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.

Insight + Endurance + Action = Change - Part 2

Change is usually dependent upon available choices but may be complicated by lack of courage to move forward. Three components of change are insight, endurance, and action. Insight is the capacity to comprehend possibilities that previously were obscure and to realize choices are now available to move forward.

To achieve what’s possible may require enduring trials and testing, perhaps failure. God's word assures believers who endure that they will be rewarded for their investment. That investment could include training for a new job, parenting children through the difficulties of adolescence, or enduring a bad marriage while hoping for a renewal of love, passion and friendship.

Insight, along with endurance, builds character and stamina that are ready for action and effective change. Jesus instructed his followers to go make disciples of all people, teaching them and baptizing them so they could be his people. Action under-girded by faith and trust honors God and makes effective change possible.