Purity 428 05/26/2021 Purity 428 Podcast
Good morning.
Unlike the regularity of
the work week, when we are transitioning in life from one season to the next we
are not always sure whether we are at the beginning, the middle, or the
end. When we are going through seasons
of loss or change, some of us want to push to the ending, some want to go back
to where they were, and others don’t want to go any further and would choose to
not experience anymore changes and just stay where they are.
We all have different
situations in life and what might be good advice for one person isn’t necessarily
going to be good advice for another. I
am a “push to the ending” or “go to the next thing’ type of person. Perhaps because I grew up in a home where
alcohol was abused, I tend to look beyond the trauma of what has happened and
seek to clean up the mess and move on. “Yeah
stupid stuff happens, and things get broken around here… let’s just pick it up
and make it nice again.”
The problem with that
response is that we have done nothing to change the “stuff that happens” or to
prevent things from breaking in the future.
The person who made the mess is not held accountable and is not
suffering the consequences for their actions.
I used to clean up my
own messes for most of my life and thought I was the only one to suffer from
the consequences but that wasn’t true.
We don’t live in a vacuum. When we do stupid things or break stuff it
impacts the other people in our lives.
My ex-wife and children had to live with the unpredictability of an
alcoholic in their lives while I just thought “that’s they way we do things
around here.”
Fortunately, the Lord
called me out of the darkness of who I was and lead me to repentance and
sobriety. I am happy to say that my
children report that they don’t think of me the way I used to be, and, unlike me,
they have decided to not have drugs and alcohol in their lives.
Unfortunately, the
transition to Christianity and sobriety proved to be too much of a change in me
to allow my marriage to survive. While I was willing to “clean up the mess and
make things nice”, the other party decided that they didn’t want to play nice anymore
and as much as I tried to save it, I realized that the pain that my family was
feeling would only be healed by letting go.
As much as I wanted to
make things nice, I realized I had to get out for peace to come. I faced a
difficult road to a new home, one on which I didn’t know if I was at the beginning
or the middle, but I sure knew I wasn’t at the end. I didn’t know if there would be an end.
But God…
God was with me every day
as I sought His presence, wisdom, and strength in prayer and continually
seeking Him. Through His guidance, what
seemed impossible was accomplished. My children and I live in a safe place
where we know peace again.
So I don’t know if you
are at the beginning, in the middle, or near the end of this transitional season
of your life and I don’t know if you need to stay or if you need to go. Sometimes we can’t clean up the mess.
Sometimes we can.
I know one thing from most
of my life watching things get swept under the rug and doing a fair amount of
that myself. It’s better to stop the person
making messes rather than continually cleaning them up. If they won’t work to change and save what
they’ve broken, it tells you something about them and your relationship.
The mess maker needs to
be held accountable for what they have done. They need to realize the damage they have done. When God showed me the extent of my
depravity and the abundance of His love and grace, I followed where He led me.
And while it has never been easy, I knew it was the right way to go.
So keep walking and talking with God because He knows the right way for you to go. No two people are the same so your path will be uniquely yours to follow but there will be few regrets if you listen to God and lean on Him.
This morning’s meditation verse is:
Colossians 3:17 (NKJV)
17 And whatever you do in
word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God
the Father through Him.
Today’s verse is the most basic instruction for those who are called to walk the Christian disciple’s path.
I had originally written for those who “want” to walk the Christian disciple’s path, but I realized that in and of ourselves there is nothing that would want to choose a lifestyle where you are guaranteed persecution. Before the Lord revealed the Truth to us, our desires were consumed by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
No, we must be called. The question is: how will you answer it?
While we believe in Jesus Christ and His redemptive plan for those who put their faith in Him, God didn’t just want “believers”. Jesus called people to follow Him and those who did He called His disciples.
Being a disciple of Christ was demonstrated by learning from Him and living with Him. Being a disciple is the same today.
I think the biggest distinctions in the disciple’s walk that differs from “believers” are compartmentalization and context.
We all compartmentalize our lives. We behave one way at home, and we behave another way at work. Although many of the ways we behave at home and at work are consistent with who we consider ourselves to be, certain protocols at work demand we behave differently. The way we act, the things we say, the clothes we wear are just different from one sphere to the next. When quitting time comes on Friday afternoon, we can feel the weight of our work-selves being lifted as we are “free to be me”. We have shifted gears from business to pleasure, or from professional to personal.
Unfortunately, this compartmentalization of the way we live also happens in our spiritual lives as we act one way “in the building” than we do outside of God’s house. Just like work, we may agree and behave according to the protocols of church while we are there but lose that demeanor the moment we are back in the world. Have you seen yourself or others put on their Sunday best in terms of a righteous demeanor at church to watch it all but vanish when they passed through the threshold of the church’s exit?
As this verse in Colossians indicates, the word of God directs us that in whatever we do we do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, that we live according to His way.
As we walk the disciple’s path, we begin the process of tearing down the walls of compartmentalization, the divisions of the secular and the spiritual, and we start living in the context of God.
By abiding in the Lord’s presence and by reminding ourselves that we are Christians, we begin to see that there is no separation from the spiritual realities of life. God is omnipresent. If we feel God is distant, we are the ones who have turned a blind eye to Him.
The disciple’s path isn’t just living by a code of ethics or following rules, the disciple’s path is abiding in God’s presence and responding to life in the context of the truth of who we are in Christ and according to God’s wisdom.
When we start walking with the Lord, we take our faith with us wherever we go. Our faith survives leaving the church building, goes home with us, and amazingly it goes with us to work on Monday morning too. Our interactions with others become a part of an overall spiritual practice as we are grounded in God’s love and will seek to share it through acts of service and kindness.
When we realize our faith is in a God who never leaves us, we will naturally express His love to others and give thanks to God for all that He is and for all that He provides.
The disciple’s walk does not need to be a stiff march our authoritarian obedience but is better understood as one that utilizes God’s wisdom and love to be a compassionate response to the world around us. It is a walk that strengthens us as we make our way through the world and it empowers us to respond in a loving way that will show others that God is with us and that we are increasingly representing the Lord Jesus Christ in all that we do.
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:
G. How to Turn from Feeling to Healing
When you’re in the darkest depths of despair, when you feel emotionally
trapped with no way out, remember ... you’re not alone. Countless
thousands all around the world are experiencing the same feelings of
hopelessness.
Besides pursuing activities that will help dissuade suicidal thoughts, reach
out to others who are hurting just as you are. Find comfort and solace in
sharing feelings and encouraging one another. There’s no better way to bring
hope and healing to yourself than by bringing hope and healing to someone else.
Your own spirit will inevitably be lifted. ...
“Our hope for you is firm, because we know that just
as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:7)
If you focus on feelings of despair, then hopelessness will inevitably lead
to depression and possibly to suicidal thoughts. Replace those negative,
self-defeating thoughts with constructive thoughts. ... Occupy your mind with
uplifting activities. Above all, if you are thinking about suicide, call your
pastor, a suicide prevention center, a counselor, or a trusted friend. They
want to help you.
Activities to Alleviate Suicidal Obsession
• Walk, jog, bike, or swim ... for physical release
• Lie down or take a nap ... for physical renewal
• Take a long hot shower or bubble bath ... for physical soothing
• Curl up with a heating pad ... for emotional warmth
• Play with a pet or cuddle a stuffed animal ... for emotional comfort
• Journal or draw your feelings ... for emotional release
• Watch an inspiring movie ... for emotional enjoyment
• Play Christian praise music ... for spiritual inspiration
• Read a Christian book or biography ... for spiritual pleasure
• Memorize a verse of Scripture ... for spiritual focus
• Work a jigsaw or crossword puzzle ... for mental stimulation
• Do indoor or outdoor chores ... to remove clutter
• Clean a refrigerator, cabinet, closet, or a drawer ... to feel
productive
• Prepare a grocery list, selecting healthy foods ... to meet physical
needs
• Organize coupons and go shopping ... to meet practical needs
• Take prescription medicine as needed ... to meet medical needs
• Go to the park and watch the people ... to enjoy others
• Sort through clothes to give to the needy ... to benefit others
• Volunteer at a ministry, church, or charity ... to serve others
• Call a friend and offer help ... to reach out to others
“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope
will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 23:18)
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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