Perspective (Part 3)

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" ~ Philippians 2:5

When I speak of character development, people often become confused, or even indignant. When I tell people that God wants to develop their character, they immediately think or say, “I’m not a bad person” or “I don’t do anything wrong.”

But in the words of Dr. Dharius Daniels, character development is not just about moral modification. It’s not just about what you do or how you behave. Character is defined as the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.

So, when we talk about character development in Christian contexts, it should not just be about whether you have the moral qualities of Jesus - that is, do you adhere to the Ten Commandments or something of the sort. It should also be determined by whether you have the mental make-up of Jesus. Do you think like Jesus? Is your perspective aligned with God’s? Are your views, opinions, and thoughts a reflection of God's views, opinions, and thoughts?

In Philippians 2:5, Paul encourages us to have the “mind of Christ.” It’s not until you look at situations and circumstances in your life and think and react to them like Jesus that your character is fully developed.

Do you have the mind of Christ today?

God bless,
J.W.

Perspective (Part 2)

"But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: 'The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.'" ~ Numbers 14:6-9

Last week, my Pastor talked about reframing- that is, taking the same old picture but transforming it by putting a different frame on it.

That's what Caleb and Joshua did in Numbers 13 and 14. They looked at the same circumstances that the other 10 spies did but looked at them differently. They reframed the situation. They didn't deny the circumstances they faced. They simply used faith to overcome them.

Jesus promised that in this life, we will face trouble (John 16:33). The key to overcoming is your perspective. Reframe life and you can have God's promises. Live in the same old frame and you'll get the same old results.

Reframe your life today!

God bless,
J.W.

Perspective (Part 1)

"not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors... But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it." ~ Numbers 14:22-24

"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."~ Mark 2:22

A large part of spiritual and emotional growth is about adopting a new perspective.

God wants us to put away old wineskins, i.e. old ways of thinking, and put on new wineskins, i.e. new mentalities, mindsets, and thought patterns.

Often times, however, we ask for new wine, i.e. new blessings, before we've put on new wineskins. We fall into slothfulness and don't want to put in the work to change. We then wonder why God hasn't elevated us.

But God says to see the promised land He, we need to take on a different spirit. Like Caleb and Joshua, God has called us to follow Him wholeheartedly if we are ever to inherit the promised land.

You can't put new wine in old wineskins. In other words, God can't place new blessings inside of an old life, mind set, or perspective.

That's why Paul tells us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2). New elevation comes with a new perspective.

Get your new perspective today!

God bless,
J.W.

Closed Doors

Today, I received an e-mail from my aunt entitled "Thank God for Closed Doors." Ironically, this has been something that has been on my mind and heart for a few weeks now, so I thought this was the most appropriate time to share.

Many times in life, we, as flawed human beings, like to blame our so-called "failures" on many different things. Sometimes, as Christians, we blame Satan. Other times, we blame other people for our problems. In the black community, we often blame the government, the media, or white people in general for our issues. And while sometimes, our gripes are valid, most times they stem from either a lack of personal responsibility or a lack of proper perspective.

The truth of the matter is that if we were to accurately identify the causes of our so-called failures, we would recognize that they really aren't failures at all. The loss of a job, failure of a business, a wayward son or daughter, and any other negative in our lives can sometimes be a blessing in disguise.

As long as you're still alive and breathing, there is always a chance, an opportunity, to turn your negatives into positives, and your failures into successes. Most times, when we face adversity, we are quick to blame our circumstances on something other than ourselves.
We all have problems, and we all have issues that we deal with, but the thing that separates winners from losers in life is how they react to the trials and tribulations they face.

Mistakes, failures, trials, and tribulations are nothing more than veiled opportunities, opportunities to learn, to grow, and to become better. Sometimes, when it seems like doors are closing in your life, it is God's way of telling you to take a different route, to change your direction, that the way you are heading is not the way that He wants you to go. But so often, we look at negative situations in our lives as signs of failure rather than signs of opportunity, and that is the wrong perspective to have.

Recently, I had a door close in my life. It was totally unexpected. I didn't know why it closed. I didn't know what I was supposed to do next. But through it all, I knew that God had something better planned for me. And indeed, He did. My closed door was simply God's way of telling me that my time was over there and that it was time to move on and move forward.

So when the deck seems stacked against you, your back is to the wall, and it seems like a door is closing in your life, don't take it as a negative. Don't have a pity party and have a "woe-is-me" type of attitude. Rather, take that closed door as a sign that God has something better in store for you, that it is time to change directions and change perspective, and truly see what He is trying to do in your life.

Learn from your mistakes, use them to grow, and keep moving forward. "[For] we know that all things work together for the good of those who love [God], who have been called according to His purpose." ~ Romans 8:28

God bless,
J.W.