Today, I want to encourage you to make a covenant with an important person: YOURSELF. Job said in Job 31:1(NLT), “I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a girl.” What was Job saying? He made a covenant with HIMSELF not to violate the standard of God.
What is a covenant? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a covenant as a pact, agreement, or promise. So he had made an agreement with his eyes, or himself, not to look at women with lust in his heart. In other words, he made a promise to himself. That’s interesting. Usually, we make covenants with others. But Job chose to make a covenant with himself.
Have you ever made a covenant with yourself? I know I have. And what is so unfortunate is that when I make a promise to others, my Word is my bond! However, when I make a promise to myself, a lot of times I fail to keep it and end up not accomplishing my goals or missing personal deadlines. Does anybody know what I’m talking about? Maybe it's just me.
Therefore, I want to encourage us to make a covenant with OURSELVES, and not only make a promise to ourselves but be determined to keep the promises we make. God is a Promise-Keeper and He wants us to keep our promises to others, as well as ourselves. So here are some areas of our lives in which we need to make a covenant with ourselves:
Eyes – When we make a covenant with our eyes as Job said in Job 31:1, that means we set a standard for ourselves. We refuse to watch certain programs or movies with questionable themes that contradict the Word of God or cause us to be susceptible to sin. We won’t read books like Fifty Shades of Grey and expect to stay saved. We purpose in our hearts to only watch or read things that are wholesome.
Ears – When we make a covenant with our ears, we make a promise to ourselves that we will not listen to certain types of music with lyrics that will cause our minds to dwell on the wrong things. We decide to make it our business to listen to the Word of God and make it a priority in our lives. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Mouth – When we make a covenant with our mouths, we decide that we are going to refrain from gossiping about others, backbiting, and speech that is not positive or edifying. We seek to encourage, uplift, and inspire people with the words we speak. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
I encourage you to give some serious thought to making a covenant with yourself in these areas. Be determined that, with the help of the Lord, you will be a promise/covenant-keeper. When we seek God's help to keep the covenants we make with ourselves, we will be able to guard our hearts that much more effectively.
By the way, I want to make it known that this will be my last blog for the year. Actually, I’m not sure how long I’ll be on hiatus because I want to be led by the Holy Spirit. I pray that my writings have been a blessing to you. However, I need to be able to spend more time caring for my mom, who is now 87, and promoting my book, Keeping Christ in Christmas. These two things are God's priority for me right now. Thanks for your support over the years, and may God bless you and keep you safe.
Which area above resonated with you the most when it comes to making a covenant with yourself? Please leave a comment below.
Photograph courtesy of adamr via freedigitalphotos.net.
Tracey L. Moore (a.k.a. The Purposeful Poet) is a poet, author, and speaker whose goal is to challenge you to be your best for Christ. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Christian Counseling from Oral Roberts University and is an Associate Minister at Chesapeake Christian Center in Chesapeake, Virginia. Learn more about Tracey at http://www.TraceyLMoore.com.
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