"Matthew Wayne Chewning, Go To Your Room!!"

Do you ever feel like you are at times standing still? In your marriage, in your faith, at your job, as a parent? Lately I have felt like my marriage is good but should be better, my faith is strong but should be stronger, my patience with my kids is OK but should be better, I'm doing well at my job but could be doing better.

I have been convicted by Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

I often seem to lean more on my feelings rather than my convictioncs. At times when I feel complacent, down, depressed, restless, inpatient, angry, etc, I have to take a moment to re-focus my mind on Christ. See, when I take a minute to do this and compare my life towards Christ incarnated (Life on earth) and Christ exalted (Jesus exalted on his throne in heaven), I begin to re-new my mind. This is why in Hebrews 12:2 Paul tells us to Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. When I begin to allow Jesus to be my source in all situations, rather than allowing people, Beth, my job, the Internet, sports, etc, to be my source, that is when lasting change can occur. That is when God begins to sanctify me.

Today when I got home from work, I wasn't in the best of moods. It was a long night last night with the kids, I woke up at 6:00am in Daniel's room not remembering how I got there.That usually is a good sign that I didn't sleep well. Anyway, when my amazing wife who Jesus considers my helper (Genesis 2), saw my bad attitude, she encouraged me to go up to my room and pray. For a second I felt like I was 12 years old again and just got sent to my room. At first I was annoyed that she would even tell me to do such a thing, but when I got up there God re-newed my mind as I fixed my eyes on Jesus. Minutes into my time with Jesus in my closet, Beth opened the door only to find me in a pitch black room on my knees. She grabbed me and we prayed together. Together we sat there and were immediately transformed by the renewing of our minds and the fixing of our eyes on Jesus.

Since then, I already feel re-energized and ready to tackle the world again.

A couple of questions you may want to ask yourself like I was forced to ask myself.
1. Do you need to go somewhere where it is pitch black, close the door, fix your eyes on Jesus and renew your mind? (Do you need to be sent to your room?)
2. Do you need to encourage someone to do the same? (Do you need to send someone to their room)
3. Do you feel like your standing still? If so...."Go to your room, NOW"