mighty before God…We refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ… (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

Lord Jesus, in Your name, I cry out for victory. Enable me to bring every thought into obedience. Help me not to allow Satan’s words to stay in my mind and steal my victory. Amen.

From the book “BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND DEVOTIONAL” – Joyce Meyer.

Ephesians 6:12

For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against authorities and powers, against the world-rulers of this dark night, against the spirits of evil in the heavens.