When the Storms of Life are Raging….
Luke 8:22-25
Jesus Calms the Storm
22One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. 23As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. 24The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
5-Step strategy for responding when the storms of life are raging:
1. Approach life with certainty.
2. Deal with the facts as there are now…not what they could be or have been
3. Invite Divine Intervention.
4. Take action that supports your prayers.
5. Get the support of others.
1. Approach life with certainty
Research data suggests that when persons are in a state of uncertainty negative results seem to have greater impact. The blows seem to be amplified.
So from that it would appear that people who approach impending events with confidence and certainty fare better if things do not go as planned.
This is another great benefit of FAITH. Consider Shadrach….whatever the outcome, I am going into this event with confidence that being aligned with God is more important that what happens to me.
Daniel 3: 13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
Stephen continued sharing the Gospel even when it was clear that he was about to be stoned to death.
Christians marvel at how non-believers are able to cope with the storms of life. Naysayers mock Christians by saying that they petition God for something, if they get it, they credit it to their prayers. If they do not get what they prayed for they say that God knows best. While that is meant to be a criticism it is in fact something worthy of praise.
In effect, the Christians know that the future is in God’s hands and that God has their best interest at heart. So when Christians pray they take the certainty of God’s providence into upcoming events. They are able to face situations with confidence no matter what the outcome. That confidence reduces the impact when the results appear to be negative on the surface.
Deal with the facts…the bare facts
All too often we place ourselves in the role of a storyteller. We face one set of facts and we rush off to create situations that may not even occur.
Luke 8:24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
This extension of the facts produces unnecessary tension and reduces our capacity to address the facts as they really are.
Watch how you add on to what is. We tend to add on negative thoughts, not positive ones. That runs counter to the results we really want to get. It also runs counter to our prayers.
3. Invite Divine Intervention
James 5: The Prayer of Faith
13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
Outside of invoking the power of God, prayer has the additional benefit of helping us to focus on the resolution of the issues at hand. We petition God about things that we figure will resolve the issue. It helps to direct us to the way forward.
Prayer also has the effect of calming our frazzled nerves. By appealing to a higher authority we grow in confidence and we feel better about the situation.
4. Take action that supports the prayers
When we pray we should act as is our prayers are being answered. We have to proceed with the assurance that God’s providence is going to be granted to us and all our actions should reflect that confidence.
It makes no sense to pray fervently for a particular outcome and then set about doing things that run counter to what we have prayed about. True faith requires us to act in accordance with our prayers.
Mark 11:20 - 25
The Withered Fig Tree
20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"
22"Have[f] faith in God," Jesus answered. 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Get the support of others
When the storms of life are raging it makes good sense to seek to weather them with the support of others. Sometimes things are just a little too much for us to handle on our own. Even the strongest of us need support at times. We should be willing to seek assistance - even just moral support when we face difficult times. That is one of the reasons for the Christian fellowship. We are to be our brother’s keepers.
Gal 6: 2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
1 Thes 4: 9Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.
Sunday 8 November 2009
Sunday 6 September 2009
The Grasshopper Mindset
The Grasshopper Mindset
Numbers 13
Exploring Canaan
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders."
3 So at the LORD's command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.
17 When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, "Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. 18See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? 20 How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land." (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)
25 At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.
Report on the Exploration
26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan."
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." 32And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
Today we want to discuss the Grasshopper Mindset.
Num 13: 33…. “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
We want to draw your attention to three things related to the Grasshopper Mindset.
The first feature of the Grasshopper Mindset is that it drives you to paint yourself in a negative light in comparison to others. The explorers saw themselves as grasshoppers in comparison to the huge size of the inhibitors of the land.
“We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes..” This was their own perception of themselves. This is not the findings of a survey done among the Canaanites. This was a self-evaluation. They examined themselves and found themselves to be woefully inadequate.
When the Grasshopper Mindset is present you feel inadequate in comparison to others. You fail to place enough value on your assets and capabilities. You forget to take into consideration what you have going for you.
The explorers who were guilty of the Grasshopper Mindset failed to include their most important asset in their report. They failed to count God into the things that they had going for them. “Yes, they ARE tall but if they see us as grasshoppers, God sees them as ants.”
Today, the Grasshopper Mindset limits most of us to some degree in one or more areas of our lives. Like the Israelites, we fail to enter into the Canaan land opportunities in our lives because we minimize our capabilities in comparison to the challenges that are ahead of us.
As God's people, we are blessed. As we look around, we see members who have significant achievement behind them or great potential ahead of them. We have unbelievable capacity to be a high performing group. We can achieve whatever we put our minds to do. Plus, we have the omnipotence of God and His providence to call on.
Despite this, I think it is fair to state that we have not maximized our potential. The truth is that we are not performing as well as we should. We have not stepped into the Canaan land opportunities and responsibilities that are ours. One reason could be that we doubt our ability to claim those opportunities as ours.
The reality is that the success of the congregation is the sum of the performance of its individual members. Yes, when we find fault and complain about the short-comings of the congregation we ought to make sure that some of the finger-pointing is directed at ourselves. We need to examine more carefully our role or lack of contribution that allows the situation that we are uncomfortable with to remain.
And any thought that you are somehow not able to make the difference comes from a Grasshopper Mindset. To the extent then that as a congregation we are failing to meet desirable objectives, it is fair to believe that the Grasshopper Mindset is at present among us at the individual and group level.
The numerical growth of the congregation is not attained because individual members feel inadequate to present the Gospel message to others. We compare ourselves to this brother or sister who can recite the Bible backwards or who has the gift to make persuasive arguments. We feel like grasshoppers in comparison.
The drive for strengthening our fellowship and unity is frustrated because of the comparison with various images in our heads of some ideal relationship among members. This superior image is how we think it ought to be. Then we compare the existing situation to our Utopia – our image - and we get disappointed and our enthusiasm wanes.
We do not take up the personal challenge of making a transforming difference because the Grasshopper Mindset tells us that such a task is beyond us.
28But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. This situation is bigger than me!
The quest for spiritual development of members is hampered by double-mindedness and a lack of commitment. We absent ourselves from Bible study often because we under-estimate its value. This is a grasshopper activity when compared to the giant images I have of how these studies ought to be.
The same thing with the sermons: We allow the Grasshopper Mindset to delude into focusing our attention on messengers instead of understanding that it is the God in the message that convicts us and provokes us to improvement and not the eloquence and style of the preacher.
So we hop around like grasshoppers in the hope of being blessed to be in the presence of a re-incarnated Paul. When we do that we lose sight of the fact that significant sections of 2nd Corinthians are about Paul contending with members who were beset with the Grasshopper Mindset that he - mighty evangelist Paul - was not the spiritual grasshopper that they thought him to be.
2 Cor 10:
7You are looking only on the surface of things.[a] If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he………….Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, 16so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man's territory. 17But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."[c] 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
---
At the personal level, our careers have not developed in the way that they could. We have the potential to achieve more. Yet we fail to move forward at the right pace because we under-value what we have going for us.
We cast ourselves as grasshoppers when confronting the challenges of the job market. In business, we see ourselves as grasshoppers when compared to the giant competitors that we have to battle.
The same thing applies to our relationships. They are not as deep and as diverse as they could be because of self-doubt about our capacity to sustain that many deep and close relationships.
The grasshopper Mindset limits us by making us feel inadequate in the face of the challenges that confront us. It prompts us to concede without trying given the magnitude of the odds against us.
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are."
The second thing to note about the Grasshopper Mindset is that it causes us to live in fear.
They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
The Grasshopper Mindset makes us afraid.
We shut up when the opportunity presents itself for us to witness because we totally discount our ability to evangelize.
We fail to reach out to others in the congregation because of some fear about how we will be received and how it will turn out.
We see the need for another ministry or activity but we merely talk about it or just think about it because we are not clear about our own role in making it happen.
Rom 8: 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.[g] And by him we cry, "Abba,[h] Father."16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
The third impact of the Grasshopper Mindset is that because of our inadequacy and fear we find it necessary to seek comfort and security among others. Consequently, we set about making others aware of the existing grasshopper-ness that we see and get them to have a sense of how dangerous life is from that perspective.
" 32And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored.“
The Grasshopper Mindset has the effect of prompting us to share our doubts and fears with others. When they buy in we get comfort from their support. Their support serves to confirm our evaluation of the situation. This is not only about how we see things but these other people feel the same way too.
In that mode, breaking free from the Grasshopper Mindset is even more difficult. The multiplier effect normally sets in and the wave of negativism gathers momentum. Facing up to the challenges that must be addressed to access Canaan land opportunities is less likely day by day.
At the congregational level, we stagnate. The Grasshopper Mindset moves through like a virus infecting more and more members and even the robust and healthy are at risk.
At the personal level, we tend to spend more time with persons who are affected by the Grasshopper Mindset and stay clear of those who would challenge us to break free from it.
So, what do we do about the Grasshopper Mindset?
The key to addressing the Grasshopper Mindset is to ensure that when you evaluate yourself in the face of your challenges you take ALL your assets into consideration. Consider all the things you have going for you.
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
Caleb recognized that they had the God who led them out of Egypt and beat Pharaoh’s pursuing army on their side. He counted all that he had on his side.
Num 14: 24But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
As a congregation, let us emulate the spirit of Caleb……… for we can certainly do it.
Young People’s Group is not meeting your needs… we can certainly address that.
Missing ministry or activity…we can certainly fill that gap.
Not happy with the spiritual food that is being made available…we can certainly fix that.
Not comfortable with the fellowship…we can certainly fix that.
The we can certainly do it mindset leads to positive action and outstanding results. Let us break free from the stagnation of the Grasshopper Mindset and replace it with Caleb’s we can certainly do it approach.
As a congregation, there are Canaan land opportunities open to us..let us claim them with certainty.
As individuals, you have opportunities open to you – in some aspect of your life. Adopt Caleb’s we can certainly do it mindset and make it happen.
With God on our team we are never grasshoppers. We God on our side, we can certainly do it.
If you are here and you have not taken steps to be obedient to the Gospel, then you cannot count God among your assets. To obey the Gospel:
Hear the Gospel message…Christ died for your sins so that you can be reconciled to God. (Rom 10:17)
Believe…that the Gospel message is in fact true act on it. (Rom 10:10)
Repent…decide to change your ways (Luke 13:3)
Confess….announce your acceptance that Jesus is Lord indeed (Rom 10:10)
Be Baptised… for the washing away of your sins (Acts 2:38)
Walk… in the newness of life (1 John 1: 5 -7)
Numbers 13
Exploring Canaan
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders."
3 So at the LORD's command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.
17 When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, "Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. 18See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? 20 How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land." (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)
25 At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.
Report on the Exploration
26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan."
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." 32And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
Today we want to discuss the Grasshopper Mindset.
Num 13: 33…. “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
We want to draw your attention to three things related to the Grasshopper Mindset.
The first feature of the Grasshopper Mindset is that it drives you to paint yourself in a negative light in comparison to others. The explorers saw themselves as grasshoppers in comparison to the huge size of the inhibitors of the land.
“We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes..” This was their own perception of themselves. This is not the findings of a survey done among the Canaanites. This was a self-evaluation. They examined themselves and found themselves to be woefully inadequate.
When the Grasshopper Mindset is present you feel inadequate in comparison to others. You fail to place enough value on your assets and capabilities. You forget to take into consideration what you have going for you.
The explorers who were guilty of the Grasshopper Mindset failed to include their most important asset in their report. They failed to count God into the things that they had going for them. “Yes, they ARE tall but if they see us as grasshoppers, God sees them as ants.”
Today, the Grasshopper Mindset limits most of us to some degree in one or more areas of our lives. Like the Israelites, we fail to enter into the Canaan land opportunities in our lives because we minimize our capabilities in comparison to the challenges that are ahead of us.
As God's people, we are blessed. As we look around, we see members who have significant achievement behind them or great potential ahead of them. We have unbelievable capacity to be a high performing group. We can achieve whatever we put our minds to do. Plus, we have the omnipotence of God and His providence to call on.
Despite this, I think it is fair to state that we have not maximized our potential. The truth is that we are not performing as well as we should. We have not stepped into the Canaan land opportunities and responsibilities that are ours. One reason could be that we doubt our ability to claim those opportunities as ours.
The reality is that the success of the congregation is the sum of the performance of its individual members. Yes, when we find fault and complain about the short-comings of the congregation we ought to make sure that some of the finger-pointing is directed at ourselves. We need to examine more carefully our role or lack of contribution that allows the situation that we are uncomfortable with to remain.
And any thought that you are somehow not able to make the difference comes from a Grasshopper Mindset. To the extent then that as a congregation we are failing to meet desirable objectives, it is fair to believe that the Grasshopper Mindset is at present among us at the individual and group level.
The numerical growth of the congregation is not attained because individual members feel inadequate to present the Gospel message to others. We compare ourselves to this brother or sister who can recite the Bible backwards or who has the gift to make persuasive arguments. We feel like grasshoppers in comparison.
The drive for strengthening our fellowship and unity is frustrated because of the comparison with various images in our heads of some ideal relationship among members. This superior image is how we think it ought to be. Then we compare the existing situation to our Utopia – our image - and we get disappointed and our enthusiasm wanes.
We do not take up the personal challenge of making a transforming difference because the Grasshopper Mindset tells us that such a task is beyond us.
28But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. This situation is bigger than me!
The quest for spiritual development of members is hampered by double-mindedness and a lack of commitment. We absent ourselves from Bible study often because we under-estimate its value. This is a grasshopper activity when compared to the giant images I have of how these studies ought to be.
The same thing with the sermons: We allow the Grasshopper Mindset to delude into focusing our attention on messengers instead of understanding that it is the God in the message that convicts us and provokes us to improvement and not the eloquence and style of the preacher.
So we hop around like grasshoppers in the hope of being blessed to be in the presence of a re-incarnated Paul. When we do that we lose sight of the fact that significant sections of 2nd Corinthians are about Paul contending with members who were beset with the Grasshopper Mindset that he - mighty evangelist Paul - was not the spiritual grasshopper that they thought him to be.
2 Cor 10:
7You are looking only on the surface of things.[a] If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he………….Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, 16so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man's territory. 17But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."[c] 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
---
At the personal level, our careers have not developed in the way that they could. We have the potential to achieve more. Yet we fail to move forward at the right pace because we under-value what we have going for us.
We cast ourselves as grasshoppers when confronting the challenges of the job market. In business, we see ourselves as grasshoppers when compared to the giant competitors that we have to battle.
The same thing applies to our relationships. They are not as deep and as diverse as they could be because of self-doubt about our capacity to sustain that many deep and close relationships.
The grasshopper Mindset limits us by making us feel inadequate in the face of the challenges that confront us. It prompts us to concede without trying given the magnitude of the odds against us.
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are."
The second thing to note about the Grasshopper Mindset is that it causes us to live in fear.
They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
The Grasshopper Mindset makes us afraid.
We shut up when the opportunity presents itself for us to witness because we totally discount our ability to evangelize.
We fail to reach out to others in the congregation because of some fear about how we will be received and how it will turn out.
We see the need for another ministry or activity but we merely talk about it or just think about it because we are not clear about our own role in making it happen.
Rom 8: 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.[g] And by him we cry, "Abba,[h] Father."16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
The third impact of the Grasshopper Mindset is that because of our inadequacy and fear we find it necessary to seek comfort and security among others. Consequently, we set about making others aware of the existing grasshopper-ness that we see and get them to have a sense of how dangerous life is from that perspective.
" 32And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored.“
The Grasshopper Mindset has the effect of prompting us to share our doubts and fears with others. When they buy in we get comfort from their support. Their support serves to confirm our evaluation of the situation. This is not only about how we see things but these other people feel the same way too.
In that mode, breaking free from the Grasshopper Mindset is even more difficult. The multiplier effect normally sets in and the wave of negativism gathers momentum. Facing up to the challenges that must be addressed to access Canaan land opportunities is less likely day by day.
At the congregational level, we stagnate. The Grasshopper Mindset moves through like a virus infecting more and more members and even the robust and healthy are at risk.
At the personal level, we tend to spend more time with persons who are affected by the Grasshopper Mindset and stay clear of those who would challenge us to break free from it.
So, what do we do about the Grasshopper Mindset?
The key to addressing the Grasshopper Mindset is to ensure that when you evaluate yourself in the face of your challenges you take ALL your assets into consideration. Consider all the things you have going for you.
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
Caleb recognized that they had the God who led them out of Egypt and beat Pharaoh’s pursuing army on their side. He counted all that he had on his side.
Num 14: 24But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
As a congregation, let us emulate the spirit of Caleb……… for we can certainly do it.
Young People’s Group is not meeting your needs… we can certainly address that.
Missing ministry or activity…we can certainly fill that gap.
Not happy with the spiritual food that is being made available…we can certainly fix that.
Not comfortable with the fellowship…we can certainly fix that.
The we can certainly do it mindset leads to positive action and outstanding results. Let us break free from the stagnation of the Grasshopper Mindset and replace it with Caleb’s we can certainly do it approach.
As a congregation, there are Canaan land opportunities open to us..let us claim them with certainty.
As individuals, you have opportunities open to you – in some aspect of your life. Adopt Caleb’s we can certainly do it mindset and make it happen.
With God on our team we are never grasshoppers. We God on our side, we can certainly do it.
If you are here and you have not taken steps to be obedient to the Gospel, then you cannot count God among your assets. To obey the Gospel:
Hear the Gospel message…Christ died for your sins so that you can be reconciled to God. (Rom 10:17)
Believe…that the Gospel message is in fact true act on it. (Rom 10:10)
Repent…decide to change your ways (Luke 13:3)
Confess….announce your acceptance that Jesus is Lord indeed (Rom 10:10)
Be Baptised… for the washing away of your sins (Acts 2:38)
Walk… in the newness of life (1 John 1: 5 -7)
Monday 20 July 2009
Receiving Feedback without Pushback
I will share a simple incident and explore a framework for receiving feedback without pushback. The framework is built on the 7 A’s of Transformation Framework that I introduced the last time I presented.
One morning last week as I made a ‘dash’ to the finish line (my gate) at the end of my morning run I said to my wife that I had just completed a 2K run.
I said “That was a 2 kilometer run.” She said “A 2 kilo-meter run?” I said Yes and she made the distinction as to the separation of the syllables.
From that we extract the first of the 7-steps to Receiving Feedback without Pushback.
#1. Access
We must put ourselves in a position where we can in fact access feedback. We have to open our minds to new information. We will not always be able to identify our faults and areas that need development on our own.
In this instance, it appears that my wife thought that I was open to feedback. By some chance I had got the Access step right.
That is NOT always the case. Many opportunities for improvement are missed because we make it difficult for others to give us feedback.
I do work with organizations and a constant response I get to the question: “So have you said that to your boss/supervisor/colleague?” is “No, that makes no sense because they do not listen.”
All too often we shut the door to feedback and lose the chance for self-examination and improvement.
Going back to my incident, one fleeting thought was: “Hey, you missed the point. You should congratulate me!”
That brings to the fore Step-2 in the framework for Receiving Feedback without Pushback:
#2. Accept
Seek to fully understand the feedback before rejecting it. Accept the potential of any incoming information to be of transformational value.
Proverbs 15:31: He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.
Common reactions to the feedback could include:
“I am an adult I can speak the way that I want”
“Are you my teacher? Why are you correcting me?”
“You are always finding fault with me” and its Jamaican equivalent “You always a fight ‘gainst me”
Truth be told, I was in excellent transformational form and I actually reflected on the feedback. That is Step – 3 in the framework for Receiving Feedback without Pushback. I have allowed Access and I Accepted its potential value now I am going to Assess the feedback.
#3. Assess
I thought milli- meter and centi-meter and in that context kilo-meter made sense.
Be brutally frank and objective with yourself. You have to allow for the off chance that you are not without blemish. It could just be that the reason why you are getting the feedback is because there is room for improvement and it can actually HELP you. This might have a bad taste but it is good medicine!
The Assess step is about self-examination in the light of the feedback. Can I learn something from this feedback to improve my life and the lives of others?
Be careful not to let the source of the information detract from its potential for transformation.
Those who have been engaged in the Bible in a Year might have followed the side discourse about Job and his counsellors.
I presented the suggestion that Job did in fact get some useful counsel from Eliphaz.
Job 4: 3 Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. 4 Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. 5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed. 6 Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?
One response was that Eliphaz had no authority to counsel Job. The seeming consensus was that Eliphaz joined the others in attributing sin to Job when God clearly stated that Job was righteous. And finally, God actually condemned the counselors.
Keep your minds open for one minute to learn one of the most important lessons in Receiving Feedback without Pushback.
Among the most prevalent reasons for rejecting feedback are that it comes from the wrong person or that the person’s motives are wrong or that the way they gave the feedback was bad or that the timing of the feedback was wrong or the BIG ONE: If the person giving the feedback knew all the facts they would not be giving the feedback.
All that may or may not be true. However, that does not necessarily affect the potential value of the feedback!
Misguided Eliphaz was able to provide Job with the following pearls: Paraphrasing Job 4:6 “You have been a tower of strength for others. You seem to be discouraged and dismayed that things have gone bad for you. Take confidence from your righteousness and take hope from the fact that you are blameless”
One of the great walls we build to keep out feedback is that the other party does not have all the facts. If they only knew they would not say this or that. Sounds good but are you also closing out valuable feedback?
Another cop out is: “But you do it too. And we ALL do it.” So WHAT?
The people who drank the poison in the Jim Jones mass suicide were ALL doing it. Are they any less dead today? The fact that the giver of the feedback has a 50ft beam in his eye and all of his supporters are hypocrites does NOT detract from the value of the feedback for YOU.
#4. Adjust
So back to the incident, I now had to examine how to use the feedback going forward and that takes us to Step 4 in Receiving Feedback without Pushback. Access>>Accept>>Assess>>ADJUST.
Identify the modifications that are required from the gap analysis.
During the Assess step, I recognized that the issue was with failing to separate the 2 syllables with the kilo word as is done with milli and centi.
The ADJUSTMENT that is required is to separate the syllables.
You allow room for feedback to come in >> You Accept the potential value of the feedback you get >> You Assess yourself in the light of the feedback. Conduct a personal gap analysis >> You make the Adjustment by filling the gaps…by making the necessary corrections…by changing your ways.
This message that I am presenting represents a very helpful step in the framework for Receiving Feedback without Pushback – Step 5. Access>>Accept>>Assess>>Adjust>>ANNOUNCE
#5. Announce
Communicate to others what you have decided to do arising from what you have extracted from the feedback.
Consistently put yourself in a position where you cannot back down (Remember Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal)
By announcing publicly that separating the syllables is logical and the path that I will take, I now put myself in the position of having to follow the practice or risk having someone call my attention to it. That leads us to Step 6. Access>>Accept>>Assess>>Adjust>>Announce>>APPLY
#6. Apply
Let the transforming concepts and principles apply to ALL aspects of your life
– Transformation needs to be all pervasive not compartmentalized
Pursue reinforcing actions
All too often we get valuable information and fail to apply it on a consistent basis.
James 1: 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
One fortunate development as we go back to the incident is the fact that I spend a lot of time with my wife. So, it means that I will have to consistently separate the syllables or be called out by her. That leads us to the critical Step 7 in Receiving Feedback without Pushback. Access>>Accept>>Assess>>Adjust>>Announce>>Apply>>ALIGN
#7. Align
Align yourself with like-minded persons
Ensure that you put a support group in place - Stay in the middle of the pack.
Build effective networks
Avoid naysayers and negative influences
Learn from experts….people who have been there and mastered the area that you are addressing.
Access>>Accept>>Assess>>Adjust>>Announce>>Apply>>ALIGN
Finally, I want to give you some feedback. If you are not in Christ you run the risk of being lost eternally. The framework for getting into Christ is:
Hear the Gospel message…Christ died for your sins so that you can be reconciled to God. (Rom 10:17)
Believe…that the Gospel message is in fact true act on it. (Rom 10:10)
Repent…decide to change your ways (Luke 13:3)
Confess….announce your acceptance that Jesus is Lord indeed (Rom 10:10)
Be Baptised… for the washing away of your sins (Acts 2:38)
Walk… in the newness of life (1 John 1: 5 -7)
One morning last week as I made a ‘dash’ to the finish line (my gate) at the end of my morning run I said to my wife that I had just completed a 2K run.
I said “That was a 2 kilometer run.” She said “A 2 kilo-meter run?” I said Yes and she made the distinction as to the separation of the syllables.
From that we extract the first of the 7-steps to Receiving Feedback without Pushback.
#1. Access
We must put ourselves in a position where we can in fact access feedback. We have to open our minds to new information. We will not always be able to identify our faults and areas that need development on our own.
In this instance, it appears that my wife thought that I was open to feedback. By some chance I had got the Access step right.
That is NOT always the case. Many opportunities for improvement are missed because we make it difficult for others to give us feedback.
I do work with organizations and a constant response I get to the question: “So have you said that to your boss/supervisor/colleague?” is “No, that makes no sense because they do not listen.”
All too often we shut the door to feedback and lose the chance for self-examination and improvement.
Going back to my incident, one fleeting thought was: “Hey, you missed the point. You should congratulate me!”
That brings to the fore Step-2 in the framework for Receiving Feedback without Pushback:
#2. Accept
Seek to fully understand the feedback before rejecting it. Accept the potential of any incoming information to be of transformational value.
Proverbs 15:31: He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.
Common reactions to the feedback could include:
“I am an adult I can speak the way that I want”
“Are you my teacher? Why are you correcting me?”
“You are always finding fault with me” and its Jamaican equivalent “You always a fight ‘gainst me”
Truth be told, I was in excellent transformational form and I actually reflected on the feedback. That is Step – 3 in the framework for Receiving Feedback without Pushback. I have allowed Access and I Accepted its potential value now I am going to Assess the feedback.
#3. Assess
I thought milli- meter and centi-meter and in that context kilo-meter made sense.
Be brutally frank and objective with yourself. You have to allow for the off chance that you are not without blemish. It could just be that the reason why you are getting the feedback is because there is room for improvement and it can actually HELP you. This might have a bad taste but it is good medicine!
The Assess step is about self-examination in the light of the feedback. Can I learn something from this feedback to improve my life and the lives of others?
Be careful not to let the source of the information detract from its potential for transformation.
Those who have been engaged in the Bible in a Year might have followed the side discourse about Job and his counsellors.
I presented the suggestion that Job did in fact get some useful counsel from Eliphaz.
Job 4: 3 Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. 4 Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. 5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed. 6 Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?
One response was that Eliphaz had no authority to counsel Job. The seeming consensus was that Eliphaz joined the others in attributing sin to Job when God clearly stated that Job was righteous. And finally, God actually condemned the counselors.
Keep your minds open for one minute to learn one of the most important lessons in Receiving Feedback without Pushback.
Among the most prevalent reasons for rejecting feedback are that it comes from the wrong person or that the person’s motives are wrong or that the way they gave the feedback was bad or that the timing of the feedback was wrong or the BIG ONE: If the person giving the feedback knew all the facts they would not be giving the feedback.
All that may or may not be true. However, that does not necessarily affect the potential value of the feedback!
Misguided Eliphaz was able to provide Job with the following pearls: Paraphrasing Job 4:6 “You have been a tower of strength for others. You seem to be discouraged and dismayed that things have gone bad for you. Take confidence from your righteousness and take hope from the fact that you are blameless”
One of the great walls we build to keep out feedback is that the other party does not have all the facts. If they only knew they would not say this or that. Sounds good but are you also closing out valuable feedback?
Another cop out is: “But you do it too. And we ALL do it.” So WHAT?
The people who drank the poison in the Jim Jones mass suicide were ALL doing it. Are they any less dead today? The fact that the giver of the feedback has a 50ft beam in his eye and all of his supporters are hypocrites does NOT detract from the value of the feedback for YOU.
#4. Adjust
So back to the incident, I now had to examine how to use the feedback going forward and that takes us to Step 4 in Receiving Feedback without Pushback. Access>>Accept>>Assess>>ADJUST.
Identify the modifications that are required from the gap analysis.
During the Assess step, I recognized that the issue was with failing to separate the 2 syllables with the kilo word as is done with milli and centi.
The ADJUSTMENT that is required is to separate the syllables.
You allow room for feedback to come in >> You Accept the potential value of the feedback you get >> You Assess yourself in the light of the feedback. Conduct a personal gap analysis >> You make the Adjustment by filling the gaps…by making the necessary corrections…by changing your ways.
This message that I am presenting represents a very helpful step in the framework for Receiving Feedback without Pushback – Step 5. Access>>Accept>>Assess>>Adjust>>ANNOUNCE
#5. Announce
Communicate to others what you have decided to do arising from what you have extracted from the feedback.
Consistently put yourself in a position where you cannot back down (Remember Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal)
By announcing publicly that separating the syllables is logical and the path that I will take, I now put myself in the position of having to follow the practice or risk having someone call my attention to it. That leads us to Step 6. Access>>Accept>>Assess>>Adjust>>Announce>>APPLY
#6. Apply
Let the transforming concepts and principles apply to ALL aspects of your life
– Transformation needs to be all pervasive not compartmentalized
Pursue reinforcing actions
All too often we get valuable information and fail to apply it on a consistent basis.
James 1: 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
One fortunate development as we go back to the incident is the fact that I spend a lot of time with my wife. So, it means that I will have to consistently separate the syllables or be called out by her. That leads us to the critical Step 7 in Receiving Feedback without Pushback. Access>>Accept>>Assess>>Adjust>>Announce>>Apply>>ALIGN
#7. Align
Align yourself with like-minded persons
Ensure that you put a support group in place - Stay in the middle of the pack.
Build effective networks
Avoid naysayers and negative influences
Learn from experts….people who have been there and mastered the area that you are addressing.
Access>>Accept>>Assess>>Adjust>>Announce>>Apply>>ALIGN
Finally, I want to give you some feedback. If you are not in Christ you run the risk of being lost eternally. The framework for getting into Christ is:
Hear the Gospel message…Christ died for your sins so that you can be reconciled to God. (Rom 10:17)
Believe…that the Gospel message is in fact true act on it. (Rom 10:10)
Repent…decide to change your ways (Luke 13:3)
Confess….announce your acceptance that Jesus is Lord indeed (Rom 10:10)
Be Baptised… for the washing away of your sins (Acts 2:38)
Walk… in the newness of life (1 John 1: 5 -7)
Sunday 28 June 2009
Forgiveness: The Wonder Drug
Forgiveness: The Wonder Drug
Luke 11
1And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3Give us day by day our daily bread. 4And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.
Matt 18:21
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Today we explore the topic Forgiveness: The Wonder Drug
The story of Amy Biehl is fascinating. She wins a Fulbright Scholarship to work in the anti-apartheid movement South Africa and is murdered in riot. After years of grief, her parents Linda and Peter quit their jobs and move to South Africa to try to complete the work their daughter started.
Eventually Amy's parents meet two of their daughter's killers, who are now full of remorse. The two young men, who have been pardoned through the Truth & Reconciliation process, try to atone for their crime by doing public service for a foundation the Biehls established in Amy's name. Amy's parents forgive the two killers and they become friends, so much so that the young men address Amy's mother as "Mom."
Exceptional though the Bielhs are their experience is an unusually dramatic example of a rule that applies to everyone: Forgiveness is good not just for the person who is forgiven, but also for the person who forgives. www.beliefnet.com
Traditionally, we think of forgiveness as a blessing extended to the transgressor. It eases his or her conscience. The usual thinking with respect to the person who does the forgiving is that they are engaged in a gallant self-sacrifice. In this traditional view, the forgiven person benefits while the forgiver gains nothing. But what if forgiveness is just as important for the person who forgives as for the person forgiven? What if it's in your self-interest to forgive, because you will be better off?
Clinical psychologist, Everett Worthington, Jr., author of "Five Steps to Forgiveness: The Art and Science of Forgiving." is a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and a pioneer in forgiveness research. Professor Worthington has found that people who won't forgive the wrongs committed against them tend to have negative indicators of health and well-being: more stress-related disorders, lower immune-system function, and worse rates of cardiovascular disease than the population as a whole. In effect, by failing to forgive they punish themselves.
Unforgiving people are also thought to experience higher rates of divorce. This also reduces well-being, given that married men and women consistently do better on most health barometers, including longevity.
In contrast people who forgive, Worthington finds, may have better health, fewer episodes of clinical depression, longer marriages and better "social support," another indicator of well-being. This latter means forgiving people get along better with others, who in turn come to their aid in social-support situations.
In effect then forgiveness is like a wonder drug!
Forgiveness research is a comparatively new field. Psychologist Kenneth Pargament of Bowling Green University says that while psychology has long studied the coping mechanisms that people use to deal with anger, resentment, and desire for revenge when they are wronged, only recently has forgiveness become a common subject of research. This is true despite the fact that in some cases, forgiveness is the ultimate form of coping.
A study at the University of Northern Iowa of psychological treatment plans for adult women who had been victims of childhood incest found that those who went through forgiveness therapy experienced less anxiety and clinical depression than a control group. Gains for the forgiveness group also persisted after the therapy ended.
A study of elderly women, published in the journal Psychotherapy, found that those who scored well on a standard test of forgiveness traits had higher self-esteem and fewer episodes of anxiety and depression compared to those who scored poorly.
Research is beginning to say that, in most cases, most people will be better off if they forgive others for wrongs experienced during life--anything from small transgressions to horrific tragedies such as suffered by Linda and Peter Biehl. Forgive others because it's good for you. And if you make the world a more peaceful place in so doing, that's a nice bonus.
The Mayo Clinic advises that when you don't practice forgiveness, you may be the one who pays most dearly. By embracing forgiveness, you embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy.
The benefits of forgiving someone
Researchers have recently become interested in studying the effects of being unforgiving and being forgiving. Evidence is mounting that holding on to grudges and bitterness results in long-term health problems. Forgiveness, on the other hand, offers numerous benefits, including:
Lower blood pressure
Stress reduction
Less hostility
Better anger management skills
Lower heart rate
Lower risk of alcohol or substance abuse
Fewer depression symptoms
Fewer anxiety symptoms
Reduction in chronic pain
More friendships
Healthier relationships
Greater religious or spiritual well-being
Improved psychological well-being
Why do we hold grudges and become resentful and unforgiving?
The people most likely to hurt us are those closest to us — our partners, friends, siblings and parents. When we're hurt by someone we love and trust — whether it's a lie, betrayal, rejection, abuse or insult — it can be extremely difficult to overcome. And even minor offences can turn into huge conflicts.
When you experience hurt or harm from someone's actions or words, whether this is intended or not, you may begin experiencing negative feelings such as anger, confusion or sadness, especially when it's someone close to you.
These feelings may start out small. But if you don't deal with them quickly, they can grow bigger and more powerful. They may even begin to crowd out positive feelings. Grudges filled with resentment, vengeance and hostility take root when you dwell on hurtful events or situations, replaying them in your mind many times.
Soon, you may find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice. You may feel trapped and may not see a way out. It's very hard to let go of grudges at this point and instead you may remain resentful and unforgiving.
Luke 6: Love for Enemies
27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
The processing of events has a great deal to do with the capacity to forgive. How you file away events will greatly influence whether you are able to get past them in the future. Sometimes we record the events in such a manner as to make it extremely difficult for us to respond positively in the future.
The turn the other cheek admonition is therefore a call for us to filter developments from a perspective of love and caring for others. We need to be especially careful to take into account the circumstances that could have led to the wrong being committed.
What could have led the actor to commit the action? If you do this from a position of love for others then your recording of the event might not be as tightly wrapped up with resentment, hate and a spirit of un-forgiveness.
How do I know it's time to try to embrace forgiveness?
When we hold on to pain, old grudges, bitterness and even hatred, many areas of our lives can suffer. When we are unforgiving, we pay the price over and over. We may bring our anger and bitterness into every relationship and new experience. Our lives may be so wrapped up in the wrong that we can't enjoy the present.
Other signs that it may be time to consider forgiveness include:
Dwelling on the events surrounding the offence
Hearing from others that you have a chip on your shoulder or that you're wallowing in self-pity
Using the bad experience to paint new experiences
Being avoided by family and friends because they don't enjoy being around you
Having angry outbursts at the smallest perceived slights
Often feeling misunderstood
Drinking excessively, smoking or using drugs to try to cope with your pain
Having symptoms of depression or anxiety
Being consumed by a desire for revenge or punishment
Automatically thinking the worst about people or situations
Regretting the loss of a valued relationship
Feeling like your life lacks meaning or purpose
Feeling at odds with your religious or spiritual beliefs
The bottom line is that you may often feel miserable in your current life.
2 Cor 2:
Forgiveness for the Sinner
5If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. 7Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
Nine Steps to Forgiveness - Frederic Luskin, Ph.D.
1. Know exactly how you feel about what happened and be able to articulate what about the situation is not OK. Then, tell a trusted couple of people about your experience.
2. Make a commitment to yourself to do what you have to do to feel better. Forgiveness is for you and not for anyone else.
3. Forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciliation with the person that hurt you, or condoning of their action. What you are after is to find peace. Forgiveness can be defined as the "peace and understanding that come from blaming that which has hurt you less, taking the life experience less personally, and changing your grievance story."
4. Get the right perspective on what is happening. Recognize that your primary distress is coming from the hurt feelings, thoughts and physical upset you are suffering now, not what offended you or hurt you two minutes - or ten years -ago. Forgiveness helps to heal those hurt feelings.
5. At the moment you feel upset practice a simple stress management technique to soothe your body's flight or fight response.
6. Give up expecting things from other people, or your life, that they do not choose to give you. Recognize the "unenforceable rules" you have for your health or how you or other people must behave. Remind yourself that you can hope for health, love, peace and prosperity and work hard to get them.
7. Put your energy into looking for another way to get your positive goals met than through the experience that has hurt you. Instead of mentally replaying your hurt seek out new ways to get what you want.
8. Remember that a life well lived is your best revenge. Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings, and thereby giving the person who caused you pain power over you, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you. Forgiveness is about personal power.
9. Amend your grievance story to remind you of the heroic choice to forgive.
What if the offender is you?
Many people find it difficult to forgive themselves. They carry a burden of guilt with them continually. A failure to forgive yourself has the same implications for ill health, lack of happiness and challenging inter-personal relations.
A survey conducted by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan found that nearly three-quarters of respondents felt God had forgiven them for their sins. Incidentally, only 52 percent had forgiven someone else. The survey also supported the contentions that older people are more likely to forgive than the young, and that older people who forgive are rewarded by improved health. "The benefits of forgiveness seem to increase with age," psychologist Loren Toussaint, the lead researcher, said.
Are you among the 75% who believe that your sins have been forgiven? Or are you lumbering under the load of guilt?
Psalm 25: 7Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.
Psalm 32:
1Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 3When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. 5I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.
Psalm 86:5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.
Jeremiah 31:34
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
What if I'm the one who needs forgiveness?
It may help to spend some time thinking about the offence you have committed and trying to determine the effect it has had on others. Unless it may cause more harm or distress, consider admitting the wrong you have done to those you have harmed, speaking of your sincere sorrow or regret, and specifically asking for forgiveness — without making excuses.
But if this seems unwise because it may further harm or distress, don't do it — it's not about making yourself feel better by apologizing. You don't want to add salt to a painful wound. Also, keep in mind that you can't force someone to forgive you. They will need to move to forgiveness in their own time.
In any case, we have to be willing to forgive ourselves. Holding on to resentment against yourself can be just as toxic as holding on to resentment against someone else. Recognize that poor behaviour or mistakes don't make you worthless or bad.
Accept the fact that you — like everyone else — are not perfect. Accept yourself despite your faults. Admit your mistakes. Commit to treating others with compassion, empathy and respect. And again, talking with a brother or sister, mental health provider or trusted friend or relative may be helpful.
Forgiveness of yourself or someone else, though not easy, can transform your life. Instead of dwelling on the injustice and revenge, instead of being angry and bitter, you can move toward a life of peace, compassion, mercy, joy and kindness.
1 John 1 is both challenging and at the same time a source of freedom for Christians.
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
That applies to persons who are in Christ. To be in Christ the following is required:
You must hear the good news of Jesus, His atoning sacrifice for our sins and His resurrection. Rom 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
You must also believe the good news.
Heb 11: 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Faith is not enough. We are called to act on our belief and to make a decision to no longer let sin reign in our lives but to seek to live in obedience to God. This is the very important act of repentance.
Luke 13: 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
You then have to confess Jesus as Lord of your life. This is a public declaration of your belief that Jesus is the Son of the Living God:
Rom 10: 8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Another major step is that you must be baptized for the removal of our sins. This is a step that is either left out completely or is comprised in attempts to make salvation more convenient.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.
At that point you have put on Christ and you are in Christ. Good things happen when you are in Christ. Burdens are lifted from your shoulders. You experience the blessings that come from forgiveness and should find it easier to be forgiving in turn.
If you are in Christ then you must learn to forgive yourself. If God is able to forgive you why are you so determined to hold on to your guilt?
Failing to forgive is unhealthy mentally, physically and spiritually. Forgiving is a wonder drug. Make a wise choice!
Luke 11
1And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3Give us day by day our daily bread. 4And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.
Matt 18:21
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Today we explore the topic Forgiveness: The Wonder Drug
The story of Amy Biehl is fascinating. She wins a Fulbright Scholarship to work in the anti-apartheid movement South Africa and is murdered in riot. After years of grief, her parents Linda and Peter quit their jobs and move to South Africa to try to complete the work their daughter started.
Eventually Amy's parents meet two of their daughter's killers, who are now full of remorse. The two young men, who have been pardoned through the Truth & Reconciliation process, try to atone for their crime by doing public service for a foundation the Biehls established in Amy's name. Amy's parents forgive the two killers and they become friends, so much so that the young men address Amy's mother as "Mom."
Exceptional though the Bielhs are their experience is an unusually dramatic example of a rule that applies to everyone: Forgiveness is good not just for the person who is forgiven, but also for the person who forgives. www.beliefnet.com
Traditionally, we think of forgiveness as a blessing extended to the transgressor. It eases his or her conscience. The usual thinking with respect to the person who does the forgiving is that they are engaged in a gallant self-sacrifice. In this traditional view, the forgiven person benefits while the forgiver gains nothing. But what if forgiveness is just as important for the person who forgives as for the person forgiven? What if it's in your self-interest to forgive, because you will be better off?
Clinical psychologist, Everett Worthington, Jr., author of "Five Steps to Forgiveness: The Art and Science of Forgiving." is a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and a pioneer in forgiveness research. Professor Worthington has found that people who won't forgive the wrongs committed against them tend to have negative indicators of health and well-being: more stress-related disorders, lower immune-system function, and worse rates of cardiovascular disease than the population as a whole. In effect, by failing to forgive they punish themselves.
Unforgiving people are also thought to experience higher rates of divorce. This also reduces well-being, given that married men and women consistently do better on most health barometers, including longevity.
In contrast people who forgive, Worthington finds, may have better health, fewer episodes of clinical depression, longer marriages and better "social support," another indicator of well-being. This latter means forgiving people get along better with others, who in turn come to their aid in social-support situations.
In effect then forgiveness is like a wonder drug!
Forgiveness research is a comparatively new field. Psychologist Kenneth Pargament of Bowling Green University says that while psychology has long studied the coping mechanisms that people use to deal with anger, resentment, and desire for revenge when they are wronged, only recently has forgiveness become a common subject of research. This is true despite the fact that in some cases, forgiveness is the ultimate form of coping.
A study at the University of Northern Iowa of psychological treatment plans for adult women who had been victims of childhood incest found that those who went through forgiveness therapy experienced less anxiety and clinical depression than a control group. Gains for the forgiveness group also persisted after the therapy ended.
A study of elderly women, published in the journal Psychotherapy, found that those who scored well on a standard test of forgiveness traits had higher self-esteem and fewer episodes of anxiety and depression compared to those who scored poorly.
Research is beginning to say that, in most cases, most people will be better off if they forgive others for wrongs experienced during life--anything from small transgressions to horrific tragedies such as suffered by Linda and Peter Biehl. Forgive others because it's good for you. And if you make the world a more peaceful place in so doing, that's a nice bonus.
The Mayo Clinic advises that when you don't practice forgiveness, you may be the one who pays most dearly. By embracing forgiveness, you embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy.
The benefits of forgiving someone
Researchers have recently become interested in studying the effects of being unforgiving and being forgiving. Evidence is mounting that holding on to grudges and bitterness results in long-term health problems. Forgiveness, on the other hand, offers numerous benefits, including:
Lower blood pressure
Stress reduction
Less hostility
Better anger management skills
Lower heart rate
Lower risk of alcohol or substance abuse
Fewer depression symptoms
Fewer anxiety symptoms
Reduction in chronic pain
More friendships
Healthier relationships
Greater religious or spiritual well-being
Improved psychological well-being
Why do we hold grudges and become resentful and unforgiving?
The people most likely to hurt us are those closest to us — our partners, friends, siblings and parents. When we're hurt by someone we love and trust — whether it's a lie, betrayal, rejection, abuse or insult — it can be extremely difficult to overcome. And even minor offences can turn into huge conflicts.
When you experience hurt or harm from someone's actions or words, whether this is intended or not, you may begin experiencing negative feelings such as anger, confusion or sadness, especially when it's someone close to you.
These feelings may start out small. But if you don't deal with them quickly, they can grow bigger and more powerful. They may even begin to crowd out positive feelings. Grudges filled with resentment, vengeance and hostility take root when you dwell on hurtful events or situations, replaying them in your mind many times.
Soon, you may find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice. You may feel trapped and may not see a way out. It's very hard to let go of grudges at this point and instead you may remain resentful and unforgiving.
Luke 6: Love for Enemies
27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
The processing of events has a great deal to do with the capacity to forgive. How you file away events will greatly influence whether you are able to get past them in the future. Sometimes we record the events in such a manner as to make it extremely difficult for us to respond positively in the future.
The turn the other cheek admonition is therefore a call for us to filter developments from a perspective of love and caring for others. We need to be especially careful to take into account the circumstances that could have led to the wrong being committed.
What could have led the actor to commit the action? If you do this from a position of love for others then your recording of the event might not be as tightly wrapped up with resentment, hate and a spirit of un-forgiveness.
How do I know it's time to try to embrace forgiveness?
When we hold on to pain, old grudges, bitterness and even hatred, many areas of our lives can suffer. When we are unforgiving, we pay the price over and over. We may bring our anger and bitterness into every relationship and new experience. Our lives may be so wrapped up in the wrong that we can't enjoy the present.
Other signs that it may be time to consider forgiveness include:
Dwelling on the events surrounding the offence
Hearing from others that you have a chip on your shoulder or that you're wallowing in self-pity
Using the bad experience to paint new experiences
Being avoided by family and friends because they don't enjoy being around you
Having angry outbursts at the smallest perceived slights
Often feeling misunderstood
Drinking excessively, smoking or using drugs to try to cope with your pain
Having symptoms of depression or anxiety
Being consumed by a desire for revenge or punishment
Automatically thinking the worst about people or situations
Regretting the loss of a valued relationship
Feeling like your life lacks meaning or purpose
Feeling at odds with your religious or spiritual beliefs
The bottom line is that you may often feel miserable in your current life.
2 Cor 2:
Forgiveness for the Sinner
5If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. 7Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
Nine Steps to Forgiveness - Frederic Luskin, Ph.D.
1. Know exactly how you feel about what happened and be able to articulate what about the situation is not OK. Then, tell a trusted couple of people about your experience.
2. Make a commitment to yourself to do what you have to do to feel better. Forgiveness is for you and not for anyone else.
3. Forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciliation with the person that hurt you, or condoning of their action. What you are after is to find peace. Forgiveness can be defined as the "peace and understanding that come from blaming that which has hurt you less, taking the life experience less personally, and changing your grievance story."
4. Get the right perspective on what is happening. Recognize that your primary distress is coming from the hurt feelings, thoughts and physical upset you are suffering now, not what offended you or hurt you two minutes - or ten years -ago. Forgiveness helps to heal those hurt feelings.
5. At the moment you feel upset practice a simple stress management technique to soothe your body's flight or fight response.
6. Give up expecting things from other people, or your life, that they do not choose to give you. Recognize the "unenforceable rules" you have for your health or how you or other people must behave. Remind yourself that you can hope for health, love, peace and prosperity and work hard to get them.
7. Put your energy into looking for another way to get your positive goals met than through the experience that has hurt you. Instead of mentally replaying your hurt seek out new ways to get what you want.
8. Remember that a life well lived is your best revenge. Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings, and thereby giving the person who caused you pain power over you, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you. Forgiveness is about personal power.
9. Amend your grievance story to remind you of the heroic choice to forgive.
What if the offender is you?
Many people find it difficult to forgive themselves. They carry a burden of guilt with them continually. A failure to forgive yourself has the same implications for ill health, lack of happiness and challenging inter-personal relations.
A survey conducted by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan found that nearly three-quarters of respondents felt God had forgiven them for their sins. Incidentally, only 52 percent had forgiven someone else. The survey also supported the contentions that older people are more likely to forgive than the young, and that older people who forgive are rewarded by improved health. "The benefits of forgiveness seem to increase with age," psychologist Loren Toussaint, the lead researcher, said.
Are you among the 75% who believe that your sins have been forgiven? Or are you lumbering under the load of guilt?
Psalm 25: 7Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.
Psalm 32:
1Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 3When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. 5I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.
Psalm 86:5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.
Jeremiah 31:34
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
What if I'm the one who needs forgiveness?
It may help to spend some time thinking about the offence you have committed and trying to determine the effect it has had on others. Unless it may cause more harm or distress, consider admitting the wrong you have done to those you have harmed, speaking of your sincere sorrow or regret, and specifically asking for forgiveness — without making excuses.
But if this seems unwise because it may further harm or distress, don't do it — it's not about making yourself feel better by apologizing. You don't want to add salt to a painful wound. Also, keep in mind that you can't force someone to forgive you. They will need to move to forgiveness in their own time.
In any case, we have to be willing to forgive ourselves. Holding on to resentment against yourself can be just as toxic as holding on to resentment against someone else. Recognize that poor behaviour or mistakes don't make you worthless or bad.
Accept the fact that you — like everyone else — are not perfect. Accept yourself despite your faults. Admit your mistakes. Commit to treating others with compassion, empathy and respect. And again, talking with a brother or sister, mental health provider or trusted friend or relative may be helpful.
Forgiveness of yourself or someone else, though not easy, can transform your life. Instead of dwelling on the injustice and revenge, instead of being angry and bitter, you can move toward a life of peace, compassion, mercy, joy and kindness.
1 John 1 is both challenging and at the same time a source of freedom for Christians.
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
That applies to persons who are in Christ. To be in Christ the following is required:
You must hear the good news of Jesus, His atoning sacrifice for our sins and His resurrection. Rom 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
You must also believe the good news.
Heb 11: 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Faith is not enough. We are called to act on our belief and to make a decision to no longer let sin reign in our lives but to seek to live in obedience to God. This is the very important act of repentance.
Luke 13: 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
You then have to confess Jesus as Lord of your life. This is a public declaration of your belief that Jesus is the Son of the Living God:
Rom 10: 8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Another major step is that you must be baptized for the removal of our sins. This is a step that is either left out completely or is comprised in attempts to make salvation more convenient.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.
At that point you have put on Christ and you are in Christ. Good things happen when you are in Christ. Burdens are lifted from your shoulders. You experience the blessings that come from forgiveness and should find it easier to be forgiving in turn.
If you are in Christ then you must learn to forgive yourself. If God is able to forgive you why are you so determined to hold on to your guilt?
Failing to forgive is unhealthy mentally, physically and spiritually. Forgiving is a wonder drug. Make a wise choice!
The slippery slope of Christianity with Lessons from Mountain Climbing
Many Christians fall away. Others fail to remain consistently faithful. Yet, others simply go through the motions and fail to grow.
The Christian walk is not without its challenges. Today, we discuss: “The slippery slope of Christianity with Lessons from Mountain Climbing”
While we recognize the challenges that Christians face in their walk and even liken it to navigating a slippery slope we want to take the opportunity to draw 3 lessons from Mountain Climbing that will help us on our journey.
The first lesson that we can draw from mountain climbers is that they recognize the dangers and challenges. They fully understand that one mistake could cost them their lives as well as the lives of their colleagues. Consequently, mountain climbers set about their task with seriousness and respect. This is not an idle walk in the park. This needs focused attention and a deep-seated understanding of the implications of each step.
It is this reverence for the craft that keeps successful mountaineers alive. They come to the process without misconceptions. They know that this is serious business. They know that self-discipline and the discipline of their colleagues is essential for their survival. The consequences of error are dire.
As Christians when we make our trek through life we also need to stop and reflect on the implications of our walk. We need to identify and respect the dangers. We ought to come to grips with the fact that danger lurks at every step. We also need to be fully conscious that falling is a real and present threat. We should also be mindful of the fact that falling could be fatal to our souls – eternally.
Unfortunately, many Christians come into the fold unaware of the challenges that the walk presents. They set off unprepared and ill-equipped. All too often they slither down the slippery slope and are lost.
Many of us can recite names of those who were a part of the brotherhood and have fallen away. They failed to navigate one or the other of the many pitfalls that are on the slope that we must climb as we make our Christian walk. Brethren, we need to open our eyes and ears to the dangers that face us as Christians. We cannot be naïve and careless.
As Philippians 2:12 reminds us:
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
2Tim 3:10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Brethren, let us not approach our salvation sloppily. Let us understand that we are up against principalities. We run the risk of losing our salvation if we are not careful. We need to be continually on full alert. Things that appear safe on the surface might have many dangers underneath. In plain terms, WATCH YOUR STEP!
The second lesson from Mountain Climbing is the trouble they go to learn how to set about mountain climbing. People do not just go climbing mountains without in-depth preparation. Not if they hope to survive. Successful climbers devote themselves to studying their craft. They seek every opportunity to learn more about what works and what does not. They know that their very life depends on their knowledge and experience.
As Christians, we need to adopt a similar approach. We need to be hungry for knowledge about how to attain our salvation and how to protect the salvation of others. We need to crave more information about what actions lead to salvation and what can lead us away from God.
I am struck by the case of Nadab and Abihu.
Exodus 24: 1And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
2And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. 3And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
Leviticus 10
1And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
Consider Brethren the fact that Nadab and Abihu grew up in house of the Aaron the High Priest. In today’s language: Dem born and grow inna di Church (They were born in the church and grew up in the church.)
They would have seen many many sacrifices being performed by Aaron. The information would surely be available to them as to how to perform a sacrifice that was pleasing to God. Yet for some reason they opted to use a strange fire.
The error cost them their lives. Remember, these young men were part of the select group that was invited to go with Moses to worship the Lord from afar. They would have been consistently in the assembly. They were in the lineage of the Levitical priesthood. Yet, God killed them because of their failure to do things the proper way. Their ignorance or carelessness cost them their lives.
We need to understand that length of service or frequency of attendance or family connections are not enough to guarantee our salvation. We need to learn what it is the God wants us to do and how He wants us to do it. We must then be disciplined to do it just as He commands.
I need to point out also that Nadab & Abihu were not killed in a brothel or in a drunken stupor in a bar. They were killed while they were offering what they considered to be their service to God. On the surface their intention appears to have been good.
What is God thinking today about your efforts to serve Him?
Is your service going up as a sweet savour? Are you running the same risk as Nadab by offering wishy washy, 3rd grade service?
Are you giving your best to the Lord or just left-overs?
Knowing what pleases God and what displeases Him is critical if we are to successfully climb the slippery slopes of Christianity.
The 3rd and final lesson that we draw from mountain climbing is the fact that climbers go to great lengths to put in place measures to keep them from falling to their death.
Climbers today have access to a range of sophisticated devices that help to keep them safe. They take care to seek these out and to put them to use in their climbs. Some of these need practice before they can be used effectively and climbers spend time getting comfortable with the protective devices.
Climbers also see the value of teamwork in their climbs and descents. In many instances, their lives are in the hands of one or more of their colleagues. There are also situations in which one man’s fall can bring down the entire group.
What about us as Christians? How diligent are we in seeking out things that can keep us from falling? What safety devices do you have in place today?
Climbers put on their boots something called a crampon to give them better traction in the ice and snow. I suggest that our walk will be steadied if we are consistently in fellowship with the brethren. If you come to worship and fellowship with your heart in it, you might slip but your fall will be stopped and you will be brought back on your feet.
I am sure you can cite examples from your own life or the life of others where unsteadiness or even a fall was corrected by the love and caring of one or more members of the brotherhood.
People feed off your faithfulness and dedication and so when it is your turn to be in need of support they are only too willing to reach out to you.
Get yourself engrained among your brothers and sisters. That is one of the most powerful safety devices for the Christian. No one will want to see you fall. Remember, one person’s fall can bring down others.
Climbers use an Ice Axe to secure them as they strive for higher ground. For the Christian, I suggest that dedicated Bible Study and attendance at Bible Study sessions is our equivalent of the Ice Axe. The way to reach for higher ground spiritually is through Bible Study.
Devote yourself to the study of God’s word and you will achieve spiritual growth while lowering the risk of falling.
Climbing groups now rely heavily on a principle called belaying. Belaying is the technique of controlling the rope so that a falling climber does not fall very far. Someone plays the role of the belayer. He feeds and pulls in the rope for each climber as needed. He is in turn anchored to a belay…. i.e. some secure place.
There are tons of rules and practices that must be observed precisely for the safety of all parties. The belayer has to be on high alert and responsive to impending falls. Delaying in belaying is a no-no. It can cost lives or serious injury.
Today, I make the appeal for belayers to step forward in this congregation. It is not feasible for the evangelist to be alert to every potential fall and to be sufficiently responsive to arrest the fall.
We need belayers. We need sisters and brothers who will be constantly on the alert for potential danger and to step in to avert it.
We need to become more familiar with the rules of Christian belaying.
How to spot impending danger
How to move to avert that danger.
What do we say or do not say
In climbing, climbers have an equal role to that of the belayer in making belaying work.
We need to be more willing to signal that we are having challenges.
We need to communicate that we may be about to lose our footing to a belayer that we are comfortable with.
We need to realize that when we act alone we risk not only our souls but the souls of others.
If you are here this morning and you have never made a conscious decision to change the way you live in respect of obeying God’s will for your life;
If you have never confessed publicly that Jesus is Lord of your life;
If you have never been baptized for the remission of your sins;
then you are climbing the slippery slopes of life without any support or protection. You can correct that right now but responding to the invitation as we sing in a moment.
If you are a member of the household of God – young or old, new Christian or stalwart, I implore you to take these 3 lessons from mountain climbing:
1. Respect the fact that the Christian walk is dangerous. Be alert and careful.
2. Go to great lengths to learn as much as you can about what works well and what does not work. Find out more about what God would have you do and how you ought to do it through dedicated Bible study.
3. Seek out devices and ways that can keep you safe. Let us set up belaying systems in our congregation to arrest the fall of those who might slip.
Eph 6: 10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
The Christian walk is not without its challenges. Today, we discuss: “The slippery slope of Christianity with Lessons from Mountain Climbing”
While we recognize the challenges that Christians face in their walk and even liken it to navigating a slippery slope we want to take the opportunity to draw 3 lessons from Mountain Climbing that will help us on our journey.
The first lesson that we can draw from mountain climbers is that they recognize the dangers and challenges. They fully understand that one mistake could cost them their lives as well as the lives of their colleagues. Consequently, mountain climbers set about their task with seriousness and respect. This is not an idle walk in the park. This needs focused attention and a deep-seated understanding of the implications of each step.
It is this reverence for the craft that keeps successful mountaineers alive. They come to the process without misconceptions. They know that this is serious business. They know that self-discipline and the discipline of their colleagues is essential for their survival. The consequences of error are dire.
As Christians when we make our trek through life we also need to stop and reflect on the implications of our walk. We need to identify and respect the dangers. We ought to come to grips with the fact that danger lurks at every step. We also need to be fully conscious that falling is a real and present threat. We should also be mindful of the fact that falling could be fatal to our souls – eternally.
Unfortunately, many Christians come into the fold unaware of the challenges that the walk presents. They set off unprepared and ill-equipped. All too often they slither down the slippery slope and are lost.
Many of us can recite names of those who were a part of the brotherhood and have fallen away. They failed to navigate one or the other of the many pitfalls that are on the slope that we must climb as we make our Christian walk. Brethren, we need to open our eyes and ears to the dangers that face us as Christians. We cannot be naïve and careless.
As Philippians 2:12 reminds us:
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
2Tim 3:10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Brethren, let us not approach our salvation sloppily. Let us understand that we are up against principalities. We run the risk of losing our salvation if we are not careful. We need to be continually on full alert. Things that appear safe on the surface might have many dangers underneath. In plain terms, WATCH YOUR STEP!
The second lesson from Mountain Climbing is the trouble they go to learn how to set about mountain climbing. People do not just go climbing mountains without in-depth preparation. Not if they hope to survive. Successful climbers devote themselves to studying their craft. They seek every opportunity to learn more about what works and what does not. They know that their very life depends on their knowledge and experience.
As Christians, we need to adopt a similar approach. We need to be hungry for knowledge about how to attain our salvation and how to protect the salvation of others. We need to crave more information about what actions lead to salvation and what can lead us away from God.
I am struck by the case of Nadab and Abihu.
Exodus 24: 1And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
2And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. 3And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
Leviticus 10
1And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
Consider Brethren the fact that Nadab and Abihu grew up in house of the Aaron the High Priest. In today’s language: Dem born and grow inna di Church (They were born in the church and grew up in the church.)
They would have seen many many sacrifices being performed by Aaron. The information would surely be available to them as to how to perform a sacrifice that was pleasing to God. Yet for some reason they opted to use a strange fire.
The error cost them their lives. Remember, these young men were part of the select group that was invited to go with Moses to worship the Lord from afar. They would have been consistently in the assembly. They were in the lineage of the Levitical priesthood. Yet, God killed them because of their failure to do things the proper way. Their ignorance or carelessness cost them their lives.
We need to understand that length of service or frequency of attendance or family connections are not enough to guarantee our salvation. We need to learn what it is the God wants us to do and how He wants us to do it. We must then be disciplined to do it just as He commands.
I need to point out also that Nadab & Abihu were not killed in a brothel or in a drunken stupor in a bar. They were killed while they were offering what they considered to be their service to God. On the surface their intention appears to have been good.
What is God thinking today about your efforts to serve Him?
Is your service going up as a sweet savour? Are you running the same risk as Nadab by offering wishy washy, 3rd grade service?
Are you giving your best to the Lord or just left-overs?
Knowing what pleases God and what displeases Him is critical if we are to successfully climb the slippery slopes of Christianity.
The 3rd and final lesson that we draw from mountain climbing is the fact that climbers go to great lengths to put in place measures to keep them from falling to their death.
Climbers today have access to a range of sophisticated devices that help to keep them safe. They take care to seek these out and to put them to use in their climbs. Some of these need practice before they can be used effectively and climbers spend time getting comfortable with the protective devices.
Climbers also see the value of teamwork in their climbs and descents. In many instances, their lives are in the hands of one or more of their colleagues. There are also situations in which one man’s fall can bring down the entire group.
What about us as Christians? How diligent are we in seeking out things that can keep us from falling? What safety devices do you have in place today?
Climbers put on their boots something called a crampon to give them better traction in the ice and snow. I suggest that our walk will be steadied if we are consistently in fellowship with the brethren. If you come to worship and fellowship with your heart in it, you might slip but your fall will be stopped and you will be brought back on your feet.
I am sure you can cite examples from your own life or the life of others where unsteadiness or even a fall was corrected by the love and caring of one or more members of the brotherhood.
People feed off your faithfulness and dedication and so when it is your turn to be in need of support they are only too willing to reach out to you.
Get yourself engrained among your brothers and sisters. That is one of the most powerful safety devices for the Christian. No one will want to see you fall. Remember, one person’s fall can bring down others.
Climbers use an Ice Axe to secure them as they strive for higher ground. For the Christian, I suggest that dedicated Bible Study and attendance at Bible Study sessions is our equivalent of the Ice Axe. The way to reach for higher ground spiritually is through Bible Study.
Devote yourself to the study of God’s word and you will achieve spiritual growth while lowering the risk of falling.
Climbing groups now rely heavily on a principle called belaying. Belaying is the technique of controlling the rope so that a falling climber does not fall very far. Someone plays the role of the belayer. He feeds and pulls in the rope for each climber as needed. He is in turn anchored to a belay…. i.e. some secure place.
There are tons of rules and practices that must be observed precisely for the safety of all parties. The belayer has to be on high alert and responsive to impending falls. Delaying in belaying is a no-no. It can cost lives or serious injury.
Today, I make the appeal for belayers to step forward in this congregation. It is not feasible for the evangelist to be alert to every potential fall and to be sufficiently responsive to arrest the fall.
We need belayers. We need sisters and brothers who will be constantly on the alert for potential danger and to step in to avert it.
We need to become more familiar with the rules of Christian belaying.
How to spot impending danger
How to move to avert that danger.
What do we say or do not say
In climbing, climbers have an equal role to that of the belayer in making belaying work.
We need to be more willing to signal that we are having challenges.
We need to communicate that we may be about to lose our footing to a belayer that we are comfortable with.
We need to realize that when we act alone we risk not only our souls but the souls of others.
If you are here this morning and you have never made a conscious decision to change the way you live in respect of obeying God’s will for your life;
If you have never confessed publicly that Jesus is Lord of your life;
If you have never been baptized for the remission of your sins;
then you are climbing the slippery slopes of life without any support or protection. You can correct that right now but responding to the invitation as we sing in a moment.
If you are a member of the household of God – young or old, new Christian or stalwart, I implore you to take these 3 lessons from mountain climbing:
1. Respect the fact that the Christian walk is dangerous. Be alert and careful.
2. Go to great lengths to learn as much as you can about what works well and what does not work. Find out more about what God would have you do and how you ought to do it through dedicated Bible study.
3. Seek out devices and ways that can keep you safe. Let us set up belaying systems in our congregation to arrest the fall of those who might slip.
Eph 6: 10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
The 7 A’s of Transformation: Combating the Fear of Success
The 7 A’s of Transformation: Combating the Fear of Success
Most of us would be reluctant to agree that we do NOT want to be successful. Yet on close examination most of us will find that some of our actions are designed to frustrate our drive for success.
These negative actions are more prevalent in some of us than in others. Indeed, some of us are actually being restricted by a fear of success. We proclaim success and even work hard at it but side by side with those thoughts and actions we sabotage our own success.
There are numerous reasons why we sabotage our own success. Much of it has to do with how we perceive ourselves. Some of that is in turn driven by what others have said about us and expect of us that we have taken on board.
When self-doubt abounds in our lives rest assured some part of us is busy sabotaging our efforts at achieving success. We do not associate success with the image that we have of ourselves. Consequently, we push it away and run from success.
But nearly everyone is guilty of thinking thoughts, saying things or taking action that set them back. In our Time Mastery training we encourage persons to log how they use their time 24/7 for 30 days. When you do that you will learn how you really spend your time and from that you can determine whether you are working for success or sabotaging success.
Is there something that is consuming huge chunks of your time that is not adding value?
On the other hand, is there something that truly needs your attention but the log will show gets precious little of it?
When you look at how you spend 168 hours each week, can you honestly say that you are not sabotaging your success? Can you genuinely make a case that you are in fact maximizing the use of your God-given time and talents?
Take a moment to reflect on key areas of your life. Are you secretly guilty of undermining your own progress? At work, at school, in a relationship, with your spouse, with your spiritual development, with your career, building wealth, taking care of your health, enriching your life, experiencing the true joy of living……
Those negative actions might be as a result of a sub-conscious Fear of Success. Whatever the cause, we will make great strides towards achieving success when we combat them.
We want to share a simple 7-step framework for combating the negative actions that undermine your push for success in all facets of your lives. It is called the 7 A’s of Transformation. The key to overcoming actions that frustrate your drive for success is to transform your thinking. You have become a Transformational Thinker….you need to have a renewed mind if you are to embrace success to its fullest.
#1. Access
Open your mind to new information
Ezra 7: 8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
11 This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and teacher, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the LORD for Israel
Search diligently for ideas that support transformation
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Put yourself in a position to intercept empowering thoughts and concepts
Eccl 1:12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!
Open dialogue that has the potential to support transformation.
Acts 17: 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.
#2. Accept
Seek to fully grasp the concept before rejecting it
Proverbs 15:31: He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.
Acts 17:18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Accept the potential of any incoming information to be of transformational value.
Prov 1: 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-
Jeremiah 7:24: But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
Be careful not to let the source of the information detract from its potential for transformation.
James 2: 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
Accept that was is – IS! Accept the facts and move on. What is done is done. Now it is time to respond appropriately.
#3. Assess
Conduct gap analyses of yourself
– What works and should be reinforced?
– What is dysfunctional or in need of improvement?
2 Cor 13: 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.
-Keep this process of assessment going
-Be brutally frank with yourself.
#4. Adjust
Identify the modifications that are required from the gap analyses
James 1: 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
Prioritize the changes that need to be made.
Do not work on too many areas at the same time.
Use the 5-point Action Plan:
• What is wrong?
• What do I want to replace it with?
• What are the steps to getting that done?
• What mechanisms will I use to support the change?
• Who will provide support and in what way?
#5. Announce
Declare your commitments
– Affirm
– Afform…. Ask empowering questions. Ask the reverse of negative thoughts and let the answer come to you. “I am so clumsy”….”Why am I so agile?” Just ask and wait for the answer. Do not actively seek to answer the questions yourself.
2 Corinthians 5:7 We live by faith, not by sight.
Communicate to others
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Luke 12: 8 "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.
Consistently put yourself in a position where you cannot back down
1 Kings 18: 21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. 22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God."
Get your support crew excited and ready to support your transformation
Ezra 10: 1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. 2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. 3 Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. 4 Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it."
#6. Apply
Let the transforming concepts and principles apply to ALL aspects of your life
– Transformation needs to be all pervasive not compartmentalized
Col 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Pursue reinforcing actions
Matt 7: 7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Celebrate successes…recognize even small victories.
Focus on the positive
Phil 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
#7. Align
Align yourself with like-minded persons
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Ensure that you put a support group in place - Stay in the middle of the pack.
Build effective networks… proactively develop a network of friends and colleagues who can assist you in achieving your goals.
Avoid naysayers and negative influences
2 Cor 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
Learn from experts….people who have been there and mastered the area that you are addressing.
I John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.
Finally, the most important move towards success is to be in Christ. The framework for getting into Christ is:
Hear the Gospel message…Christ died for your sins so that you can be reconciled to God. (Rom 10:17)
Believe…that the Gospel message is in fact true act on it. (Rom 10:10)
Repent…decide to change your ways (Luke 13:3)
Confess….announce your acceptance that Jesus is Lord indeed (Rom 10:10)
Be Baptised… for the washing away of your sins (Acts 2:38)
Walk… in the newness of life (1 John 1: 5 -7)
Most of us would be reluctant to agree that we do NOT want to be successful. Yet on close examination most of us will find that some of our actions are designed to frustrate our drive for success.
These negative actions are more prevalent in some of us than in others. Indeed, some of us are actually being restricted by a fear of success. We proclaim success and even work hard at it but side by side with those thoughts and actions we sabotage our own success.
There are numerous reasons why we sabotage our own success. Much of it has to do with how we perceive ourselves. Some of that is in turn driven by what others have said about us and expect of us that we have taken on board.
When self-doubt abounds in our lives rest assured some part of us is busy sabotaging our efforts at achieving success. We do not associate success with the image that we have of ourselves. Consequently, we push it away and run from success.
But nearly everyone is guilty of thinking thoughts, saying things or taking action that set them back. In our Time Mastery training we encourage persons to log how they use their time 24/7 for 30 days. When you do that you will learn how you really spend your time and from that you can determine whether you are working for success or sabotaging success.
Is there something that is consuming huge chunks of your time that is not adding value?
On the other hand, is there something that truly needs your attention but the log will show gets precious little of it?
When you look at how you spend 168 hours each week, can you honestly say that you are not sabotaging your success? Can you genuinely make a case that you are in fact maximizing the use of your God-given time and talents?
Take a moment to reflect on key areas of your life. Are you secretly guilty of undermining your own progress? At work, at school, in a relationship, with your spouse, with your spiritual development, with your career, building wealth, taking care of your health, enriching your life, experiencing the true joy of living……
Those negative actions might be as a result of a sub-conscious Fear of Success. Whatever the cause, we will make great strides towards achieving success when we combat them.
We want to share a simple 7-step framework for combating the negative actions that undermine your push for success in all facets of your lives. It is called the 7 A’s of Transformation. The key to overcoming actions that frustrate your drive for success is to transform your thinking. You have become a Transformational Thinker….you need to have a renewed mind if you are to embrace success to its fullest.
#1. Access
Open your mind to new information
Ezra 7: 8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
11 This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and teacher, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the LORD for Israel
Search diligently for ideas that support transformation
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Put yourself in a position to intercept empowering thoughts and concepts
Eccl 1:12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!
Open dialogue that has the potential to support transformation.
Acts 17: 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.
#2. Accept
Seek to fully grasp the concept before rejecting it
Proverbs 15:31: He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.
Acts 17:18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Accept the potential of any incoming information to be of transformational value.
Prov 1: 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-
Jeremiah 7:24: But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.
Be careful not to let the source of the information detract from its potential for transformation.
James 2: 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
Accept that was is – IS! Accept the facts and move on. What is done is done. Now it is time to respond appropriately.
#3. Assess
Conduct gap analyses of yourself
– What works and should be reinforced?
– What is dysfunctional or in need of improvement?
2 Cor 13: 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.
-Keep this process of assessment going
-Be brutally frank with yourself.
#4. Adjust
Identify the modifications that are required from the gap analyses
James 1: 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
Prioritize the changes that need to be made.
Do not work on too many areas at the same time.
Use the 5-point Action Plan:
• What is wrong?
• What do I want to replace it with?
• What are the steps to getting that done?
• What mechanisms will I use to support the change?
• Who will provide support and in what way?
#5. Announce
Declare your commitments
– Affirm
– Afform…. Ask empowering questions. Ask the reverse of negative thoughts and let the answer come to you. “I am so clumsy”….”Why am I so agile?” Just ask and wait for the answer. Do not actively seek to answer the questions yourself.
2 Corinthians 5:7 We live by faith, not by sight.
Communicate to others
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Luke 12: 8 "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.
Consistently put yourself in a position where you cannot back down
1 Kings 18: 21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. 22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God."
Get your support crew excited and ready to support your transformation
Ezra 10: 1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. 2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. 3 Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. 4 Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it."
#6. Apply
Let the transforming concepts and principles apply to ALL aspects of your life
– Transformation needs to be all pervasive not compartmentalized
Col 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Pursue reinforcing actions
Matt 7: 7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Celebrate successes…recognize even small victories.
Focus on the positive
Phil 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
#7. Align
Align yourself with like-minded persons
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Ensure that you put a support group in place - Stay in the middle of the pack.
Build effective networks… proactively develop a network of friends and colleagues who can assist you in achieving your goals.
Avoid naysayers and negative influences
2 Cor 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
Learn from experts….people who have been there and mastered the area that you are addressing.
I John 1:3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.
Finally, the most important move towards success is to be in Christ. The framework for getting into Christ is:
Hear the Gospel message…Christ died for your sins so that you can be reconciled to God. (Rom 10:17)
Believe…that the Gospel message is in fact true act on it. (Rom 10:10)
Repent…decide to change your ways (Luke 13:3)
Confess….announce your acceptance that Jesus is Lord indeed (Rom 10:10)
Be Baptised… for the washing away of your sins (Acts 2:38)
Walk… in the newness of life (1 John 1: 5 -7)
Monday 9 February 2009
Jericho III
Jericho III
Today, I want to focus on lessons from Jericho from the perspective of the overall congregation. I will identify 3 keys that underpinned the successful mission - 3 platforms on which victory was achieved. I will also suggest that if congregations effectively put in place these 3 platforms, they too will be victorious.
Platform #1: Leadership
One thing that we cannot miss from Jericho is that effective leadership was provided and that leadership was dutifully followed.
God provided the plan. Joshua accepted it without question. He presented it with certainty. The story as recorded does not suggest that there was any doubting or quibbling or vacillation or hemming and hawing. This is the plan and that is what we are going to do.
On the other side, the followers followed Joshua’s lead. “I have never heard of anything like this but I am with you in this.” “Tell me what you want us to do and we will support you to the fullest.” Simply put, “you lead, we follow.”
Organizations in which leaders lead and followers follow have outstanding chances of success. Things fall apart where leaders fail to lead. Also, the whole thing collapses rapidly when everyone tries to lead!
If Joshua had been faced with a handful of men who had their own leadership aspirations and were bent on taking their supporters along different paths we might not have been reading about the battle at Jericho…at least not in the same context.
People who are mandated to provide leadership in any of the activities or ministries of the congregation or for the entire congregation must lead with certainty. At the same time, the others of us who are not appointed to lead must follow.
One thing that happens in some organizations is that a leadership vacuum appears. No one readily volunteers to fill the position. Yet when someone is finally persuaded to do the job they meet with all sorts of resistance and criticism. The support is not forthcoming. Some people fall away because the refuse to fall in line with the leadership that is being offered. The question then is why did you not step up to the plate in the first instance?
Platform #2: Structure
It is amazing how clear God can be when giving instructions to man. I suppose the prime example is the set he gave to Noah re the ark. Moses missed the point of the specificity of God and His instructions, hit when he should speak and lost his chance to go to the Promised Land. Many people today are running the risk of losing their souls because they do not appreciate how careful and particular God is about His instructions.
Arising from the communication he got, Joshua organized the people for the march around Jericho. There was a particular structure that was put in place. People had special roles to play and there was an order in which they were to proceed.
Up front and at the rear were men bearing arms. They were geared to attack or to defend.
Behind them, were the 7 priests with ram’s horns (trumpets). And behind them, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. Then the people who were followed by armed men as rearguard.
We too must have clear roles and appropriate structure if we are to succeed.
We must have a band that can attack for and defend the faith and the congregation in its mission. This band needs to be willing to go out front fully equipped to strike with the Word when the opportunity presents itself. They must also be swift to put down any threat to the faith and to the congregation.
This band not only proclaims the Gospel in and out of season. They are also quick to go to the aid of brethren who are falling away to restore them. Their role is to deal with anything that stands in the way of achieving the mission. All this must be done without favouritism and with hearts overflowing with love.
Then we need to have horn blowers - people that announce the presence of the congregation and soften up the opposition. “Here’s a track.” “I want to invite you….” “And speaking of Obama or Cricket or Crime Rate or layoffs, we had a wonderful Bible Study at church last week. We discussed…..”
When horn blowers unite and fulfil their responsibilities the enemy retreats and the entire army is encouraged. This congregation desperately needs horn blowers.
Then comes the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. This in a sense defines who Israel was. In it was in a way their constitution…. The guiding principles for how they lived.
We need a congregation that studies the Bible – which is our constitution. It contains the guiding principles by which we ought to live. We should settle arguments and make decisions in accordance with Biblical principles and precedence.
Then comes the people.….the general membership. The victory at Jericho could not be achieved if this group did not behave appropriately. They did what they were supposed to do when they were supposed to do it.
This leads me to the discussion of the 3rd key that underpinned the success at Jericho. We looked at Leadership and Structure.
Now we come to Discipline.
One remarkable feature of the victory was how disciplined the Israelites were in the face of challenging circumstances. That is a huge lesson for congregations.
Imagine if you will Joshua at roll call just before setting off on a march.
OK….Armed men step forward: Then a few persons step forward….some explaining that others are on their way.
7 horn blowers: Well we only have 4. So you 3 will have to blow twice as much to make up for the missing ones.
Ark: Well, the Zephaniah’s are coming with it. Let us go on they will catch up with us.
Imagine if Joshua also noted that some persons that showed up on Day 1 of the march were not seen again until Day 4 then they went missing again on Day 5 & 6. He had no idea and who and how many would turn up for the marches.
Consider also the impact if some people had to leave the march early to go an tend to domestic affairs. What kind of success would Joshua have?
It is a good thing that God is not like man. If He was, He would just get angry and decide that these people are not serious. He would refuse to be associated with them.
Given the spiritual state of our beloved country we face not a Jericho wall but more like the Great Wall of China. We have to be serious about God’s work. We have to be disciplined in all that we do.
Indiscipline is manifest in every aspect of our national life. We have to be the salt of the earth. People must see and feel the difference when they observe us or come in contact with us.
There should be an overwhelming sense of order about everything that we do. There should a feeling that there is an invisible conductor who is guiding proceedings.
Discipline also has to do with our lifestyles. Are onlookers curious to know what drives you to go about all of your life in an ordered manner? Or do they see someone who is the very manifestation of indiscipline?
Discipline relates to what we read or do not read. What we watch or do not watch. What we say or do not say. Where we go or do not go. When we go or do not go. What we do or do not do.
This is a call to order. A call to fall in line to wage war on behalf of Jesus. A call to tidy up house and to get with the programme. The march starts now and we need to ensure that we play our part to the fullest. We have to overcome self for the cause of Christ.
When we do this, the walls that are keeping people from filling these seats will come tumbling down.
When we do this, the walls that are holding you back from more active participation on the activities of the congregation will fall.
When we do this, the congregational walls will more securely keep those on the inside from leaving.
Let’s do this!
Today, I want to focus on lessons from Jericho from the perspective of the overall congregation. I will identify 3 keys that underpinned the successful mission - 3 platforms on which victory was achieved. I will also suggest that if congregations effectively put in place these 3 platforms, they too will be victorious.
Platform #1: Leadership
One thing that we cannot miss from Jericho is that effective leadership was provided and that leadership was dutifully followed.
God provided the plan. Joshua accepted it without question. He presented it with certainty. The story as recorded does not suggest that there was any doubting or quibbling or vacillation or hemming and hawing. This is the plan and that is what we are going to do.
On the other side, the followers followed Joshua’s lead. “I have never heard of anything like this but I am with you in this.” “Tell me what you want us to do and we will support you to the fullest.” Simply put, “you lead, we follow.”
Organizations in which leaders lead and followers follow have outstanding chances of success. Things fall apart where leaders fail to lead. Also, the whole thing collapses rapidly when everyone tries to lead!
If Joshua had been faced with a handful of men who had their own leadership aspirations and were bent on taking their supporters along different paths we might not have been reading about the battle at Jericho…at least not in the same context.
People who are mandated to provide leadership in any of the activities or ministries of the congregation or for the entire congregation must lead with certainty. At the same time, the others of us who are not appointed to lead must follow.
One thing that happens in some organizations is that a leadership vacuum appears. No one readily volunteers to fill the position. Yet when someone is finally persuaded to do the job they meet with all sorts of resistance and criticism. The support is not forthcoming. Some people fall away because the refuse to fall in line with the leadership that is being offered. The question then is why did you not step up to the plate in the first instance?
Platform #2: Structure
It is amazing how clear God can be when giving instructions to man. I suppose the prime example is the set he gave to Noah re the ark. Moses missed the point of the specificity of God and His instructions, hit when he should speak and lost his chance to go to the Promised Land. Many people today are running the risk of losing their souls because they do not appreciate how careful and particular God is about His instructions.
Arising from the communication he got, Joshua organized the people for the march around Jericho. There was a particular structure that was put in place. People had special roles to play and there was an order in which they were to proceed.
Up front and at the rear were men bearing arms. They were geared to attack or to defend.
Behind them, were the 7 priests with ram’s horns (trumpets). And behind them, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. Then the people who were followed by armed men as rearguard.
We too must have clear roles and appropriate structure if we are to succeed.
We must have a band that can attack for and defend the faith and the congregation in its mission. This band needs to be willing to go out front fully equipped to strike with the Word when the opportunity presents itself. They must also be swift to put down any threat to the faith and to the congregation.
This band not only proclaims the Gospel in and out of season. They are also quick to go to the aid of brethren who are falling away to restore them. Their role is to deal with anything that stands in the way of achieving the mission. All this must be done without favouritism and with hearts overflowing with love.
Then we need to have horn blowers - people that announce the presence of the congregation and soften up the opposition. “Here’s a track.” “I want to invite you….” “And speaking of Obama or Cricket or Crime Rate or layoffs, we had a wonderful Bible Study at church last week. We discussed…..”
When horn blowers unite and fulfil their responsibilities the enemy retreats and the entire army is encouraged. This congregation desperately needs horn blowers.
Then comes the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. This in a sense defines who Israel was. In it was in a way their constitution…. The guiding principles for how they lived.
We need a congregation that studies the Bible – which is our constitution. It contains the guiding principles by which we ought to live. We should settle arguments and make decisions in accordance with Biblical principles and precedence.
Then comes the people.….the general membership. The victory at Jericho could not be achieved if this group did not behave appropriately. They did what they were supposed to do when they were supposed to do it.
This leads me to the discussion of the 3rd key that underpinned the success at Jericho. We looked at Leadership and Structure.
Now we come to Discipline.
One remarkable feature of the victory was how disciplined the Israelites were in the face of challenging circumstances. That is a huge lesson for congregations.
Imagine if you will Joshua at roll call just before setting off on a march.
OK….Armed men step forward: Then a few persons step forward….some explaining that others are on their way.
7 horn blowers: Well we only have 4. So you 3 will have to blow twice as much to make up for the missing ones.
Ark: Well, the Zephaniah’s are coming with it. Let us go on they will catch up with us.
Imagine if Joshua also noted that some persons that showed up on Day 1 of the march were not seen again until Day 4 then they went missing again on Day 5 & 6. He had no idea and who and how many would turn up for the marches.
Consider also the impact if some people had to leave the march early to go an tend to domestic affairs. What kind of success would Joshua have?
It is a good thing that God is not like man. If He was, He would just get angry and decide that these people are not serious. He would refuse to be associated with them.
Given the spiritual state of our beloved country we face not a Jericho wall but more like the Great Wall of China. We have to be serious about God’s work. We have to be disciplined in all that we do.
Indiscipline is manifest in every aspect of our national life. We have to be the salt of the earth. People must see and feel the difference when they observe us or come in contact with us.
There should be an overwhelming sense of order about everything that we do. There should a feeling that there is an invisible conductor who is guiding proceedings.
Discipline also has to do with our lifestyles. Are onlookers curious to know what drives you to go about all of your life in an ordered manner? Or do they see someone who is the very manifestation of indiscipline?
Discipline relates to what we read or do not read. What we watch or do not watch. What we say or do not say. Where we go or do not go. When we go or do not go. What we do or do not do.
This is a call to order. A call to fall in line to wage war on behalf of Jesus. A call to tidy up house and to get with the programme. The march starts now and we need to ensure that we play our part to the fullest. We have to overcome self for the cause of Christ.
When we do this, the walls that are keeping people from filling these seats will come tumbling down.
When we do this, the walls that are holding you back from more active participation on the activities of the congregation will fall.
When we do this, the congregational walls will more securely keep those on the inside from leaving.
Let’s do this!
Sunday 11 January 2009
Imaginary thoughts at Jericho, You and 2009
Imaginary thoughts at Jericho, You and 2009
Refer to Joshua 6: The Destruction of Jericho
I want to re-visit battle at Jericho but this time I will take the liberty of inserting some thoughts that may have been held at the time. I want us to place ourselves at Jericho on the morning of the 7th day at about the time of the 6th round of marching around the city of Jericho.
First thought: I am tired.
I imagine that there would have been persons among Joshua’s army that felt tired. They might have seen themselves as being overwhelmed by fatigue. Some may have thought that they really needed to stop and rest. Continuing this march right now may not have seemed possible to some.
As we look at our lives at the start of 2009, some of us may be feeling tired. We have been putting our shoulders to the wheel and right now we are just tired. We are overcome with fatigue. We just want to stop and rest for a while. Continuing our march at this time is truly challenging. We need a break, a chance to recoup our energies. This march is proving to be too much for us.
This is not uncommon. Sometimes, we get battle weary. We feel burnt out. We lose the desire to push on and our bodies cry out for us to stop and rest. We just do not seem to be able to pull it together. We fall into some kind of a slump and getting out of it is difficult.
In some instances, we may even manifest symptoms of illnesses that reinforce the fact that we feel unprepared to move forward.
The problem is that sometimes resting is not a viable option.
Prov 6: 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.
Resting at the time of the 6th encircling of Jericho would have frustrated the plan and led to failure. There are times when we have to endure physical discomfort including overcoming fatigue and even illness in order to achieve our objectives. Success is often based on our capacity to have our minds control our bodies. When our bodies say “No”, our minds have to say “Go”.
Instead of embracing a philosophy that says that the mind is willing but the flesh is weak we ought to adopt the stance that we keep our bodies under subjection.
1 Cor 9:24 Striving for a Crown
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Brethren, as we move into 2009, it is important that we recognize the fact that we have to take charge of our physical state. Our bodies must serve us and not the reverse. This has implications for how we treat our bodies and how we prepare them to work for us.
The control of our bodies relates not only to issues of fatigue. Self-control is a critical component of success. Anyone who follows blindly the desires and cravings of the flesh is running the risk of producing disastrous results. When we are driven by the desires and dictates of the flesh we are exposing ourselves to grave danger.
We need to pay special heed to an effective regime of diet, exercise, rest, recreation and spiritual devotion so that are bodies can perform at the level that we need. There is not much point in talking about mind over body when you have allowed the body to be run down and in disrepair. Like Paul, we have to discipline our bodies and bring them into subjection.
So, we want to take away from imaginations at Jericho the need for us to avoid being bogged down or sidetracked by our physical state – real or imagined. This has direct implications for preparing our bodies to perform in peak state. It also means that we have to be strong mentally and be in control of our bodies.
The second imaginary thought from Jericho is “What am I achieving here?”
Having marched around Jericho once per day for the last 6 days and 5 times already this morning, what are the results?
Are there any signs of success? Can I pick up any cracks in the walls of Jericho? Is there any sign that the inhabitants are about to surrender?
Sometimes as we continue along life’s challenging journey we pause to ponder about the journey. We wonder what fruit it will bear. We seek urgently to find some hint that we are on a path that will lead to some success.
We tend to hang our hopes and aspirations on this quest for a sign. When no signs appear and this is linked to feelings of tiredness, it is easy for frustration to enter the picture. “After all my efforts I have nothing to show for it and there is no reason to believe that things are going to change for the better any time soon.”
In that moment the chances of a mental and physical shut down are great. The sense of fatigue is now accompanied by feelings of futility. Going forward at that time is particularly challenging.
Some of us might be at or very near to this point of frustration today. You know the energy that you have expended and you feel it in your body. Yet, when you look around the path that you are treading, there are not many signs that bring hope and good cheer. What lies ahead appears to be particularly challenging…only now you have low energy and you are drained physically and mentally.
Friends, that is the point at which many people cave in or implode. They are just not able to rise above the situation. The beauty is that as Christians it is in precisely those moments that we can call up on one of the many blessings that are to be found in Christ.
“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise what the Lord has done.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly and you will be singing as the days go by.”
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
2 Cor 1: The God of All Comfort
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
God knew that if Joshua and his people obeyed Him and persevered victory would be theirs. He knew how imminent their success was. In the midst of your frustration and even despair God knows what He has in store for you. Deliverance and success might be a lot closer than you can even imagine.
Your responsibility is to be obedient. Do what God would have you to do. Let that dictate your actions and not your physical or even questioning mental state. It is really not about you. Hard as it sounds, this is bigger than you. This is about God and His purpose for your life.
It is that understanding that allows Christians to rise up to the challenge. It is this understanding of God’s providence that equips Christians to resist the temptation to get downhearted and frustrated and instead to move forward with confidence while others falter. No matter what 2009 looks like for you at this time, when you put your trust in God and walk in accordance with His will, you are able to overcome physical fatigue and the temptation to doubt.
Rise up Christian brethren and maximize the opportunities that are open to you. Victory is at hand even if you can’t see it just yet. Success is guaranteed when you commit it all to God and are obedient to His will. Step forward in faith and make 2009 your best year yet!
The third imaginary thought is “I have no idea where this is going. I am tired and miserable, but I am going to go along. Is there a better alternative? In any event, I back these people to come through”
Some of Joshua’s throng might have had doubts and may have been fatigued but decided to follow Joshua nevertheless. When they contemplated the alternatives, they figured that staying the course was the smart thing to do.
You might be between a rock and a hard place. You recognize your situation and feel the pain and discomfort that comes with it. There is great pressure to throw your hands up in the air in frustration or to find some way to run away from the situation. On closer examination, however, it might become clear that giving up or running away are not realistic options. Sticking to the game plan and moving forward in faith is the answer.
Some of us have stuff hanging over our heads for weeks or months or years. We would want nothing better than to have that stuff disappear. Oh, to be freed from this burden!
Yet, the reality is that we have to continue along the path….painful and frustrating though it may be. We have to take charge of our physical being and subject it to the disciplined pursuit of our objective. We WILL do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done and in the manner that it needs to be done.
This is not the time to falter or to crave rest. Now is the time to march bravely forward to claim the victory that is assured in Christ.
A fourth imaginary thought is: “I am ready for this. I want to be on the front lines. I am so excited about this that I could hardly sleep last night. Let’s do this!”
Some of Joshua’s crew might have been totally supportive and committed to the process. They would have been thrilled to be a part of the action and their enthusiasm would have been evident to others. They would have been an encouraging sign to others. Their presence and attitude would have lifted the spirits of many.
You may be sitting here and thinking that your personal situation is not really of crisis proportions. Things might not be great but you are moving along and coping. Yes, there are things that you would like to accomplish and changes that you would like to see. But in the overall scheme of things you are not too uncomfortable.
At the other end of the spectrum, you are facing genuine challenges. There are pressing matters that you have to deal with. There are hard problems that are camped at your doorstep.
Whatever your situation today, you are called upon to march. As part of God’s army we are called to press forward to claim the victory. The message to you is that when the march is on we all have to keep in step. This is not a time for letting up or slacking off or giving up or for being crippled by doubt and fear or being hampered by complacency.
We are marching in Christ’s army and we represent God. When we represent God, we are called to do our very best for Him, continually. We have to strive to be the best we can be for God. We have to set aside our limited goals and vision. We need to operate on a grander scale. We need to ask, seek and knock with renewed purpose so that we achieve great things in Jesus’ name.
In 2009, we all have to broaden our horizons. We need to dream bigger dreams and dare much with God as our provider, protector and guide. We have to give account for the talents that we have been given. Let us ensure that we all produce excellent results – individually and as a congregation. It is not about us…it is about God and His will for our lives.
Once again, Christians arise and claim the victory. Let 2009 be a spectacular year for you. Commit all your plans and activities to God and be obedient to His will. The fall of Jericho followed obedience and perseverance. Your victory is assured if you too will obey and persevere.
Obedience includes following God’s plan to rescue you from the condemnation of death for your sins that is the lot of all persons. The plan for your salvation starts with your hearing that God sent Jesus His Son to be crucified and resurrected from the dead to pay the price for sin.
You must believe this to be true to the point that you are willing to change your outlook and decide to make serving God your top priority and purpose in life. You must also be willing to let people know that Jesus is Lord of your life. You must also be baptized in water for the forgiveness of your sins and continue to be obedient to the will of God as outlined in the Bible.
If you have not yet obeyed this simple plan of salvation now is the time. Get a head start on 2009 by being in Christ and being able to enjoy all the blessings that are in Christ.
Refer to Joshua 6: The Destruction of Jericho
I want to re-visit battle at Jericho but this time I will take the liberty of inserting some thoughts that may have been held at the time. I want us to place ourselves at Jericho on the morning of the 7th day at about the time of the 6th round of marching around the city of Jericho.
First thought: I am tired.
I imagine that there would have been persons among Joshua’s army that felt tired. They might have seen themselves as being overwhelmed by fatigue. Some may have thought that they really needed to stop and rest. Continuing this march right now may not have seemed possible to some.
As we look at our lives at the start of 2009, some of us may be feeling tired. We have been putting our shoulders to the wheel and right now we are just tired. We are overcome with fatigue. We just want to stop and rest for a while. Continuing our march at this time is truly challenging. We need a break, a chance to recoup our energies. This march is proving to be too much for us.
This is not uncommon. Sometimes, we get battle weary. We feel burnt out. We lose the desire to push on and our bodies cry out for us to stop and rest. We just do not seem to be able to pull it together. We fall into some kind of a slump and getting out of it is difficult.
In some instances, we may even manifest symptoms of illnesses that reinforce the fact that we feel unprepared to move forward.
The problem is that sometimes resting is not a viable option.
Prov 6: 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.
Resting at the time of the 6th encircling of Jericho would have frustrated the plan and led to failure. There are times when we have to endure physical discomfort including overcoming fatigue and even illness in order to achieve our objectives. Success is often based on our capacity to have our minds control our bodies. When our bodies say “No”, our minds have to say “Go”.
Instead of embracing a philosophy that says that the mind is willing but the flesh is weak we ought to adopt the stance that we keep our bodies under subjection.
1 Cor 9:24 Striving for a Crown
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Brethren, as we move into 2009, it is important that we recognize the fact that we have to take charge of our physical state. Our bodies must serve us and not the reverse. This has implications for how we treat our bodies and how we prepare them to work for us.
The control of our bodies relates not only to issues of fatigue. Self-control is a critical component of success. Anyone who follows blindly the desires and cravings of the flesh is running the risk of producing disastrous results. When we are driven by the desires and dictates of the flesh we are exposing ourselves to grave danger.
We need to pay special heed to an effective regime of diet, exercise, rest, recreation and spiritual devotion so that are bodies can perform at the level that we need. There is not much point in talking about mind over body when you have allowed the body to be run down and in disrepair. Like Paul, we have to discipline our bodies and bring them into subjection.
So, we want to take away from imaginations at Jericho the need for us to avoid being bogged down or sidetracked by our physical state – real or imagined. This has direct implications for preparing our bodies to perform in peak state. It also means that we have to be strong mentally and be in control of our bodies.
The second imaginary thought from Jericho is “What am I achieving here?”
Having marched around Jericho once per day for the last 6 days and 5 times already this morning, what are the results?
Are there any signs of success? Can I pick up any cracks in the walls of Jericho? Is there any sign that the inhabitants are about to surrender?
Sometimes as we continue along life’s challenging journey we pause to ponder about the journey. We wonder what fruit it will bear. We seek urgently to find some hint that we are on a path that will lead to some success.
We tend to hang our hopes and aspirations on this quest for a sign. When no signs appear and this is linked to feelings of tiredness, it is easy for frustration to enter the picture. “After all my efforts I have nothing to show for it and there is no reason to believe that things are going to change for the better any time soon.”
In that moment the chances of a mental and physical shut down are great. The sense of fatigue is now accompanied by feelings of futility. Going forward at that time is particularly challenging.
Some of us might be at or very near to this point of frustration today. You know the energy that you have expended and you feel it in your body. Yet, when you look around the path that you are treading, there are not many signs that bring hope and good cheer. What lies ahead appears to be particularly challenging…only now you have low energy and you are drained physically and mentally.
Friends, that is the point at which many people cave in or implode. They are just not able to rise above the situation. The beauty is that as Christians it is in precisely those moments that we can call up on one of the many blessings that are to be found in Christ.
“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise what the Lord has done.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly and you will be singing as the days go by.”
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
2 Cor 1: The God of All Comfort
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
God knew that if Joshua and his people obeyed Him and persevered victory would be theirs. He knew how imminent their success was. In the midst of your frustration and even despair God knows what He has in store for you. Deliverance and success might be a lot closer than you can even imagine.
Your responsibility is to be obedient. Do what God would have you to do. Let that dictate your actions and not your physical or even questioning mental state. It is really not about you. Hard as it sounds, this is bigger than you. This is about God and His purpose for your life.
It is that understanding that allows Christians to rise up to the challenge. It is this understanding of God’s providence that equips Christians to resist the temptation to get downhearted and frustrated and instead to move forward with confidence while others falter. No matter what 2009 looks like for you at this time, when you put your trust in God and walk in accordance with His will, you are able to overcome physical fatigue and the temptation to doubt.
Rise up Christian brethren and maximize the opportunities that are open to you. Victory is at hand even if you can’t see it just yet. Success is guaranteed when you commit it all to God and are obedient to His will. Step forward in faith and make 2009 your best year yet!
The third imaginary thought is “I have no idea where this is going. I am tired and miserable, but I am going to go along. Is there a better alternative? In any event, I back these people to come through”
Some of Joshua’s throng might have had doubts and may have been fatigued but decided to follow Joshua nevertheless. When they contemplated the alternatives, they figured that staying the course was the smart thing to do.
You might be between a rock and a hard place. You recognize your situation and feel the pain and discomfort that comes with it. There is great pressure to throw your hands up in the air in frustration or to find some way to run away from the situation. On closer examination, however, it might become clear that giving up or running away are not realistic options. Sticking to the game plan and moving forward in faith is the answer.
Some of us have stuff hanging over our heads for weeks or months or years. We would want nothing better than to have that stuff disappear. Oh, to be freed from this burden!
Yet, the reality is that we have to continue along the path….painful and frustrating though it may be. We have to take charge of our physical being and subject it to the disciplined pursuit of our objective. We WILL do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done and in the manner that it needs to be done.
This is not the time to falter or to crave rest. Now is the time to march bravely forward to claim the victory that is assured in Christ.
A fourth imaginary thought is: “I am ready for this. I want to be on the front lines. I am so excited about this that I could hardly sleep last night. Let’s do this!”
Some of Joshua’s crew might have been totally supportive and committed to the process. They would have been thrilled to be a part of the action and their enthusiasm would have been evident to others. They would have been an encouraging sign to others. Their presence and attitude would have lifted the spirits of many.
You may be sitting here and thinking that your personal situation is not really of crisis proportions. Things might not be great but you are moving along and coping. Yes, there are things that you would like to accomplish and changes that you would like to see. But in the overall scheme of things you are not too uncomfortable.
At the other end of the spectrum, you are facing genuine challenges. There are pressing matters that you have to deal with. There are hard problems that are camped at your doorstep.
Whatever your situation today, you are called upon to march. As part of God’s army we are called to press forward to claim the victory. The message to you is that when the march is on we all have to keep in step. This is not a time for letting up or slacking off or giving up or for being crippled by doubt and fear or being hampered by complacency.
We are marching in Christ’s army and we represent God. When we represent God, we are called to do our very best for Him, continually. We have to strive to be the best we can be for God. We have to set aside our limited goals and vision. We need to operate on a grander scale. We need to ask, seek and knock with renewed purpose so that we achieve great things in Jesus’ name.
In 2009, we all have to broaden our horizons. We need to dream bigger dreams and dare much with God as our provider, protector and guide. We have to give account for the talents that we have been given. Let us ensure that we all produce excellent results – individually and as a congregation. It is not about us…it is about God and His will for our lives.
Once again, Christians arise and claim the victory. Let 2009 be a spectacular year for you. Commit all your plans and activities to God and be obedient to His will. The fall of Jericho followed obedience and perseverance. Your victory is assured if you too will obey and persevere.
Obedience includes following God’s plan to rescue you from the condemnation of death for your sins that is the lot of all persons. The plan for your salvation starts with your hearing that God sent Jesus His Son to be crucified and resurrected from the dead to pay the price for sin.
You must believe this to be true to the point that you are willing to change your outlook and decide to make serving God your top priority and purpose in life. You must also be willing to let people know that Jesus is Lord of your life. You must also be baptized in water for the forgiveness of your sins and continue to be obedient to the will of God as outlined in the Bible.
If you have not yet obeyed this simple plan of salvation now is the time. Get a head start on 2009 by being in Christ and being able to enjoy all the blessings that are in Christ.
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