Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Psalm 118:24, Ephesians 6: 13-17

Mike Davies considers the power our thoughts have to shape our lives

Forgiveness is something we talk about so much in the Christian walk and there is a reason for this. Forgiveness deals with any bitterness and un-forgiveness that we carry and hold on to.

A good place to start, is to decide today to stop negative talk about yourself and your situation. "This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24).

Yes, we need to acknowledge the real issues that exist and we need to learn how to express emotion rather than bury it. The first step in dealing with any negativity in your life is to admit that it is there. Once you admit it and face it you can start to quit the negative thoughts and then beat it and truly fly as God has intended. Once we start to put real truthful values into our life then it changes how we approach day to day life.

We don't ignore pain, (it is there for a reason), but we can choose to let go of the pain that grips us. Pain comes from bad memories and experiences. If you are in that situation you need to ask God to heal your pain and heal you.

In Ephesians (Chapter 6) we are told to put on the whole armour of God. Part of this armour are the shoes of peace. It means we walk in peace and that we are at peace with ourselves.

If you are struggling with something right now then consider how much of your life you may have wasted in the negativity of it all. Don't waste another moment feeling bad about the time you have already wasted. Ask God to bring healing into your situation. It is never too late to begin again.

Being condemned about our issues does not help us - it imprisons us.

Jesus Christ can provide total forgiveness, healing, and peace into any life and into any situation.

Internal turmoil will come out one day so it is better to deal with it today. Please pray and ask God to wash over you with his love and compassion. I often find it is good to talk it through with a Christian friend or leaders that you know and trust.

Finally, I would say to us all, pay attention to your thoughts and what is going on in your own life. A few helpful points: try and go deeper in your intimacy with Christ; find some good worship music; look to have good faith based conversations with others; look to see good spiritual growth in your life; surround yourself with those who will see you as God sees you and make your own life a sanctuary for God.

If you would like me to pray for you then please feel free to email me confidentially and I will promise to stand with you in prayer.