THE SECRET PLACE
“He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1)

PART 4

CHANGE…THE LAST FRONTIER

I had a divine appointment with a friend of mine the other day. I call it “divine’, because of the unique way that opened up the relaxed opportunity to talk privately. He has been going through some serious health problems and much of it has to do with his diet and lack of exercise. He confessed to me that he had tried over the years to lose weight and eat better, but had failed miserably. Food had become an addiction and he had very little willpower to be victorious over its control. He sadly and with the facial expressions of agony, told me to my face, “I cannot change”. As our conversation ended, and I walked to my vehicle to go home, I thought about the words he had proclaimed. I wondered about the levels of desire that humans are designed with and what is it that causes some people to succeed.

After much thought and study, I have concluded that God has given humanity freewill to choose certain things within a limited context of His overall plan for our lives. Within this power to decide, is the ability to prioritize and organize our desires. We must realize that we are not mechanical robots that are completely predestined and accept the philosophy that we play an active role in our destiny. This brother has made an error in the way he views his situation. Whether or not he realizes he is in denial, he willingly accepts his condition because it is a way he can hide behind his weakness. It is not that he “cannot” change, but rather it is obvious he does not want to. Actually, he has demonstrated the potential of the human psyche to deceive our own subconscious with a complex psychology, in order to be able to justify his actions. By surrendering his ability to change, he can now remain attached to his desire to indulge. Thus, feeling sorry for himself, and waving the white flag, his lust can continue to dominate and be satisfied.

Therefore, what makes the difference between those who move past the helpless and hopeless stage, and move into victory? It will always come down to the contents of the heart. The heart is a mystery that is difficult to explain, but can be considered as the deepest habitation of the conscience. One of the most popular statements in the Bible is found in Proverbs 23:7, “for as he thinks in his heart – so is he”. These amazing ten words is the simple answer to the entanglements of life. We do what we want to do and we are what we are because of what is in our heart. There may be places we cannot climb, but in general, the barriers we face only become obstacles if we believe in our “heart” that it is impossible. It is not guaranteed that we can fulfill all of our dreams, however unless God say’s no, there is no limit to what we can do or how far we can go. The reason why my friend cannot achieve his desire is that it is a moderate thought that has been placed further down in his “passion” list. Our moderate thoughts are not important enough to be considered an emergency. We will not change until our agony of staying the same becomes greater than our visions of change. This rule can be applied with anything in life because it is directly connected to our levels of determination. If our desire rises to become our highest passion, we will be consumed with the commitment to succeed. There is not enough depression or discouragement in the universe to quench the fires of passion! Just as there was no power in hell strong enough to prevent Christ from accomplishing His mission of the cross – this same unwavering power of staying focused is within you – NOW!

God created the human with the potential to know His voice and to know which direction to walk. Within this ability to see the invisible, lies the power of faith that can move mountains and cast them into the sea. As all athletes can attest, there are no gains without pain and we can also use this truth and apply it to everything worth doing. We were never promised an easy road however; we have been given the anointing to accomplish our destiny and the enthusiasm to see it through! Of all the people to receive an encouragement from, I cannot think of anyone more respected than Jesus. In Mathew chapter 5, He established a very important principal to remember and hold dear. He said, “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world”. He is literally saying that He has made us as a catalyst, an instrument to make a “difference” in this world. We are a vessel that contains His divine power and He expects us to believe it and act on it! The carpenter builds the house but uses the hammer to drive the nails and in this light, the hammer plays a very important part of the construction. God’s people are instruments that He uses to accomplish His will but He can only work with those who “choose” to be used. We can lose weight, quit bad habits, build a career, become a better family man, walk with God, or whatever is the highest priority in our heart, but we must take the step of faith. “Where there is a will there is a way” is not just a hope or a wish – it is wisdom that unlocks the divine potential of being a good and faithful servant.