Day Three Of 7th Annual Fast & Detox: Remember God‘s Sovereignty

Yesterday, I spoke about how powerful the mind is. It can literally trick you into believing that you’re self made. The reality is, if it wasn’t for God’s grace, mercy, and favor, none of us would be here. No one is self made! No matter how smart or talented you are, or even how much money you have; you are nothing without him. Pride and ego will suck you into a cycle that causes you to lose everything. Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." I know somebody is reading this and thinking, how could I forget the sovereignty of God? It’s easy, to forget experiences, no matter how good they are. Here’s an example. 

When I was a kid, I went to Disney World, and had the time of my life. I vaguely remember the trip though. I have photos that show me smiling, and when I talk with the family that was there they tell me about it. If I didn’t have the pictures, and my family wasn’t there, I would honestly forget majority of the trip. That’s how we can experience God. We can experience an amazing sermon, leave church and forget everything that was said. God can literally make ways for us, and answer prayers, and as life goes on, we forget that it was him that did it. When you are in the midst of something, you call on God and ask him to make a way. Pride will cause you to forget the blessings God has given. Many times, when God answers a prayer, and we are on the other side, we forget that it was him that did it. Maybe I’m the only one, but I’ve made the mistake, of praying and asking God for certain things, and when I got them, not giving him the thanks he deserves. Pride has plagued my life a time or two. Don’t let pride trick you into thinking that you did it without God. Here’s an example: 

I used to pray for God to give me increase when it came to my salary, I wanted more money. I wasn’t specific, I just would ask for more. A little time went on, and I received my first bonus. I completely forgot about that being a component of my pay. Initially, when I received it, my head got a little big. What I mean is, pride took over, Thoughts like, I’m so good at my job, I’m so great, I wanted more money so I went out there to get it, plagued my mind. So many thoughts centered around me. After about 10 minutes, I had a conviction, because the reality is, it wasn’t me. I wasn’t the best at my job, I wasn’t even giving it my all. I wasn’t the smartest person, I didn’t even know my numbers as to why I was eligible. Pride will seep in and be your downfall. See the flesh will have you thinking that you are the reason for where you are. It will have you taking responsibility for things that had nothing to do with you.

Understand that you are currently living in an answer prayer. It might not look like it, you might still be in the middle of it, but you are in an answered prayer. Pride is deceptive and feeds the ego. The key to killing pride is remembering the character of God. My pastor, Craig Oliver, did a sermon series on the spiritual sinkholes we fall into, one was about pride and it was so good. He said, “Pride is Deceptive and destructive. It causes loss of perspective, humility and empathy and even sanity and self-control.” Click here to watch it. So many times when we want God to do something, we focused simply on his actions, negating the character of who he is. I know right now, you may be in the middle of something, waiting on something, or just lost; but do not forget the goodness of God. Don’t forget the things he has done for you. Gratitude is the memory of the heart. Your mind will try to trick you, that is why you have to start with gratitude. I encourage you to take notes when watching sermons, even take notes of when God answers your prayers. These will be great things to look at when you start to think you are responsible for your life. I keep a gratitude journal where I write four things that I’m grateful for that day. They don’t have to be deep, some days I’m simply thankful for coffee. That brings me to today’s activity. I want you to write the last encounter you had with God. When has he showed up for you, how did you feel, where were you physically? So many times, in seasons of loneliness, we forget that we are never alone. Taking some time to write the encounter you had with God, will be a reference for times you feel like he isn’t with you. When you can look back and remember how he showed up for you before, it will encourage you to know that he will do it again. He is the same God yesterday, today and forever. Once you write down that encounter, I want you to write down five things that you are grateful for right now. Try doing this daily at the top of your morning, before your first prayer. 

For those of you who aren’t religious, and detoxing. We’re talking about gratitude as well. So many times, we are looking for the next thing, we forget, all that we have. I was so ready to graduate college, that I really didn’t take the time to appreciate each step. So many times, we forget that life is not a race, it’s a journey. Stop looking for the end, and fall in love with the ride. When you get to that goal, you’re going to look back at the journey it took you to get there. The high of reaching a goal doesn’t last very long. It’s the memory of the journey that stays with you. Health Today said, “Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier or thinking they can't feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack.” Today, I want you to write a list of 12 things that you’re grateful for in this present moment. This list will help you look at the glass half full, rather than half empty. On day one, we looked at the person we want to become, this will help you see the traits you currently have that you want to keep and grow. As we are evolving, there are traits and habits that we have that are positive, that we want to take with us into this next season. I hope this list encourages you. I hate to say it, but it’s true, “Things can always be worse.” 

Halfway there, three more days to go!

Worship Song Below.