LIFE'S PURPOSE.............DAY TWENTY THREE

THINKING    ABOUT    MY    PURPOSE                          DAY  TWENTY   THREE                          HOW DO   WE   GROW SPIRITUALLY ?         "GOD WANTS US TO GROW UP.......LIKE CHRIST IN EVERYTHING." EPH 4:15(a) (MSG)      "WE ARE NOT MEANT TO REMAIN AS CHILDREN." EPH 4:14 (a) (Ph)   "CONTINUE TO WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING, FOR IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU TO WILL AND TO ACT, ACCORDING TO HIS GOOD PURPOSE." PHIL. 2:12-13 (NIV)   THIS VERSE SHOWS THE TWO PARTS OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH: 'WORK OUT'  AND  'WORK-IN'. THE 'WORK OUT' IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND THE 'WORK-IN' IS GOD'S ROLE. SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN YOU AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.  GOD'S SPIRIT WORKS WITH US AND JUST NOT IN US.   YES, WILL-POWER CAN PRODUCE SHORT TERM CHANGE, BUT IT PRODUCES CONSTANT STRESS BECAUSE YOU HAVE'NT DEALT WITH ROOT CAUSE. THE CHANGE DOES'NT FEEL NATURAL, EVENTUALLY YOU GIVE UP AND REVERT TO YOUR OLD PATTERNS. THERE IS A BETTER AND EASIER WAY : CHANGE YOUR AUTO-PILOT ; 'THE WAY YOU THINK.' "BE CAREFUL HOW YOU THINK: YOUR LIFE IS SHAPED BY YOUR THOUGHTS." PROV. 4:23 (TEV) "LET GOD TRANSFORM YOU INTO A NEW PERSON BY CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK." ROM 12:2(b) (NLT)   PAUL SAYS THERE MUST BE A SPIRITUAL RENEWAL OF YOUR THOUGHTS AND ATTITUDES. EPH 4:23 (NLT) THE WAY YOU THINK DETERMINES THE WAY YOU FEEL, AND THE WAY YOU FEEL INFLUENCES THE WAY YOU ACT. "THOSE WHO LIVE FOLLOWING THEIR SINFUL SELVES THINK ONLY ABOUT THE THINGS THEIR SINFUL SELVES WANT" ROM 8:5 (NCV) CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A RELIGION OR A PHILOSOPHY BUT A RELATIONSHIP AND A LIFE-STYLE. THE CORE OF THAT LIFE STYLE IS THINKING ABOUT OTHERS.   JESUS WAS ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT OTHERS. THINKING OF OTHERS IS THE HEART OF CHRIST-LIKENESS AND THE BEST EVIDENCE OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH. THIS KIND OF THINKING IS UNNATURAL, COUNTER-CULTURAL, RARE AND DIFFICULT. FORTUNATELY WE HAVE HELP FROM GOD. "GOD HAS GIVEN US HIS SPIRIT. THAT'S WHY WE DONT THINK THE SAME WAY THAT THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD THINK. 1COR.2:12(a) (CEV)   IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START GROWING. "LET GOD TRANSFORM YOU INWARDLY BY A COMPLETE CHANGE OF YOUR MIND. THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO KNOW THE WILL OF GOD --- WHAT IS GOOD AND IS PLEASING TO HIM AND IS PERFECT." ROM.12:2(b) (TEV)   WHAT IS ONE AREA OF MY LIFE WHERE I NEED TO STOP THINKING MY WAY AND START THINKING GOD'S WAY ?