Giving Our Thoughts to God

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. — Isaiah 43:18 ESV

How you think about yourself and your situation can empower you with possibility — or it can make you a victim to destructive patterns. If we’re not careful, we can find ourselves locked up in our past, which robs us of the good things God is giving us in the present. We might fixate on what we need to let go of, hold on too tightly to our mistakes, or trap ourselves in old identities.

• These limiting beliefs can get in the way of God’s plan for you.

The prophet Isaiah reminds us that the same God who delivered His people is doing a new thing in our midst. It’s easy to read the Old Testament and wonder why the Israelites had a hard time believing God’s promise to give them hope and a future in a promised land. After decades of walking in the desert, we can see why they might have grumbled and complained. But are we any different? Do we trust that God can help us change and work things together for our good?

Strive for Better

Instead, seek His Kingdom, and these things will be added to you. — Luke 12:31 ESV

What does it mean to strive after God’s Kingdom? It’s an invitation to a different way of living, an alternative to the world’s way. When we make the effort to know God and the way of His Kingdom, the minutiae and concerns of everyday life fade. His bigger purpose comes into focus.

Jesus asks us to notice the habits and rhythms of the natural world as a way of living.

In His famous Sermon on the Mount, He points out our habit of worry, born from a fear that says there will not be enough. But then Jesus asks us to consider how the ravens and the fields of lilies live. They don’t have an awareness of scarcity — they simply live and grow by moving through the natural rhythms of each day.

The Kingdom Jesus invites us into is a new way of living, steeped in humility and trust. So root yourself in what you know about God and His Kingdom. From there, your trust in God will grow.

What creates worry or anxiety in your life? Name these things and give them to God.

Have your worries become a habit? What fears are they tied to?

Take a moment to meditate on the abundance of nature and what it reveals about God.

Excerpted with permission from The Weekly Habits Project, copyright Zondervan.

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Your Turn

The New Year is right around the corner. What would happen if we chose to change the way we think about ourselves and our circumstances? What would happen if we dropped worry and anxiety, gave them to God, and trusted Him instead? ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full