Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
What is the one thing that keeps you from stepping out toward the big dream you have?
What if that one thing was removed from your path? Would you step forward? Or would you find one more thing that’s keeping you from taking that step?
As I have listened to women talk about their dreams of what is still ahead in life there is often a sadness; a focus on “if only”. Sometimes that ‘if only’ is tied to an event in the past. Sometimes that ‘if only’ is attached to an expected outcome. Both are rocks in the path that cause them to stumble.
We do not live in the past. We do not know the future. We live in the gift of this moment; the present.
The events of our past may legitimately be terrible experiences. We may have scars to prove it. If we stay focused on the ‘if only’ we are clinging to a false sense of reality and denying the sovereignty of God. Boom. That’s harsh but true. How do we let go of the past?
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
I’m not saying pretend that bad things didn’t or won’t happen. I’m saying put the true bad things in the Hands of the One who saw and has the power to redeem. And then LET GO.
Clinging to the past keeps us from having open hands to the present.
What if your issue is looking ahead and anticipating the bad things, the stumbling blocks that could be or might be in your path? The opposite side of hanging on to the past is worry about the unknowns of the future. What do you do if you’re plagued with worry?
The answer is still the same: Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Renewal comes from God. His Word is life, truth, light to our path. Get in It.
Well-intentioned, faithful women (I include me in this) have stumbled again and again in similar ways. What keeps us from simply being renewed? From simply doing the work of verse memory? From living out what we say we believe? From trust that God will come through?
Mindset.
It’s the familiar path your thoughts take when you are faced with something new.
Stop for a minute and think about how you talk to yourself (either aloud or in your head)
Are you loving and encouraging in the face of mistakes or unknowns? Or are your words harsh, critical and demeaning? Do you say things to yourself you would NEVER say to a friend or a child? If your mindset is a negative one, you set yourself up for discouragement and setbacks time and again.
The work of changing your mindset needs external support. Talking out your dreams and aspirations and facing the real or perceived rocks in your path can help you in the work of transformation. That’s what I do. As a Christian Life Coach my role in my clients’ lives is to listen and ask questions; questions that help each client clarify what is their next step to take. I have the distinct privilege of sitting with a woman, prayerfully listening for God’s wisdom for that woman and asking the question that causes them to ponder below the surface of the everyday.
“Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within.” (Proverbs 20:5 The Message)
Let go of the past. Look forward with joyful anticipation. Live in the present.
Sound too good to be true? Let’s talk.