"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
Don't Turn Inward. Turn Upward And Outward!
Unhealthy inward thinking is a threat to our joy in Christ. What is unhealthy inward thinking? Let me give a few examples:
- "No one really likes me."
- "I fail at everything I do."
- "I don't like the way God made me."
- "I wish my husband was more like him."
- "I wonder what they think of me?"
- "If God cared about me He would fix that."
- Fixating for hours on your decisions or words.
Pastor Jared Mellinger writes, "If you are currently lost in the maze of introspective concerns, aware of the confusion and chaos within, and burdened by renegade self-reflection, the best thing you can do is soak in the sunshine of God’s truth."
If we are going to be contagious Christians who love our neighbors as we love ourselves, we must soak in truth, believe it, and obey it! Truth is a person, and His name is Jesus Christ! Drinking deeply from Jesus will result in rivers of living water flowing out of us through the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Practical strategies for growing in God's joy, peace, and hope:
1. Go to the Word daily and hear the voice of Jesus! Soak in the light of truth. Spend 20-30 minutes (minimum) meditating on the Word, praying, and singing.
2. Confess grumbling, gossip, negativity, selfish thinking, and overindulgence as sin. Allow time for the Holy Spirit to reveal other sins and bring them into the light. Accept God's forgiveness and thank Him for the righteousness you have which comes from Christ and Christ alone!
3. Download the Alarmed app for your phone (iPhone) and, if possible, have it remind you every hour during the day of the truth God has revealed to you in His Word.
4. When you feel overwhelmed with despair or depression, preach the gospel to yourself. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2).
It's all about Jesus!
