One of my most memorable Christmas’s was when my grandparents gave me my very own Nintendo Game System. I can remember playing games such as duck hunt, super Mario, and my favorite Mike Tyson Punch-out. The Nintendo game console was big and bulky, but reliable. However, there were moments when the game system would freeze. Sadly, freezing at times when you were right in the middle of a level. In the moments when the game would freeze the only way to get the game going was pressing the reset button. With one push of this button, the game was refreshed and ready for play. I often wish life was like that, one push of a rest button and wallah, back at square one. Unfortunately, we don’t have a reset button. The reality for many of us, we could use a reset.
Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us, “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!”
What a fantastic truth, each new day, presents fresh new mercy. The mercy of God towards his children does not run out, and he is faithful. I enjoy preaching passages like these. Encouraging people to trust the unchanging hand of the Lord, look to him who makes all things new, give me great joy. However, it is often easier to preach to others than take that same teaching and apply it to yourself. What I mean is this, often we can believe God will give grace to others, but not us. While we may not come verbally out and say, with our thoughts and actions, we often show what we truly believe. If I am honest, the worst critique in my life resides in my home and looks back at me in the mirror daily. The sad reality, in many ways, I strive to get things not only right but perfect. Yes, I know this is impossible, but when I miss the mark, instead of resting in the grace of God, I can at times, develop spiritual amnesia. My thinking, if I am not careful, can lead me to believe, grace is available to everyone else, but me. This type of thinking can lead to shame, ungodly sorrow, and even depression.
Hear me; I am not writing of a sinful lifestyle, but the reality of being an actual human being that doesn’t always get it right. You may forget to return a phone call, text, or email. You may become busy in life and miss out on family events. Instead of moving on many dwell on how they couldn’t do it all or how they let someone down. Instead of resting in the grace of God, they become the judge and condemn themselves. As the old saying goes, “you beat yourself up.” For the believer, if Christ has taken the beating for us on the Cross, why do we so often continue to beat ourselves. We often lay guilt, shame, and condemnation on ourselves as if the Savior isn’t enough. Maybe it is time to consider resetting a few things.
1. RESET YOUR THINKING
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” As believers, we must continually renew our thinking. The world system lives by their emotions, how they feel instead of what is right. Success may not always be what we envisioned, but none of these things change who God is. Our thinking must not conform to how the world system views life, success, and faith. Let us steadily return to the Lord Jesus.
2. RESET YOUR TIME
Our Savior, Jesus Christ used His time to do the will of the Father. He also used his time to spend with the Father. We often see in the Scripture Jesus going off to pray, to be in solitude. In our fast pace culture, slowing down is rare. Slowing down for prayer is never wasted time. However, it is not just resetting time for prayer, but giving yourself time to recharge spiritually, emotionally, and physically. God did not design us to operate 24/7. When we are fatigued, it is easy for overwhelming sadness, anxiety, and even depression to weigh us down.
Next week stop back as I share two more areas we should consider reseting. Have you thought about reseting these two areas in your life?
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