Whenever you see those orange Road Work Ahead signs (especially on the Interstates) you just know you are in for delays, traffic jams and even rough road as you travel on. How often have you been on your way to an important event, whether for business or pleasure, and experienced those unexpected delays that added significant time to your journey? I can easily recall being on my way home from a tiring weekend or meeting and all I want is to get home and have the drive behind me. Then it happens, the sequential red brake lights ahead of me as traffic slows to a crawl. Time to settle in for a much longer drive home.
How like our journey with Christ is this scenario. We are strolling along, thrilled with various aspects of our walk with Him and then out of the blue, something happens that slows our journey to a crawl - literally sometimes on our hands and knees! Occasionally we even have to take a detour. "I never thought I would be going through this!" We are caught off guard; we are unnerved and our faith is often shaken. We never anticipated that the journey could take us on such rough roadways; that we would be stopped in our tracks; or that we might have to back up and begin again in a different direction. We never anticipated... but God did.
Isaiah 43:2 When you go through deep waters I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Listen to God's heart as you read those sentences again. He knew what we would face as we journeyed through this life as His chosen ones. There are not much more dire consequences then drowning, burning or being consumed. Yet in each case, He encourages us: I will not let that happen. The truth of that statement clearly tells us to anticipate times when we will feel as if we are drowning, burning or about to be consumed by the flames around us. If He is telling us that He is not going to let these consequences be our demise, then He is also telling us, these circumstances are going to occur in your life.
Lately I have been listening to people about whom I care deeply express the travails of the journey they are on. Hearts are breaking and pain is real. Darkness is oppressive in these precious lives and it threatens to suffocate them in its depths. This deep heavy void of light in their lives is as real to them as the sunshine is on a typical Georgia summer day. It is the absence of this light in their lives that makes the circumstances feel overwhelming. In spite of this, there stands God's promise - I will not let this destroy you. How do you get from this awful detour back onto the solid ground where the road is once again smooth and your path seems straight?
I wish I had an easy answer for everyone that needs it right now. I wish that I could give all of them magical words that would suddenly turn on neon lights proclaiming, "Just turn here and you will be back on your way!" But I don't. I have traveled this rough road myself and in the process, I discovered so many truths about myself and about Him. I would have never learned these hard lessons if I had not encountered the "Road Work in Progress" signs on my journey. Isaiah 43:18 - 19 But forget all that - it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. What an incredible vision this gives us of what is happening in our lives. He alerts us to look ahead, keep our eyes wide open, because just as we had not anticipated the trials and tribulations, we could not begin to imagine what He is preparing for us.
As I continue to study the Word in its depth and breadth, I continue to be amazed at how much our God loves us. I continue to be enchanted by His never giving up on us. I continue to be encouraged that the best is yet ahead for me and for all of you. I have known our Lord as my Savior for almost 20 years. This October 10th will be my 20th "Birthday" of being born again to His saving love. Anyone who knows me personally knows that those 20 years have not been a smooth road trip. There have been many detours and many stretches of rough highway. Yet I would not ask Him to reroute any of my journey. For without my journey I would not know Him as intimately as I do today. Without the specific journey that I have traveled, I would not be able to write what I do today. Without this incredible climb up rocky mountain roads, and struggle through stormy seas, I would not be the woman of God that I am today.
If I can offer any encouragement to each of you that is currently on a detour or a road undergoing resurfacing, allow me please to encourage you to delve deeply into the Word and surround yourselves with fellow believers who passionately pursue HIM and trust His promises. You will survive the current circumstances that have enveloped you. That is His promise. Love Him in spite of everything that is happening to you. Love Him above everything else in your life. Make Him your top and most important priority. He will not forsake you and He will carry you through these difficulties. That is His promise to you and I can vouch for His faithfulness. He is the most wonderful companion you could ever ask for. Try Him out.....
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Pain of Old Habits
Ouch! I knew immediately that I had pulled my back muscles once again. Thought that was behind me, but suddenly it was back. Within hours I could no longer stand straight and was bent over as if I were 40 years older than I am. Not now I was thinking not again. I was smart enough to know not to wait and called my chiropractor, but it would be several hours before I could see him. Meanwhile it was back to icing and resting. So much for the agenda I had planned for the day. However, it gave me much time to consider how this had happened and why. Believing that nothing is wasted in my life, I began to seek the Lord's thoughts on what had just occurred. The answer was revelation and at the same time humbling. I was not as far along as I had thought in my progression to healing emotionally.
Old habits die hard, especially when you "wore" them for decades. I have been learning a lot about the spiritual roots that are tied to many illnesses with which we struggle. The root tied to certain back problems is the spirit of self hatred. You can translate that into lack of self esteem or self worth and suddenly things begin to gel. Co-dependency is a natural behavioral out growth of this root. I can trace it back through generations as I can the back issues. So what does this have to do with me hurting my back again? The activity that was occupying me at the time of my injury was wrestling with a mattress - alone. When I surveyed the task to be done, I immediately thought, I should wait for Glen to come home to help me with this. Then the old co-dependency kicked in - no I need to get this done now so that he won't have to deal with it. TRANSLATION: asking for help is an indication that I am not capable of doing my "job". Can't have that!
This is my struggle: acknowledging that I do not have to be Super Woman in order for me to be loved. When you have been raised by a Super Woman and grew up with the expectation that no matter what happens you can and should handle it (the reinforcement there came from my dad) it is difficult to break out of that mold. Yet all of the factors that kept me entrenched in that mindset are no longer part of my life. In fact my life is very much the opposite through the grace of our Lord and the blessing He has given me of an incredibly supportive and loving husband. The most frustrating and humbling aspect of this is that I should know better!
Romans 8:6-8 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. For me, co-dependency is the sinful nature that is trying to control my mind. There clearly is not life and peace in continuing in that behavior. It brings death to relationships, death to walking in the mindset of Christ and death in this particular instance to physical well-being. I need to remind myself of the truth in these verses and those that follow in this chapter. It is my responsibility to "put to death the misdeeds of the body" Verse 13.
If any of you are waffling here and saying that this is not really a sin, then consider what the two greatest commandments are: Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves means we have to be able to love ourselves if we are going to love our neighbors. You cannot do the first act there if you do not know how to do the second act. This is not a chicken and egg quandary. You have to be able to love yourself if you are going to demonstrate and walk in love toward your neighbor. Therefore when I diminish who I am and believe myself to be unworthy of being loved for who I am and not what I do, then I am being disobedient according to the Word of God.
For many of you co-dependency may not be the issue, but something else is. What is keeping you from living within the life and peace that is promised us in Romans 8:6? We should all be in the process of transforming our minds. Romans 12:2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Recognize that this is a process. Behavioral habits are a part of who we are until we make a conscious decision that those habits do not fit who we are anymore and we begin the process of substituting new behaviors and new thought patterns to replace the old ones. Is it difficult? Certainly it is. Will we stumble and have to get up and start again? Most definitely. But one thing is unmistakable: if we do not make the conscious decision to start living differently, then our lives do not change. We will continue to make the same mistakes and relive the same difficult experiences that colored our past.
Have I learned from the pain that I have experienced this past weekend? You bet I have. I am so grateful for the revelation that the Lord gave to me through this pain, and I revel in the fact that He also healed me both through the prayerful skilled hands of my chiropractor and His unmistakable touch from heaven that brought extremely swift healing to my body. I am pain free once again and in only three short days - hmm ..."and on the third day....." I'll take that kind of healing any day especially when it goes deep into my emotional wounds and continues the healing from the inside out. I am so thrilled to be a child of His and know that in His eyes through the blood of Jesus I am worthy of being loved - and I am loved! How about you?
Please Note: There will be no posting next week because I am attending the Christians United For Israel Summit in Washington, DC. I ask for your prayers for this important meeting that we will have an impact on the leaders of our nation and our congressional representatives. Thank you!
Old habits die hard, especially when you "wore" them for decades. I have been learning a lot about the spiritual roots that are tied to many illnesses with which we struggle. The root tied to certain back problems is the spirit of self hatred. You can translate that into lack of self esteem or self worth and suddenly things begin to gel. Co-dependency is a natural behavioral out growth of this root. I can trace it back through generations as I can the back issues. So what does this have to do with me hurting my back again? The activity that was occupying me at the time of my injury was wrestling with a mattress - alone. When I surveyed the task to be done, I immediately thought, I should wait for Glen to come home to help me with this. Then the old co-dependency kicked in - no I need to get this done now so that he won't have to deal with it. TRANSLATION: asking for help is an indication that I am not capable of doing my "job". Can't have that!
This is my struggle: acknowledging that I do not have to be Super Woman in order for me to be loved. When you have been raised by a Super Woman and grew up with the expectation that no matter what happens you can and should handle it (the reinforcement there came from my dad) it is difficult to break out of that mold. Yet all of the factors that kept me entrenched in that mindset are no longer part of my life. In fact my life is very much the opposite through the grace of our Lord and the blessing He has given me of an incredibly supportive and loving husband. The most frustrating and humbling aspect of this is that I should know better!
Romans 8:6-8 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. For me, co-dependency is the sinful nature that is trying to control my mind. There clearly is not life and peace in continuing in that behavior. It brings death to relationships, death to walking in the mindset of Christ and death in this particular instance to physical well-being. I need to remind myself of the truth in these verses and those that follow in this chapter. It is my responsibility to "put to death the misdeeds of the body" Verse 13.
If any of you are waffling here and saying that this is not really a sin, then consider what the two greatest commandments are: Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves means we have to be able to love ourselves if we are going to love our neighbors. You cannot do the first act there if you do not know how to do the second act. This is not a chicken and egg quandary. You have to be able to love yourself if you are going to demonstrate and walk in love toward your neighbor. Therefore when I diminish who I am and believe myself to be unworthy of being loved for who I am and not what I do, then I am being disobedient according to the Word of God.
For many of you co-dependency may not be the issue, but something else is. What is keeping you from living within the life and peace that is promised us in Romans 8:6? We should all be in the process of transforming our minds. Romans 12:2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Recognize that this is a process. Behavioral habits are a part of who we are until we make a conscious decision that those habits do not fit who we are anymore and we begin the process of substituting new behaviors and new thought patterns to replace the old ones. Is it difficult? Certainly it is. Will we stumble and have to get up and start again? Most definitely. But one thing is unmistakable: if we do not make the conscious decision to start living differently, then our lives do not change. We will continue to make the same mistakes and relive the same difficult experiences that colored our past.
Have I learned from the pain that I have experienced this past weekend? You bet I have. I am so grateful for the revelation that the Lord gave to me through this pain, and I revel in the fact that He also healed me both through the prayerful skilled hands of my chiropractor and His unmistakable touch from heaven that brought extremely swift healing to my body. I am pain free once again and in only three short days - hmm ..."and on the third day....." I'll take that kind of healing any day especially when it goes deep into my emotional wounds and continues the healing from the inside out. I am so thrilled to be a child of His and know that in His eyes through the blood of Jesus I am worthy of being loved - and I am loved! How about you?
Please Note: There will be no posting next week because I am attending the Christians United For Israel Summit in Washington, DC. I ask for your prayers for this important meeting that we will have an impact on the leaders of our nation and our congressional representatives. Thank you!
Monday, July 6, 2009
The Control Tower for Your Life
Control is a major hot button in most people's lives no matter what perspective you take on it. Sometimes we are struggling to maintain control. Sometimes we are fighting to gain back control. Then there are the times that we feel totally out of control. The list goes on and I am sure you can add several phrases to the few mentioned already. One thing has become abundantly clear in both my own life and in talking with many others: this issue of control can cause a tremendous amount of havoc in our lives. Why is it so important to us?
One aspect of its importance is grounded in the past harm and emotional hurt that we have experienced because someone else was seemingly in control of our lives. We feel wronged because someone else's decisions, comments or actions have had a negative impact on us. This is when we will often hear someone proclaim, "If only I had been in more control of .... this would not have happened." Anger, disappointment and depression are only a few of the results of that perspective. Hindsight is 20-20 we often hear. If only.... is another common response. But the reality in our perception is that we were not in control and that is why this happened to us.
Another aspect is one of protecting oneself against potential harmful or dire circumstances. Whether it is the overall economy, our personal job situation or relationships, we feel that it is important that we have "it all together." Planning ahead can become an obsession for some of us as we anticipate negative events and do our very best to guard against the inevitable fallout that will result from these events. Exhaustion, stress and anxiety are a few of the results of this perspective. Even though we most likely have little ability to alter the grand circumstances, we feel obligated to do everything humanly possible to guard against these outcomes.
Still another perspective is that difficult one when we feel as if we have totally lost control due to the circumstances around us. Events such as sudden death, an unexpected illness, severing of long-term relationships or a severe change in our support network can trigger this sense of loss. We feel like a boat without sails or a rudder caught in a storm, unable to direct our own life out of this swirling mass of wind, rain and waves that seem to be beating us to death. Confusion, action paralysis and fear may result from this perspective. The feeling that nothing is going to work out and that everything is collapsing around us dominates our every waking hour.
This is just a sampling of control issues. As you already know, the scenarios are vast and diverse. However the one concept that they all have in common is that the reactions and emotions that result from them are negative and do not lead us into forward, calm thinking. So how can this happen to someone who loves the Lord and is trying to live a life for Him? My heart aches for each person I know that is struggling with control issues. I ache because I know intimately how that feels and also know intimately how counter-productive it is to living a Christ-centered life.
Ultimately when we are operating in these negative reactionary modes, we are allowing something other than Christ to control our lives. If you analyze your own personal situation in which this may be occurring, you may find that you are allowing the spirit of fear to control. You may be allowing the spirit of self-condemnation to control. You may be allowing the spirit of mammon to control. There are as many negative spirits trying to attach themselves to us as there are excuses for why we are not trusting the Lord Almighty. Whichever negative spirit is operating in your space, it is important to identify the fact that it is not your trust in the Lord Almighty that is operating.
Proverbs 3:5-6 have been my life verses since I accepted Christ. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths. But did you know that the word "Trust" appears 134 times in the Bible? Do a word study sometime with a concordance and look them all up. God is faithful in instructing us to trust Him with our lives, our souls and every aspect of who we are and what we do. He makes it abundantly clear that He knows more about our world than we could possibly imagine. Isaiah 55:9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Let's just acknowledge the fact that He is in control whether we like what is happening or not. If we are patient and do not take our eyes off of Him, we will someday understand what this journey was all about.
There is one more really important instruction that comes from our Lord Almighty and it is consistently spoken throughout the Word. Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." This verse specifically mentions money or the spirit of mammon however you can insert anything into that phrase that is taking precedence over your love of God. For example, how can you have the spirit of fear dominating your life if you truly TRUST the Lord to carry you through any circumstance? How can you allow the spirit of self-condemnation to operate if you believe in who you are in Christ? These questions are not meant to judge anyone; they are written to encourage us to believe in the promises that He has given us. We do not have to submit to those other spirits that are limiting what we can accomplish for the Lord. We just need to recognize Who is really in control and submit to His love and direction in our lives. Can we do it? Can we release control and give it to Him so that He can have the desire of His heart with us?
One last scripture for you: Hosea 6:6 I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than burnt offerings. What an incredible wooing from our Lord. He is seeking intimacy if we will only release control of our lives to find it with Him. What is your heart's desire? Who is in the control tower of your life?
One aspect of its importance is grounded in the past harm and emotional hurt that we have experienced because someone else was seemingly in control of our lives. We feel wronged because someone else's decisions, comments or actions have had a negative impact on us. This is when we will often hear someone proclaim, "If only I had been in more control of .... this would not have happened." Anger, disappointment and depression are only a few of the results of that perspective. Hindsight is 20-20 we often hear. If only.... is another common response. But the reality in our perception is that we were not in control and that is why this happened to us.
Another aspect is one of protecting oneself against potential harmful or dire circumstances. Whether it is the overall economy, our personal job situation or relationships, we feel that it is important that we have "it all together." Planning ahead can become an obsession for some of us as we anticipate negative events and do our very best to guard against the inevitable fallout that will result from these events. Exhaustion, stress and anxiety are a few of the results of this perspective. Even though we most likely have little ability to alter the grand circumstances, we feel obligated to do everything humanly possible to guard against these outcomes.
Still another perspective is that difficult one when we feel as if we have totally lost control due to the circumstances around us. Events such as sudden death, an unexpected illness, severing of long-term relationships or a severe change in our support network can trigger this sense of loss. We feel like a boat without sails or a rudder caught in a storm, unable to direct our own life out of this swirling mass of wind, rain and waves that seem to be beating us to death. Confusion, action paralysis and fear may result from this perspective. The feeling that nothing is going to work out and that everything is collapsing around us dominates our every waking hour.
This is just a sampling of control issues. As you already know, the scenarios are vast and diverse. However the one concept that they all have in common is that the reactions and emotions that result from them are negative and do not lead us into forward, calm thinking. So how can this happen to someone who loves the Lord and is trying to live a life for Him? My heart aches for each person I know that is struggling with control issues. I ache because I know intimately how that feels and also know intimately how counter-productive it is to living a Christ-centered life.
Ultimately when we are operating in these negative reactionary modes, we are allowing something other than Christ to control our lives. If you analyze your own personal situation in which this may be occurring, you may find that you are allowing the spirit of fear to control. You may be allowing the spirit of self-condemnation to control. You may be allowing the spirit of mammon to control. There are as many negative spirits trying to attach themselves to us as there are excuses for why we are not trusting the Lord Almighty. Whichever negative spirit is operating in your space, it is important to identify the fact that it is not your trust in the Lord Almighty that is operating.
Proverbs 3:5-6 have been my life verses since I accepted Christ. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths. But did you know that the word "Trust" appears 134 times in the Bible? Do a word study sometime with a concordance and look them all up. God is faithful in instructing us to trust Him with our lives, our souls and every aspect of who we are and what we do. He makes it abundantly clear that He knows more about our world than we could possibly imagine. Isaiah 55:9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Let's just acknowledge the fact that He is in control whether we like what is happening or not. If we are patient and do not take our eyes off of Him, we will someday understand what this journey was all about.
There is one more really important instruction that comes from our Lord Almighty and it is consistently spoken throughout the Word. Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." This verse specifically mentions money or the spirit of mammon however you can insert anything into that phrase that is taking precedence over your love of God. For example, how can you have the spirit of fear dominating your life if you truly TRUST the Lord to carry you through any circumstance? How can you allow the spirit of self-condemnation to operate if you believe in who you are in Christ? These questions are not meant to judge anyone; they are written to encourage us to believe in the promises that He has given us. We do not have to submit to those other spirits that are limiting what we can accomplish for the Lord. We just need to recognize Who is really in control and submit to His love and direction in our lives. Can we do it? Can we release control and give it to Him so that He can have the desire of His heart with us?
One last scripture for you: Hosea 6:6 I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than burnt offerings. What an incredible wooing from our Lord. He is seeking intimacy if we will only release control of our lives to find it with Him. What is your heart's desire? Who is in the control tower of your life?
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