Living Abundantly with Colton Dixon
Choosing to focus on God’s truth
Christian music singer and songwriter, Colton Dixon, got his start on American Idol. When he sat down with Family Life Radio, he shared about how his tremendous success does not guarantee his sense of security.
Colton can still get the feeling he is not good enough. The enemy can use things like social media to distract him from his work.
“You can post something on Instagram, and you can have ninety-nine amazing comments and one negative comment, and that’s what you focus on,” confessed Colton, “the one negative one.”
Colton explained that you can always choose to focus on the negative, regardless of who you are.
“You can even be someone like Billy Graham and still focus on the negative,” he commented. “It is your choice.”
What you focus on is a choice.
The inspiration for Colton’s song, “Devil is a Liar,” came from a book he read called The Bait of Satan, by John Bevere. He highly recommends it to everyone who reads, although if you are reading in public, you may get funny looks. “Read it anyway,” Colton encouraged.
The Right Category
The book highlights John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (ESV).
Colton emphasized the importance of putting things in the right category, either death and destruction or life more abundantly. You can rely on the Holy Spirit to navigate your path. When things seem a bit off, you can identify which category you are in.
Colton said, “Ask yourself, ‘Is this life abundant or death and destruction?’”
Often it comes through people. You may feel insecure or offended, but you are not in this life to fight people. The fight is, “Not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 ESV).
It is more obvious today than ever before that there are two opposing forces on the planet, and they are clearly clashing. The evil one would like nothing more than to take you down with feelings of inadequacy, unworthiness or offensiveness. You must not give up on the work God has set before you, the work of glorifying Him as you submit to His will.
Freedom to Choose
Relying on God’s guidance through His Holy Spirit allows you to avoid being caught up in the midst of the battle. It gives you the freedom to rise above and choose His best in your life.
Embracing this truth allows you to live with more confidence and have more grace for people and experience less frustration and offense.
Whether it is in church, marriage or other relationships, you can choose the abundant way of life rather than the death and destruction path by:
- Praying for the person who has a different opinion than yours, instead of being offended.
- Praying before you respond to the person who has hurt you, instead of jumping to conclusions.
- Ask God to show you a respectful way to address a difference, instead of being resentful.
- Ask clarifying questions in order to begin to understand another person’s point of view, instead of lashing out angrily in defense of your opinion.
- Listen to show you care, instead of interrupting to get your point across.
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