by Phillip Lemons
**Have you been having angry outbursts recently? Have you become a negative person? This Online Bible Study will help you. http://thelife.com/study/lovebusters.html?section=angry_outbursts&ft=BSG-OS
Sometimes I think there are two people living in this body. One is positive thinking, ready to take on the world. The other is scared, always hiding where it’s safe. I like positive Phil. He’s fun to be around, people respect him and he makes a difference. Scared Phil, on the other hand, I loathe. He believes he has failed even before he tries. He believes people tolerate him. I want positive Phil to live and scared Phil to die.
So why does scared Phil keep showing up? How do I get rid of him, permanently? It’s like he’s handcuffed to me and I’m stuck with him until one of us has served his time. Why is positive Phil missing when I need him most? He comes, visits, then goes back to where ever he came from.
When I was a kid, I wanted my own section of the garden. Dad gave me a row and I planted what I wanted in my row. Tomatoes, bell peppers and corn. Having my own row in the garden meant I was responsible for the care of the row. I’d come home from school, go out to the garden and water my row. Every day I hoped to see one of the plants poking up out of the ground. Four or five days had passed, I had watered them as I was taught and still, there wasn’t a sprout to be seen. I grew frustrated. This garden wasn’t fun anymore. It was work. It wasn’t long until I was giving my bike the attention my garden needed. My plants didn’t grow well. They didn’t produce much and what they did produce wasn’t very good. I had a good crop of weeds, though. I wanted to have a good garden, but wanting didn’t get me a good garden.
What if the two Phils are like my garden? What am I doing to nurture positive Phil? Or have I grown impatient because I haven’t seen results after a couple of days? One thing’s for sure, scared Phil grows, even when I’m not trying to grow him. Growing positive Phil is hard work. I want positive Phil to grow, but just wanting won’t make it happen.
However, I don’t have to work alone in growing positive Phil. There is Someone who wants to help. Someone who is able to do much more than just want. “And I am sure that God, who began this good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again” (Philippians 1:6 NLT).
Father God,
In Your Word, You’ve told me what it takes to grow up to be Your man. But it’s hard and I get frustrated and impatient when I don’t see immediate results. Give me courage to live for You when I’m scared. Give me strength to keep going when I’m weak and tired. Finish the work You’ve started in me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Questions: How can we become the positive person that God wants us to be? Have you noticed lately that the negative person is showing up more and more? Why?
About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalformen/authors/phillip-lemons/
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February 29th, 2008 at 5:21 am
Yes…I see the negative person growing stronger than the positive. It makes me angry at me…..and keeps a cloud of depression that too often sweeps over me.
I am sure I must spend more time in the Word and get involved with things that will feed my spirit….
February 29th, 2008 at 6:21 am
WHO I AM IN GOD
You are a born again child of God. Who is delivered from the powers of darkness. Redeemed from the hands of the enemy. You ARE called with a Holy calling you are created in His image, and not of this world. You are one who is of the Household of faith. And I know you are in Love with God, you seek first the Kingdom & Righteousness. Abiding in His love, healed by His stripes, Free from all fear.
You are crowned with His Loving Kindness & Tender Mercies. You are redeemed from the curse of the law. You are free from the law of sin and death. Being an heir of eternal life and to the blessing of Abraham. You are an Heir of God and joint Heir with Jesus. You are blessed with ALL Spiritual Blessings His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. You Are Strong in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus. You are in right standing with God. Established in righteousness living in His kingdom. As you humble yourself, Cast all Cares upon Jesus. Get your needs met by Jesus.
You are able to be a partaker of the inheritance, giving thanks to the Father. Awakening to Righteousness & Sinning Not. Commended to God & the Word of His grace which Is Able to build you up. Believing God’s Word. You are blessed because you hear the word of God and keep it. Stay abiding in Jesus & His words abide in you. Always Meditate on God’s Word. Live by every word that precedes from God, not man. Be rooted & built Up in Him & established in the Faith. Build your House Upon the Rock. Being Transformed by the Renewing of your Mind. As you increase in the Knowledge of God. Let His truth set you free.
You are covenanted to God. He will fill you with Joy and peace in believing. Laboring together with God. You are a servant of the Most High, having the mind of Christ. Walking in Newness of Life Led by His Spirit Trusting in the Lord. Acknowledging Him in All your ways. Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ parting of His Divine Nature. Walking with Love & Living by Faith. Predestined to be conformed to His Image pressing on to His High Calling. Allow the Greater One to dwell in you. Let your request be known to God. Asking in the Name of Jesus receiving the request you’ve asked for. Receiving all the promises of God FULLY Convinced that what God has promised He Is Able to Perform.
A believer abiding in His Rest WALKING & ACTING like the Word is true holding fast our confidence, which has great reward. The elect of God filled with the Holy Spirit COMPLETE in Him. Going in His name, strong in the Lord & in the power of His might. Be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom & spiritual understanding. Not moved by what you see or hear. Be strong in Faith, giving glory to God, Not Wavering with Doubt or Unbelief. Be an Imitator of Jesus walking as He walked. Praying without ceasing, as you walking by faith not by sight.
Cast down those vain imaginations, bringing every thought into captivity to God’s word. Holding fast your confession of Faith. Call Things that be not as though they are. Fight the Good Fight of Faith. Reigning in life, exercising your faith & patience. Considering Jesus, the Apostle & High Priest of your Confession observing & doing the Lords commandments. Putting on Love, as you loving your neighbors. As you walk in the Wisdom of God. Remember kings & priest, givers intercessors, while Wearing God’s Armour. Do all things through Christ Who Strengthens you. Daily overcoming the devil. You are more than a Conqueror. Overcoming by the Blood of the Lamb & the Word of your testimony. Exercising your Authority over the enemy. Destroying the works of the devil. Know That Nothing Can Separate you from the Love of God. And in everything giving thanks.
You are Establishing God’s Word Here on the Earth, Receiving Abundantly, above all you ask or Think! Walking Worthy of the Lord, telling everyone about Jesus Thinking on these Things Giving God All the Glory Blessing the Lord at All Times. Continually praising the Lord with your mouth. Definitely Looking For His Soon Return. Holding fast your confidence, which has great reward. You are the elect of God filled with the Holy Spirit. You are complete in Him. Going in His Name Strong in the Lord & in the Power of His Might. Filled with the Knowledge of His Will in All Wisdom & Spiritual Understanding. Wearing God’s Armour Doing All Things through Christ Who Strengthens you daily overcoming the devil. You are more Than Conquer! Exercise your Authority over the enemy Destroy all the Works of the Devil.
February 29th, 2008 at 6:56 am
Lord, thank You for sending this word in due time.Thank You for reminding me that He who started this good work in me is able to complete it. I’m grateful Lord.
Maureen
February 29th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Oh! Phillip, were you really talking about me?? It’s so easy to see the positive and courage in others, but I too can see the “scared” girl in me that always wants to hang around. I do know that spending time with Him in Word and prayer makes a difference in my day and how I feel and act, which helps the positive me overcome the scared me. However, it would just be nice to not have the scared me want to still hang around.
I’m starting to lose my hair due to the coumadin I take, plus my lupus medication. Why or why does that earthly part of me be so discouraged? Through the grace of God I have handled having a stroke at a young age, having to go on disability and giving up my profession, and then 5 years later being diagnosed with lupus and dealing with the pain it causes. (Both are caused by the same antibody in my blood which only 2% of the people have.) This newest side effect of hair loss really has me scared scared and discouraged.
February 29th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Judy,
Daddy takes coumadin too, has for as long as i can remember since 1984. IF you up your Iron your hair will start growing back. My dad is so excited his hair is growing back after all these years. On his arms where they were bald, his head, his face and even his legs. he was pretty bare. it was due to side effect of the medicine. It took a while for his doctors to think to check his blood balance for nutrition. He can’t take the red pill form of Iron, I think it is called iron sulfate, he is allergic to the dye in tem. he is taking the white iron pills. the hair started coming back in after about three months of taking the iron.
February 29th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Thank you, Blessed of God Sandra Haley.
Do you know how much iron your father has to take? I do take extra iron, since it is in my nutritional shakes I take daily, but I’m wondering about the dosage he takes. I not only have the coumadin issue, but I believe the lupus and medication I have to take for it has exasberated the problem. My hair dresser started talking to me yesterday about wigs/hair pieces being an option down the road. One of the hair dressers there just purchased a hair piece for herself, since she has an issue of thinning hair. She said they tested her for lupus, since that is one of the causes of hair loss. So I guess I have a double whammy.
February 29th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
He takes SlowFe 47.5 mg. and is easy on your stomach. You can buy them at wal-Mart Daddy said it was about a month when his hair started growing back. I was not three months like I thought.
February 29th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
GOOD DEVOTIONAL TODAY
SHARON B
February 29th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
What a great devotional for those of us who aren’t confident. We have to change so many of our thinking patterns to become who CHRIST sees in us….small steps towards ‘Christhood” and doing what matters to Him in life. I love the garden analogy. I hope to water mine in God’s word!
March 7th, 2008 at 9:27 am
God is SOOO awesome!For the past three days I have been before the Lord asking Him to show me who I am.I couldn’t really put it into words but reading this devotional has made so plain to me what I’ve been dealing with for years! Thank God for you!
March 11th, 2008 at 3:07 am
i like cgat with person
March 11th, 2008 at 3:37 am
i like chat with person chang is wrong
March 11th, 2008 at 3:40 am
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March 24th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I too have been feeling negative lately. Being a young mother who has been out of school for the past 2 years. I was unable to do internships to my pregnancy and there right now is not as successful or where I hoped to be in life by now. Alot of times the negative me flares up and lays upon me feelings of hopelessness and failure. Today was one of those days, it’s amazing I feel I was led to this site by God!