4. NO MORE will I be impulsiveImpulsive = inclined to act on sudden urges.
Did you hear the story about the boy who did something on the spur of the moment without really thinking about what he was doing?
This boy’s mother had just baked a beautiful ginger cake. She pulled it out of the oven and placed it on the table to cool. Then she went outside to hang up the washing. While she was out there the little boy came in, saw his favorite cake on the table, saw nobody around, so he stuffed his hands into the top of the cake, grabbed two fistfuls of cake and took off.
What do you think happened when his mother came in and saw those two big fist holes in the top of the cake? Right…she went berserk and the little boy got a spanking. He got into trouble because of his impulsive behavior.
I think Peter best exemplified an impulsive nature. He was quick to cut off Malchus’ ear and he was quick to start talking and making construction plans when Jesus was transfigured before him on the mountain.
I guess we’ve all been like this in our life. Have you ever went in debt for something on an impulse - i.e., car, furniture, jewelry, house, clothes, etc., only to regret the purchase later?
We can also be impulsive when it comes to what “others” are saying. I know a believer who always likes to “carry the mail” to me. They’ll meet me in the church hallway or call me on the phone and say: “Pastor, everyone’s talking…you’d better do something about this.”
Proverbs 29:11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
I used to get alarmed by this. I’d run on that person’s word and try to put out all the fires and get to the bottom of things. After a few false alarms, I learned not to be too jumpy.
One leader, taught me to “pour a little dye into the water to see which way it runs.” In other words, don’t be too hasty when you hear a negative report. If you’ll give it time, the other side of the story will usually migrate to you.
After learning this lesson, I’ll never forget the look on the face of the “mail carrier” the next time they came to me and said, “Pastor, everyone’s talking…you’d better do something about this.” I said to them “who’s talking?”
Come to find out it was just a few NOT EVERYBODY like they had said.
Nehemiah experienced the same thing. Sanaballat and Gashmu started spreading lies about Nehemiah: “He’s just building this wall to try and make a name for himself”; “Look at him, he’s even bribed the prophets to speak well of him.” Some of Nehemiah’s closest teammates said … “Nehemiah you’d better come down off that wall and put these fires of gossip out.”
Nehemiah simply responded (paraphrase) “I’m not coming down off the wall to put out the fires of gossip…because they’ll light them faster than I can put them out! I’m staying on this wall and doing what God called me to do!”
Friend, if you spend all your time trying to explain yourself to everyone…the Devil will keep you on the mountain of explanation all the days of your life.
Impulse would have said … “you’d better take care of this right now!”
But wisdom says … “Don’t open your mouth too soon! Keep your composure and let the Lord fight your battle.”
Proverbs 14:29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
Know any mail carriers? Don’t lose your footing…because of being impulsive.
5. NO MORE will I refuse to change
When we refuse to change, we open ourselves up for extreme complacency. Complacency leads to indifference and indifference leads to idleness.
It’s easy to change hair styles. You should have seen me in Jr. High / High School. I had a big perm in my hair. What was I thinking? Someone should have told me how horrible I looked. Worse yet, I used to carry a “pick” in my back pocket. (by the way…it was a Goody!)
It’s easy to change clothing styles. We buy the latest trends and try to keep up. For me, I’ve bounced back and forth between suits that have two buttons to suits that have three buttons; trousers that have pleats to trousers that are plain; shoes that have a round toe to shoes that have a square toe; jeans that are straight legged to jeans that are wide legged.
It’s easy to change your mind. How many times have you changed your mind while the waitress is taking your order? Or you’ve carried something in your shopping cart all the way to the check-out only to put it back at the last minute?
However, it’s not as easy to change your HEART. WOW – have I had to ask God for help in this area. I’ve heard people say, “I’ve had a change of heart.” That sounds really nice. But, the truth is, it’s not always as easy as it sounds. To change your heart, you have to allow the Holy Spirit to invade every part of your heart. This is often painful, because it reveals the true human frailty we try desperately to hide.
It is foolish to think that we can make it all the way home (Heaven) without having a heart change. I’ve met some people who serve in ministry whose hearts are calloused and they’ve become mean spirited. Sure, they could resign from ministry and “do the body of Christ a favor” but is that really the answer?
The answer is that we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts, convict us and then we make a choice to change.
- CHOOSE to be positive.
- CHOOSE to give others the benefit of the doubt.
- CHOOSE to love.
- CHOOSE to speak Heaven into people’s lives not Hell.
- CHOOSE to forgive.
- CHOOSE to let go of hurts.
- CHOOSE to renounce a pouting spirit.
- CHOOSE to be comfortable with who God made you to be.
- CHOOSE to be kind.
- CHOOSE to quit being critical.
- CHOOSE to stop offering your opinion on everything.
- CHOOSE to do the right thing.
If we refuse to change we will end up returning to the very thing that has kept us idle.
Proverbs 27:22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.
A fool sees no need to change.
