Battle of the Mind - Renew Your Mind

Hello everyone,

In our “Battle of the Mind” series, we have spoken about the importance of paying attention to what we are thinking, because our thoughts are a vital part of forming who we are every day.  We also saw how thoughts we agree with and meditate on, become constructed thoughts called strongholds. These strongholds determine what we believe to be true, and influence our emotions and choices in life.  

That’s why it’s so very necessary to recognise the source of our thoughts.  Thoughts that are contrary to the truth of God’s Word should be given no place in our lives, while those that align with the Word are keepers!  

Today I want to speak about the process of renewing our minds to the truth of God’s Word and how it can fortify our minds, protecting us from the devil’s attempts to destroy us. This leads to a lifestyle where we are influenced, dominated and controlled by the Holy Spirit, instead of by the devil. 

Remember, the devil uses thoughts to influence our emotions and manipulate our free will, but a mind renewed to the Word of God doesn’t give him a chance to get a foothold in our lives.  Once again - this is a lifestyle choice that results in lasting life and peace in every area of our lives, and it has everything to do with who has control of our minds!

Let’s take another look at 2 Corinthians 10:4,5, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” NKJ

We have already established that the strongholds Paul is referring to here, are established thoughts or mindsets we’ve chosen to accept and agree upon. Before we take a look at the negative strongholds he was referring to, let’s focus on the strongholds that are good and healthy for us.  Both are constructed in the very same way.

Interestingly, the Greek word for stronghold in 2 Corinthians 10:4,5, means fortress or castle.  We can see why Paul chose this word to describe thoughts that have become established in our minds.  

In ancient times, fortresses were often built on top of high hills with exceptionally thick and high walls, making it impossible for invaders to penetrate.  They were designed to keep outsiders out!  

Now, when we agree with a particular scripture or principle found in God’s Word, and meditate on it, it becomes a constructed thought. The more we meditate on this thought, the more  convinced we become of it being the ultimate truth.  This is called a biblical stronghold within our minds that the devil cannot penetrate.  

In other words, we are so convinced of this truth, that any thought that comes into our minds that opposes it, we immediately disregard and refuse to give it the time of day.  Why?  Because we know it’s nonsense and doesn’t warrant an ounce of our attention.   That fiery dart the enemy just hurled our way was extinguished before it even hit its mark against our safely, fortified minds.

Let me give you a personal example of this.  When I first gave my life to the Lord, there were times I would really battle with condemnation.  I didn’t understand that there was a difference between the conviction of the Holy Spirit and condemnation of the devil. If I did something wrong, I would immediately feel remorse and repent, but it would take so long to shrug off that heavy feeling of guilt and shame.  

It seemed to take forever to get past that feeling of self-loathing so that I could boldly and confidently speak to the Lord again.  Then, the day I heard and understood Romans 8:1, which says, “THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.”  my relationship with Jesus took a revolutionary change!  

Suddenly the truth hit me like a giant, cannon ball of joy exploding inside my heart and mind!  I understood that God’s forgiveness carries no regret or heaviness.  Once we’ve repented, He doesn’t hold that sin against us.  I could see that whenever I made a sinful choice, because I had His nature, I would immediately be convicted in my spirit about it, recognising it as wrong. 

Then, going straight to the Lord with that shame and laying it at His feet, completely freed my mind from having to carry the weight of that guilt.  The moment I released it to the Lord, I was free from it!  

Any heaviness of heart or condemnation over it was not from God, it was the devil trying to make me feel unworthy.  This truth became an established stronghold in my mind that after one or two more failed attempts on the devil’s part, to try put that condemnation on me, he just gave up trying.   

This biblical stronghold will constantly protect me from the devil’s lie of condemnation, and he won’t get access into my life where it’s concerned.

Now the word of God is full of truth, just like the one I’ve shared, that is able to protect our minds and keep us free from the devil’s lies and tactics to destroy us.

I mentioned how in ancient times those fortresses were built to keep intruders out.  Did you know that later on, many fortresses became modified to hold prisoners within their walls.  They had dungeons that were designed to keep their captives in!  When we believe the devils lies – due to an ignorance of God’s word, we create negative strongholds or constructed thoughts that hold us captive and in bondage.

If we just took the time to renew our minds to God’s Word, we would be able to pull down every negative stronghold that we allowed into our minds from the past.  We can detoxify those poisonous lies of the devil and cause them to have no effect, the moment we replace them with the truth of God’s Word.

Next week we’ll take a look at what the Word says the enemies strategy is against us, preventing us from being caught off guard, ever again! 

Much love,

Jen

Battle of the Mind - The Battleground

Hello everyone,

Did you know that there is a constant battle going on over your life?  Scripture  tells us that our enemy the devil has a plan and strategy to steal, kill and destroy our lives (John 10:10).  God has declared a plan for our lives too, it’s a brilliant future, full of peace, joy and abundant goodness.  Scripture tells us that before the foundation of the world, God set that plan in motion, and nothing from the past, present or future can change it.  Through Jesus, this promise of a good, full, victorious life is secure.  A life of freedom and prosperity and power over the enemy, where we can live on purpose and experience the full extent of God’s blessing.  In this series, we will see how nothing is able to stop us from experiencing all God has prepared for us, not when we make a  personal decision to align our thoughts, words and actions to His way of doing things.

To begin with, in this letter we’re going to take a look at the battle ground of our minds, and God's strategic plan for us to gain victory over our thought lives.  This is extremely important because the way we train our minds to think will determine the very people we become.  

The Battle of the Mind Wages On!

As I’ve mentioned before, medical science has proven that all our thoughts originate from one of two sources, they are either negative, fear based thoughts or positive, faith based thoughts.   When a thought enters our minds, and we agree with that thought and believe it, it becomes what scientists call a constructed thought or a stronghold.  This thought now has the power to influence our very belief system and becomes a part of who we are.  Do you remember what Proverbs 23:7 says, “"As a man thinkers in his heart, so is he."  

Now, these constructed thoughts or strongholds that are formed in our minds have the power to affect everything about us.  They become what scientists call established memories, and the more attention we give to them, the more they determine the way we perceive things.  And our perceptions directly influence our decision making and ultimately our course in life.

What’s really interesting is something I learnt from Dr. Caroline Leaf and Dr. Michelle Strydom’s studies on the human mind and it’s connection to the body.  Every thought or established memory, has an emotion attached to it.  In fact, medical science calls them emotion chemicals.  If the thought or memory is positive, it will have a positive emotion attached to it, and every time we recall that memory, or ponder, or meditate on that thought, the emotion releases a chemical that positively affects our well-being.  Causing us to feel joy, peace, hope and contentment.  These chemical emotions actually have the power to heal our physical bodies, or keep them in health.

Now of course the negative side to this is just as powerful.  Any negative thought that is meditated on and made an established memory or stronghold, has a negative emotion attached to it, that releases toxins into our bodies.  Feelings of fear, stress, rejection, anger and bitterness release destructive chemicals into our bodies.  They attack our sense of well-being and it’s scientifically proven, they are often the source of disease and pain in our physical bodies.

Who’s the Master of Your Mind?

The question is what things are we setting our minds on?  The Bible clearly teaches us to guard our hearts with all diligence because the well spring of life flows from them.  The thoughts we have chosen to believe set the path for our lives.  

God's word is filled with His thoughts and the purposes of His heart.  It tells us how to live and love and stay in victory.  The more we invest in understanding the word, believing it and appropriating it to our lives, the more our minds become programmed or trained to think like God, speak like God and act according to His will.  This process is called renewing our minds to the word of God and it is the only way to defeat the destructive plan the enemy has concerning us, so we can live free and powerfully victorious.

The more time we spend in God's word, meditating on it, agreeing with it and making it part of our belief system, the more we establish biblical strongholds in our minds.  God's word is peace and it’s life.  The book of Proverbs says it brings healing to our bodies, and Hebrews says it makes us perfect and complete in character.  

As soon as a negative thought, or any thought that is contrary to God's word is agreed upon, the same process takes affect.  This time, instead of life, faith peace and healing being the fruit; bondage, bitterness and brokenness enters our lives, through incorrect thoughts and their destructive chemical emotions.

The Control Centre

The mind is the control centre of our lives.  It is the strategic battlefield where the war over our lives is either won or lost, depending on what we choose to keep our minds focused on.  

Romans 6:16 tells us that whoever we give our minds to, becomes our master.  Insinuating that when we allow our thoughts to indulge in and centre around negative things that are contrary to God's word, the carnal, sinful  nature becomes the mastermind of our future, which always leads to death.  However, should we choose to meditate on and fill our thoughts with the spiritual truth of God's word, his Devine will and plan for our lives becomes a sure path of life, peace, healing and victory for our future.

A Supernatural Way of Living

Because God is a Supernatural Being, and His word holds His Supernatural Nature, choosing to renew our minds to it gives us the dominion and authority to stand on His promises and override the natural facts in our lives.  Every natural fact and circumstance is subject to change when brought under the truth and authority of the word of God.

Next week we are going to look closely at the process of renewing our minds to God’s Word, and how keeping it in the centre of our hearts, and as the final authority of our lives, will cause us to form strong, healthy strongholds of truth that will keep the enemy at bay and our bodies healthy and at peace.

As for today, choose who the master mind behind your life will be.  Recognise how your lack of controlling your thought life could cause you to forfeit the life of freedom and victory Jesus secured for you on the cross.  It’s time to wise up and take back the control of your mind, setting it safely in the hands of the One Who loves you and created you for His purpose.

All my love,

Jenny

Battle of the Mind Series - What are you thinking?

Hello Everyone,

This week I came across a video of a young man who shared his personal testimony of encountering Jesus. His experience completely changed his life around. After formally being heavily involved in the New Age Movement, he had a personal encounter with the Lord, renounced his past sin, and is now walking in a deep and meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ.  

Now I don’t usually write about these testimonies, especially when they involve people who have come out of a background stooped in the occult where there is such serious darkness and deception.  The reason being that often, even though their conversion is sincere, and their spirit man has been reborn, the damage and deceit sown into their souls has so influenced their thoughts and emotions that they remain in bondage in many areas, preventing them from walking in complete and total victory. The Bible teaches us that while our souls are wounded or have memories that have become toxic strongholds, we will remain susceptible to the enemy of our souls. These very things give him the legal right to keep us in bondage, even in the area of our health.

But after listening to this young man’s testimony, and a few of his other videos, I personally believe that his encounter with Jesus is not only sincere, it has begun a process of freedom in the area of his soul.  Through his relationship with the indwelling Holy Spirit, he has a genuine and intense hunger for the truth of God’s Word, and listening to him, you can tell that he deliberately spends hours saturating his mind and heart in the Word. If he carries on this path, the sanctification process of his soul will be sound as he constantly renews his mind to the truth of God’s Word, replacing those wounds and toxic strongholds with the truth that will set and keep him free.

Why am I writing about this?  Recently I’ve been studying on the ongoing process of renewing our minds to the truth of God’s Word.  I’ve discovered that this is not a mechanical process at all, even though the principles are set in stone, it’s only through our personal, intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, that the Word is able to become life to us and heal our souls. 

The subject of renewing the mind to the truth of God’s Word is not something new or untaught in the church.  However, I do believe there is so much to be said about the importance of daily walking in a meaningful relationship with the Holy Spirit, where we He is constantly teaching and changing us, through God’s Word.  I’m going to put out a few brief truths that have really hit home in my heart and understanding concerning the process of renewing our minds to heal our souls.  I have found many Christians who believe they are doing what is expected of them, yet can’t understand why they are not walking completely free or healed in certain areas of their lives.  I believe this series will be a great blessing to them in particular.

The first truth is one many of us are familiar with.  We are taught in the Word that every person is made of three distinct parts.  We have a spirit that lives in a body, and we have a soul.  

When we become born again, our spirit is made completely new.  It is saved by the grace of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit actually recreates our spirit and inhabits it.  It is pure and holy, without sin and full of God Himself!  If you don’t trust my word on this, I have listed these scriptures to back it : 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:17,19; Ephesians 3:19; Philippians 1:11; Colossians 1:9; John 7:38-39, John 14:16-17,26; John 15:26.

Now, our soul, which is our mind consisting of our thoughts, emotions and free will, is a different matter entirely.  Even though our spirit man is reborn, and free of sin and it’s effects, our soul is still conformed to the sinful, carnal nature of a fallen world.  What’s more, every memory that is formed by information we have received through our five, natural senses, has influenced and shaped our thinking process. The way we perceive ourselves, others, God and the world around us all comes from the memories or thoughts that we have accepted and agreed on through the experiences we have had in life.  

In other words, our personal truth, or what we perceive as truth, is based on the experiences we have encountered in life.  The problem with this is our personal truth is not necessarily truth at all.  The only true, ultimate, unchanging truth is the Word of God.  And unless our perceptions and attitudes are influenced by, rooted in and grounded upon this truth, we will never truly be free to live the abundant life Jesus paid for us to have.  We will always be limited by our own misconceptions and issues that have shaped or clouded our souls.

In fact, the Bible teaches how our souls are the battlefield where our enemy, the devil, is given legal right to torment us when we have found common ground with him.  What do I mean by common ground?  It’s when we have agreed with a thought that originated from his lies.  That could either be through sin, a traumatic experience, or any thoughts that we harbour that are contrary to God’s truth.

Let me explain, scientists have proven that every though originates from one of two sources.  It is either faith based or fear based.  Any thought process that we have accepted as our truth, but is contrary to the truth of God’s Word does not originate from God.  This means it is a lie or misconception.  The devil is the father of all lies, and when we buy into His deception, whether we understand it’s from him or not, we give him legal access to cause trouble or torment in that particular area of our lives.

That’s why the Bible urges us to pay careful attention to what we are thinking because our minds really are a battlefield.  2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as 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 (the Messiah, the Anointed One),”. Those strongholds are incorrect thoughts that have been agreed with, meditated on and formed permanent belief systems in the recesses of our minds.  

In order for us to truly live free in this life, we must be extremely vigilant to pay attention to what we are thinking.  Recognise whether our thoughts line up with the Word of God or are directly contrary to its truth.  Then we reject the wrong thoughts and replace them with the truth of God’s Word.  How on earth are we supposed to recognise the nature of our thoughts?  We can only know this by spending quality time in the Word.  By the help of the Holy Spirit, the truth of the word comes alive to us, giving us wisdom, understanding, peace, life, discernment and healing. 

Mark 4:24 says, “And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.”  That word virtue in the original Greek translation means excellence of soul.  That means the amount of attention we pay to the Word of God, agreeing with it, meditating on it and allowing it to influence our belief system, will result in our souls being prosperous, healthy and free. 

This week, choose to invest quality time in the Word of God, asking and trusting the Holy Spirit to make it alive to you.  As you do this, you’ll become far more attentive to the thoughts and mindsets you’ve adopted, and begin to replace the wrong ones with the truth!  It’s time to pay attention to what you are thinking about.

Next week we’ll take a closer look at the battlefield of our minds, and how we can choose who will be the master of our souls.

All my love,

Jenny

The Offense Trap - Part 2

Last week we spoke about the dangerous trap of offense and how our hurt and disappointment will lead to our destruction if we don’t deal with it as the Word instructs us to.  We learnt how rehearsing and nursing the offense just aggravates and empowers it, causing a root of bitterness to enslave our hearts, contaminate our minds, and even defile those around us.

When I told you about casting that hurt onto the Lord, and surrendering to His love, I showed you how forgiveness is the only key to be set free from the trap of offense.  And what keeps us free, is that overwhelming, never ending, powerful force of God’s unconditional love!

Romans 5:5 says the Holy Spirit Himself pours the love of God into our hearts - He gives us His unconditional, perfect love to do exactly what His Word tells us to do - to forgive and love, not hold onto grudges and curse.  Do you remember what Romans 12:14 says, “Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them.”

Now, let me tell you something else about the Wonderful Holy Spirit, Who is our counsellor and teacher.  According to Philippians 1:6, He has promised to complete this good work which He has begun in us, and see it carried through to completion.  What good work is that?  It’s allowing His love to override and dominate our own negative feelings and hurt, so that we can sincerely bless and love those who have wronged us.  

That means there’s no quitting on this act of obedience.  You can’t just try mumble a few niceties under your breath about the person you’ve forgiven, and then say, “I tried, it didn’t work, I’m done here...”.  No, that’s not what you’re going to do.  The Holy Spirit is faithful to do exactly what He has promised to do - in and through you - and His ways are not only perfect, they are to see you free, keep you healed, restored and moving forward in victory!

So let’s take a brief, but closer look at what Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6, “And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.”

There are two things I want to point out to you from this verse.  Firstly, Paul said the work the Holy Spirit began in us, He will perfect and complete in us.  That good work will be anything that involves our surrendering our wills to Him, and choosing to be influenced by His heart and attitude, so we can sincerely obey His Word.  

In this case, it is to surrender to His love, forgive and bless those who have disappointed us.  Now, one translation says the Holy Spirit will not only complete this good work, but perform it in us.  That word perform translated from the Greek, conveys the idea of God’s own supernatural power and ability actually picking us up and carrying us onward.  

Don’t you just love that?  In other words, when we have humbled ourselves to refuse our flesh and submit our wills to the Holy Spirit, as an act of obedience to His Word; He rushes right in, and strengthens and equips us with His love so we can do it!  Then, He carries us through the process, so we don’t get stuck, but move forward!  It’s that simple and brilliant at the same time!  All it takes is our willingness to submit to Him, obey, and trust Him to be exactly Who His Word says He is!

The second truth I want to point out, is how Paul says he is convinced of this happening to us.  He isn’t even suggesting, or saying it’s a possibility for us.  No, Paul said he is convinced this is exactly what we will experience!  

One translation says he is persuaded and completely convinced that this is exactly what the Holy Spirit will do in and for us.  That means we can fully trust and expect it to happen.  And I second Paul in this statement - I have first hand experience that it is absolutely true!

So, where do we begin?  We start agreeing that God’s Word is the final authority in our lives, and that obedience to its truth is what will see us walking in victory instead of bitterness and defeat.  

Then we stand up strong against our flesh and submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We can only do this through the strength of the Holy Spirit.  This is how: We tell the Holy Spirit we want to obey His will and not our own, and we ask Him to fill and flood our hearts with the love and empowering grace of God.  

In other words, we ask Him to give us His heart for those who have wronged us.  We deliberately speak out forgiveness towards them and expect the powerful, supernatural love of God to go to work, through His Precious Holy Spirit inside us.  We can trust that power to pick us up and carry us through to sincerely bless and love those who once hurt us.

Let me tell you, in an instant, what the devil set up for our downfall has been turned around for our blessing and God’s glory!

Now, just before I end this letter, I want to leave this thought with you.  Remember the verse that began this series, Romans 12:14 says, “Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them.”?  Well, it’s interesting to note the Greek tense of this verse describes a continuous action.  

That means, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are expected to bless and speak well of these people again and again.  This is not a once off deliberate act of obedience.  It must become a lifestyle.  

The more we yield to the Holy Spirit and allow His perfect love for others to flood our hearts, the more that disappointment will lose its power over us.  Our words of blessing will begin to have a powerful effect on our own well-being, and set us free from the trap the enemy set up for us.  God’s love is so liberating and continuously builds us up, heals us, and satisfies us in Him.  

So, when an accusing thought pops into your mind - instead of lingering on it, call on the Holy Spirit, submit to His love, forgive, and speak God’s blessing!  You will be amazed at how those negative thoughts will begin to diminish.   

This is how to live in victory when we’ve been hurt.  We have a wonderful, faithful partnership with the Holy Spirit - He enables us to speak blessing where it’s humanly impossible, and then keeps us in a place of  blessing - as His love does its perfect work in us.  

The Offense Trap - Part 1

Hello everyone,

One of the greatest struggles between our spirits and flesh, can be stopping ourselves from speaking out against those who have treated us wrongly, especially when the disappointment is deep and fresh. The need to gratify our flesh by pointing a finger of accusation can at times be overwhelmingly difficult to resist.  

The truth is - the Bible is very clear on this issue.  In moments like this, even when the temptation seems irresistible, we must take control, tell our flesh to be quite, and refuse to speak against those who have treated us unfairly.  

Romans 12:14 says, “Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them.”

Why is it so important for us to deliberately and purposefully restrain our flesh from speaking badly about those who have disappointed us?  Because when we continue to speak accusingly, we refresh and rekindle the fire of the memory of that offense - keeping all those negative emotions that are attached to that memory, alive.  

This is only going to aggravate and deepen the hurt, and prevent us from moving on from that place of offence. 

Another trap we must avoid at all costs, is constantly trying to nurse the disappointment, by going over it again and again in our heads - trying to fix it, by imagining different scenarios that would bring about different results.  

This constant back and forth in our minds just deepens and even distorts the offense , keeping it large and looming in our thoughts.  Before long, the disappointment begins to influence everything about us - we’ll even begin to look like we’re carrying the world on our shoulders.

So, do we just ignore what happened altogether?  Should we pretend nothing happened and just hope the hurt and disappointment goes away?  Nope, not doing anything about that offense will cause it to fester and develop into a root of bitterness that will negatively affect every part of our lives.  That bitterness begins to seep through our attitudes and conversations and contaminate everyone around us.  

Hebrews 12:15 tells us to, “Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God’s grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it,”.

So how do we avoid the trap of offense, and deal with our hurt and disappointment, before it destroys us? 

Well, the very first thing we need to do is take that offence straight to the Lord. We are to cast that care straight over, releasing it to Him. This way we are able to find the strength to forgive, and release ourselves from the offence that is designed to steal our peace and joy, and lead us to utter emotional destruction.

Psalms 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).” 

The moment we surrender our hurt to the Lord and speak out forgiveness to those who offended us, we are released from the power of that offence.  This may seem a little easier said than done, but there’s simply no way around it.  We have to forgive to be set free.  

Take a look at what Matthew 6:14-15 says about this: “For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and wilful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and wilful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.”

In my first year of high school, I remember being extremely upset and angry towards my dad and his new wife.  Actually, I was deeply offended by the whole situation, not just them personally.  I remember pouting on the edge of my bed one Saturday evening, complaining to the Lord about the unfairness of it all.  

I was so self righteousness in my attitude towards them.  Then, I clearly heard the Lord speak into my heart, He said I was to forgive and love them.  My immediate response was so defensive, but I reluctantly agreed to forgive, but to love would be a little out of the question.  I searched my heart and just couldn’t find a way to do that.  

That’s when I heard that quiet, small voice speak into my heart and fill my mind - He said, “I’m not asking you to love them with your love, love them with my love.”  Immediately, I began to see my father and step-mother with totally different eyes.  I wasn’t the victim of their choices anymore.  

In fact, I was completely out of the picture.  The Lord, miraculously gave me His heart for them.  It was a love so pure and compassionate and unconditional.  I felt my own heart melt and begin to be what felt like remoulded and filled with the perfect love of God.  In tears, I surrendered to that love and felt it heal me and fill me, to overflowing.  From that moment everything changed for me.  I was free - free from the offence and free to love, just like God loved.

You see, the Bible says we are to bless those who we feel are cruel towards us.  In the Greek, the word bless means to say good or positive things.  I know that must seem like a pretty tall order, especially when we are so caught up in hurt and anger that we probably can’t see or think of anything good to say about them at all.  

Nevertheless, the Word is clear, and it’s always right.  Once we have released that offense by forgiving those who hurt us, and opened our hearts to God’s perfect, unconditional love - speaking words of blessing become a natural outflow of what His love has done inside of us. 

Remember, the very best way to do this is to ask the Holy Spirit to show us His heart for the ones who wronged us.  And He is faithful to this, just as He did for me, He will do for you too.    It’s  impossible to sincerely bless and respond to others in love in our own strength.  

Next week, I’m going to share more on how the Holy Spirit miraculously does a perfect and complete work in our hearts to not only free us, but keep us free from the trap of offence! 

All my love,

Jenny