Devotionals for the Heart: When God's desires become your desires

Changing for Jesus
A devotional by Heidy De La Cruz

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the reviewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Do you remember when you gave your life to Jesus Christ? Do you remember why you decided to give your life to Jesus? Most Christians do. I’ve heard many people sharing their stories of when they encountered Jesus, and that was life-changing. My story is a little different. I didn’t have a life-changing encounter with Jesus when I decided to give my life to Him.

It was 2012, and I had started studying at the community college. I had to work with a classmate on a project, and we met after class to work together. After we worked on our project, she invited me to her church. The exciting part about it is that the church rented out the community movie theater, where they held their services. After the second visit, they did an altar call at the end of the service and asked everyone to close their eyes and have those who had never given their lives to Jesus raise their hands if they wanted to accept Him. I raised my hand this time.

Although I accepted Jesus in 2012, it wasn’t until 2016 that I started living for Him and made life changes. After being in such a dark place in my life for years, I knew I needed a change to get out of this place. So, this is when I really decided to live for Jesus. I started with devoting myself to attending church every Sunday unless I was out of town. This was a new church, though, not the same one where I had accepted Jesus. I joined a growth group or small group at the church, and I also decided to only listen to Christian music.

Listening to Christian music was the hardest for me because I enjoy Spanish music, but I realized that what we listen to and consume truly affects our mood and thoughts. Within the new changes also came no more drinking alcohol. Although I would only drink with friends, I gave it up altogether. Instead, I read the Bible daily, and I would pray daily with my daughter and do her weekly memory verses.

In Romans 12:2 (NIV), the Bible says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the reviewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” I didn’t understand this verse until I truly made changes to live for Jesus because after you devote your life to Jesus, whatever you used to like that was of this world, you lose interest in it. The closer you get to Jesus and the stronger the relationship becomes, the more your interest changes from worldly desires to Godly desires.

After making these changes in my life and getting close to Jesus, my life changed, my interest changed, I found my purpose, I was able to get out of the dark place I was in, and I’m also more cautious about my choices. If you are looking for a breakthrough in your life, I encourage you to start a relationship with Jesus Christ. He wants us to come to Him as we are; we don’t need to change first before giving our life to Him. He will guide us and help us change for the better.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, I am ready to live my life for You. Please help me and guide me into living my life for You. Help me to renew my mind. Lord, I am ready for a breakthrough, and I know you are the only one who can help me. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

*Note from Alexis: Heidy’s devotional message reminds me of this song by Jaci Velasquez. Listen to “God Loves You” here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Hello, my name is Heidy (Reynoso) De La Cruz.

 

I am Dominican-American and I’m passionate about writing! I write poetry, encouraging blog posts about personal experiences and any message that God has stored in my heart. I am working on publishing my first poetry book.

First and foremost, I am a daughter of Jesus Christ. I am also a wife and a mother. I have my master’s degree in Healthcare Administration through Belhaven University’s online course. I have my bachelor’s degree in Science with the concentration of Psychology and Healthcare Administration.

I currently work in the medical field as a Medical Billing and Coding Specialist, and I’ve been in the medical field for the last six years. I love my career!

My hobbies include writing, reading, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts, traveling, and spending time with my family.

~*~
Connect with Heidy:
Blog: https://heidyreynoso.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/
Read my poetry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidyspoems/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heidyreynoso13
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heidyreynoso13