A Clear Path to a New Beginning

Jacob was not a man who made bad mistakes, but deliberately chose behaviors that set a course for his life. We’re aware of those who choose unethical, sinful and criminal activities and claim they were bad mistakes. The murderer of an elderly woman claimed that he never meant to cause pain and suffering, but the jury did not buy his “mistake” plea. 

          While Jacob was not a murderer, he did commit cold-hearted sins against his brother and father. The old cliché of “payday someday” caught up with him, causing him to flee for his life because Esau threatened to kill him. He was running to a safe place to hide, but in a strange, lonely place he had a dream that changed his life.

          In this dream God outlined a plan for Jacob that reflects God’s grace and mercy. God did not mention conditions for his willingness to bless Jacob. Have you been a recipient of such grace and mercy, including a clear pathway for a new beginning you never could have imagined? The impossible is possible with God.  

The Quest for Power and Position

The biblical account of Jacob and Esau outlines one person’s quest for power. Jacob’s plot to manipulate Esau into trading his birthright for a pot of soup was an attempt to gain a place of prominence in his family. Jacob needed power and was willing to be deceitful, disloyal and become a co-conspirator with his mother Rebekah to ensure he obtained it.

What he didn’t realize was that this drive for power and position would be an impediment to becoming the person God designed him to be. He would be driven by fear and a false sense of self that would get reinforced every time he used his manipulative skills to get what he wanted.

FEAR is a strong force in everyone and equal to our feelings of inadequacy. It would be decades before Jacob became conscious of his real weaknesses and was able to face them squarely. Only as fear is faced can a person evolve the character strengths God will use to do his work.  "With God, all things are possible."

At a Crossroads? Get Out of the Rut and Reach Higher - Part 2

Mapping the brain continues to be an objective of scientists who research this magnificent, mysterious part of our body. Mapping the brain helps doctors diagnose, treat, and heal physical and mental disorders. The brain seems so complex, we tend to give it little consideration. The reason is, we’re busy making needed pathways through the difficulties and complexities of life.

It’s on these pathways that we come to a crossroads where circumstances require us to choose what is possible or impossible. After fifteen years of marriage a husband presented his wife with a divorce decree, due in part to her withdrawal of affection. While there was no stated reason for the withdrawal, he was firm in seeking the divorce.

Help for managing shock, hurt, and confusion at a crossroads is found in Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." What clearer map could you choose to follow?

At a Crossroads? Get Out of the Rut and Reach Higher - Part 1

Getting into a rut is relatively easy. All it takes is following a pattern of behavior for months or years. Dedicated to his practice, a young attorney paid his dues working long hours and weekends. Long, stressful days created fatigue and irritability, so when he arrived home, he was unable to provide the affection and acceptance his family longed to receive from him.

He progressively became alienated from his family, totally missing out on the blessings of being a husband and father. After years of alienation he came to a significant crossroads. As an older man, he was forced to choose between being a workaholic and being submissive to what God intended a husband and father to give and receive.

While his marriage may be irreconcilable, there is hope for being friends with the woman who once loved him. Reaching out to his children, he hopes to achieve some semblance of reconciliation. God's word reminds us that what seems impossible can be possible with God. Asking, seeking and knocking, while grasping on to patience, can be a winning formula.  

Through the Lens of Confidence: Transformation - Part 1

We've all observed men and women who could roll with the flow of life, who refused to be distracted from their objectives. The ability to roll with the flow doesn't imply giving in to temptation or "doing as the Romans do while in Rome." It takes character strength to sidestep entrapments designed to divert you from God's intended purpose.

A mother referred to her son as intrepid, gutsy, and determined to achieve, despite having a tough learning disability. Resilience enabled him to make friends, do his work with integrity, and deflect self-doubt that was always present. What helped him stay focused was confidence in his parents to be an encouragement regardless of what he would have to face.

The Apostle Paul had unshakable confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus transformed him into a person with direction and purpose for his life. God gave him the wisdom and maturity to change along with a vision that affected the world in a way he had previously believed to be impossible. With Christ in you, all things are possible.  

The Power of Patience: Taming the Temper - Part 1

During holidays and other special family gatherings, a quick temper can devastate the joyful spirit of family unity. Individuals and relationships suffer when tempers flare out of control. Lack of respect and trust diminishes for those who are quick to anger, and their attendance becomes undesirable. Personal safety may also become an issue.

A quick tempered person usually possesses a fragile ego-strength or ego-boundaries. A quick temper reflects a fear of loss of control over a situation, over another person, or within oneself. A quick temper is an effort to hide low self-esteem. A quick tempered person never acquires the control, love, or respect he or she desires.

Listen to Proverbs 15:18. "A hot tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel." You can control your temper by permitting God to empower you with patience. This is possible when you receive this gift, a fruit of the Spirit. The power of patience makes you acceptable and lovable. With God, all things are possible. 

Intimacy: The Power of Trust - Part 1

Most everyone leaves the safety and security of their parents' home by their late twenties. Adults of this age are faced with a difficult but common truth. "Life is not simple, nor completely predictable." Surprisingly, they accept that the world wasn't created just for their pleasure, yet they can choose to make life meaningful and purposeful.

Choosing to change is done by making a transition from a self-sufficiency mind-set to creating a partnership with a trusted intimate other. It's possible for a couple to have been married five to ten years, but have yet to establish an intimate partnership. Many obstacles can stand in the way, including parents, friends, a career, children, or even the church.

Choosing to change should begin by realizing that marriage links together two people capable of being best friends and ready to establish true intimacy. Love, trust, and respect form the foundation for intimacy that can survive the troubles inherent in every marriage. What seems to be impossible is possible for God when you, in faith and hope, turn to him for help.