Renewing Your Mind (Victory Series Book #4): Become More Like Christ by Neil T. Anderson Page A
Authors: Neil T. Anderson
Tags: REL012120
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ministry more than attempting to play the role of God in another person’s life. The key is to know God and His ways and live accordingly. That way, we won’t be disappointed when He doesn’t respond the way we wanted Him to respond.
The right side of the line depicts our responsibility. God will not do for us what He has commanded us to do. God can only do that which is consistent with His nature and His Word. God cannot lie, and He will not change to accommodate us. We can’t ask God to study His Word for us when He commanded us to study it (see 2 Timothy 2:15). God will enable us to do all that He has commanded, but He will not believe for us, forgive others for us, repent for us, or assume any of our responsibilities that He has delegated to us.
Not recognizing who is responsible for what is devastating when it comes to resolving spiritual conflicts. Suppose people are terrified of a spiritual presence in their room. They pull the covers over their heads and cry out, “God, do something!” But God doesn’t seem to do anything. So they wonder, Why don’t you help me, God? You are all powerful. You can make it go away. Maybe You don’t care, or maybe I’m not a Christian. Maybe that is why You’re not helping! People question God’s love, His presence in their lives, and their salvation when they don’t know who is responsible for what.
God did do something. He disarmed the devil, made us new creations in Christ, and seated us with Him in the heavenlies. He has given us the authority and the responsibility to resist the devil. We also have the responsibility to put on the armor of God and take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. However, what will happen if we don’t assume our responsibility?
Session Four
Overcoming Anxiety
T here are two days in every week about which we should not worry—two days that should be kept free from fear and apprehension. One of those days is yesterday , with its mistakes and cares, faults and blunders, and aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control, and all the money in the world cannot bring it back. We cannot undo a single act we performed or erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.
The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow , with its possible adversaries, its burdens, and its large promise and poor performance. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow’s sun will rise either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds . . . but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.
That leaves only one day . . . today . Any person can fight the battles of just one day; it is only when you add the burdens of those two awful eternities—yesterday and tomorrow—that we break down.
It is not the experience of today that drives us mad. It is remorse or bitterness for something that happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.
Daily Readings
1. Dealing With Worry
Matthew 6:19–34
2. Double-Minded Thinking
Joshua 24:14–28
3. “Plan A” Living
Mark 7:1–9
4. Knowing God’s Ways
Jeremiah 9:1–26
5. Casting Our Anxieties on Christ
1 Peter 5:6–10
1
Dealing With Worry
Matthew 6:19–34
Key Point
There is no need to be anxious about God’s providential care if we seek Him first.
Key Verses
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Matthew 6:33–34
I n the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches that anxious people have two treasures and two visions, because they try to serve two masters. Such double-minded people inevitably worry about tomorrow and their possessions. Regarding the latter, there is the constant concern for maintaining and protecting material possessions. The second law of thermodynamics (the law of entrophy) states that without the introduction of new energy, all systems become progressively more
The right side of the line depicts our responsibility. God will not do for us what He has commanded us to do. God can only do that which is consistent with His nature and His Word. God cannot lie, and He will not change to accommodate us. We can’t ask God to study His Word for us when He commanded us to study it (see 2 Timothy 2:15). God will enable us to do all that He has commanded, but He will not believe for us, forgive others for us, repent for us, or assume any of our responsibilities that He has delegated to us.
Not recognizing who is responsible for what is devastating when it comes to resolving spiritual conflicts. Suppose people are terrified of a spiritual presence in their room. They pull the covers over their heads and cry out, “God, do something!” But God doesn’t seem to do anything. So they wonder, Why don’t you help me, God? You are all powerful. You can make it go away. Maybe You don’t care, or maybe I’m not a Christian. Maybe that is why You’re not helping! People question God’s love, His presence in their lives, and their salvation when they don’t know who is responsible for what.
God did do something. He disarmed the devil, made us new creations in Christ, and seated us with Him in the heavenlies. He has given us the authority and the responsibility to resist the devil. We also have the responsibility to put on the armor of God and take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. However, what will happen if we don’t assume our responsibility?
Session Four
Overcoming Anxiety
T here are two days in every week about which we should not worry—two days that should be kept free from fear and apprehension. One of those days is yesterday , with its mistakes and cares, faults and blunders, and aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control, and all the money in the world cannot bring it back. We cannot undo a single act we performed or erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.
The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow , with its possible adversaries, its burdens, and its large promise and poor performance. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow’s sun will rise either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds . . . but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.
That leaves only one day . . . today . Any person can fight the battles of just one day; it is only when you add the burdens of those two awful eternities—yesterday and tomorrow—that we break down.
It is not the experience of today that drives us mad. It is remorse or bitterness for something that happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.
Daily Readings
1. Dealing With Worry
Matthew 6:19–34
2. Double-Minded Thinking
Joshua 24:14–28
3. “Plan A” Living
Mark 7:1–9
4. Knowing God’s Ways
Jeremiah 9:1–26
5. Casting Our Anxieties on Christ
1 Peter 5:6–10
1
Dealing With Worry
Matthew 6:19–34
Key Point
There is no need to be anxious about God’s providential care if we seek Him first.
Key Verses
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Matthew 6:33–34
I n the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches that anxious people have two treasures and two visions, because they try to serve two masters. Such double-minded people inevitably worry about tomorrow and their possessions. Regarding the latter, there is the constant concern for maintaining and protecting material possessions. The second law of thermodynamics (the law of entrophy) states that without the introduction of new energy, all systems become progressively more
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