Yes you can.
Things we naturally find devastating, confusing, hurtful or overwhelming don’t have to consume us. They don’t even have to direct our thoughts. We may feel them, but God has given us something to meditate on day and night, so that we are changed and transformed by it.
The bible.
Proverbs 20:27 (AMP)
The spirit (conscience) of man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching and examining all the innermost parts of his being.
We can often shut out the light of God by not allowing ourselves to be examined. Rather, we delight more in examining our emotions, or more preferably, other people. But those things don’t allow God’s benefit in our lives.
Proverbs 20:27 (AMP, Classic Edition)
The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.
If we shut our spirit down, God’s spirit can’t proceed in us. Whatever we fill ourselves with is what proceeds in us.
Much of what is wrong with us or our circumstance is our own reasoning and excuses. Ooo.
We pray that God will change things, and we suffer with distresses, but are we meditating on the things God tells us to? If we're not, we stay in a carnal, or soulish, state because we’re not grafting ourselves to the thoughts of the Holy Spirit moment by moment.
It takes our choice, plus discipline of the mind to do that, coupled with the Holy Spirit.
When we feel defeated, it's because we're not submitted.
Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP)
But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law [that can bring a change – AMP, Classic Edition].
The fruit of the Spirit comes from His Spirit, not our own thoughts or will. But if we can continually surrender our conscience to His Spirit to expose what needs to be changed, we will see change.
We can work through hard things with clarity and joy when we have the mind of Christ. To have the mind of Christ, we need to be submitted to His thoughts and feelings. All we have to ask ourselves is, what do we want more? Him? Or me?
John 15:5-11 (Easy-to-Read Version)
“I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit. But separated from me you won’t be able to do anything. If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be like a branch that has been thrown out and has dried up. All the dead branches like that are gathered up, thrown into the fire and burned. Stay joined together with me, and follow my teachings. If you do this, you can ask for anything you want, and it will be given to you. Show that you are my followers by producing much fruit. This will bring honor to my Father. “I have loved you as the Father has loved me. Now continue in my love. I have obeyed my Father’s commands, and he continues to love me. In the same way, if you obey my commands, I will continue to love you. I have told you these things so that you can have the true happiness that I have. I want you to be completely happy.
Application to real life:
My son, Dante, had a difficult first half of the year with a difficult teacher and difficult students in his class. The atmosphere became problematic for him to learn in. We prayed for the first two terms that God would help him in his thinking and his attitudes. We prayed for the fruit of the Spirit to be at work in Him and that this would be a blessing to others and a comfort to him. We talked with the teacher and tried different things in the second term. We submitted it to God, did what we could to bring a better result, and waited on God. In these things, I tried to teach Dante he could persevere and succeed, while he allowed God to shape, mould and teach him. But we still prayed that God would change the situation for the better.
Suddenly, in the third term there was an unexpected shift in teachers across the year's classes, and my son was able to move classrooms to be taught by teachers he'd previously flourished under, and with students who were better for him in the work environment. We submitted, persevered, and waited, and God heard, watched, and moved the situation for his good.
Now, Dante has a reminder that he can do hard things with God's help, and that God is able and willing to do above and beyond what we can humanly do.
Maybe you have an application in your own life. How is God wanting you to think, and how might He be able to change things, if you surrender to His Spirit?
Blessing, honour, glory and power belong to Him and He desires to share this wealth with us when we submit ourselves to His light.
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