Seed Thoughts

//Lynette Hagin

I am so grateful for the values my parents taught me as a young child, by both precept and example. God was always placed first in our life and home. Time after time they quoted to me Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” I learned that verse in the King James Version. However, I like it in the New Living Translation: “ ‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.’ ”

 

Live righteously—we don’t hear those words quoted too often these days. But they are words we need to be reminded of frequently. In church and at home, I was also taught Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” I like this verse in the New Century Version (1991): “When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death. But God gives us a free gift—life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

There is a saying, “Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” Sin has consequences. But I’m so grateful for a loving and merciful God Who has made provision for us in First John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When we ask for forgiveness, God forgives and forgets our mistakes, and we should too. We do not have to live under condemnation for past mistakes. However, we should strive to live a godly and consecrated life for Him. Romans 12:1–2 (NLT) says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

We should submit to God, commit our lives to Him, and allow Him to transform us by giving us a new way of thinking. In order to hear His instructions, we must live close to Him. How do we do that? By setting aside time every day to read the Bible and communicate with the Father in prayer. We must let His Word speak to our hearts.

I encourage you to read Galatians chapter 5 often. It will help you identify how to walk in the Spirit so you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. And of course we should read First Corinthians 13, the love chapter, each day. Exercising the love walk will help us know how to respond in adverse situations. Many years ago I was having trouble forgiving those who had wronged me. I had to read Mark 11:25 every day: “ ‘But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too’ ” (NLT).

Another scripture I read daily was Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” When you pray for your enemies each day, after a while love begins to govern your thoughts and actions.

Wherever you are struggling to keep the flesh under—find scripture that applies to your case. Read it daily or many times a day until you have conquered in that area of your life. I encourage you not to override your conscience (the guide that God has placed inside each of us). When you continually override that, your heart becomes hardened and you lose your ability to hear God’s voice. He warns us in Hebrews 3:8 (NLT), “ ‘Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness.’ ”

And Hebrews 3:12–14 (NLT) admonishes us, “Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.”