1 Corinthians 15:33, “Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”
God’s Word is the perfect example of how to live a blessed and healthy life. Knowing this and in faith believing God’s Word, why then do believers struggle with the flesh and the inert desire to live life according to their surroundings and the guidance as encouraged on this earth? Our pasts are littered with scenarios where we have allowed our environments and those around us to influence our steps, actions or reactions. If we were to sit around and dwell in the past, we could be disheartened or lose our joy for the LORD. Praise God He does not want His children to live in the past. God’s desire, His will is to see the blessings of today and the fresh beginning of a new sunrise to be indwelled within each one of us.
Knowing and accepting God’s will for a fresh start each day, we are instructed to focus upon today, repent, forgive ourselves and others and receive God’s Grace that closes the door to the past. In following His instruction, we have been encouraged to keep our eyes firmly implanted upon the LORD and His unending love for each one of His children, you and me. Yes, the past has a strong tug upon a person’s soul and if allowed could cause a person to live in constant regret and guilt. Knowing in the flesh believers would struggle with their past, God reminds us within Lamentations that we are to focus on today and the new beginnings it brings. Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us, “The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.”
How refreshing and more importantly what an example of His unconditional love for each one of us to know our Father’s mercies never end and how great is His faithfulness. God loves you and I because He created us the way we are with the talents and abilities needed to fulfill His plan for our lives. Our omniscient LORD knew our lives would be filled with detours and even expected it when He inspired Jeremiah to write Lamentations almost 3,000 years ago. That is when God expressed His love by stating in writing that we have a fresh beginning each day and no matter what, His love never ends.
As believers accepting God’s love and Grace to be freed from the bondage and influence of our pasts, we should take inspiration to live our best lives now and in accordance with His Truth. To live our best life today, it is asked that we lean into the LORD receiving His transformation of our heart, soul and spirit. As we grow closer to Him, allowing His ways to become our ways and His will our will, our spiritual selves are being recreated into His likeness. 2 Corinthians 3:18 states, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” Praise God, as the veil is removed, we are able to see, and God is able to work within each of us.
As we are released from our pasts through our transformations in Christ, one area I would like to bring forward for self-reflection are the impressions we grew up with. Our lives are subject to and molded by the environments we grew up in and in most cases at a young age we do not have the understanding that God created each of us for something greater than what we see at that moment in time. We are crafted and formed at a young age by our families, relatives, friends, and surroundings. Our influences at the time instill within each one of us historical values, cultures and ways of living that define our perceptions of this world. This passing down of family traits is how family units continue their influence within society, giving way for families to carry out who they identify as and substantiating their culture and their presence.
Along with the relevant values and culture, in some instances family units may also pass down historical fears, negative perspectives, unhealthy bias or even generational curses that family members may not be aware of or believe they can overcome. I want to encourage you this day to know, in Christ, once you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, you have access to all of His authority, wisdom and discernment. What you read in the Bible and what He lays upon your heart are within your abilities through faith and in His name. As you continue allowing Christ to increase within who you are as a believer all the while decreasing your dependence upon self, His glory gives insight and revelation to those negative areas of your life. What is encouraging and uplifting about this new revelation is that in God’s Truth and the working of the Holy Spirit, you are able to identify, overcome and push through any non-heavenly inhibitors.
As I continue to study God’s living Word, and back to the verse for this blog, one area that was brought to mind was the influence of those we continue to spend meaningful time with in our daily lives. The people we seek to hang around with and in some cases aspire to be like, either directly or indirectly. It is rather humorous, but when we are younger, we believe we know it all. We do not understand or more importantly grasp the concept of the relationship between increased age and increased knowledge. Now please keep in mind, wisdom is from the LORD and knowledge is of this world, but knowledge is developed in addition to wisdom that we may better succeed as we navigate our days.
When I was younger, I thought I had it all under control. I was the captain of my own ship and the influences of those around me did not have any aspect on how I lived my life or the thoughts that I attributed to my daily living. As my years continue to accumulate and I continue to dive deeper into God’s Word, allowing His Spirit to enhance who I am as a believer, my eyes have been opened to realize how much the environment I grew up in along with those I chose to hang around with influenced my thoughts, actions and lifestyle. Proverbs 13:20 tells us, “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.” How meaningful that is, your choice of social environments has a direct relation to the life you live. At this juncture I think it is important to add in verse 14 of 2 Corinthians 6, “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?”
How can light live with darkness and how can our spirits continually overcome darkness if that is the environment we choose to live in? I put this verse in there because many times we believe we are strong enough to overcome all influences and we need to be aware, in God’s Word there is a direct warning about those choices.
This lesson goes far beyond the associations we choose to hang around and also relates to the social influences we allow ourselves and those we love to be exposed to. What we watch on tv, research online, stream on social media, whatever the content, it has influence. Luke states in 11:34, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body is also full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.” Your eye is the gateway to the soul, good or bad. Whatever is allowed to enter your soul is what is allowed to influence your thoughts, your reactions, your spirit and your wellbeing. As believers in Christ desiring to grow closer to Him, our thoughts, hearts, and minds should be immersed in His Truth, allowing the Holy Spirit and the power of God’s Word to transform us into the faith filled overcomers we were created to be. This starts with what we allow to enter our souls and how that affects or infects who we are as saints within God’s Kingdom.
Wellbeing and our mental and physical state start with the shield of faith that protects us from the fiery arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16). Making the choice to live in an environment filled with God’s Word and Truth develops and enhances your measure of faith as given to you by God (Romans 12:3). Your faith level is dependent upon your hearing of the message and the message is brought through Christ (Romans 10:17), which as outlined within John 1:14 Christ is the Word and the Word became flesh. The Bible never contradicts God’s Word and when studied reveals how God works through all situations for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). If your environment is not in support of God’s Truth as written in His Word, how can your soul, your faith and your health be to the level needed to walk out God’s will for your life?
Proverbs 20:12 tells us, “Ears that hear and eyes that see, the LORD has made them both.” The LORD has given you and I the free will to make the choice and the needed spiritual attributes to experience Him in His glory as we are created to be Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and bring heaven to earth. I encourage you to be mindful of the ploys of this world and spend your time wisely elevating His Kingdom and not have your mind blinded by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).
May your heart be strengthened, your mind guarded and your spirit renewed as you determine and make the choice to walk in His Truth, His light and His will. That your steps would be guided and your words aligned with His promises of authority, health, blessings and favor. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray.
Shalom!!
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