Scriptures
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” – Luke 6:43-45 ESV(emphasis added)
“For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance.” – Matthew 25:29a ESV
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10 ESV (words of Jesus)
Observations
It’s hard to love people, bring people joy, or be patient with people out of the scarcity of our hearts. It’s when we have an abundance of these things that we begin to speak.
Applications: Finding A Clear Mindset
Poor Mindset
A poor mindset can quickly steal the good things we have worked so hard to deposit into our hearts. A few root causes of a poor mindset are listed below:
- Fear
- Guilt/Condemnation
- Anger
- Sadness
- Stress
Everyone experiences these mindsets to some degree. I want to acknowledge that some people experience these mindsets to an abnormal degree.
These individuals, who experience an abnormal degree of such mindsets, I would advise to seek counseling. I myself have sought help from counselors at certain points in my life and am very thankful for their work.
Furthermore, most psychologists I’ve met and/or seen would agree that pursuing clarity in our spiritual lives is a healthy and important part of our development as people who are spiritual, mental, and physical beings(1 Thessalonians 5:23).
To whatever degree or depth we experience these unwanted mindsets, finding spiritual clarity in the following three areas of faith can become instrumental in assisting us and allowing us to overcome these mindsets.
The following is a spiritual perspective on how to adapt a healthy mindset through pursuing spiritual clarity.
Being clear on who God is
To overcome a negative mindset, we need to first see clearly who God is(Hebrews 12:1&2; Colossians 3:2; Matthew 6:22).
Being able to see God as trustworthy and admirable is a prerequisite to receiving guidance and ultimately fruit from His Spirit(Galatians 5:22 & 23).
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” – Hebrews 11:6 ESV
If we do not see God as good, we will never desire to seek His grace.
Remember the original sin in the Garden of Eden began with Satan convincing Eve God was untrustworthy(Genesis 3:4 & 5).
Satan continues to entice God’s people to doubt God’s goodness up until this very day!
Let us be clear and meditate on the truth that our God is truly, good, holy, and worthy of our praises!
Being clear on who we are
The second part to spiritual clarity seeing our own flaws.
We are in need of a Savior.
Yet, failing to live up to God’s standard is not the same as being a failure all together.
A positive mind says “I failed” where a negative mind says “I am a failure”.
Clearly seeing our own flaws is an important part of transforming our current reality, especially when it comes to our relationship with God.
Being clear about our relationship with our Creator
The third concept of spiritual clarity is to see plainly our own relationship with the God who Created us.
Seeing God, our own sin, and how God loves us in the midst of our brokenness, truly sets us free.
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” – John 8:36 ESV
Forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice is for yesterday, today, and forever(Hebrews 13:8).
Isaiah’s calling in Isaiah 6:1-8 is a great example of a man who saw clearly:
- God’s holiness(v.1-4).
- His own sin and need for forgiveness(v.5-7).
- His relationship with both God and His mission(v.8).
If you would like to know more information about forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, please email me at: ethan@faithfulfruitfulforgiven.com
Action Steps
Read
We see God and our relationship with Him clearer by reading the Scriptures on a daily basis. As we read, we begin to unravel our doubts and trust our Creator more and more.
How often do you read Scripture? How closely have you stuck to your plan in the past three weeks?
Pray
We also have more clarity with the Scriptures and with our relationship with God when we pray.
Having a dialogue with God is infinitely more valuable than a monologue with God.
What’s your prayer plan? What has your time in prayer looked like the past three days? Are you currently satisfied with your prayer life at this time in your life?
Focus
Finally, as we challenge ourselves to develop an abundant heart, let us remember to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:1 & 2 ESV
An Abundant Heart Part II: Attitude
