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Choices, choices, choices!
by Judy Ng
From the moment we awake, we have to make choices: whether to get out of bed or to continue sleeping; whether to have breakfast and if yes, what to eat; what to wear and so on. The objective of Vision 2020 is to raise up a generation of influencers for Christ (IfCs) who will have a positive influence on those they come into contact with. I'd like to consider a few areas in which we can be IfCs.
When I observe my children, disciples and protégés interacting, their conversations are painful to my ears and cause me to reevaluate my own speech and conduct. As a driver, I hate it when someone overtakes me from the left and immediately cuts into my lane. My natural reaction is to mutter, "Idiot!" Now that my daughters are driving and I hear them react similarly, I cringe. I have to seek the Lord's forgiveness for being a bad role model.
What kind of IfC am I? As a Christian, I represent the Lord and my actions are observed by those around me. Since God made me a woman, I'd like to use the word "woman" as an acronym in elaborating on the areas where we need to make choices.
WORDS: Generally women talk more than men. Research shows that a woman has twice as many words as a man. Paul says in Eph 4:29: "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear" (NASB). When my husband comes home weary and wounded, my words can be a balm or I can add salt to his wound. We must not underestimate the power of our words. Therefore on all occasions we ought to focus on positive words rather than negative ones.
OBEDIENCE: What Jesus said in John 14 can be summarized thus: "If you love Me, obey Me." Paul wrote in 2 Cor 2:9: "For to this end also I wrote that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things" (NASB). How do I obey the Lord? Is it in all things or only in those I like? In my relationships with my husband and with those that the Lord has placed in authority over me, am I obedient or do I defy them? It is sad that a majority of Christian women do not submit to their husbands. And, for that matter, many Christian men do not submit to those in authority over them.
MINDSET: Do I set my mind on the things of Christ (Col 3:2) and is my life transformed as I renew my mind daily (Rom 12:2)? Is my behavior consistent with what I profess? In other words, am I walking the talk? My behavior will expose my mindset. How we think influences our well-being - the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects. My thoughts affect the way I perceive things and that affects my destiny.
ATTITUDE: Only when I set my heart and mind on Christ will my attitude be renewed. Consider Phil 4:8. When we set our thoughts on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy, this will result in changed behavior. A renewed attitude is evidenced by a transformed life. What is my attitude? I can choose to be positive or negative. I can choose to be bitter or to forgive, to give up or to go on, to despair or to hope.
NATURE: My natural tendency is to rebel. My new nature is one that is obedient to Christ. An IfC is a person whose nature is controlled by the Holy Spirit. Are we controlled by the Holy Spirit so that we become the kind of spouse our husband or wife need and the kind of parent our children need?
As we mentor others to be IfCs and as we become the person God created us to be, we will be working toward the objective of V2020!
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