Gina Sewell is a mom and grandma who lives in the Dallas, Texas area, where she enjoys cooking and spending time with her family. She loves to write about Jesus and encourage others. Gina shares her journey on her website: http://www.ginabartonsewell.wordpress.com
Renewing The Spirit By Gina Sewell So many times, we allow the actions of others to depict the way we live our lives. The decisions we make become based upon the world’s idea of what we should do and not based on what the Father would have us do.
In the Bible, James says that such a person is double-minded and unstable in all his ways. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be unstable in my ways. I want to be of one mind and one heart and one spirit for the Lord.
I love the Lord and I want to live for Him, to be a light to shine for others, to help others, and speak only as Christ would have me speak. I know that I have done many things in my past that may not have exactly represented God… there was a period of time in my life that I even turned away from God because of things that happened that I could not understand, and I blamed Him.
Thank God, though, for His amazing grace that we can be forgiven. We can give Him all of our worries and anxieties. He loves us that much that he will take all of that from us and help transform us into whom we are meant to be.
But since I was born again, that has been the goal for me. I want to build a ministry of Christ’s disciples who bring others to Christ, who help the less fortunate, the lost, the abused, the addicted, and that has become the most important thing in my life. BUT… There is still more of the world living inside of me than I normally care to admit. Like, I’ll be happily driving along on the freeway, ok maybe not happily on the freeway, but I’m still having a good day, then someone cuts me off, and the moment that instantaneous fear strikes up inside me, so does immediate anger and the words sometimes start flying out of my mouth. Not very Christian words. 20 | M AG A Z I N E N A M E PAGE 3 20
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take the Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me by your generous spirit. Then I will teach your transgressors your ways and sinners shall be converted to you.” (Psalm 51:10-13 NKJV) “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self controlled, upright, Godly lives in this present age.” (Titus 2: 11-12 NIV) Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you forgive me for the words that I may say in anger and help me handle my anger in other ways, and then be able to let it go. Either resolve it or give it to you, Lord, but not hold on to it. Thank you for your Word, your love, and your amazing grace, Lord God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
