Grow in Faith and Reap a Harvest of Righteousness - Part 3

It’s possible to become discouraged when changes which are needed to make life more dependable are so slow in coming. Productive change, without exception, coincides with making room for it to happen physically and emotionally. For a vineyard to stay healthy and productive, the grapevines must be pruned to make space for new growth.

Lasting change depends on your determination to create a place in your heart, mind and attitudes for it to exist. Fighting the fluctuation of feelings and thoughts can be discouraging, so change must be welcomed and nurtured. A healthy garden must be watered, and weeds that invade to suck away the nutrients must be recognized and obliterated.

          Change depends on discipline and hard work and can be painful, but it later produces a harvest of righteousness and pleasure. Changing for what is good, righteous and helpful is a challenge because it requires some thinning out, pruning and discarding. God will be your strength, hope and light as you choose to this transition.  

Grow in Faith and Reap a Harvest of Righteousness - Part 2

Choosing what is good and godly may require a struggle that’s surprising to most of us. Why not just roll with the flow and take the pathway of least resistance instead of staying focused on righteousness, peace and God’s purpose for you? There are many distractions to divert your attention from God’s plan for you.

Change, especially change that comes with repentance, trust and faith in Christ Jesus, begins a process that continues forever. While our finite, limited minds have trouble comprehending this truth, its validity is not lessened. The temptation is to take the course of least resistance and roll with the flow of old expectations.  

Your goal now is to flow with faith and trust in Christ Jesus, to remember that faith, trust and repentance are God’s gifts to you, that includes his righteousness. These gifts give your life a definite focus. Maturing as a person of faith is your objective now. God’s Spirit resides in you to ensure you reach God’s plan and purpose. 

Grow in Faith and Reap a Harvest of Righteousness - Part 1

Change without struggle is usually impossible but does not deny God’s instantaneously redeeming our souls. God’s mercies are definite motivations for changing old behaviors that are displeasing to him. When experiencing a crisis, we sincerely vow to change, but with time we sense ourselves slipping back into old thinking and behavior patterns.     

          Changes must be practiced diligently to prevent old, unhealthy behaviors from returning. We’re tempted to default on promises to reform by taking the path of least resistance. Jesus related how a man swept his house clean of an evil demon who had made his life miserable. The evil demon later returned with several fellow demons.

          Choosing to change means choosing to do the hard work of creating a new life style that includes what you know is pleasing to Christ Jesus. This is essential for preventing old habits from establishing even greater strangleholds. Greater is he who is in you, Christ Jesus, than he who is in the world. This is God’s promise.  

Infused with God's Light and Love - Part 3

Taking the path of least resistance for managing hard issues is a natural response, especially whenever choosing to go down the difficult, less traveled path appears hazardous. Succumbing to the most traveled path is appealing; it lets us avoid challenging choices. The Apostle Paul refers to this as the old, lingering, natural, unredeemed self.

Choosing to change may mean choosing a difficult path to follow. Now most people are not opposed to hard work if it’s acceptable and has predictable rewards. Taking the path of least resistance is failing to choose the good that could be done. My father believed in never putting off until tomorrow what could be done today.  

It’s easier to hate someone who has hurt you rather than to pray for God to bless that person. Praying for a person requires a change in attitude. The issue is to struggle, fight the good fight of faith, never give up or give in, while straining toward what pleases God. He will give you courage and strength to do it.  

Infused with God's Love and Light - Part 2

So often in counseling, a person leaves a session with enthusiasm because hope has been renewed, even with the realization that lasting change doesn’t come without struggle. Yet what we imagine can be either a powerful inspiration or a deterrent to progress. One man described it as a shadow that created fear of being honest.

His daughter confessed to struggling with an internal conflict she had failed to resolve. The advice he gave her was like a mirror reflecting his own face concerning what he was unable to work out with her mother, his wife. That shadow he identified was fear of being powerless, weak and inferior in the face of truth and honesty.

This man finally revealed to his wife the root of their conflict hidden in his feelings of insecurity, which were the source of their troubles. Keeping secrets hidden in darkness makes their shadow grow larger and more intense. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” so permit the light of Jesus to shine on the shadows in your life.  

Infused with God's Love and Light - Part 1

There’s a definite uniqueness to each person’s biology, chemistry and personality that sets us apart from others. God created each of us to be authentic, natural and spontaneous in expressing who we are. Yet limits must be placed on our impulsive thoughts and behaviors to provide ethical and moral character that’s pleasing to God.

The miracle of salvation is the infusion of God’s unearned love that sets us apart to be his treasured possession through faith in Jesus Christ. Consequently, nothing can overcome the boundaries God places around us. Within these boundaries, he created us for good works that comprise our unique identity and purpose.

As you grasp this truth and hold on to it with determination, God’s purpose for you is welcomed and acceptable. Sensing what you can be and do in compliance with what God intended, your identity comes into harmony with God’s desire for you. This choice brings peace, joy and security you will feel to the depths of your soul.  

Fightings Within, Fears Without: Come to God - Part 3

Internal struggles can be caused by having a lack of self-control when faced with difficult choices. Learned patterns of thinking and believing may serve as obstructions to realizing success and happiness. A man in his forties explained how his parents overindulged him as a child, creating an impression that life would be easy and that others were obliged to meet his needs.

Overindulgence produced impatience with others and a lack of self-control. While he was not a drug or alcohol abuser, he found it difficult to resist other temptations. Although we have the right to pursue what could be construed as happiness, we do not have the right to violate the ethical rules and guidelines of society or of God’s laws.

Beyond society’s expectations, God’s laws eventually become conscious to each person. However, true and lasting confidence comes from being certain of your standing with Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord. Internal strife and conflict diminish as Christ Jesus becomes real in every aspect of your life.

Fightings Within, Fears Without: Come to God - Part 2

Internal struggles are often related to unexpressed resentment and perhaps to striving to live up to the expectations of others. A young woman in her last year of medical school abruptly resigned, much to her parents’ dismay. For her, each day of medical school had been a battle. The war existed between what her parents expected of her and the realization that medical school was not her passion.

Even gifted and talented people get stuck in unlikable careers, often out of necessity. Job 3:26 clearly identified the young woman’s position: “I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, only turmoil.” The surgery rotation convinced her beyond a shadow of doubt that being a physician was not in her future.

While she had to face her parents, friends and extended family, the young woman believed God had a place for her where she could be at peace within herself. Her choice was a step of faith and trust after prayer and counsel with her professors. Internal peace comes by making peace with God and being in his will, which he desires for each of us.  

Fightings Within, Fears Without: Come to God - Part 1

Self-condemnation is often caused by expectations that are impossible to achieve which pave the way for blame, defensiveness and guilt to surface. Criticism from significant others creates a lack of self-acceptance and will generate internal and external conflict. Imagine the emotional pain produced by a negative perception of oneself.

Coping with low self-esteem through eating disorders, substance abuse and other harmful behaviors tends to exaggerate internal strife. Self-condemnation makes it difficult to feel loved and accepted by God and others. As difficult as it is to achieve, the objective is to change a negative perception of oneself to self-acceptance.

The Apostle Paul declared, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Choosing to be vulnerable for God to cleanse the heart, soul and mind of guilt diminishes self-condemnation. 1 John 1:7 reassures me that the blood of Christ Jesus cleanses me from every sin. Thank God for his grace and mercy and for new a beginning.  

Inner Conflict? Let God Help - Part 3

Inner conflict is produced from feeling inadequate for managing life’s problems. Some problems are pushed aside if there is little urgency for resolution, but this delay or inaction may give rise to the accumulation of strife. Knowing problems exist but lacking the will to address them can produce feelings of inadequacy, failure and guilt.

          Jody, a professional businesswoman and a single mother, permitted her house get so cluttered that she felt it was impossible to clean it. She felt ashamed because her children were embarrassed to have friends over. Self-belittlement often is caused by distortion of problems and one’s inability to solve them.

When Jesus instructed his disciples and us to be perfect as God the Father is perfect, he meant that we were to progress toward maturity. In this progression toward maturity, reality is more easily accepted. Isaiah 58:9 is encouraging: “It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me, so who is he who would condemn me?” Expect God to help.  

Inner Conflict? Let God Help - Part 2

Everyone experiences inner conflict. Recently a young woman identified two conflicting voices within her head. One voice was screaming, “You’re ugly, inferior, and unlovable!” The other side countered, “You’re smart, pretty, and lovable.” When the negative voice became dominant, she felt depressed and wanted to escape the pain.

While most inner conflicts do not produce extreme turmoil, lack of self-acceptance causes grief and sadness. Inner conflict distorts the true self, prohibiting the expression of trust and love for self and others. Fear of criticism often parallels self-condemnation. Internal conflict may diminish feeling the flow of love from God and others.

Job remarked to his friends, “Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.” The good news for those who trust Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord is that freedom from guilt and shame exists through his forgiveness and cleansing. Restoration of souls is God’s business.