I've reflected a lot this week about everything that is going on in my life. I wouldn't know where to begin if I tried to explain and dissect it all, but let's just say that reminding myself of the core verse that is the theme of this blog (and my Team Beachbody team as a whole) is what carries me. I keep focusing my mind on being empowered and infused with the strength of God so that I can make it through whatever I have to deal with every day. Careful thought and prayer is what works out the matters of the mind and heart. Paul said in Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV):
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
I have thought about these verses a lot this week. Breaking it down, bit by bit, we can get a picture of what our general attitude should be like and how we should handle and view everything in our life. Paul says to ALWAYS rejoice in the Lord. It's not just a statement, it's a command (and he reiterates it a second time). With that kind of emphasis, we should gather that it's pretty important to have an attitude of praise and thankfulness. He says our gentleness should be evident and that the Lord is near. God will empower us as we praise Him and when we converse with the Lord in prayer, we are to have that attitude of thanksgiving. We are far less prone to being worried and anxious when we are focused on the many blessings that we should be thanking our Father for! I seen a saying once that said: "Always thank God for what you have before you ask him for more." How true is that?!
Secondly, Paul says that when we behave in a way that's positive and thankful, we will receive peace from God; peace that surpasses anything one could understand or explain. It calms and protects our hearts and minds against anything that could negatively effect us. It's all because that positive and thankful heart brings about that wall of peace that prevents us from being shaken by anything the world can throw at us.
Paul finishes his train of thought by instructing us on what to fuel our minds with to ensure that we keep our positive attitudes intact. It's all about input and output. No matter what form you're talking about, everything has a cause and effect process. Just like you have to think about what foods you're fueling your body with, one needs to think about what they're fueling their mind and spirit with. Everyone knows that if you feed your body junk, that's what your resulting output is going to be. You feel only as good as what you're fueled with. The quality you put INTO yourself is equal to the quality you'll be able to GIVE of yourself when you expend it. That's why Paul tells us to think of good things; things that are pure, lovely, honorable, and praiseworthy. The things we watch, the music we listen to, the things we do, the people we hang out with, etc. are all going to effect our behavior. Therefore, we should really try hard to surround ourselves with the things that glorify and honor God so that we are more apt to honor God as well. Yes, in the world that we live in today, it is becoming more and more difficult. It definitely is a struggle to accomplish this when we are surrounded by so much media bombardment, negative people, and things of that nature. It's impossible to escape it completely, but when we do find those good things, we need to focus on them the most so that we aren't overcome by the negatives. Then, we can be the kind of example that Paul was; and people will see and imitate our examples too.
I hope that you are encouraged by what God has put in my heart. Focusing on prayer, positive things, and leaning on like-minded people is what helped me this week! More and more, I am reminded of how much more dependent I need to be on God and HIS strength and not my own. I am grateful for all the Lord does for me as well as the good friends and family who have been there to listen, empathize, advise, and pray for me. A BIG thank you to three friends in particular: Sarah, Steve, and Joel. You helped me make it through this week and I couldn't be more grateful for your support! I love you! Thank you also to Whitley and Racheal for the fellowship I had with you yesterday! Both of you make me smile and I love you too!
Grace and peace to you, my friends! Feed your body, mind, and spirit with good things!! Stay positive and thankful!! Be infused! God bless you!!
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