What you focus on, you empower.

Have you found this to be true?

It is not just what we are focusing on with our eyes, but also what we are focusing on in our thoughts.

If you think about food, you will become hungry and want to eat.

If you think about shopping for new things, you will inevitably buy something.

This is also true for our spiritual life.

If you are continually thinking that you don’t want to sin, get angry, or gossip, you will begin to do the very thing that you are not wanting to do.

So, how do you disempower the very things that you are hoping not to do?

To disempower the negative, you don’t focus on them. Instead you think about positive things, things that are lovely and true.

Philippians 4:8 says, “The apostle Paul said, ‘Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things and the God of peace will be with you.’”

Paul is helping us understand the power of our thoughts. He also tells us that we will stay in peace because the God of our peace will be with us.

Let’s Take This One Step Further

When Jesus hung on the cross He had you on His mind.

He was carrying your sin to be nailed and crucified to the cross so that it would never separate you from the Father again.

What was He thinking about when He was the sacrifice for your sin?

The Word tells us He was thinking about all that would be accomplished for you, and He went forward in joy.

Hebrews 12:2 TPT, “We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!”

Jesus’ heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be His when He finished being the sacrificial lamb and put His blood on the mercy seat in Heaven. Once and for all.

Jesus’ focus was you, no longer stained by your sin and no longer separated from the Father by your guilt and condemnation. You became the righteousness of Christ, brought back into right relationship with the Father. He is empowering you now, through His focus on your perfected self, to live free from sin, guilt, condemnation, and shame. It is now your responsibility to receive this empowerment and to join with His thoughts over you so that you live out what He empowered!

What This Means for Your Day

When you make a mistake or fall off course you don’t need to spend time focusing on how you “messed up.” Repent if needed, pick yourself up, and remind yourself of who Jesus sees you to be in Him. He isn’t thinking about what you did wrong. He already took care of that on the cross. He has already forgiven you. His grace superabound towards you (Romans 5:20).

Disempower the negative thoughts and plug into the power that is made available to you through Jesus!

I encourage you to have scripture written down on a notecard that is easily accessible for you throughout your day. When you slip up, bring that notecard out and meditate on the scripture that reminds you who you are in Christ. The books of Romans and Ephesians in the New Testament have some of my favorite scripture to remind me of what Christ accomplished on the cross. If you need extra help, contact me at elle@elleunlimited.com and I will send you a list of scripture that will help you see yourself through the finished work of the cross.

Blessings friend,

Elle Stahlhut Roetzel

ElleUnlimited.com

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