You don’t have to be a biblical scholar or preacher in order to have the Bible speak to you.
Phew! That’s great news, because I’m neither!
And chances are, neither are you. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want God to speak to us, and we don’t want to experience personal transformation in our heart and soul.
What’s so amazing and incredible about the nature of God is that He desires to know us, to be in relationship with us, and to transform us through his son, Jesus Christ.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
That’s what we want!
But let’s be honest, sometimes we don’t really feel like we’ve been transformed, even after accepting Christ into our hearts or even after being a Christian for many years. And let me tell you, the length of time you’ve been a Christian does not determine your level of spiritual maturity. It’s a process, and one that you need to be actively engaged and involved in.
So HOW can we experience these things? How can we experience the transformation process that the Bible talks about?
I was reading my Bible last night, reading about the life of King David. I know he was not always a king, so I wanted to learn more about his history and how he lived in order to be considered as a ‘man after God’s own heart’ (see 1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:16-41).
And as I was reading I kept coming across scenarios and situations in the text that I felt God speaking to my heart about. It was so fascinating to me that while I was initially desiring to read about the life of David, purely to know more about how he grew up and how it came to pass for him to become King. But there were side stories and comments in the text that were actually speaking to my heart about completely different issues.
And that’s when it hit me.
God, in His infinite wisdom and power, can reach you in any way He likes.
It may be through a person, something you read, something you see on tv, a comment someone makes to you, a dream — it’s endless. But in your heart and soul, you know you’ve been given a message and you know that it’s God trying to speak to you and get a message through. It’s hard to explain, but you just have an innate knowing that that message was for you. And that’s what happened last night when God gave me these ‘4 Steps to Transformation.’
So regardless of what your needs are, and what your questions and desires to learn and grow may be, simply start with reading the Bible. Start anywhere. And through that, God will begin to show you, speak to your heart, and guide you where to look next.
The Bible is the living, breathing, active and life-giving inspired word of God.
And what’s so incredible about this book is that God uses it to speak directly to you, more than just what’s written on the pages. It’s a key to your heart and an open channel of communicating with God — your Creator. The one who has loved you before the beginning of time and ‘knit you together in your mother’s womb’ (Psalm 139:14)
So here are the 4 steps He revealed to me last night:
I. Acknowledge
Acknowledge that God is God, and we are not. That His ways are above our ways and there are things we cannot fully comprehend (Isaiah 55:8-9). That is why we require faith. Hebrews 11.
II. Receive
Open your heart and mind to actually receive communication, connection, love and forgiveness. So often we feel unworthy of the good things in life that God wants to give us, because we don’t feel we’ve measured up or we are lacking the faith to believe that a holy God could actually love us as we are. But until we open ourselves to receive His blessings (grace, love, mercy, joy, abundance, forgiveness etc.) we actually hold ourselves back from it. Matthew 7:8, Matthew 10:8, Matthew 21:22, Mark 10:15.
III. Repent
Which is why we need to repent (ask for forgiveness). Even for the things we didn’t realize we needed to repent from. But when God places it upon your heart, or you have a new awakening and understanding of something that requires your repentance, you must humble yourself and ask. Yes, we have to ask for forgiveness. God knows all, sees all, and knows our hearts, but He still wants us to acknowledge Him and enter into a relationship where we are recognizing our need for Him and voicing our desire to be with Him.
It is when we humble ourselves before Him, ask for forgiveness of our wrongdoings or whatever else He has revealed to you, that He sees if our heart and motives are pure. If they are, He then forgives us and washes us white as snow. That means He remembers our transgressions no more! So when He looks at us, He no longer sees our sins, He sees His perfect son in our place — Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:7, 2 Cor. 5:17, 1 John 1:9, Acts 3:19, Eph. 4:31-32, Matthew 6:14-15, Colossians 3:13.
IV. Act
The final step of the transformation process is not complete until we ACT upon what we’ve learned. The actions we take would flow from what it is we’ve just learned or been shown. How would you act after you’ve just had the realization that whatever sins or transgressions you’ve repented of are now COMPLETELY FORGIVEN? What types of actions would flow from that place? Love. Grace. Mercy. Happiness. Delight. Servitude. The list goes on. But if you keep your new revelations and peace to yourself, how can it help and serve others? They need to know what you’ve just experienced.
Just as God had revealed things to you in your heart while you were reading His Word, He will do the same for anyone you share it with! As I said before, His Word, the Bible, is the living and breathing, active word of God. Simply by opening it and beginning to read. Be curious, ask questions, find answers, seek counsel. You will begin a deeper path of knowledge, understanding, wisdom and spiritual maturity that your transformation requires of you. Isaiah 55, James 1:22-26
For further reading, here’s another great article on How to Act on God’s Word.
I hope these simple 4 steps have helped you to step further into the transformation you’re seeking and desiring in your life.
We serve an amazing God, and the best way to truly experience the freedom and peace He offers us, after receiving His son Jesus Christ into our hearts, is to be an active participant in learning and growing. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’ve been a Christian for many years, yet are still finding areas you need to grow, expand and mature.
Life is an incredible journey that doesn’t end when we die — it actually gets better as we move into eternal life with God in Heaven! But God understands our spiritual maturity is a process, and desires to have us be a part of His divine plan for our lives and in the world.
Blessings to you,
~Dr. Melody
P.S. Would love to connect further with you on social media and/or via email. Feel free to contact me with any questions or prayer requests. Comment below, or message me through Facebook, Instagram or email me @ melody@fitplusfaith.com
P.P.S. Here are some other articles I’ve written that might also help you on this topic:
When God is at work and you feel CRAZY! (You’re not alone)
When Lack of Gratitude is stealing your Joy — and how to get it back!
God is working all around us — 3 questions to ask if it seems like He’s not there
It may sound cliche’, but do you have an Attitude of Gratitude? I didn’t!
I’m finally home in San Diego after a week of busy traveling and I went back to back from 4 days in Texas for a personal growth conference, to 4 days in New Mexico caring for my niece and nephew while my sister was away for business. To say this past week has been a whirlwind, would be an understatement!
While at my conference the Holy Spirit revealed to me deep-seeded roots of things I’ve been stubbornly holding onto or blocking myself from feeling the fullness of the goodness of God and all that He wants for each of our lives.
I came to have some life-changing realizations that I think you might relate to as well:
- I have not been ALLOWING myself to receive good things. In fact, I have been RESISTING and blocking them in many areas because of deep feelings of unworthiness.
- I have unresolved issues of PRIDE and self-sufficiency that have gone undiagnosed and therefore not addressed.
- I have NOT been practicing a FULL Attitude of Gratitude for all the things God has given me and done for me, and I’ve taken many things for granted.
- When the Holy Spirit reveals things to you that you’d been in denial about, or not able to see them for the truth of what they are, it’s both liberating and scary. Now you’re faced with the undeniable fact that you MUST allow God to begin working in these areas if you want to receive God’s true JOY and Peace—but that’s not always easy!
We’ve become used to our old way of thinking. Those old habits and routines that perpetuated our negative thoughts, emotions and behaviors.
But the good news is WE ARE ADAPTABLE! God gave us the ability to change!
He made our brains pliable and literally adaptable (called brain plasticity) which allows us to not only change or heal the old, but actively create and mold the new!
What grace! What a gift! What a miracle!!
So let’s talk about HOW to change all of that.
How to adapt an Attitude of Gratitude that will allow us to experience deeper more intimate relationship with God, and can be cultivated and grown into a full life-changing experience of the fullness of joy that God created us to experience.
How to cultivate more JOY into your life:
- Start a daily written practice of what you are grateful for, on a daily basis. (I prefer nightly journaling just before bed to reflect and analyze your day.)
- Start your morning with prayer, asking God to open your heart and mind to see all of the things you can be grateful for that day.
- Begin a Bible study on Gratitude. Either a formal study, or do a google search on verses about gratitude that you can read, study and begin to memorize.
- Pray before every meal, no exceptions. Thanking God for what you’re about to eat, the miracle of convenience you experienced to have your meal before you, and the hands and processes that had taken place to get each item now resting on your plate.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to show and reveal to you ways in which you are blocking or blinding yourself from being grateful and what spirits of negativity or pessimism are creeping into your mind and destroying your experience of true joy. Rebuke them in Jesus’ name!
There is power in the name of Jesus!
His name has been given authority over every other name (Ephesians 1:18-23).
Daughter of the King, do not dismiss the power that Jesus died to give you!
Use it to it’s full capacity over negativity, pessimism, doubt, evil, darkness and the enemy of your soul.
Jesus has already defeated Satan so that we can be free from any sin that entangles. Plead the blood of Jesus over your life!
>> I’d love to hear how you’re planning to begin cultivating a culture of Gratitude and what realizations you may have had that are holding you back. Praying for you that the Holy Spirit will reveal truth to you and that you will have a deepening relationship with the Creator of the Universe, our Heavenly Father.
Your sister in Christ,
~Dr. Melody
P.S. If you’re needing additional help or “another pair of eyes” to help you examine what might be blocking or holding you back, I’m here for you. My mission to love others and help them grow in their calling and experience the fullness of the love of Christ is my greatest desire. I’d love to be that help for you.
Schedule a 90 minute Custom Strategy Session with me here.
The Devil is on attack of your life EVERY DAY!
It hit me last night, after watching the movie War Room for the first time (great movie btw if you haven’t yet seen it!) that I have not been recognizing the Devil’s workings in my thoughts and in my heart because they’re so SUBTLE!
And that’s just the way he likes it!
Our brains are AMAZING. The most incredible creations on the face of the planet if you ask me. One of the many reasons I went into healthcare and got my Doctorate in physical therapy because I wanted to know all I could about our amazing bodies, and especially our brain.
But since we have free will and we have control of our minds, the Devil can find clever ways to begin to seep in and start chipping away at God’s truths and our thoughts around God in hopes of creating a divide and keeping us timid, scared and distrusting of God’s ability and intimacy that He wants to have with us.
NO MORE! I’m calling B.S. on the Devil!
He will NO LONGER convince me that I’m not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, not capable enough, not special enough, that God is distant, can’t hear me, doesn’t care, wants to punish me, wants to hold back from me, doesn’t want to bless me. That’s he’s blinding me to see the beauty, the good, the grace, the mercy, the love, the humanity that’s all around me.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
It’s time for you to do the same.
Start digging into God’s word. His promises of love, provision, beauty, abundance, grace and mercy. Use God’s word for the tool that it is–to guard and protect and defend and repel the forces of darkness and the enemy from slithering his way into your mind, thoughts and actions.
Jesus has already defeated him on the cross! The battle is WON!
Will you claim it for yourself? Will you claim that truth over your life and no longer be a slave to negativity, pessimism, self-condemnation, guilt and shame? God has such beauty, love, life and joy for you, if you only would dispel the Devil’s influences over you and your family in Jesus’ name.
You can do it. And let me know when you do. I’d love to join with you and the angels in rejoicing victory that you’re reclaiming God’s reign in your heart and that you’ve cast the Devil out for good!!
Your sister in Christ,
~Dr. Melody
P.S. If you’re needing help and guidance in reclaiming your beautiful and joy-filled life, it’s my ultimate pleasure to be that avenue for you. Book a free strategy session with me and we’ll flesh out the areas that have been holding you back and give you options on how I might be able to help facilitate you stepping into the life you’ve been missing.
