My Flesh is Negative, Is Yours?

This is my first post here since Christmas. At that time I felt prompted to take a break from writing. Perhaps it was becoming too much like work! I don't know if I'm back or not but I know I felt a stirring in me to write this for myself if for no one else, after a statement on Jenily's blog on MyChurch grabbed my attention. (I'd put a link to the article but her site is closed to non-friends). She said something like this:

When I choose to rule over my flesh, I immediately exalt my spirit.

She then referenced Philemon 6. In the King James Version of the Bible, it reads like this:

That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

If you are wondering what "communicating" my faith has to do with overcoming my flesh, Jenily's main point was that many Christians think there is nothing good inside them and that Philemon 6 disproves that way of thinking because it clearly states that our faith becomes effectual (starts working) by knowing the good things present in our spirit. If we turn the verse around, it says that if we don't know what is in our spirit man, our faith won't work.

ABIDE IN CHRIST

Graham Cooke just taught at my home church on overcoming negativity through resting in Christ. A main point was that any kind of negative action or thought, even toward myself attracts negative things to me. What Jenily wrote was a continuation of the larger theme the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me about guarding against negativity of any kind. If your flesh is like mine, it is very negative! For my immediate need, I am going to think of it this way:

When I choose to rule over negativity, I exalt my spirit.

or

I strengthen my spirit by ruling over negativity.

PHILEMON 6

As I normally do, I looked at several versions and paid special attention to the Amplified Version as I crafted this prayer for myself:

I pray that the practice of participating in and sharing my faith will produce and promote full recognition, appreciation, understanding and precise knowledge of every good thing that is mine because of my identification with Christ, for his glory.

Graham Cooke's Interactive Journal Crafted Prayer is available here.