Transforming Doubt and Distrust

Dark days in a relationship follow loss of trust and faith in a person’s  character. When a person is trustworthy, their character demonstrates it. Credibility in effective communication also relies on honesty and integrity, as seen in a person’s words and actions. These attributes are fundamental for relationships.

Since effective communication depends on a person’s word being trustworthy, a credibility gap evolves as doubt and disbelief take the place of confidence and trust. Distorting the truth eventually builds a bridge to an impasse, if not a complete breakdown in communications. Failing to tell the truth destroys trust and respect.

For credibility gaps to close, a transformation in character must take place. This can save a relationship. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ along with repentance and forgiveness is essential for a change in character to be permanent. God has the power to transform doubt and distrust into faith and hope. He can do it! 

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Show mercy to those who have doubts.

~Jude 22 Good News Bible

The father said...“Oh, have mercy on us and do something if you can.” “If I can?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible, if you have faith.” The father instantly replied, “I do have faith; oh, help me to have more!”

~Mark 9:21-24 The Living Bible

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Healed by Forgiveness and Faith

The second chapter of Mark’s Gospel relates a story of a paralyzed man receiving healing. He and his friends made a valiant effort to gain an audience with Jesus so the paralytic could be healed. Imagine this man's response as Jesus pronounced him healed, saying: "Your sins are forgiven. Rise up and walk."

Mark’s Gospel gives us this account for two distinct reasons. First, there’s a connection between various types of illness and the role forgiveness of sin plays in receiving healing. The second reason is to let us know persistence is often required to get to a place where healing can be secured. Imagine the courage it took for this man to submit to Jesus for healing.

These friends persevered until Jesus recognized their friend’s need. Faith and hope inspired them to press on in their pursuit of Jesus. Their determination and faith amazed Jesus. He responded to their friend, "Your sins are forgiven. Get up and go home." Do you need to hear these words for the burden you’re carrying? There’s no limit to God's mercy and forgiveness. 

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When Jesus saw how strongly they believed that he would help, Jesus said to the sick man, “Son, your sins are forgiven!”

…Then turning to the paralyzed man, he commanded, “Pick up your stretcher and go on home, for you are healed!”

The man jumped up, took the stretcher, and pushed his way through the stunned onlookers! Then how they praised God. “We’ve never seen anything like this before!” they all exclaimed.

~Mark 2:5, 11-12 The Living Bible

Believing-prayer (the prayer of faith) will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you have sinned, you’ll be forgiven – healed inside and out.

~James 5:15 The Message

Devastated and Desperate...but Not Alone

What Joseph's brothers did to him was evil and confirms that evil existed then as it does now. We're surprised when evil disrupts or destroys the foundation upon which we’ve anchored our lives. Whatever good there is to do, the enemy delights in sabotaging that good.

Joseph’s brothers hated him and determined to destroy his peace and security. Joseph surely felt excruciatingly alone as he was forced to leave his home and family. His brothers arrogantly seized the special coat their father had made for Joseph, so he had nothing to hold on to. 

Imagine the desperation Joseph felt as he faced an uncertain future. The enormity of the changes he endured must have been devastating. Yet his faith in Jehovah God sustained him during the dark days of fear and desperation. Psalm 119 portrays that faith. “Keep me far away from every wrong, O God, and help me obey your laws for I choose to do right.” That can be your hope and choice as you go toward an uncertain future. 

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But now, God’s Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel:

“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end — Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior.”

~ISAIAH 43:1-3a The Message

From the Known to the Unknown

Moving from the known to the unknown takes determination and courage. God asked Abraham to leave all that was familiar and go to a place He would reveal to him as he was on his way. What would you think and feel if God were to ask you to embark on such an outrageous journey at this time in your life?

 

Rare is the person who wants to stay home indefinitely. As a late adolescent, I had it in my heart to get as far away as possible from the small farming community where I grew up. I did not hate my family or community; I just needed to leave. My parents thought this was the worst decision I could possibly make, but it helped me mature and discover God’s purpose for me.

Jacob could have lived out his life in Haran with his father-in-law, but God's plan meant moving from the known to the unknown. God calls us to make this step for a significant purpose. The challenges are great and demand faith; yet God, without exception, equips us with hope and faith for making the journey.

Problems to Solve, Questions to Ponder - Part 3

The concept of change raises questions like, what conditions prepare a person for change? What indicates a readiness to alter one’s life and surroundings? The promise for a hopeful future motivates immigrants to leave home and face uncertainties in a new country. Signposts for change are loneliness, unhappiness, unemployment and discontent.

A positive incentive for change is hope, which liberates people from resistance and a rigid dependency on what is known to go in search of something better. Hope activates courage to let go of the familiar for the possibility of obtaining fulfillment in the future.

Hope demands some degree of predictability by seeking creative ways to activate change. Hope connects to a powerful drive that believes change is doable. Abraham could only imagine what God had in mind for him when God told him to leave what was familiar and go discover a new future. Abraham believed God, and it was regarded as righteousness on his part. We can make that choice.  

Self-Respect Missing? Check Your Lifestyle - Part 1

Peter Guralnick, Elvis Presley’s biographer, describes Elvis as a man of paradoxes who transformed music but could not transform himself. President Nixon appointed him to fight drugs, but he was a drug abuser until his death at age forty-two. Elvis chose what Jesus called the easy, broad way rather than the narrow way that leads to life.

One writer noted Elvis couldn’t cope with being a celebrity, so the decisions he was unable to make, made his life’s journey a trail of wasted choices. Because of careless choices, he fell deeper into misery, losing all evidence of self-respect and self-love.

How does a person obtain self-respect? It comes from choosing the narrow pathway that includes facing down the temptations of laziness and lust and refusing to make careless choices that lead to a wasted life. Self-respect comes from an abiding hope, trust in God’s word and personal faith in Christ Jesus. Hope and faith provide a strong foundation for persistence and endurance. 

Salt, Light, and Second-Milers - Part 1

Sometimes life is so hectic, a trouble-free day appears impossible. The  smallest task that should take only a moment turns into such complexity that a whole day seems to evaporate. Life on the front burner takes energy and determination to resist defeat rather than to dissolve into frustration and anger. Discouragement has the power to control any situation.

God has given us the capacity to change, regardless of how diminished that capacity feels to us. Where there is motivation to find solutions, no problem is insurmountable. Resilient people learn to activate faith and hope to serve as a channel for transcending anger and frustration. Faith and hope create order and dignity, even in chaos and pain.

Jesus, in Matthew 5:41, instructs his listeners to be second-mile people, giving more than what's required to any challenge. Second-milers know they'll be rewarded, if only by enhancing their integrity. Life is complicated and hectic, so keep your attitude fixed on faith in Christ Jesus. Faith is God's gift to you.