Inside Out!
What is on the inside of us; every single thing we have experienced; our personality; our strengths, and our weaknesses, what we’ve been taught, form who we are naturally!
What is on the inside, is what manifests in a persons life and behavior!
We went with our Granddaughter’s yesterday to see the new movie, Inside Out 2!
I thought the writers did a good job of depicting what goes on inside a person, that affects how they respond to things in their life! All of our emotions, the good, bad, and ugly!
We could all relate to those emotions that most control our lives!
Emotions like Fear, Anxiety, Anger, Sadness, or Embarrassment, and many others!
I couldn’t help but think of the things the LORD has been teaching us lately through His Word! How to look ahead to the Joy set before us, despite our present circumstances!
One of the main characters in the movie was Joy!
But beloved, the one missing thing — The most important thing was the work of His Spirit in a life!There was no reference to God, outside of the fruit of His Spirit —Joy!
I thought of many scriptures as we watched and later talked about the movie, but this passage in Paul’s letter to the Philippians was especially relevant!
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Yes, we are all made up of lots of experiences and we have so many ideas and beliefs that have been formed by the influence of our parents, and others, as well as our circumstances, but the LORD takes all of those and makes us new creations when we are born again and filled with His Spirit!
He tells us not to be ruled by Anxiety, or Fear, but rather to trust in Him, and bring every care and need to Him! And not only that — But to walk away with His peace and thankfulness for what we know He is doing for us, and for those we’ve brought to Him!
Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
When we are born again, He transforms all of us to His image as we walk with Him! Whatever part of us we feed and nurture will be predominant! If we feed the emotions of Fear, Anxiety, or Anger, those are what will control us!
Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
But if we feed the Fruits of His Spirit, Joy, Love, Goodness, Peace, and others we won’t be ruled by Fear and Anxiety or any of the other fruits of the flesh!
Galatians 5:16-17
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance: against such there is no law.
The LORD takes every single thing we were, even our deepest darkest secrets, which was also a character in the movie called, Dark Secret, and He makes us new creations in Him!
This is one of the closing lines from the movie about Riley the girl who is having all these emotions! The emotion — Joy says, “Every bit of Riley makes her who she is. And we love all of our girl. Every messy, beautiful piece of her.”
Yes, beloved — The LORD made us, He knows us, He takes us just how we are, but His Spirit makes something beautiful out of it all!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Ephesians 4:22-27