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Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Purity 415: Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

Purity 415 05/11/2021 Purity 415 Podcast

Good morning.

Today’s photo of a stunning sunset on the shores of Lake Ontario in Oswego NY comes from our friend at Celestial Blue Photography who commented: “Any day I can take a photograph of the sunset, is a day I am grateful for, and can appreciate.”    

With that simple and honest statement, our friend reveals how our gratitude and appreciation for life is impacted by both our perspective and purpose.  

For a photographer, perspective is everything.  They have to be intentional about being in position to capture the beauty around them. Whether that means they set time aside and plan for their shots or if they are just always ready to capture moments on the fly, their eyes are open and are looking for opportunities to apprehend the beauty that is around them.   No matter what they may encounter out in the field, the photographer’s perspective is already one of expectancy as they know there are good things out there to focus on and they are hopeful that they will find them eventually.  Living with the perspective that good things are our there to experience and being intentional about finding them is where gratitude and appreciation for life is born.  

The second truth shown in our friend’s words is that of purpose.  Our photographer friend is fulfilling their purpose of sharing what they see because they love it.  As wonderful as the field of photography is, its not for everyone but our appreciation and gratitude for life can be enhanced by pursuing our own individual purpose, whatever that is.  

Our purpose in life is to do that which we take joy in and that reflects the goodness of God.  Teachers impart what they know.  Mechanics fix that which is broken.  Whatever your job is, whether it is in the category of providing goods or services, creative arts, healing, or putting things in order, there are aspects of God reflected in it.  No matter how much of a grind our jobs can be, the purposes they fulfill give glory to God.  Our gratitude and appreciation in life is fed by our pursuing and realizing our purpose and being content with it.    

So as you go about another day, fulfill today’s purpose and when you do, be sure to come at it from the right perspective: the perspective that recognizes that God has a plan for your life, and as simple or as profound as that may be, our joy, appreciation, and gratitude for life comes from being in harmony with Him.   


This morning’s meditation verse is:

Psalm 23:1 (NKJV)
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Today’s verse may have been shared by me in the last few months because it has been an integral theme that has emerged in my experience as I have shifted my expectations from things I was hoping for that proved to be dreams that won’t come true.    

I have come to learn that one point of psalm 23, and this verse in particular, is to not focus on what I “want”, or what I deem to be important in the material world, but to instead focus on the Lord and His purposes for me.          

Our “wants” can be all over the spectrum from the basest materialistic or fleshly desires to well intentioned godly aspirations. The problem is that sometimes we are deceived or don’t realize that the things we “want” are drawing us away from God because we are putting our hopes for happiness not in our relationship with the Lord but in obtaining our “wants”.            

There is nothing wrong with pursuing good things in life, but we need to be mindful how our “wants” are affecting our walk with the Lord.  To make sure that we are in harmony with the Lord we have to examine what we are doing and why we are doing it.    

The truth is that our relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ fulfills all of our needs.  So keep walking and talking with God and as you move through life just make sure that you are not chasing after things that take you too far away from Him.

If your pursuit of what you want begins to take away your peace and contentment, you’ve gone too far.  If that happens just stop and take your eyes off what you “want” and put your eyes on the Lord and follow where He leads.    

I invite all to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. 

 

Today, in continuing recognition of mental health awareness month, we continue to share from Dr. June Hunt’s “Suicide Prevention: Hope When Life Seems Hopeless “.

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase Dr. Hunt’s books for your own private study and to support her work. If you need this title you can find it online at several sites for less than $5.00:

B. What Is the Portrait of Painful Thinking?

Rarely does a person choose the act of suicide on an impulse. Friends and family often think the loss of their loved one resulted from an isolated moment of despair. Yet suicide usually occurs after a long process of destructive thinking and clouded conclusions are left unchecked. These faulty thoughts lead to a denial of truth and a disconnection with people. A common thought is, No one understands me, no one feels the way I do.

Everyone has struggled with discouragement. ... Everyone has wrestled with their thoughts, even God’s appointed king, David. ...

“How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Psalm 13:2)

Suicidal Thinking of the Sufferer

  • “There is nothing left in life that I care about. It’s pointless to go on living.”
  • “I can’t face the future. The only thing to do is escape.”
  • “Things will never change. Death would be better than this.”
  • “I don’t amount to anything. I may as well end it all.”
  • “My life is completely out of control. I’ll have to get the upper hand.”
  • “It won’t really hurt anyone else. Actually, I will be doing everyone a favor.”
  • “I’ve done all that can be done. There is only one thing left to do.”
  • “Soon it will be all over, and then I will have peace!”
  • “I can’t go on living like this. Life is hopeless.”
  • “I’m too depressed to go on. When I’m gone I won’t have to deal with it?”
  • “You’ll be sorry when I’m gone.”
  • “I need Jesus in my life. I’ll go to heaven and be with Him forever.”
  • “I can take a small amount of ‘this’ to see how it feels; then I can add more.”
  • “Everyone will understand. I have suffered long enough.”
  • “Everyone has given up on me, so I’m giving up on me!”
  • “If I continue with this negative behavior, they’ll be glad to see me go.”
  • “It made him famous; maybe it’ll make me famous too!”
  • “It hurts so much! I am really going to do it ... but please stop me.”
  • “If I continue to talk about it, it will not be a surprise and will not hurt them as much.”
  • “You say I talk about suicide just for attention. I will show you!”

Those who have lost hope finally come to the conclusion that death is the only logical solution to their problems. But this is a lie. Suicide is never the answer—getting help is the answer. God knows the pressure you are under. Let that pressure press you closer to the Shepherd of your soul. You, and all other sufferers, can verbally claim these words. ...

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9)

Helping a Suicidal Parent

Question: “What could help a parent reject suicide?”

Answer: Most parents take seriously the role of “provider/protector” for their children. Therefore, this logical series of questions could help bring a suicidal parent out of the emotional abyss.

  • “What ages are your children?”
  • “Do you love your children?”
  • “Do you really love your children?”
  • “How much do you love them?”
  • “Tell me what you love about your children.”
  • “Do you care about their hearts?”
  • “How would they feel if you were gone?”
  • “Do you really want your children to grow up without a father/mother?”
  • “How do you imagine your children would feel if you weren’t there for their significant events—

graduations, weddings, birth of grandchildren?”

  • “Do you really want your children to feel abandoned for the rest of their lives?”
  • “While suicide seems the way to get rid of your pain, it actually transfers your pain to those who love you. So ... would you be willing to let your fatherly/motherly love protect your children from that pain?”

Realize that those who die by suicide weigh their loved ones down with the heaviest burden of pain possible, leaving them wounded and scarred ... with the possibility of becoming bitter and deeply discouraged. The Bible says ...

“Do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” (Colossians 3:21)

Read this verse every day, pray for God’s healing, and focus your mind on the reality that ...

“Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” (Proverbs 17:6)


Biblical Counseling Keys - Biblical Counseling Keys – Biblical Counseling Keys: Suicide Prevention: Hope When Life Seems Hopeless.

----------------------------more tomorrow------------------------

 

God bless you all!

 

Join our Victory over the Darkness Discipleship Class via the mt4christ247 podcast!

at https://mt4christ247.podbean.com, You can also find it on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mt4christ247s-podcast/id1551615154) and Google podcasts (https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL210NGNocmlzdDI0Ny9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Email me at mt4christ247@gmail.com to receive the class materials, share your progress, and to be encouraged.

 Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

 

 

 

 

 

 

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