New Beginnings

NO REFUNDS. NO EXCHANGES.

When you make a choice between 2 or more things, you are essentially "exchanging" one for the other.  For example, you are choosing between attending a ballgame or going to the movies.  You choose ball game.  You are exchanging a movie for a ballgame--you had both opportunities.  The choice was all yours. 

We make those kinds of exchanges regularly.  Unfortunately, they are not always as harmless as movies and ballgames.  Satan is like a big store, he makes returns and exchanges easy and quick!

They exchanged the Truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised.  Romans 1:25

When I read this scripture, I lingered on the words..... they exchanged the Truth of God for a lie.   What does that mean?  In what ways to we (I) do that?  I didn't really like what was revealed to me.

• The Bible says, Be anxious for nothing, don't worry.  The world says, You've got to worry.  Look at all the possibilities of horrible things that can happen.  So, you "get anxious and worry".   You just exchanged God's Truth for a lie.

• God tells us not to "judge or condemn".  Yet, Satan sneaks in and plants thoughts in our head that we are somehow better than the person who made a mistake or is caught up in a life that is inappropriate.  We buy in and verbally or mentally judge that person.  Again, we exchange God's Truth for a lie.

• The Word of God tells us that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.  Satan says you are not good enough or talented enough or rich enough.  So, you hold back or get discouraged.  Maybe you just say, I'll do it later when I am ready.   Once again, we exchange God's Truth for a lie. 

• The Bible tells us that the Lord has cast our sins as far as the East is from the West.  That He has not only forgiven us but has forgotten those sins.   Satan says, Oh, but look at how many people you hurt, how much time you wasted, how immoral you were or what you did to yourself.   So, we shrink back.  We feel defeated.  We cannot get past the remorse or we resume our old ways.  Sadly, we exchange God's Truth for a lie. 

Certainly, we could think of many, many more examples of how we choose Satan's lies over the Truth of God.  We don't always do it consciously, but often we do.  Of course, we aren't thinking about it as exchanging the Truth of God for a lie, but that is exactly what we are doing!  

That is NOT what any of us want to do.  We want NO REFUNDS NO EXCHANGES when it comes to God's Truth.  When we became a Christian God moved in.  His Truth and Love RESIDE in us.  However, the power of His presence becomes less intense when we "exchange" it for a lie.    

I read something recently that said as I just did above that God resides in us.  He filled us with the HOly Spirit the moment we became a Christian--a permanent resident. 

We often pray to be filled with the Spirit.  Actually, we are filled with the Spirit.  What we should pray for is that we would release more of ourselves to Him--    that we would fill Him up with us.  He already gave us 100% of Himself and continues to do so.  We are the ones that hold back!  We hold back because we are always exchanging God's truths for lies.  

My Prayer:  Dear Jesus.  Help me to remember that your very Presence resides in me everyday of my life.  When I pat the head of a lonely child, it is Your hand that touches them.   When I hug an elderly patient, that is You hugging them.   When I smile at a stranger in the elevator, You are smiling at them.

Please help me stay "in tune" with you.  Help me to release more and more of myself to You every moment of every day.  Help me to recognize when Satan is asking me to trade Your Truth for a lie and most importanly, help me to refuse the exchange! 

You already reside in me.  My desire is that I reside in You fully.