Mingle2 - Philadelphia Singles
The past year has been a struggle. Moving, changing churches, moving my practice, and starting over. I have faced many losses. Although I often felt that the church I had attended for almost 20 years was an island experience – at least it was a familiar and friendly experience. People knew me, respected me, and in a limited way, loved me. Limited in the way that a counselor/staff person is known and loved. I had gone from lay person to staff person back to lay person again. When I moved off staff I found I really had no place there. People in the church were distant because I was a staff member…and then when I quit my job I didn’t fit with the staff either. I had jumped ship…on both sides…and found myself swimming in very lonely waters.
So, when my husband retired we decided to move to the community where our son and his family live. I had prayed that I would find a place to belong, a place to serve, a place to be known and loved, and a place where I could know and love others without the obstacle of staff vs. non-staff history.
We started attending our son’s church at probably the worst time in the life of the church. A few months before we moved, the senior pastor resigned. A good friend of ours was on staff at the church and I saw firsthand the difficulties of working in a church without a senior pastor. In our denomination, whenever a senior pastor leaves, the rest of the pastoral staff is required to turn in a letter of resignation. The board can then decide to keep them until a new pastor comes. Once hired, the new senior pastor has to make a decision (within 90 days) if he/she is going to accept those letters of resignation.
We attended the church for seven months before a new senior pastor came. During that seven months…a time of getting used to a new community, a new home, and trying to find an office for my business, I watched as my friend struggled with “do I stay and hope the new guy keeps me? Or do I go?” The interim was hard on the church and staff, and hard on me, a former staff member whose only hope was that I would find a place to serve and a place to belong.
As a counselor and friend, I walked through those dark days with my staff member friend. I tried to help her problem solve when she told me about the issues she had with the board and the interim pastor. I prayed that the new pastor would be able to see her strengths and gifts and affirm them. I also prayed that he/she would be able to see my strengths and gifts and help me find a place to serve.
I don’t know all the details, but at the 90 day mark, my friend was let go. I grieved with her, and I grieved for myself. It seemed that this was not going to be a place where I was going to be able to serve. Partly because I had already volunteered for a few ministries and never heard back from anyone about whether or not they wanted my involvement, and partly because I recognized that the culture of the church was not welcoming. In my mind I connected the easy “disposal” of my friend with a place that was unfriendly and unloving. It didn’t help that even after a year of attending my son, daughter-in-law and a few of their friends were the only people who talked to us Sunday after Sunday.
I’m sure my attitude could have been better. My emotions ranged from anger to hurt to sadness to grief to hope and back. Not typically an emotional person, I found myself near tears after many Sunday morning services. I was grieving the loss of a familiar place where people loved me, wishing that I could find a place to fit, and longing for connection and purpose.
It has been a year since my friend’s resignation was “accepted.” I have watched her struggle as a single female try to support herself after losing her job in the worst economy since the great depression. I have walked beside her as she tried to pick up the pieces of her shattered self-esteem. I have listened to her as she worked through the fear of getting back into ministry. I have fed her more days than not as she struggled to even have enough money for food. I have grieved with her, been angry for her, prayed for her, and wondered with her “why do people get up on Sunday morning and go to church when this is what they get?”
And as much as both of us wanted to walk away and be done with church, God kept speaking. He wouldn’t let either of us go. I recently stopped by my friend’s house and on her refrigerator, on a dry erase board, was a list of the blessings she has received since losing her job. She realizes (on most days) that even though the church has rejected her, God is still caring for her. As I looked at her list I wondered if I could identify the ways that God still cares for me.
I told a friend recently that I had given up on the church. Not necessarily given up on going to church, but given up my struggle to fit in. I acknowledged that for both me and my friend God has led us through what seemed to be a desert experience. I have to tell you…I hate desert experiences. I wish that I could learn about God in the sunshine on a beach somewhere. But it is in the desert experiences that God reduces us to radical dependence on Him.
Jeremiah 32: 40 – 41 says, “I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.”
I heard Dr. Larry Crabb this week speak about these verses in Jeremiah. He said, “Whatever God is doing in our lives, he is doing good…and he’s having a really good time doing it!” So, if that is true, what is God doing in my life and in the life of my friend? I wish I could say that I have learned all the lessons that I am supposed to during this time, but I know that learning is a journey, not a destination. In my limited understanding I believe that God is using this time to get me to stop looking to the church, to my position, even to the people in the church to find significance. Although I have always known at an intellectual level that truth, until I was swimming in those very lonely waters I didn’t realize how much I looked for approval in the eyes of those I served.
So many times in the last year I have complained. How could they NOT want me? I would be a valuable asset to any church! I have a lot to offer! Although I wasn’t the one let go, in many ways my journey mirrored my friend’s journey. It is no wonder that it hooked my emotions at such a deep level. I felt angry, hurt, depressed, and rejected. I felt it for her and I felt it for myself.
I have found myself recently rereading some of my favorite Bible stories. The life of Joseph has always spoken to me, but never as much as it has this year. Joseph, favored by his father, chosen of God, sold into slavery, given up for dead, and imprisoned unfairly had much more to complain about than me. I often wonder if I could read the journals of some of my Biblical heroes if they would read like mine with an unhealthy dose of “poor me.” He may have complained, but at the end of the story he tells the brothers that sold him into slavery, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good.” Genesis 50:20a.
It reminds me of a story I read recently:
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.
Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
I know that God will redeem this year in my life. I know that God will bring good out of my circumstances and the circumstances of my friend. How? I don’t have the answer yet. My friend is working part time in a church. She still struggles to make ends meet financially, and she still has fears, but I see God healing her. The “dirt” that was thrown on her in her last ministry assignment is becoming her path to the future. God has not stopped doing good to her. Even the fact that she was only able to find a part time job in a small church is probably a blessing from God. She needed time to ease back into ministry instead of hitting the ground running in a large church. And I needed time to get over myself.
So, I wait…patiently some days, not so patiently other days. I don’t like sitting on the sidelines, but I am beginning to hope that God keeps me here until I am able to find my significance in Him alone.
One of the trends in modern psychology is a field called “positive psychology.” Founded by Martin Seligman, it is a “new branch of psychology which focuses on the empirical study of such things as positive emotions, strengths-based character, and healthy institutions. His research has demonstrated that it is possible to be happier — to feel more satisfied, to be more engaged with life, find more meaning, have higher hopes, and probably even laugh and smile more, regardless of one’s circumstances.” (http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx)
Although motivators such as Dale Carnegie and Zig Ziglar talked about the power of positive thinking, and Martin Seligman started the positive psychology movement, one only has to read through the Bible to see that “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc. 1:9). I have found throughout my studies in secular psychology that the truth that is found there is found first in the Bible.
It has been said that we have between 50 and 60 thousand thoughts a day. When we engage in negative thinking, those negative thoughts begin to carve a groove in our brains that make it difficult to break out of negativity. We are influenced by what we hear…even the words we say to ourselves. So, let’s look at some of the verses in the Bible that speak of the power of our thoughts and words.
Proverbs 18:21 "Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose." (The Message)
Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (NIV)
Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." (NIV)
Ecclesiastes 5:2 "Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
I recently had someone in my office who was at the end of her resources. As an unemployed single mother she had her utilities cut off and was about to lose her home. She was making phone calls to find help but either the agencies she called were out of money or they wouldn't help her because she owned a home.
As a new Christian, this young woman asked, "how do I keep my faith when God doesn't seem to care about my circumstances?" It seemed a valid question...."Where was God?" Did He really think it was best to allow a baby Christian to be pushed to point of despair? I really didn't have many answers for her - except that God is in control, that He does care, and that He is never late...or is He?
I was reminded of the story of Lazarus. Mary and Martha, his sisters, surely thought that Jesus was too late! Lazarus was sick, and they sent for Jesus. Lazarus died and was buried, and THEN Jesus showed up. Four days too late.
I'm sure they were angry. They knew that Jesus could have healed their brother if he had just shown up on time!
In his book When God Doesn't Make Sense, James Dobson says, "Jesus then performed one of His most dramatic miracles as He called Lazarus out of the tomb. You see, the Master was not really late at all. He only appeared to be overdue. He arrived at the precise moment necessary to fulfill the purposes of God - just as He always does. With no disrespect intended, let me say that what happened there in Bethany is characteristic of the Christian life. Haven't you noticed that Jesus usually shows up about four days late? He often arrives after we have wept and worried and paced the floor - after we have sweated out the medical examination or fretted our way through business reverses. If He had arrived on time we could have avoided much of the stress that occured in His absence. Yet it is extremely important to recognize that His is never actually late. His timetable for action is simply different from ours. And it is usually slower." pg.52.
"Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."
James 1:2-4 New Living Translation.
There are some things that you can know about adversity:
1. You can expect it! No matter who you are, or what you are doing in life, sooner or later, we all will face challenges, hardships and adversities. In Job 5:7 it says, “Man is born to trouble as surely as the sparks fly upward."
2. You can learn from it! Sometimes it is the mistakes we make, or the messes we survive that teach us lessons that a smooth life will never teach us.
3. There is opportunity in adversity! Even though it’s hard to know where to look, good can come out of any experience in your life. There is no waste in God's economy. He has promised to bring good out of even the worst of our experiences! Rom 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."
Here's a great story about how God uses adversity in our lives:
Some time ago, a few ladies met in a certain city to read the scriptures, and make them the subject of conversation. While reading the third chapter of Malachi they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse: "And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." Malachi 3:3 says, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.“
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study group, and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and he let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were the hottest, so as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot, and then she thought again about the verse that says "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that, yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and said, "Oh, that's easy when I see my image in it.“
2 Corinthians 4:8 “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
"Ordinary people have the power to change other people's lives. The power is found in connection...powerful people believe in what others could become because the believe the good that exists deep within every regenerate heart is potentially stronger than all the bad that is there. Powerful people accept the challenge to identify, nourish, and release the life of God in others by connecting with them."
"...then make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:2-3
As a counselor in training I learned many theories and techniques. I read some of the works of the brightest minds in the psychology and counseling field. But when you boil them all down, there are no theories that match the ability that we have as Christians to be a conduit of God's love and mercy. My most powerful technique as a counselor is just being with my clients. Allowing them to share their deepest wounds and deepest dreams. Bringing out the best in them as they learn to connect in a healthy way. May God help me to continue to be the conduit that connects lost and hurting people with the living God who can heal them and make them whole.
Stress Management professionals often use the term mindfulness as a state of mind that reduces stress. Although I am certified in stress management I often have a problem reconciling modern stress management techniques with the Bible. Psychologist and mindfulness meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn defined mindfulness as: "paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally." The interesting thing about modern psychology is that, as Solomon in Ecclesiastes says, there is nothing new under the sun! Every psychological principle can be found in the Bible. Unfortunately, men take Biblical principles and twist them to fit their understanding. Mindfulness meditation is really godly meditation minus God. Kabat-Zinn was on the right track until he used the words “non-judgmentally.” The Buddhist practice of mindfulness encourages it’s participants to empty themselves of desire to reach nirvana. However, the Bible tells us “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” Romans 12:3. Although we, as Christians, are to be mindful, we have to be careful of anything that asks us to empty ourselves in a way that directly opposes Biblical principles.
As a Christian counselor I often teach clients how to relax through meditation. Philippians 4: 6-9 is the Biblical basis for meditation: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
So, the next time you’re stressed out, practice mindfulness…not by emptying your mind but by filling your mind with the things of God…and the God of peace will be with you!
We are in the process of moving. My husband retired this year, I moved my office, we are building a house, and we're changing churches. As much as I am excited about the move, it has never been easy for me to let go of the familiar and comfortable. I am usually not much of a risk taker! Life has been good where we are, and while the sacrifice I am making doesn't seem as extreme as others I have made in my life, it is still a sacrifice. Surrendering the future is required of all of us as Christians. We really don't know what tomorrow holds. So, today, I surrender my position and status for the unknown. My prayer is that God will continue to use me and help me to find a place of ministry in my "new" life.
"Jesus, on earth, never created something from nothing. Jesus used water that was already there to make wine...a fish's mouth to deliver a coin to pay Caesar's tax...fed 5 thousand by taking bread, breaking it and distributing it to all around. God has a way of meeting people when they are hanging by a thread and then asking them for more rope.
Two key principles:
1. Surrender of what you have is always required.
2. Whatever you offer up is going to change form.
The resources you begin with will not be recognizable to you when you are through."
Jesus, Life Coach - Laurie Beth Jones (p. 194).
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." Hebrews 13:15
In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for mans anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. James 1:19b-20
"Anger stuns. It frightens. It makes people feel bad about themselves. And of course it warns them to stop doing whatever is offending you. But people gradually become injured and resistant. As soon as they see you, they put on their emotional armor in preparation for the next upset. The more anger you express, the less effective your anger becomes, the less you are listened to, and the more cut off you may begin to feel from genuine closeness." When Anger Hits - McKay.
Christians often think that anger is a bad thing...that we shouldn't feel anger. Read Ephesians 4:26-27 again. It doesn't say don't get angry - it says, "don't sin in your anger." Anger is a normal human emotion. It is a signal that something is wrong. When I talk to clients about anger I give them the picture of putting their hand on a hot stove. The pain causes a signal from the brain that says, "take your hand off the stove....it's hot!!!" We need pain in order to keep us safe. The signal is healthy. Anger is healthy too - how we express our anger is what gets us in trouble!
Here are some suggestions for expressing your anger in a healthy way.
1. Learn to say no. Sometimes we set ourselves up to get angry because we say yes when we should be saying no to unrealistic demands from others. Check out my post on our responsibility to say no if you have trouble with this one.
2. Use your anger as a motivator. When we get angry it is usually because of some injustice or something we feel is unfair. Think about Rosa Parks or the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers M.A.D.D. They used their anger to change things.
3. Give yourself a time out. Try holding your breath for 10 seconds...it take oxygen to maintain anger...holding your breath will keep you from exploding.
4. Do something physical. Years ago, when women had to beat rugs and men built their own houses, humans had daily physical activities to relieve their stress and take out their frustrations. Today we live very sedentary lifestyles that don't give us a way to discharge our negative energy.
5. Use a sounding board. Find a friend to talk to about what happened, but be careful that you choose someone who won't fuel your anger by reminding you of all the other things you should be angry about.
“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” William Shakespeare.As I was teaching my Bible study this morning we discussed the need to have someone in your life who knows everything about you. Someone who has seen you at your worst and loves you anyway. That is a tall order when we have some things in our past that cause us shame. In our shame and guilt we build walls of protection around ourselves brick by brick, hurt by hurt. Unfortunately the walls we build for protection become masks that keep us from being known, from loving and being loved. If I am hiding behind a mask I will not believe that I am truly loved. I will always fear that no one would truly love me if they really knew me. It is in confession of my sins to God and a trusted friend that I create a clean conscience and dismantle the wall that keeps me hiding away from intimate relationships.
"Disconnection can be regarded as a state of being, a condition of existence where the deepest part of who we are is vibrantly attached to no one, where we are profoundly unknown and therefore experience neither the thrill of being believed in nor the joy of loving or being loved. Disconnected people may often be unaware of the empty recesses in their souls that long to be filled. They often mistake lesser longings for greater ones and settle for the satisfaction of popularity, influence, success and intense but shallow relationships. Disconnected people are unaware of what God has placed within them that if poured into others could change lives." Connecting - Larry Crabb.
James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
"Love is what enables us to bridge the gap of disappointment when others don't live up to the expectations we have of them." Here are a few areas in which couples struggle with differences and expectations...this list is not exhaustive...I'm sure you can think of more from your own marriage!
Spending vs. Saving * Holidays * Family Time * Vacations * Fitness * Free Time * Communication Styles * Food Preferences * Hobbies * Shopping * Clothes * Sleep Habits * Children (how many, discipline, etc.) * Decorating * Roles * Cold/Warm Bedroom * Crunchy peanut butter/Creamy peanut butter * Windows open/Air conditioning
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in HIS wonderful face, and the things
Sunday morning we went to the cemetery where my father was buried 8 1/2 years ago. I don't go to the cemetery often because I know that my father is not there. I believe that he is sitting at the feet of Jesus...with no pain...no sorrow...and a healthy body and eyesight.
But we didn't go to visit my father's grave...we went to bury my granddaughter's ashes. We never got to hold Charlotte. Our daughter went for her 19 week ultrasound on May 31st only to find that Charlotte's life ended before it began. As my son-in-law prayed at the grave site over his little girl that was taken too soon, I thought about the words to Helen Lemmel's hymn...O soul are you weary and troubled...
It is hard to understand a loss like this. When my father died, at the age of 81, he had lived a long and full life. And he was suffering...from diabetes, congestive heart failure, blindness, and finally a stroke. Although it was sad to lose him, we rejoiced in the fact that he was in heaven and not suffering any more. But Charlotte...we grieved over the fact that her death was so senseless and that we never got to know her. I can imagine what she would have been like when I look at her big sister Noelle...but we'll never know...or will we?
My faith tells me that she is in heaven with the great grandfather that she is buried with. So when my heart is troubled I think about them sitting at the feet of Jesus. And the things of this earth will go strangely dim...grief, loss, pain...all momentary troubles in light of eternity!
2 Corinthians 4:17 "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Go to I Will Take it Lord, All You Have To Give to read other Tuesdays In “other” Words.
"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved." Helen Keller
Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
“They gave our Master a crown of thorns.
Why do we hope for a crown of roses?”
~ Martin Luther ~
I jokingly say that my philosophy of life is "no good deed goes unpunished." It seems that when I do something good it comes back and bites me. For example, at one time I was seeing client who couldn't afford to pay. I agreed to see her for free because I really felt that she needed the help and wouldn't take advantage of my kindness. She came to see me for many months, but then she cancelled several times and never came back. I ran into her in the grocery store one day and she said, "I felt uncomfortable not paying you, so I'm going to see another counselor and I'm paying her." What?! I really would have let her pay!!
I could recite many instances of my "good deeds" going unnoticed, unappreciated, unpaid. There are times that I swear that I won't do it again...get taken advantage of...
It is times like those that the quote by Martin Luther stings my conscience and make me realize that the sacrifices I have made in my good deeds are nothing compared to the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for me. So, I continue to dust off my pride and give to others even if it never gets appreciated this side of heaven. I can never out give or out love God...
Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Check out more In "other" words posts here. Thanks Iris for hosting this week!
Maybe you remember going out on the high dive, determined to jump into the swimming pool below...everything looks great at first...Then you freeze. this board is much higher than you thought. You sense pain is your destiny rather than glory...Every new endeavor is like that. There is a kind of courage required to get up on the board, and then there is another kind of courage required to jump off it. Yet until you are willing to stretch a little bit and get your feet wet in deeper water, you will not mature. We are capable of so much more than we think we are...
Joshua 3:7-8 God said to Joshua, "This very day I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all Israel. They'll see for themselves that I'm with you in the same way that I was with Moses. You will command the priests who are carrying the Chest of the Covenant: 'When you come to the edge of the Jordan's waters, stand there on the river bank.'"
9-13 Then Joshua addressed the People of Israel: "Attention! Listen to what God, your God, has to say. This is how you'll know that God is alive among you—he will completely dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. Look at what's before you: the Chest of the Covenant. Think of it—the Master of the entire earth is crossing the Jordan as you watch. Now take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the Chest of God, Master of all the earth, touch the Jordan's water, the flow of water will be stopped—the water coming from upstream will pile up in a heap."
14-16 And that's what happened. The people left their tents to cross the Jordan, led by the priests carrying the Chest of the Covenant. When the priests got to the Jordan and their feet touched the water at the edge (the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest), the flow of water stopped. It piled up in a heap—a long way off—at Adam, which is near Zarethan. The river went dry all the way down to the Arabah Sea (the Salt Sea). And the people crossed, facing Jericho.
17 And there they stood; those priests carrying the Chest of the Covenant stood firmly planted on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground. Finally the whole nation was across the Jordan, and not one wet foot.
Notice that the victorious crossing did not appear until they had gotten their feet wet. Jesus, Life Coach - Laurie Beth Jones, pgs. 216-217
"The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. To be useful, the clay has to be moldable, and once made into a vessel, it has to remain in the hand of the potter to be used...When you come to God as His servant He first wants you to allow Him to mold and shape you into the instrument of His choosing. Then He can take your life and put it where He wills and work through it to accomplish His purposes." Blackaby - Experiencing God.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 NIV
I want to be the kind of person that God can use because I am fully consecrated to Him. I don't always act like I am that kind of person. My pride and my doubts often get in the way. I am learning, though, that staying connected to Him is the only way that God can truly use me. How often I take myself out of His hand and try to do it on my own. There are days I struggle with my own competence. I have to remember that every gift I have, every talent, came from God in the first place. And everything I feel that I am lacking He will supply.
God help me to get out of the way so you can work through me. Help me to focus on you as the source of my strength, and my all the glory go to you.
God always ignores your present level of completeness in favor of your ultimate future completeness. He is not concerned about making you blessed and happy right now, but He's continually working out His ultimate perfection for you. My Utmost for His Highest - Oswald Chambers.
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. I will gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me...For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthian 12:9-10
I guess my prayer to be free is being answered. Like most prayers I'm glad I didn't know the process I would have to go through to be healthy - to be free. Even now it would be easy to give up - to go back, but I know that God has called me to something where I can't afford to go bound by all the things that keep me from His "ultimate perfection for me."
"Whatever happens that breaks us open to a deeper invasion of the Lord's Spirit is a blessing in disguise. Our brokenness becomes the threshold of growth in a Spirit-filled life. At conversion to Christ, His Spirit enters us. But His abiding presence cannot grow until the shell of our preconceptions, values, and personality structure is broken open." Longing to Be Free - Lloyd John Ogilvie
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20
The only way to be free is to have nothing to lose. In giving myself totally to Christ it is no longer important what anyone else thinks. My fear, my self-esteem, my desires, become His.
The past few months have been a time of God breaking me open. While the struggle was great, God wouldn't let me go. The surrender - the dying to myself - has led to a hunger to be free. For the first time in years it is more important to me to grow spiritually than to do anything else.
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. Philippians 3:7-8.
I want to know Christ...help me to continue on the journey until I am free, totally surrendered, no longer bound by the past - crucified, with nothing to lose.
A = Analysis paralysis
Thinking too much. It’s when you try to anticipate every turn in the road and try to figure it all out ahead of time. Over analysis causes anxiety when you try to use your mind so that you don’t have to trust God. But what if you forget something? The Bible calls us to think things through and to plan wisely, but that can become a real block to obedience and faith. When Jesus called Peter to come walk with Him on the water, what if Peter had allowed Analysis paralysis to take over?
N = Negative assumptions
Assuming the worst. It causes a lot of anxiety when you try to live out all of life’s worst possibilities. It also doesn’t make much sense. How many of those negative assumptions are correct? And how much energy do you lose dreading things that never happen? This is the opposite of living by faith. It is faith in the negative. That’s not God’s plan for us. He wants us to have faith in Him.
X = Xtra bills
Our finances are a source of anxiety. We always want to make sure that we are being good stewards of the money that God gives us but sometimes extra bills are a test of our trust. Will we trust God or not? The Bible teaches us how to handle money and not let it become too powerful in our lives.
I = Insecurities
When we are unsure of ourselves and feel inadequate it is another source for anxiety. What if we fail? What if everyone laughs at us? Insecurities keep us from having fun in life. They keep us tied up in the fear of man or the fear of failure. The Bible tells us that we were made in the image of God. As a Christian, you and I are CHILDREN OF GOD!! Therefore we do have significance in Him.
E = Expectations of others
We live by the power of what others want. This causes anxiety because we are always afraid of disappointing the one who is pulling our strings. This is not living by faith, it is living by remote control.
1 Thessalonians 2:4-6 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men, but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed – God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.
T = Tomorrows - anxiety over the future
We worry about the future. We worry about what has not happened. Jesus taught us in Matthew chapter 6 – Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. MT 6:34
Y = Yesterdays - Anxiety over our past
The sad thing about anxiety over our yesterdays is that we can do NOTHING to change them. The same holds true for anxiety over the future. We can’t change the future or the past. Anxiety doesn’t help, all it does is wreck our todays. And God wants us to live in the NOW of our lives, enjoying HIS blessings.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
When we worry it shows a lack of trust in God’s character. As a matter of fact, ALL anxiety ultimately comes from a misunderstanding of the nature of God. He wants to care for you. Will you let Him? Or will you keep holding onto your anxiety?
Illustration: Have you ever watched a movie and told the character in the movie to be careful or “watch out!”? Our getting tense or gritting our teeth does not help the character in the movie.
So, how are you going to live? Constantly worrying, or restfully trusting?
