Building A Better Life – Starting Over pt1
All Scripture reference taken from the New Living Translation
We are doing a two-part series titled, “Building a Better Life.”
The goal of this series is to give you some tools, or some nuggets of wisdom on how to get ahead in life…
Today we’re going to look at starting over… Doing a reset in life.
Far too often when trying to start over, or trying to overcome some of the things that are keeping us from reaching our full potential, we do in our own strength…
Or, we’re not too sure just how to start…
Also, we’re coming out of the Easter season, and with this, changes can take place… First time salvation… Recommitment… Maybe it was a significant spiritual experience…
Some of us took the season of Lent serious and we’d like to continue with the spiritual discipline for more than forty days…
So how do we keep the momentum of a fresh start going?
In the book of Hebrews, we’re given the perfect passage on how to start over and keep the momentum going…
Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
In the previous chapter the writer lists several people in the Bible used by God who had great faith…
These are people who stepped out of their comfort zones, and allowed God to move through them, and use them as part of His plans here on earth.
As followers of Jesus, we are told that we are surrounded by those who have gone before us and paved the way for us to learn from…
These are those we read about in the Bible, and I think it’s also those who God has brought into our lives from time to time…
People we can learn from and people who can help us reach our full potential.
When it comes to starting over… To better ourselves, to better our marriage, our relationships, our work ethic, our focus in life…
To gain some traction in life, or whatever it is… We must first figure out what it is that is slowing us down.
The weight that slows us down can be anything from bad habits, unhealthy rhythms in life, bad influences… Time wasters… Moodiness… Unforgiveness…
And then the writer takes it a step further and says, “Especially the sin that so easily trips us up.”
What is our weakness that is causing us to sin? What needs to be eliminated in our lives so that we can be spiritually healthy?
When I think of this part of the verse I’m reminded of when God had a little conversation with Cain about sin in Genesis chapter 4…
And God tells Cain to gain control of himself because, “Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you… “
My first suggestion when working on building a better life would be to have someone to hold you accountable… Someone you trust spiritually…
If not a good friend, maybe your life group leader, or leader in the church…
Maybe you’re comfortable with your entire life group as your accountability partner… That’s even better!
Here’s why I say this, when it’s just us with no one to hold us accountable, it’s easier for the boundary lines to be moved… It’s easier to fool ourselves…
And if we fool ourselves in the beginning part of the starting over process…
Everything after this will not be established on solid ground… Your life and the starting over process is now on shaky, unstable ground!
We don’t ever want to fall into the trap of moving the boundary lines… Or doing what the Corinthians were doing and taking advantage of the message of grace.
1 Corinthians 10:23: “You say, “I am allowed to do anything,” but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything,” but not everything is beneficial.”
Some things may not necessarily be wrong… But are they beneficial?
In 1 Corinthians 6 Paul addresses sexual immorality with the same verbiage!
Some things are not beneficial because they are weighing us down… Keeping us from reaching our full potential in Christ…
At the same time, some things are not beneficial because they have become the sin that is tripping us up…
Things that are not beneficial will keep us from reaching our full potential in Jesus!
Each of us has a race to run in life… And we will not be successful if we are not spiritually healthy…
How can we run the race with endurance when we are weighed down by things that are keeping us from reaching our full potential?
Ephesians 4:22-24: “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy.”
This is how we initiate a reset in life… This is what we do when we want to start over… And it’s best to do this with someone as opposed to alone…
Put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy…
This is best done when we surround ourselves with the right people…
I’m constantly evaluating my life and the patterns, rhythms, and things I find myself doing…
Is this beneficial? Is this helping me reach my full potential in Jesus? Is there anything that is getting in the way of me having a clean heart before God?
Some of us could use a hard reset right now… And others a soft reboot…
Some of us may not feel like we’re clicking on all cylinders right now… Or maybe we just feel out of sync… Maybe even a little empty inside…
Could it be because we need to evaluate what is beneficial… What could be weighing us down from successfully running the race set before us…
And even more… Is there sin tripping us up?
It’s good to evaluate… Write things down… Journal if you have too… Most importantly seek the heart of God in the matter…
2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine…”
We are told to examine ourselves… Is our faith genuine… Are we being true to who we are in Christ, who we were created to be?
And then there this…
Psalm 90:12: “Teach us to realize the brevity (Shortness of time) of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”
Life is short… Make the most of it… And make the most of it by being kingdom minded…
What we do here on earth determines what we do for eternity!
One of the main factors between successes in life and failures in life is time management…
People who are good at building a better life for themselves understand the importance of time… It is the most precious commodity we have…
And time is the one thing across the board we all have the same amount of… We all have 24 hours in a day, and 168 hours in a week…
Are we seeking wisdom? Are we seeking first the Kingdom of God? Or are we wandering aimlessly though life with no real thought to what’s important?
Proverbs 17:24: “Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.”
Here’s the deal… When it comes to starting over… When it comes to building a better life…
We’re going to need to embrace the new things God is doing while we’re seeking to build something better… Something new…
Isaiah 43:18-19: “But forget all that, it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
This has been a verse I have been meditating on the past year… God is doing something new in this church… Lives are being changed… People are experiencing the presence of God in a whole new way…
I sense God is laying the groundwork for some new things for the days to come…
My job, and our job together is to look for it… “Do you see it? I have already begun,” He says!
I want to be a part of what God is blessing… What God is up to… I don’t want to miss out on what God is calling me to join Him in!
The same goes for all of us… We should be eager to move with Him…
Look and see where He’s moving and embrace the new things He’s doing…
Proverbs 19:21: “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.
When it comes to building a better life, starting over… Are we making sure our purpose is lining up with what God is calling us to do?”
We are busy people… We have families, we have careers, we have schooling, we have a lot of things going on…
But are we leaving room for the purpose and the calling that lines up with God’s Kingdom here on earth… Are we seeking the Kingdom above all else?
It is in our Kingdom seeking mindset that we welcome and embrace the new things God calls us to join Him in.
This is why we need to evaluate ourselves… Get rid of anything that is slowing us down and run the race set before us…
Here’s the most important thing to keep in mind… It doesn’t happen overnight…
Starting over takes time… Building a better life takes time…
Maybe your life is a mess and you’re looking for answers… You’re looking for help and it isn’t coming fast enough.
Genesis 8:3-5: “3So the floodwaters gradually receded from the earth. After 150 days, 4exactly five months from the time the flood began, the boat came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5Two and a half months later, as the waters continued to go down, other mountain peaks became visible.”
Finally, the boat comes to rest on land, and they must wait another two and a half months before more land became visible.
This is what I would call, “The wait… Waiting on the Lord.”
It’s when we can sense and see that things are happening… God is moving in our favor…
But it’s in the waiting that God’s Holy Spirit wiil speak and teach us the most important things.
Noah didn’t just sit in the boat and wait… He sent birds out to see if they came back with anything…
It was another 54 days until it safe to step out of the boat!!
In his waiting he was still proactive to see where God was… Where is God in this so I can follow His lead?
Ecclesiastes 3:11: “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”
We don’t always know what God is up to… But we must trust Him in the process…
He could be moving stuff out of our way… Lining things up for our success… Maybe even trying to get our attention as we’re focused on the wrong thing…
Either way we have this promise to hold on to…
Isaiah 60:22: “… At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”
At the right time God will make it happen… And He’s is not in a hurry…
2 Corinthians 6:2: “God says, “At just the right time, I heard you…””
You see, God is actually more focused on building our character in the process as we grow little by little into the person He created us to be…
To fulfill the purpose He created us for… And in the process of starting over…
In Closing…
As we look to build a better life within ourselves… We must understand that starting over takes time…
We may not see God moving on our behalf right away… It could be that He’s looking for our commitment first… Are we serious about this?
Are we serious about evaluating our lives and removing things to run the race set before us without distractions… Without things slowing us down and tripping us up?
Are we willing to do whatever it takes to stay focused on Jesus and trust Him in the process that He is leading in… To be the best version of who we were created to be?
Because here is a small truth of what we get in return…
Psalm 18:30: “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.”
(KNOW YOUR IDENTITY)
THIS IS WHO WE ARE IN HIM
1. We are complete in Him who is the Head of all principalities and power.
2. We are alive with Christ seated in heavenly places.
3. We are free from the law of sin and death.
4. We are free from oppression and fear does not come near us.
5. We are born of God and the evil one does not have a right to touch us.
6. We are holy and without blame before Him in love.
7. We have the mind of Christ.
8. We have the peace of God living in us that surpasses all understanding.
9. We have the Greater One living in us and our bodies are the temple of God.
10. We are the righteousness of God in Jesus having the privilege to have a face to face with God our Father.
11. We rule and reign as king in life trough Jesus Christ.
12. We have received the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus.
13. We have received the power of the Holy Spirit to lay hands on the sick and see them healed.
14. We have the power to cast out devils, to speak with new tongues, and walk in God’s unconditional love.
15. We have the power over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm us.
WHO ARE WE
1. We are not just conquerors but we are more than a conqueror through Him who loves us.
2. We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
3. We are His elect, full of mercy, kindness, humility, and longsuffering.
4. We are forgiven of all our sins and washed in the blood of Jesus.
5. We are delivered from the power of darkness and have been translated into God’s Kingdom.
6. We have been qualified through Jesus to receive His inheritance now in this life.
7. We are redeemed from the curse of sin, sickness, and poverty and Satan has no right to put sickness on us.
8. We are firmly rooted, built up, established in our faith and we are overflowing with gratitude.
9. We are called of God to be the voice of His praise.
10. We are healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ.
11. We have been raised up with Christ and sit in heavenly places with Him at the right hand of our Father.
WHO ARE WE
1. We are greatly loved by God.
2. We are strengthened with all might according to His glorious power.
3. We have a sound mind, and we are free from a life of fear, depression, hopelessness, and despair.
4. We are the branch of the True Vine and a conduit of Christ’ life.
5. We are a friend of Jesus, not just servants.
6. We have been justified, redeemed, and glorified through Jesus our Savior.
7. Our old self has been crucified with Christ and we are no longer a slave to sin.
8. We have no lack in our lives for God has supplied all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
9. We can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one with our shield of faith.
10. We can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us.
11. We have been called out of darkness and brought into His marvelous light.
12. We are God’s child for we are born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God.
13. We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works.
WHO ARE WE
1. We are a new creation in Jesus Christ.
2. We are a spirit being alive to God.
3. We are believers and the light of the Gospel shines through our minds.
4. We are doers of the Living Word of God and blessed in our actions.
5. We are a joint heir with Jesus Christ and an heir to our Father. Everything that is His, is now ours.
6. We are overcomers by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony.
7. We are partakers of His divine nature and can escape all the corruption of this world.
8. We are ambassadors of Christ “re-presenting” Him on this earth as His disciples.
9. We are part of a chosen generation; a royal priesthood; a holy nation; a purchased people.
10. We are the head and not the tail; we are above and not beneath.
11. We have the joy of the Lord that’s unspeakable and full of glory in our hearts.
12. We are joined to the Lord, and we are one spirit with Him.
13. We have been set free in Christ from all sickness and disease – for whom the Son sets free is free indeed.
14. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
WHO ARE WE
1. We are chosen, holy, and blameless before God.
2. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
3. We are made alive with Christ.
4. We are a citizen of heaven.
5. Our life is hidden with Christ in God.
6. We are world overcomers.
7. We are accepted by God.
8. We are children of God.
9. We are free from condemnation.
10. We are God’s co-worker.
11. We are the light sent to destroy the works of darkness.
WHO ARE WE
WE ARE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE MOST HIGH GOD
Untitled Story
Read on Air by Phil Foley, Host of Tabernacle Presbyterian Church’s Good News From Tab Program on 12/6/2000
After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church’s pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.
With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak. “A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific Coast,” he began, “when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high that, even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright, and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized.”
The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in the story. The aged minister continued with his story. “Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the life line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son’s friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of the waves. As the father yelled out, ‘I love you, son!’, he threw out the life line to the son’s friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered.”
By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister’s mouth. “The father,” he continued, “knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son’s friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son’s friend. How great is the love of God that He could do the same for us. Our heavenly Father sacrificed His only begotten Son that we could be saved. I urge you to accept His offer to rescue you and take hold of the life line.”
With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service, the two teenagers were at the old man’s side. “That was a nice story,” politely said one of the boys, “but I don’t think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son’s life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian.”
“Well, you’ve got a point there,” the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. Sorrow began to overtake the old man’s smiling face as he once again looked up at the boys and said, “It sure isn’t very realistic, is it? But I’m here today to tell you that I understand more than most the pain God must have felt to give up His only Son. For you see, I’m the man who lost his son to the ocean that day, and my son’s friend that I chose to save is your pastor.”
– Author Unknown –
