Today’s Scripture:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
– 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
“I NEED AN EXTREME MAKEOVER”
Spiritual resolutions for the new year, if made, tend to be given even less weight than the dietary, career, business, and other various new year resolutions that many people traditionally make. However, as a believer and Kingdom citizen, we would be remiss if we don’t make spiritual resolutions;our spiritual life IS our life. The Bible says, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). At the beginning of every new year, it is so important to recalibrate and realign ourselves in the spirit back with God.
One of the weekly teachings that I encouraged partners in my ministry to focus on during our annual 21-day consecration is my KIA (Kingdom in Action) Guide on “Extreme Makeover.” In it, I explore 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, where Paul writes, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. This is part of Paul’s benediction in his letter to the church at Thessalonica, and he was praying a blessing on the saints there. In saying “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely…,” Paul was saying “May the Lord set you aside and use you for His Kingdom purposes.” Beloved, my hope is that this year one of your resolutions is to be used by God like you’ve never been used before. I hope that you seek with your whole heart to be enriched, enhanced, and empowered in Kingdom knowledge such that God uses you to change lives and touch worlds with Kingdom impact. You see, one of the challenges in walking with God is that in your flesh/physical being, you have to maintain your passion and spirituality. However, if we are not intentional, our spiritual lives will wane rather than increase. In essence, Paul’s prayer here is that God would increase your total being.
The scripture teaches that our outward man is perishing day-by-day:“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). In our physicality, we are aging and wearing out; our inward man, however, is being renewed day-by-day. So when we refer to an “Extreme Makeover,” we are talking about a spiritual renewal. A Kingdom citizen does not want his or her spiritual life to operate on the same plane or sphere as their older man. That old man is aging with all of the increasing limitations and restrictions that come with a deteriorating physicality. But spiritually, opportunities to become greater are constantly appearing as you are renewed and enriched by the Holy Spirit. In fact, every year spiritually, you are supposed to do more than you have ever done before! So, every year in the spirit, we need an Extreme Makeover!
We do “grow up” in the spirit, and in our growing up in Christ, we should be increasing in maturity, walking in more power, and becoming better equipped to do greater works for God’s Kingdom! Paul says in order to do that, you’ve got to pay attention to and be intentional regarding your spirit, soul, and body.
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (ESV)
The only way to do this is to intentionally put God first (Matthew 6:33). Matthew suggests that if we put God and His Kingdom first, He will take care of all of the other important issues in our lives. And to put God first, you have to put your spirit-man first.
So, what plans and goals do you have for yourself this year? Most importantly, are they reflective of you seeking first God and His Kingdom? Did you make a vague and blanket statement like, “I want to do God better than I have before,” but then have these copiously detailed plans regarding your intellectual and career development or other things that you defacto prioritize over your spirit-man? Maybe you have outlined diets or workouts you want to execute, and that’s great. But, the question I have is – Have you given that same level of specification to your plan for your spirit-man’s renewal? If not, you are setting your spirit-man up for failure!
It is your passion for God and intentionality in seeking Him first that will enable your spirit-man to be renewed day-by-day. God is a gentleman God and will not ‘force-feed’ Himself onto anybody. He will not violate your free will. So without passion for God, you will not be able to stay spiritual while your flesh is perishing day-by-day. Why? Because the increasing limitations of our physicality will overpower a weak spiritual life that is not infused with passion regularly and consistently. You need an Extreme Makeover; we need an Extreme Makeover!
A Prayer for Today:
King of kings and Lord of lords, I commit to my own spiritual renewal by intentionally seeking You and Your Kingdom above all else in my life. That means the most pressing, urgent, and prominent thing in my existence is the spiritual reality of the world I see with eyes of faith—the unseen things. Please enhance, enrich, and empower me with Your Holy Spirit to passionately follow You in new ways for Your purpose – more souls, more miracles, more faith, more manifestations of your Kingdom! I willingly submit to YOUR Dominance, King Jesus, and choose to totally trust you. All praises, honor, and glory to your Name.
Live Victoriously in 2018
At the beginning of every year, we tend to
make resolutions – this is the year that we’ll become healthy and fit or we’ll perform well in our careers, and countless other new year’s resolutions that many people traditionally make. Spiritual resolutions for the new year, if made, tend to be given even less weight. However, as a Kingdom citizen, we must make spiritual resolutions. In this powerful home Bible study guide, you will put into action the steps that will change your entire outlook on life and move your spiritual life to the next level. Order your copy today!
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