Above all, put on love – the perfect bond of unity. Col 3:14

Have you ever glued two things together that when dried weren’t quite straight? In my earlier days, I was in the “historic jewelry business.” I used to cut, sand, and polish whale ivory and then use a powerful bonding material to set the various pieces into attractive settings. When dried and firmly attached, the pieces would be ready for sale. Sometimes, however, the bonding connection was off enough that the piece didn’t look right. In fact, it reduced the value so significantly that something had to be done to correct it. One of the best techniques I found to disengage what was firmly set was to put the piece under a good light and soften the bonding material by carefully heating it with a lit match or candle. Only then could the piece be re-bonded back to its potential value for sale.

Have we ever operated in habits and mindsets that we discovered were bonded or connected to principles or settings that turned out a little crooked? For example, have we ever started our day believing we were losers, hopeless, worthless, dummies or living proof that evolution hasn’t yet finished? When our minds are set like that, we need God’s rebinding as our own source of light and heat.

Romans 12:2 is a powerhouse scripture that releases a compelling hope for all of us. It says, “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind.”
Being balanced in the truth and authority of what God says provides the standard toward our determination to adjust those things that are askew in our life.

As we respond and rely on what God says about us and glue ourselves to His setting of perfecting love, we start the process of correcting our off-center position. Overcomers, by definition, are winners, hopeful, worthy, smart, and straight evidence that God doesn’t fashion crooked stuff. Remember the Lord is jealous for us not jealous of us.

Whatever we face this week, let’s shine with a confident untarnished mindset that we can be properly aligned and believe that personal victory is valuably ours. We’re even magnificently designed to have the capacity to take a light and the heat of discipline to adjust our rigid or negative attitudes along the way.

Family and friends, Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” May these ancient words serve that purpose and be gems of encouragement for each of us.

Ps 139:14; Eph 4:2-3; Prov 3:5-6; Eph 4:13