That Changing Power | 01.23.13

Last night, I was blessed with the opportunity to encourage a friend and brother who is seeking to move past some things in his life that have been holding him back.  I can relate to his struggle because we all have certain behavioral patterns that have emerged in our lives as a result of our exposure to ungodly spiritual influences.  Whether our exposure to these influences emanate from choices we willingly made or situations we were forced to experience, we find ourselves daily grappling with demonically influenced behaviors that have taken up residence in our souls.  And because they have made themselves at home in our minds, will and emotions, they hinder the Holy Spirit from doing His job.  I'm not talking about Him giving us goose bumps and sending us into fits of praise.  This is about the Holy Ghost conforming us into the image of Christ by helping us achieve balance, teaching us about the culture of Heaven, and empowering us to transact Kingdom business here in the Earth realm.

Here's the advice I felt led to share with my friend:

"Whatever you need to change, just commit to doing your part and allow the Holy Ghost to do His.  Make Word-based declarations over your life out loud and on purpose because you need to hear YOUR voice speaking what GOD has already spoken concerning you.  Do whatever you've got to do to, as Steve Lawrence said, 'Maintain your peace!'  Stay in worship, stay on your face before the LORD, don't entertain mess and messy folk...  And watch GOD's power rise up in you as He manifests His presence right where you are."

People of GOD, change is neither impossible nor difficult.  It just requires us to desire the end result more than the present circumstances.  Yes, it can be a bit of a struggle to press one's way past the familiar in pursuit of the promise; but stay focused and don't waiver.  Distractions will come to arouse the emotions and plant seeds of longing for the former things we enjoyed.  But we must hold fast to our profession!  Our hands must stay to the plow and our eyes on the mark.  GOD is with us and He will manifest His presence right where we are, if we would earnestly call upon His name.  GOD will comfort us.  GOD will keep us.  GOD will help us.  It is His desire that we be free, that we exist in a state of freedom.  We can indeed be free to be whom GOD has always called us to be because--YES!--GOD's got that changing power.