Conscience, Courage and Confidence - Part 2

Choice and change are essential to each person’s sense of freedom. Even in dismal situations where freedom is limited, choice and change still can be activated. Choice by its very nature indicates that options are available, along with the power to set in motion changes that have lifetime benefits.

One of the benefits of making significant choices is the opportunity to consider available options. When God said, “Let us make man in our image,” this attribute for choosing was part of the design. Have you ever wondered why God created mankind with this incredible ability to make choices and then take definitive actions to assure change takes place?

Each time a choice is initiated, change is automatically activated. Choosing to be available to God’s transforming work sets in motion changes that endures for life, for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is power to be transformed into his likeness. It is my hope that this will be your choice.  

Overcome Obstructions: Submit to God - Part 2

What does the phrase, “time is of the essence,” mean to you? It implies an essential need to take immediate action. In Numbers 13 Moses sent a team of men to explore the promised land. Two brought back a good report encouraging Moses to immediately take possession of this rich land of opportunity. It was the moment to take delivery on what God provided.

However, obstructions consisting of fear and doubt gave loud voice to objections that resulted in forty years of wandering in the desert of poverty rather than enjoying the prosperity of a land filled with milk and honey. God's allowed Israel to sabotage a great opportunity by rejecting his perfect plan and timing.

It's hard to let go of what is known, yet God will ask us to do that. God expects us to be submissive to his leadership and to act accordingly. We will be held accountable for our choices. However, God’s love and goodness, his insight and wisdom, give us confidence to make changes that correspond to the opportunities he places before us.  

Through the Lens of Confidence: Transformation - Part 3

Some time ago I was talking with a woman in her late thirties who had just attended her twenty year high school class reunion. She related how exciting it was to renew contact with former classmates. Unexpectedly, the night of the class reunion brought some pleasant surprises. Her former classmates gave her affirmation after affirmation of how important a role model she had been for them.

Although the troubles and sorrows of life had diminished the confidence she once projected to others, she could sense it returning just being around these friends. Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of prayer, gave her the courage to face her struggles and fight for a healthier existence.

That class reunion proved to be what psychologist Abraham Maslow called a peak experience, a high point in life that renews hope and faith in one's self. This woman could see how God was at work to help her change and move on to greater accomplishments in her life. It is God's desire for us to change, to mature, and to have hope and plans for a brighter future.   

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.  

Repentance: Letting Go of Sin - Part 3

A magazine headline caught my attention with these words, "When Perception Meets Reality." Perception means to understand in a way that makes sense and is instrumental in developing our belief system. Twentieth century pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock taught parents to let children make up their own minds about important issues like religion and social attitudes.

He perceived children as not needing specific boundaries or consistent guidance. However Dr. Spock possessed the capacity to adapt and change. Observing the social upheaval in the 1960's and 1970's forced him to change his philosophy. He could see that children needed training in religious faith and social skills.

It takes courage and maturity to change one's philosophy and beliefs. More importantly, permanent change can occur when Christ Jesus opens our eyes so we can see and our ears so we can hear from his perspective. He also touches our heart to give us faith and understanding. Then we can respond with determination to follow his leading.  

Choosing Reality: For Today and Tomorrow - Part 2

Each of us has thought, "That may work in the movies, but not in reality." We may not like the face of reality, especially when it appears hard or unkind. Reality can be scary, challenging, and nerve-racking. However it can be calming and give its beholder a sense of hope and confidence for the future.

God gives us power to make decisions, to be creative, and to change. Power is a strange phenomenon. Once acquired, it's very difficult to give up. Power can become an addiction. John Dalberg-Acton observed, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The healthiest use of power comes as we seek to share it with others.

The issue is not to seek more control and power in order to compensate for our limitations, but to trust that God is at work in our lives for our good. Psalm 62:8 confirms that we can go to God any time and pour out our hearts to him, for he is our refuge and hope for change. This is God's reality and the way for peace and confidence in a world that is ever-changing.

Crisis and Compromise: Choosing God's Way - Part 3

It's not unusual to get stuck in a career before understanding what best suits your personality. Someone thought you were a good fit for a particular job; an opportunity opened up, and that's been your career. Integrity is compromised at the point of knowing that something else would have been better but that too many obligations exist to risk changing.

Those who endure these situations often come to retirement feeling compromised. Who you are and what you want is often in conflict with what you have to do. However integrity is invigorated by finding meaningful life purposes beyond a career. Choosing to serve God in ways that utilize your gifts and talents prevent lapsing into sadness or even despair.

Believing that God's provides opportunities insures you can feel confident rather than languish in frustration. A clear conscience, fostered by integrity and combined with hope, gives energy for doing what God provides. Listen to Proverbs 2:6: "The Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." These blessings make life worth living. 

Integrity: Character Strength for a Lifetime - Part 1

The years between youth and retirement often are filled with giving your absolute best for the highest possible achievement, yet both success and failure are prevalent on the pathway to retirement. You're well aware of the determined adolescent who leaves home for college only to return home a semester later unable to re-enroll because of poor grades.

Getting back on track is a requirement at specific intervals along the way to success. What helps is knowing that God is at work to provide confidence for facing an uncertain future. Jesus gave us these words of challenge. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, about your body, what you will wear." He's telling us to re-focus. God cares and will provide.

Moving past failure and disappointment is ultimately dependent on faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who endows us with intrinsic value and self-worth. This motivates us to be receptive to God's purpose for us as our aging consistently progresses onward. God gives us wisdom and discernment for choosing what is appropriate at each stage of our development.

Allowing Intimacy: Getting Close - Part 1

During adolescence, an inner yearning begins to evolve to meet and be accepted by a special member of the opposite sex. Do you remember your first love as a teenager? I realize the majority of adolescent love affairs do not endure the trials and tests of those years. The reason for most failed marriages of adolescents is the absence of a solid identity.

Intimacy depends on honesty and truthfulness. It relies on having enough self-confidence to be transparent so a significant other can know you for the person you are - warts and all. Failure to be truthful is indicative of deception that ultimately isolates you by fostering loneliness and preventing the closeness God intended.

Making choices for positive change includes trusting God, others, and yourself enough to begin opening up to what's on the inside of you. Being honest opens the door for a new person in Christ Jesus to emerge. The pathway to change can spring from accepting who you really are because that person is who God sees and loves.  

Identity Formation: Who Am I? - Part 1

Identity formation is essential to every young person because it launches a direction for life. Every teenager identifies with what gives him or her a sense of self-certainty. Adolescents need to belong, and this is the appeal of youth gangs. Identifying with what seems strong and powerful helps overcome underlying self-doubt and uncertainty.

Jesus said to his disciples, "Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men." He promised to give them a positive identity and a healthy purpose. They would belong to a group where positive change takes place with confidence. Self-certainty comes in knowing you belong to Christ Jesus which helps resolve identity conflicts and crises.

With Christ Jesus change is possible regardless of past choices. Peter failed Jesus when the pressures of life overcame him, but Jesus  forgave and cleansed him from all his failures. He will restore you to fellowship as you confess and repent. New choices underscored by a clear sense of identity and purpose are available.  

From Industry to Identity - Part 3

Adolescence can be an awesome experience for teenagers and parents. Viewing a child's being transformed into a teenager may create uneasiness within the parents as the child begins to require more freedom and privileges. For both the parent and teenager, this developmental stage opens up opportunities for making choices that promise change.

Decision-making power is needed for a teen to begin separating and assuming more responsibility. Becoming independent is required for finding significance and personal identity. Conflict is to be expected, but how it's managed portrays the emotional health of a parent and teenager. The adolescent years involve laying a foundation for identity formation.

To a young Jeremiah, God said, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." Think how encouraging  these words can be to anyone who personalizes them. Making choices with confidence is enhanced by knowing the Lord God is partnering with you to establish your identity.  

Faith and Trust to Grow - Part 1

Every parent can remember the transition their infant made from being helpless and dependent to being a toddler demanding independence and self-governing. Toddlers learn to express displeasure loudly with the word no, which is indicative of approaching self-reliance and making personal choices. This move toward independence is a God-given drive.

Making choices for becoming an autonomous, independent person can be observed throughout each stage of life. It's based on trust that begins in infancy. Reluctance by parents to let their toddler move normally toward independence hinders the development of self-confidence that encourages separation and learning responsibility.

God intended for each person to be confident and independent so we could go forward and discover our place in his world. St. Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." God created you to be a normal, unique individual capable of achieving the purpose he intended for you.  

Changing with Confidence - Part 3

A popular song portrayed disaster as "going ninety miles an hour down a dead end street." God's word issued this warning to the nation of Judah: "Look! I am preparing a disaster for you. I am devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and do what is right."

Somewhere along the way, God's people made choices that set their lives on a collision course with disaster. Disaster is usually a choice, especially the kind that the people of Judah encountered. Instead of choosing to stay faithful to God's purpose, the stubbornness of their hearts allowed them to fall headlong into disaster.

There are alternatives to this headlong plunge. Our hope lies in the fact that God's work of redemption is an on-going process, but we must be willing to stop the downhill slide into pain and suffering. Here is God's alternative: "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Your option is to choose God's plan and purpose. 

          

Changing with Confidence - Part 2

Without exception, we're all challenged to rethink decisions that were made with the greatest of confidence at an earlier stage in life. These decisions may have centered around a person we trusted and believed in. With the passage of time our confidence diminished, and nothing could overshadow the fact that significant change was required.

Reassessing earlier choices is necessary as we realize life isn't static, but dynamic and ever-changing. Given that truth, we're forced to evaluate where we're going with our lives. We not only have to reconsider the choices and possibilities that lie before us but weigh carefully the effects present decisions will have on our future.

Are you aware that major health issues can be related to stress created by refusing to make critical choices? Amos 6 refers to a complacent people who refused to make essential decisions to avert disaster. You can choose to trust God for help and direction to carry out the plans for change he has in store for you. 

Changing with Confidence - Part 1

When past decisions are no longer adequate for current situations, alternatives have to be evaluated. For example, what was once good business policy for a growing company becomes obsolete because of outdated technologies. One reason for disintegration in relationships is unexpected or forced changes and the reluctance to accept them.

What may have been a good policy can be shaken to the bone by unforeseen circumstances. However fear motivates a person to refuse to consider options when change is imminent. Making choices to insure positive change is crucial to avoiding a crisis. Begin by assessing potential consequences if change is not accepted.

Jesus came into the world to change an old belief system. John 3:17 states His purpose: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him.” Making difficult changes can be done with confidence, for God empowers those who, in faith, seek to grow and mature. Ask him for guidance.