“You won’t get there overnight”
Have you ever all of a sudden jumped up and decided that you want to get into shape and start exercising? You’ve made up your mind that today is the day that you are going to start a new life, a new routine and get into shape once and for all! So you start your new and exciting exercising routine for the wonderful results you will soon feel and see! You jump into your tennis shoes on, pull your hair up into a pony tail, and quickly get dressed into your workout gear and you’re off! But after a few days you get discouraged because you don’t see any results and feel like you’re not doing anything and want to quit.
I think we all have done that at least one time or another. We get sick and tired of living a life without the benefits. When our hearts are clean and full of Jesus we are living a life with benefits. The benefits are all that follow from having Jesus in your heart and living a righteous life.
We all know that we benefit from exercising regularly. We sleep better, have more energy, our body is in better condition and we feel and look better on the inside and out!!! Having Jesus in our hearts will provide us with all kinds of benefits that the world can’t offer. When you have Jesus in your heart, the fruit of the spirit will overflow into your life.
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Living with these benefits are essential for me!! I know when I get distracted and start venturing off course; one by one the fruit of the spirit that was once thriving in my life begin to fade until they are completely gone. I don’t know about you but having these benefits in my life is the only way I want to live. I don’t want to live without love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It’s a wonderful way to live and I wouldn’t want to live without the good things God has for us!
When I get to the point where I’m sick and tired of something that is inside my heart that I know shouldn’t be there, I say enough!!! That’s it!!! I immediately repent, ask Jesus to clean my heart out and I turn from sinful ways to begin my new fresh start with Jesus. Refusing to continue that sinful and unrighteous way of life and walk away from it for a better, brighter and more fulfilled life with Jesus.
Once we repent and turn from our unrighteous ways we have to realize, just like exercising, we won’t see immediate results. When we exercise it takes a little while before we can feel or see any change.
Maybe you have recently noticed some things in your heart that have been holding you back from a close relationship with Jesus. Maybe you have just made a choice to turn away from sin and to walk with Jesus. If that’s you and you have recently jumped back on the righteous path, don’t get discouraged if you glance at your heart and don’t see the results you want right away. You won’t get there overnight! Just keep on working at it and before you know it you will be back living a righteous and fruitful life again. Just like exercising, you won’t feel and see results right away but before you know it you will begin to feel better and look better inside and out!!
Blessings,
Krista
Visit my personal devotional blog at http://fromthepagesoflove.blogspot.com/
Sometimes we know we are on the right track but we don’t see any benefits yet. We need to stick it out and know, by faith, that the benefits will eventually come.
This is a truly encouraging devotional.
And…sometimes others notice the changes in us before we do. Thanks for the post.
Andie
Blessings and prayers,
andrea
How true, Krista. Sometimes we don’t see the results right away, however if we keep our gaze on Jesus He will be changing our heart and attitude.