Today, we're going to take a posture of peace by thinking differently about our challenging circumstances.
Hi, I'm Lindsay Van Zale.
Posture is a podcast that serves as a short, audible fist bump to remind you that God is
in everything.
Together, we're going to be emboldened to take a daily posture of perfect peace.
This week, I'm joining Graham Cooke for a five-day challenge on Facebook called 3 Plus
Me, where together with people from all over the world, we are exploring the depths of
God's empowering presence within us.
And we would love for you to join us this week.
If you're able, just click on the link in the description of this episode for the details
on how to join.
Today, I'm actually going to be sharing a clip from Graham and I's 3 Plus Me conversation
that illuminates a different way to think about the challenges that we face.
I want to talk about this word challenge because I know that it can have a negative meaning
or definition.
Sometimes we say, I'm being challenged by this person or circumstance, or this is a
really challenging situation, meaning it's a hard situation.
But if I know nothing else except for this truth, it's that the kingdom works opposite
of the world.
And the new man, the new us, responds in the opposite spirit.
So that must mean that challenge has a different definition for the new man.
Can you talk about that, Graham?
Yeah.
I think primary purpose goes all the way back to Genesis 1.26.
The first thing God ever said about people, he said, let us make them in our image according
to our likeness.
So the challenge in every situation is to become like God.
So it's not about the circumstances first.
It's about you discovering what God wants to be for you now, because he's always upgrading
your identity.
So when you focus on circumstances, what am I going to do about this, and you don't actually
upgrade your identity, you're just guaranteed that the circumstance is going to come back
around because everything is relational with God.
And so it's always about primary purpose.
He's been faithful to that for thousands of years.
So the challenge is God is giving me something else instead of this.
So I need to know what God wants to be for me.
I need to know what part of me is going to get an upgrade in terms of being like him,
becoming like him.
So it's always about that.
So in Scripture, when God says, give me the preeminence, he's not saying like, in your
circumstances glorify me and all that kind of stuff.
What he's saying is, remember, I'm putting something into you.
So make that your preeminent thought.
This situation is going to empower me to become more like Jesus.
So I want to know what that looks like, and then we'll get to work on the issue itself.
So primary purpose is the challenge for us, being made in God's image, learning to see
like he sees, think like he thinks, talk like he talks, and act like he would act.
Primary purpose.
That's the big challenge for all of us, I think.
And you know, it's that primary purpose that then challenges the circumstance versus the
circumstance challenging us.
It's a whole different shift in perspective.
It totally is, because if you understand, this situation is about me becoming this.
Like instead of me being anxious and worried, this situation is about me gaining more peace.
So let's do that, and then we'll focus on the situation, because nine times, well, probably
seven times out of ten, your identity in Jesus trumps the situation.
It overpowers it, you know.
So what we're learning is that all we need is inside us already.
So it's always three plus me, and God's answer is, me first.
Let me do this in you so that you become like me, and then together, we can face this
in a very different way.
So today, let's make this truth preeminent.
Romans 8.28, and we know, for those who love God, all things work together for good, for
those who are called according to his purpose.
The challenging circumstance that you may be facing right now is going to be used to
empower you to be more like Jesus.
So today...
With expectation in your heart and full trust in who God is for you, ask Him this,
Lord, what are you upgrading in me through this challenging circumstance?
And then challenge your circumstance with His upgrade.
The promise of perfect peace is found in Isaiah 26 3.
And in Hebrew, it is shalom shalom, meaning complete wholeness.
Nothing missing, nothing broken.
This is who you are in Jesus.
Let's declare this together.
Today, I am kept in perfect peace.
With my whole heart, I trust the Lord.
I am strong.
I am victorious.
I am whole.
Remember, friend, you are a living testimony of Jesus' ultimate win.
Not because of anything you did, but because of what He did for you.
With every step you take today, you're putting Jesus' victory on display
and Satan's defeat on replay.