Devotionals for the Heart: Self-Talk

What Did You Say to Yourself?
A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” –2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

I had been a pastor for nine years before I learned how to practically apply this simple Bible verse. I understood it. I had used it as a springboard for many sermons. But I didn’t get it until I was in the U.S. Navy Chaplains School.

While there, we had a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant as our physical trainer. He took a special interest in me, since my first duty station was going to be with the Marine Corps. I was overweight and did not run fast. He told me that he would get me in shape before I left for Okinawa. That meant I would get slimmer and be able to do at least 60 push-ups, 60 sit-ups, five pull-ups, then run three miles in less than 24 minutes.

I am healthy, but why would I want to run three miles? These were my private thoughts but my trainer sensed it passing through my mind. He said, “When you became a Navy Chaplain, you became something that you had never been and these are the new requirements. The guy you were before has passed away and you are a new creation. So, you must see yourself differently and talk to yourself with new language. Your old language was self-limiting. Your new language must become challenging and affirming. Isn’t that scriptural Chaplain?”

Then he gave me two lines to rehearse. He guaranteed me that if I recited those lines when we were working out and running, I would get better and stronger than I had ever been. The lines were: “You can do more than you think you can” and “It is easier to keep going than to stop and start again.”

In eight weeks, I shed 20 pounds. I could do 90 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 8 pull-ups and I ran those three miles, on varying terrain, in less than 24 minutes. It made me feel good be physically fit and it boosted my confidence when I saw that I looked good in my Marine Corps uniform.

Here is the point: Living the new, saved, sanctified life requires that we perceive ourselves differently. We must sing new songs and encourage ourselves. The Scripture 2 Corinthians 5:17 is the micro statement of the expansive theme of the Gospel. It expresses the death of old, limiting mindsets and self-images. The newness suggests a clean slate, new horizons and opportunities for success. That “behold” part, means that the new you must be visible, apparent, remarkable and memorable.

When you are living your new life, speaking to yourself with encouraging, challenging and affirming phrases, this will cause people to marvel. Therein lies your victory!

Believe it! Tell yourself this new truth repeatedly! If you catch yourself resorting to old self-talk, check yourself by speaking, “What did you just say?” Remind yourself that negative self-talk is like grave-digging. It can destroy you. Instead, make a daily effort speak words of life to yourself. Learn how to see yourself how your Creator (God) sees you! He says you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) in His image (Genesis 1:27)!

Encourage yourself that you have buried your old self, ways, thoughts and speech. You are living and carving a new lifestyle with new visions and goals. Speak words of life and faith into your new existence. Your dream and goals may not exist yet, but faith and faithfulness please God and Divinity is the catalyst that makes the unseen visible and the impossible, reality.

My prayer for you today is that you will monitor your thoughts and speech today. Inject the Gospel into your saying and doing. Affirm your newness! Assert your possibilities by talking to yourself in positive terms. Check your negativity and pray for the power of God to deliver you from evil and deposit you on the shores of your dreams.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord of our lives, fill us with your Holy Spirit today. Guide us into the experience of dying to and burying our limitations. Give birth to the purpose for which you allow us to live. Let your voice of encouragement be what we hear that catalyzes our actions and successes. As we live through this day, may those around us see your impact within us. Give to us divine validation and grant us your peace (Philippians 4:7). In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Choose Life” (song) by Big Tent Revival. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Chaplain Anderson served for 20 years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Over 26 years of active duty, he was promoted through the ranks from Seaman Apprentice (E2) to his final rank as Commander (O5) in the Chaplain’s Corps. 

Prior to his Naval career, Chaplain Anderson pastored in the Allegheny East and Potomac Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists. His undergraduate preparation for ministry was completed at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md.

He has subsequently earned four graduate degrees: a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in Michigan, a Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and a Masters of Sacred Theology in Religion and Culture from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry degree was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Chaplain Anderson also completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also holds certifications in Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Civil Mediation, Alternative Workplace Dispute Resolution, Temperament Analysis, Marriage Enrichment, Workforce Diversity, and is a certified Life Coach.

You may connect with Chaplain Anderson via email at this address, psanderson75@gmail.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: A life lesson on exercise and God's love

How exercise helps me love myself as God loves me
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” –Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

A few months ago, worn down by tension headaches, I was frustrated. Nothing brought relief—not medicine, sleep, or even massage. I was desperate for relief. I decided to try an experiment: do some simple stretching exercises daily for a few weeks and see what happens.

After a week, my headaches were much improved. One afternoon after a hard deadline on my newspaper, a headache began to rear its ugly head. I slipped into something comfy and started my routine. Within five minutes, my headache was gone.

I kept my stretching up daily, and soon I noticed more than just headache relief. I was becoming more in tune with my body and more appreciative of it. I was learning to focus on deep breathing and allowing myself grace. I was calmer, happier. I felt stronger, too. Soon, I added back in a daily walk, another something I’d let slip. This week, I’m adding in some arm weights and pushups, too.

For I’ve noticed something significant: All this attention I’m paying to my physical body, the care I’m giving myself through stretching and other exercise, is helping me grow as a Christian, too.

See, part of what I enjoy about exercise is its focus on centering myself in the now and appreciating the moment and the body I’ve been given. As a driven, type-A personality who loves a plan, I can get so focused on the future, on results, that I zip on by the “journey” part of life. I like to have a “job,” a task, something to focus on, and admittedly have a tough time relaxing.

Yet the Bible verse from the first half of Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God” (NIV), began calling to me some years ago, beckoning me to sit and rest at God’s feet and know in my soul that He has it all under control. Doing things in nature, such as hiking or photography, help me do just that—be. Be still. Be still and know, truly know, that the Great I Am has His infinite hand upon me now and forever.

Still, I’m a busy working mom and wife jugging what can feel like a gazillion priorities. And most days—while I want to relax, to be a “Mary” from Luke 10:38-42 sitting rapt at Jesus’s feet—I’m going ninety miles an hour, barely stopping to sit down for lunch.

When I do take that time to slow down, I’m better for it, both as a person and as a child of God.

That’s what daily exercise has been helping me understand. Taking the time to breathe, to stretch, to feel the glorious wonder of muscles and tendons and skin all working together in a beautiful dance of flexibility and rhythmic movement, is a beautiful reminder of the blessings God has given us. As Psalm 139:14 (NIV) reminds me about the Lord, “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Remembering that, remembering the omnipotence and glory of God and my place in His creation, is an important aspect of my faith journey. When I’m rushing here and there, never stopping or slowing down, I’m focused on the world, on doing, on me—not on God or love or peace or anything of the things He wants me to care about.

But that’s one critical thing we are offered in Jesus: Peace. Rest. Reprieve.

Colossians 3:15 (NIV) tells us we are to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

And Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) says we should not be anxious but instead turn it all over to God, for when we do that, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

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

For me, exercise gets me to that state of renewal, that reminder of the importance of fusing mind, body, and soul in unity with God. You might run, or nap in a hammock, or spend the day in a canoe fishing—whatever it is you do, prioritize that. Know that rest, refreshment, and renewal is important in our spiritual walk, no matter how culture tries to convince us otherwise.

Comment below—what do YOU do to find renewal?

Let’s Pray: Dear God, thank you for the body You have given me. Help me appreciate it, knowing I am created by You to be a beautiful masterpiece, a magnificent creation. Help me to know I am wholly and fully loved now and always. In Your name I pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden. 

She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism, and a member of the Wholly Loved Ministries team. 

Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at http://jessicabrodie.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Walking dusty roads and loving people

Walking a Dusty Road
A devotional by Kay Pflueger

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 

–1 John 3:16-18 (NIV)

I am plagued with wide feet and as such, I have a difficult time finding shoes that fit and that I actually like. A few years ago, I bought a pair of bright pink athletic shoes that were wide enough and were comfortable. I was so excited to find them. My thoughts were that they would be perfect for my daily walks and would help motivate me to exercise more since they would be so much fun to wear. I envisioned taking leisurely walks and counting my steps on my Fitbit.

I am sure you are familiar with the saying, “The pathway to Heaven is paved with good intentions.” I had good intentions when I bought those shoes but they have spent more time on the floor of my closet than they have walking the sidewalks of my neighborhood. Funny thing is that unless I take the time to put the shoes on and lace them up, they will still sit in my closet. They will not walk those sidewalks unless they are on my feet.

Those pink shoes are much like our good intentions. We have good thoughts about reaching out…about offering to help...but unless we put those thoughts into action, they sit idle. Loving others is not a passive thing … it involves walking the walk, not just talking the talk. It takes putting on those shoes, lacing them up and getting out and moving. Do you have shoes of good intentions? Hopefully they are not still sitting in the closet like my pink shoes.

Jesus Christ spent His time walking the dusty roads of the Holy Land. He encountered people on those roads…people who heard His words or felt His touch and were healed. His feet were calloused and dirty but that did not stop Him from His mission. He put on his sandals every day and went out into the world.

The most well-known parable told by Jesus is the story of the selfless love of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37). It is interesting to me that even those who do not know the Lord are familiar with this story. It happened that the Samaritan, as he was walking, came upon a man who had been beaten and robbed. Even though this man was a stranger to him, he made certain the injured man was taken care of and his wounds tended to. He lived out the words found in the verse above from 1 John 3:16-18. His actions showed the love of God.

To come upon a such a scene as the Samaritan did may not be likely in your own neighborhood. But then, when have you driven by someone who needs a meal, or neglected to call a friend whom you know could use some encouragement, or failed to reach out to welcome a visitor to your church because of how they look?

God wants us to “walk the dusty roads” in our own neighborhoods. Just think how you might meet someone who needs a “good Samaritan” in their life today.

I encourage you to ponder on this…How dusty are you willing to get your shoes?

~*~
Author Bio:

Learning to read as a young child opened a world of adventure for Kay Pflueger. She came to realize that words can have a unique power and beauty. 

Choosing to share those words in her devotional writings has become a joyful and rewarding experience for her. As a widow, she feels a special affinity towards those who are grieving or experiencing loss.

When she is not spending time with her married son and three grandchildren, she is either reading, cooking, writing, or working on pursuing her Copyediting Certification.

Kay is an avid baseball fan who looks forward every summer to following her favorite team, the Chicago Cubs. 

Kay is an active member of Victory Lutheran Church in her hometown of San Diego California.

She enjoys writing devotions to be shared on her church’s website and personal social media.

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Connect with Kay:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kay.m.pflueger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irishsweetpea/

Devotional by Laura Thomas: Running the Race that God Marked Out for You

Spiritual Fat
A devotional written by Laura Thomas

How do you feel about running? We tend to fall into one of two camps: the enthusiastic, marathon-goal, effortless gazelles, or the eye-rolling, couch-preferring, pretty-much-exhausted plodders. Personally, I think I’m somewhere in the middle, I love the IDEA of running. Unfortunately, my body is not always agreeable.

Running an actual race is a whole other thing. That gets most of us skittish. Yet here we are, each one of us running the “race marked out for us”, the race of our lives. Some shuffle, some struggle, some bound with effortless energy toward the goal. Those “effortless energy” types have one thing in common—they are all in really good shape. They shed the pounds and got rid of any hindrances.

“Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”~Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

The previous chapter in Hebrews lists the greats of the Old Testament—such ancients as Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. They are our “great cloud of witnesses” recorded to encourage us. None of them lived perfect lives on easy street. In fact, they were all presented with seemingly insurmountable hurdles throughout their races. But they chose to dig in, shed the “pounds” of sin that might slow them in their endeavor to follow God, and they persevered in spite of all the odds.

What is it that weighs us down in our pursuit of living a Christ-filled life? It’s so easy to be drowned by worry, enslaved by fear, consumed by work, distracted by the sparkly things in life, or simply disillusioned. When we carry these extra pounds of sin—and that could be absolutely anything that takes our focus from the Lord—the race is decidedly harder. It’s like running through bog mud in the pouring rain. The journey is miserable, the blessings to others and ourselves are dampened, and we are tangled miserably in our hindrances.

“Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.” 

~Hebrews 12:1b-2 (The Message)

We need to slim down by shedding our spiritual fat!

Just as a focused runner prepares for a marathon by losing the extra weight to run lean and keen, so we need to “throw off’ the excess baggage weighing us down. Not flippantly disregarding our sin, but rather laying it down before the One who bears our every burden. Sometimes it can be a painful process, but once that metaphorical Band-Aid is stripped off, we heal and move much more easily. And then we can joyfully and energetically run the “race marked out for us”.

David, one of the Old Testament late greats, cried out, “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”~Psalm 54:4 (NIV)

We aren’t in this race alone. God so desires for us to live joy-filled, Christ-glorifying lives, and He WILL sustain our every step. The faltering foot, the confident stride, the desperate dash, the persistent plod, the weakest limp… He will never leave us to run alone. Never.

It’s healthy to reflect once in a while on how our walk/run is progressing and to keep a check on what’s weighing us down. All of us have some spiritual slimming to do in order to run effectively; it’s an on-going process, isn’t it?

Surely, we should want the race to be more like an energizing sprint on a perfectly sunny day with the end in sight, pulse racing, a feeling of joy and contentment in our every step. We all know there will be hurdles and pitfalls en route, but with God as our Sustainer, we can strive to strip off our sin, shed the spiritual fat, focus on Him, and “run the race with perseverance” all the way to the finish line.

Transforming hindering pounds to limitless bounds and spiritual fat to fit!

~*~
Author bio: 

Laura is a published Christian author with a heart for inspiring and encouraging readers of all ages. 

She is truly multi-genre—with a published Christian teen fiction trilogy, marriage book, children’s stories, devotionals for Union Gospel Press, musings on her blog, and she now has a literary agent representing her Christian romantic suspense novel. 

Laura is English and Canadian, married to her high school sweetheart, mom of three, passionate about faith and family…and chocolate. 
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Connect with Laura:
Website - www.laurathomasauthor.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Laura-Thomas-183771121724664/?ref=hl
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Laura_Thomas_
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lauracthomas/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/lauracthomas/

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