Five R’s toward Joyful Change (Repent & Redirect)

Our theme Scripture Luke 15:10: there is joy in God’s presence over one who repents (changes their mind and amends their ways). This is not a new year’s resolution but is being intentional and resolute to share the joy God in us by humbling ourselves, detaching from the world and being transformed in His love. Here are some things to examine as we participate in and are united with the body and blood of Jesus our Lord.

1. Red Flags: recognize “Triggers” and take a step that HALTS a pattern of sin. Example: if tired get better rest; if stressed exercise; take steps to get support.

H=hungry for love/satisfaction;

A=angry/frustration;

L=lonely/insecure;

T=tired;

S=stressed or depressed.

2. Reflex: interrupt the unhealthy habitual reflex. Stop/slow down/breathe/be still/meditate.

3. Ritual: instead of moving toward the unhealthy thing or sin pattern, substitute it with a phone call or visit for accountability or to do good for someone else. Practice God’s presence and receive and give God’s love.

4. Result: remind yourself of the negative result of the habitual sin (shame, guilt, humiliation, bondage or fearful consequence). Realize you can make different choices than the reoccurring bondage.

5. Repentance into mind renewal: Above are four steps of repentance but they are incomplete without change in both conscious and unconscious thought patterns. Biblical transformational change is progressive, one moment at a time. We gradually know Him better, love Him more and use our bodies and all created things for his glory. We participate in His likeness and image. True repentance moves forward from asking for merciful forgiveness into profiting from receiving the “power of his grace that teaches us to say, ‘No,’ to sin.” 
   
   
   
   
   -PD
   
   
   
   
    

CHANGE TO CHANGE

CHANGE TO CHANGE

by Dwight Cunkle

Our only hope of change is to change. Change our direction in repentance from seeking our own way to seeking God. Seeking spiritual changes within us will cost us detachment from worldly things but lead to true satisfaction and fruitfulness.

Psalm 63

1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

    my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,

    beholding your power and glory.

3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,

    my lips will praise you.

4 So I will bless you as long as I live;

    in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,

    and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

6 when I remember you upon my bed,

    and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

7 for you have been my help,

    and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

8 My soul clings to you;

    your right hand upholds me.

Read the Psalm slowly noticing the contrast between thirst and satisfaction in God.

It seems that they are linked together. On the other hand, the more I fill myself with earthly things the less room in my soul for God and I am still hungry.

Hunger is the opposite of having no desire - being complacent or self-dependent.

We used to sing a song, “Only You can satisfy.” An even older song was “Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Come and quench this thirsting in my soul.”

What does it mean to be hungry and thirsty for God? I am well acquainted with trying to find fulfillment and satisfaction in the things or even relationships in this world. The prophet Jeremiah called it trying to drink from broken cisterns. On the other hand when I seek God with my whole heart “the things of this world become strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.”

How hungry am I? Look at our present life, friends, family, church, culture to see how hungry we actually are for God. This is us asking, seeking and knocking.

But if from there you will seek (inquire for and require as necessity) the Lord your God, you will find Him if you [truly] seek Him with all your heart [and mind] and soul and life. When you are in tribulation and all these things come upon you, in the latter days you will turn to the Lord your God and be obedient to His voice. (Deuteronomy 4:29, 30 AMP)

As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6, 7 AMP)

At that time [when that day comes] you will know [for yourselves] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I [am] in you. (John 14:20 AMP)