Sunday, November 18, 2012

Problems? I Don't Have Any Problems!

My Utmost For His Highest
 
God pays no attention to our natural individuality in the development of our spiritual life. His plan runs right through our natural life. We must see to it that we aid and assist God, and not stand against Him by saying, “I can’t do that.” God will not discipline us; we must discipline ourselves. God will not bring our “arguments . . . and every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5)— we have to do it. Don’t say, “Oh, Lord, I suffer from wandering thoughts.” Don’t suffer from wandering thoughts. Stop listening to the tyranny of your individual natural life and win freedom into the spiritual life.  “If the Son makes you free . . . .” Do not substitute Savior for Son in this passage. The Savior has set us free from sin, but this is the freedom that comes from being set free from myself by the Son. It is what Paul meant in Galatians 2:20 when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ . . . .” His individuality had been broken and his spirit had been united with his Lord; not just merged into Him, but made one with Him. “. . . you shall be free indeed”— free to the very core of your being; free from the inside to the outside. We tend to rely on our own energy, instead of being energized by the power that comes from identification with Jesus.’ CHAMBERS
Do you struggle with anything in your life?  Is there some issue … some past hurt that affects how you treat other people … anger, resentment, fear, whatever …. Jesus can and will set you free from that.  Maybe you have resolved that you will never be free from it .. that there is no way … you have tried everything .. prayed about it … read books … it just doesn’t seem to matter what you try .. that ‘thing’ is still there.  I know the feeling … it doesn’t matter how strong you are .. how determined you are .. this thing makes you weak .. helpless .. victimized … sad …. demoralized …  it is strong …
 
This thing that I am referring to is something that you don’t want others to know about.  If they did, they would think less of you .. maybe reject you … if they knew the real you …. A little factoid … the Creator of the universe already does.
 
I want to use some excerpts from the Celebrate Recovery Ministry to clarify this.  No, Celebrate recovery is not just for drug addicts or alcoholics .. it’s for people who struggle with a hurt, habit or hang-up which includes just about everybody on the planet.  The first step to dealing with this issue in your life is to admit that you can’t do it by yourself.  You are powerless .. you need the Lord’s help. In other words you have to stop trying to fix it by yourself.
 
“1. I admit that I am powerless to change my past. It hurt, I still remember it, but all the resentment in the world isn’t going to change it. I’m powerless to change my past.
 
2. I admit that I am powerless to control other people. I try, I like to manipulate them, I use all kinds of little gimmicks, but it doesn’t work. I am responsible for my actions, not theirs. I can’t control other people.
 
3. I admit that I am powerless to cope with my harmful habits, behaviors, actions. Good intentions are not enough. How many times have you tried and failed. Will power is not enough. You need something more than will power. You need a source of power beyond yourself. You need God, because He made you to need Him.”
 
The Lord has blessed me with a lot of ability .. but no matter how smart I am, no matter how strong I am, no matter what I might be able to do …there are areas in my life that I cannot control … but that does not stop me from trying … and failing.  Someone once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different outcome.
 
There are aspects of our lives that we cannot overcome … because we are not God .. We need God … we live in a fallen, sin-sick world … and it messes us up … and we can’t fix it … only God can and He did through Jesus … Jesus is the answer … It starts and ends with Jesus.  Stop trying to be God … instead make this your commitment ….
 
Philippians 3:10-14 ‘I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’
 
Pursue God … seek first the kingdom of God … I am pretty sure you know all of these things already … but you have to put them into practice … and let God change you …
 
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

 

 

 

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