What Are You Thinking??!!

We never rise to our godly potential, unless we are detoxed -- renewed – sanctified.    Unless we risk 'naming and claiming' God's original intent.

And what is God's original intent?  It’s the Gospel – which calls us away from negativity and sin, toward  the redeeming desire of the Lord.   Peter says it best in Acts 15: “God -- who knows the heart -- showed that He accepted [all -- including the Gentiles] by giving the Holy Spirit to [all]…[God does] not discriminate … for [God purifies all] hearts by faith…[For] it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved…”  (Acts 15:8-11).

Did you catch the operative words?  Not words like – screw up – failure – flawed – hopeless.  But words like:  acceptance – giving – purification – grace.   

I especially love the word grace, for far too few of us are gracious – especially to ourselves.   I mean far too few of us think of ourselves as God thinks of us -- as:  strong – gifted – destined.   But you’ll never move forward unless you think of yourself as God thinks of you.

And what does God think of you?

Why God thinks thoughts of incredible potential!  For you O God "...knit me [together] in my mother’s womb…[and thus] -- I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret -- and intricately and skillfully formed [as if embroidered with many colors]…Your eyes have seen my unformed substance.  And in Your book were all written the days that were appointed for me -- when as yet -- there was not one of them [even taking shape]  (Psalm 139:13-16, The Amplified Bible).    

So you are not an accident, but intended, as a very focused part of God’s intent and dream.  And so claim God’s intent and dream -- for you -- as a strong – gifted – destined – child – of His.  

If ever there was someone destined it was Albert Einstein. But Einstein’s destiny was far from being a coincidence – it was birthed from a dream. To be precise:  a reoccurring dream that Einstein had as a child of sledding down a hill faster and faster and faster – until he approached the speed of light; why as Einstein dreamed – the stars radiated a broad spectrum of colors – and Einstein was entranced.  And each time Einstein awoke – Einstein was determined – that someday he would understand his dream.  

And the rest is history – as Einstein kept pursuing his dream – researching – experimenting – writing – lecturing – hypothesizing – until Einstein arrived at his famed E=mc2 equation – determining that energy is equal to mass multiplied by the speed of light square – thus finally – fulfilling the intrigue, wonder and calling of his dream. (Adapted:  Mark Batterson and Richard Foth, A Trip Around the Sun (Baker Books, 2015), page 78

God wants you to fulfill the intrigue, wonder and calling of His dream – lodged in deeply in you – before the beginning of time!   For when God first thought of you, long before you were born, God didn’t think in general terms – God thought in very specific terms – envisioning for you – dreaming for you – a gracious and intentional future.  

So claim God’s gracious and intentional future – going beyond your thoughts -- claiming God's thoughts.    For you were “…fearfully and wonderfully made…and intricately and skillfully formed [as if embroidered with many colors]…” (Psalm 139:13-16, The Amplified Bible).   

And so cleanse your thought pattern – dwelling on God’s thoughts -- visions of redemption and grace.    For it's true:  we never rise to our godly potential, unless we are detoxed -- renewed – sanctified.    Unless we risk 'naming and claiming' -  pondering -- God's original intent!