Have the mind of God is to be a giver. To be a giver and not need to have anything given in return including acceptance.
We think God needs our acceptance and our praise He does not. He is suficient in and of His self.
When we find our suficiency in God we too can be generous givers and not have the need to receive in return for our sacrifice.
Our God is a generous giver. But do not be decieved because it is the giver who determins the gift and not the receiver.
Those who would tell you what you ought to give to them and try having power over your life in such a way is not having the mind of God. We do not tell God what He is to give us, right?
Doesnt God determine our gift to us? When we live in the victory and strength of God we too become generous givers and determine our gifts to those who would accept the gifts.
The rejectors are just rejectors and no amount of gift to them will change this. Only repentence of their rejecting and change of mind can do this.
I was thinking about standards we live by and what is our standard we live by?
We all have people in our lives, right? We have people who either live by a higher standard than we or we live by a higher standard that they, right?
This has nothing to do with salvation but in how we represent our lives in our communication with oneanother, in our representing our bodies with clothing and actions, How we represent our living enviroment. How we represent our giving and spending.
Are we seeking to live to a higher standard and seek to encourage others to do so or are we allowing our selves to be drawn down to a lower standard?
As my lady and I draw closer together and we determine our standard for us as a unit in oneness these questions come to mind.
A standard is not a rule or command it is only a standard to seek living by and capable of failure in times needing grace, mercy and love when we fail our our standards.
My feincee today is attending a funeral of a man my age who lived his life drunk from morning till evening. This was his standard and it killed him. He allowed himself to be drug down emotionally till the point he needed salvation from his emotion in a bottle. The sad thing is now he is alone for all eternity with his unresolved emotion and no alcohol to serve as medicine.
I really look forward to learning more about my Ladies standards and she mine and we determining together our standards for us and our family.
Think today where you are in your standards and what standards you would like to grow in and be stronger in. Pray and ask God to help you become the man or woman He desires for you to be according to His standard and be blessed beloved ones.
To be as gods - determining for ourselves what is right and what is wrong - deciding for ourselves what our standards should be.
Sad to see anyone counseling others to "determine their own standards" Suggesting that anyone should sit down with another human and decide for themselves " how we represent our lives in our communication with oneanother, in our representing our bodies with clothing and actions, How we represent our living enviroment. How we represent our giving and spending"
All of these "standards" are laid out in Scripture. Every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God is law word by virtue of the fact that God is Sovereign - He is the King of kings. The Word of God alone provides the transcendental ethical standard by which all men are required to live - believers and non-believers alike. The only difference is that a believer is given the Holy Spirit that enables him to be obedient to the law Word of God.
One ought only to study and meditate upon the Word to know what "standard" he is commanded to live under. Obedience is what is required not sacrifice.
I challenge you LTM2, as the man in your relationship to seek your "standard" only through the Word of God and not of your own self. Be one who lives in obedience to the commands of God and not one who determines for himself what is good and what is evil.
Your OP is on target. We have to study God's Word and set/measure our standards by it. Easy to say this...harder to do it, even with the Holy Spirit in us.
Because we all come from different upbringings, Teachings of God's Word...and even our language (including definitions), got saved at different ages, when contemplating marriage we DO need to discuss and determine the satandard for this new bound family to live by....work out the differences in what we believe the standards to be, understand where each stands on certain issues, and move forward as a unit representing God...and being willing to forgive when one falls short of the standard.
We also need to be willing to keep our minds open to further revelation of God's standards as we continue to grow in His wisdom and knowledge.
Also, we must be careful not condemn those who do not live to the standard we believe is the correct standard...as they may be less mature in their walk with Christ.
I hope you dont think any of my words condem people? As scripture says people who are comdemned are condemned already because they have not believe the one and only Son of God.
We either live in comdemnation through self of we live in victory through Christ. Is their a middle ground?
Your name makes me think of the song I drink alone....I walk alone. yeaaaa with no body else....I walk alone ... yea with no body else.......you know when I walk alone, I prefer to be by my self......
Honestly I am unable to walk alone. Because if I do I foul my life up.
What I have had to learn is this. When I have thoughts through prayer I have to understand what is of me and what is of God. The things of me are always dysfunctional in my ways of thinking.
In my self I am reactive and brutal. In my self I am a minipulator and selfish. In my self I am hurtful and destructive.
Like Paul writes ... In my flesh dwells no good thing. That is why I had to learn Gods words ove many years but just knowing Gods words is not enough. I had to learn the heart behind His words.
When I learned Gods heart and then that gave me something to compare it to mine. It makes it much easier to determine when it is me acting or God working through me.
That I might live in repentence for my own motives that would be born out in destructive actions towards God creation and His people. People He loves so dearly including you my friend.
You are loved by God and you are loved by me so welcome back.......
You see my friend, Because of my relationship with my Father in Heaven who raised me from a pup. My relationship with Jesus who is my example. My relationship with the Spirit of God who leads my life.
