It Starts Small

There is always this changing process going on inside of me. God is constantly changing my perspective, but the world wants to distract me and get me sidetracked from the best of what God has for me.

²³ “‘This is what the Lord says:
The wise person should not boast in his wisdom;
the strong should not boast in his strength;
the wealthy should not boast in his wealth.
²⁴ But the one who boasts should boast in this:
that he understands and knows me—
that I am the Lord, showing faithful love,
justice, and righteousness on the earth,
for I delight in these things.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Jeremiah 9:23-24

I think this is a very interesting passage of scripture from Jeremiah. He breaks verse 23 down to reveal three categories:

1. What I am (my soul) or wisdom
2. What I do (my body) or strength
3. What I have (my possessions) or wealth

This is the strategy Satan used in the garden.

⁶ The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Genesis 3:6

1. What I am (my soul) or wisdom – obtaining wisdom
2. What I do (my body) or strength – good for food
3. What I have (my possessions) or wealth – delightful to look at

Satan was cleverly telling Adam and Eve, “If you eat the fruit, it will give you a satisfaction God can not give you.” Satan’s lie has always been that you can live in this world satisfactory without God! Just watch the television or Ads on social media. The world promotes beauty, wisdom, and physical strength. The world wants us to believe we are missing something and we can not find happiness and fulfillment until we buy their product. The world wants you to believe that having more knowledge and obtaining degrees will make you happier.

Satan’s lies always sound good in the beginning. However, he never delivers on his promises.

If you gossip about that person, you’ll feel better
If you steal this money, you will have enough
If you watch porm, you will feel good
IF you take these drugs, drink this alcohol, buy this thing, the pain will go away
If you marry this person, they will make you happy

When we pursue things of this world to fill our needs and happiness, we are living independent of God. We march straight into the throne room and announce to God, you are not good enough, so I am going to obtain my own happiness because you are not giving me what I want. People try to go after all these things to be content and fulfilled, but they fail to realize, contentment was designed to only come from God. It is His great design that we never find happiness and contentment without Him. Only God can truly satisfy us!

Jeremiah 9:24 gives a solution:

²⁴ But the one who boasts should boast in this:
that he understands and knows me—
that I am the Lord, showing faithful love,
justice, and righteousness on the earth,
for I delight in these things.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Jeremiah 9:24

This means we should expect to know God’s heart and know Him personally! Just like a healthy marriage or a good friendship, the more time that two people spend together the more better they get to know each other. This allows the relationship to flourish and become more intimate. That is how it needs to be between us and God. As we let Him transform our thinking about things, we find a deep contentment, satisfaction, and joy that can only come from Him!

It is tempting to live the world’s way and philosophy, especially when we see other Christians living carnal lives and appearing to have everything. What we do not see is that the smile on the outside is a frown on the inside. The things of this world do not being contentment. They bring misery, pain, suffering, and death.

Jesus said:

¹⁹ “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness! ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:19-24

It is not wrong to want things, but when the motive is selfish want, it is.

³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Matthew 6:33

Seeking God first, brings us the best from Him. It comes at no cost! When God gets involved and blesses us, it will not destroy who we are or our relationship with Him and others. What God gives us is meant to prosper us and not hold us back. This is contrary to what sin does.

When temptations come, remember:

² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

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Part 1: Dos and Don’ts or Spiritual Transformation?
Part 2: Knowing God
Part 3: What Hinders Transformation?
Part 4: Temptations
Part 5: Can I trust God?
Part 6: Transformation