Build Yourself Up!

What do you need in your life right now?  I have no doubt the moment that question registers in your mind, there are at least a dozen things you can think of, on the spot.  

Regardless of what our immediate needs are, and there will always be things we need in order to accomplish what is necessary to get the job done; there is something that will always take precedence over them.  It's called character.  If we want to be successful at anything in life, character that is strong enough to withstand the demands and pressures is essential.  With the right character, not only will we find a way to see needs met, we are able to keep a clear, steadfast resolve to continually push forward and reach every goal, no matter the opposition to attain it.  

We all experience days where we are tempted to give up. But even giving up doesn't ease the situation we are facing.  No matter how you may be feeling about yourself right now, or the mountain that seems to be looming in front of you, if you are a born-again child of God, you have everything you will ever need to see God’s character developed in your life.  Even when you feel you have done everything humanly possible to make things work, and you have no control over the outcome, there is something you can do.  You can build your spirit up and strengthen it till it dominates your flesh. That's because the Spirit of the living God resides in you.  His very nature is already in your spirit.  You also have the written Word of God that produces the force of faith by which God’s character and nature is developed inside us.  Go after developing His character in you, and every one of your needs will continuously be met.  That's because you will have the attitude and ability to hear His wisdom and the courageous faith to implement it, even when the desired result seems impossible.

2 Peter 1:8-11 speaks about God’s character being developed inside us.  The Bible refers to His nature and character as the fruit of the Spirit.  Many believers understand the fruit of the Spirit to be nothing more than pleasant qualities that improve our personalities.  They believe that these qualities make us nicer people, and not much more than that.  The truth is, the fruit of the Spirit should be referred to as PURE SUPERNATURAL POWER!    Scripture teaches us that as they abound in us, they will keep us from being idle or unfruitful.  That means, the more the character of God influences and dominates us, we will always have OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE of God’s power being at work in and through us!

I once read something Gloria Copeland wrote on the fruit of the Spirit, and  found it to be exactly what God’s Word says about it.  The fruit of the Spirit is so strong that once we have it abounding and flowing out of us, all the demons in hell cant stop it.  It has the power to correct every problem in our lives.  It will keep us steadfast when others around us are falling down or caving under pressure.  It will keep us above water and rooted on our feet when systems fail and the storms of life come.  There is only one way we can make it through to victory, again and again, and that is through the character of God being developed and made strong in us.

The last part of 2 Peter 1:4 says that we must become partakers of the divine nature.  That means we must be actively involved to see God’s nature and character abound in us.  Verse 8 & 9 tell us why, “For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)...”

How do we build ourselves up in the Spirit?  Romans 8:26 says, “So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.”.  Praying in the spirit, by the Holy Spirit causes your spirit to rise up in the power of God and flow in and through you.  It strengthens you and gives you fresh hope and perspective.  Jude 1:20 says that as we pray in the Spirit, we build ourselves up, on our most holy faith.  The Amplified version says, “… [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 8:28 declares that God Himself is our partner in life.  Everything we need to be supernaturally strengthened and equipped to overcome is already inside of us.  As we yield to His Spirit inside of us, praying in the Spirit, we will build ourselves up in His supernatural power, and as He reminds us of His promises, we wield the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God), and declare His truth over our lives.  No matter how hopeless your circumstances seems, these are the things you can do! So build yourself up today!

All my love,

Jenny