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I want to encourage you today to remember to look beyond the struggle, frustration, and sadness of a particular moment by praying and having a long term vision.
In Selah episode 58, I shared about a difficult day I had at my job where I got some negative feedback. Whether it's at work, at home, in our marriage, with our kids, at church, or another area of our lives, we all have these moments. Some us have these moments more often than others. Some of us experience more intense emotions in these moments either because of how we respond to the situation or because of how serious the situation is. For some of us, and think this may be the hardest circumstance of all, we experience anxiety over the same issue repeatedly. That's frustrating because we can feel like we're in a trap of sorts, not knowing what to do differently to get a different result. A repeat feeling can also cause us to beat ourselves up, think that even if there are circumstances at some level out of our control, we can still control how we respond and so when we're experiencing deja vu with a negative emotion we take on the burden of being responsible for not "fixing" it.
We also may like there's not a logical reason for why we feel the way do, that on the surface the situation is not that bad, or maybe we here in America, we think that we really don't have anything to complain about since we have such high standard of living and comfort, as well as freedom from religious persecution compared to most believers in the world.
In the Torah portion this past week, Gen 25:22 NKJV says " But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord."
This comes from the story of Rebekah after she and Isaac have conceived twins. I was told that the Hebrew from this passage indicates a bit of an incomplete sentence from Rebekkah, as if she's saying why am I uggh?? out of frustration.
Her response is the best answer I can give to myself and to you in these situations. It says "So she went to inquire of the Lord".
Even if you don't know what to say to God about your situation or your feelings, you are better off talking to God about your struggles than you are talking to yourself. I have learned over the years that while self-help books will talk about the importance of positive self-talk, I have found that talking to God is much better than and more fruitful than anything I can say to myself. The problem with talking to yourself is that the Devil has a way of working his way into that conversation, and we know that His primary mission is to steal, kill and detsroy.
If you want, you can use the Bible to help you with your prayers, and when you're struggling the Psalms is a great resource. See in particular Psalm 127, 56, and 51
I mentioned earlier two ways you can deal with these difficult moments. The first is prayer, and the second is to have a long-term vision.
Long term is relative and can mean something different for each situation.
I personally struggle with feelings of frustration the worst in the mornings, and if you can relate to that, this can be the worst time of year when the days get shorter and it's darker in the mornings.
For you, a long term vision may be as simple as getting beyond those early morning hours, and reminding yourself that this too shall pass.
Lamentations 3:22-23 says "Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness."
Maybe you've had a fight with your wife. For you in that moment, your long-term vision may be to think of you in later years looking back to the big picture of your marriage and the benefits of being faithful, self-less and patient.
In this bizzare time of Covid-19 that has stretched out so long, along with so many wicked trends in our world that seem to be getting worse with no apparent fix in sight, especially if we've been holding onto politics or some other earthly solution that seems less and less likely, it can be hard to have a long term vision. With these issues and really with all of these issues, the ultimate long-term vision that we need to have is beyond this earthly life.
In 1Cor 3:11-15 NKJV, Paul says "11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
Sometimes we are frustrated with not getting the results WE want in this life, but God is looking for our obedience not our results. If we continue to focus on being obedient even when we're frustrated and feeling down, we are living our lives based on the ultimate long-term vision.
Hebrews 12:1-2 says "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares
us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the
[a]author and
[b]finisher of
our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
I believe God can work on our hearts through Worship music.
2 songs that come to mind are Waymaker, originally written by Sinach and covered by Leeland among others. One line is that song "Even when I don't feel it, You're working
You never stop, You never stop working"
Another great song is "Light at the end of this tunnel" by Third Day.
God gives us many promises, but those promises do not include a life without trouble, in fact Jesus promised the opposite. In
In John 16:33, Jesus says "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”"
Two great promises for us as believers are that God will be always be with us and that we will live for all eternity with Him. Maybe those 2 promises are what we need to focus on in those dark moments more than anything else.
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Want to start sharing a top 10 list from my friend Damon Hinkle. It's the top 10 reasons Christians should evanglize.
-
We’ve been commanded to
Matthew 28:18-19 "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go
[c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age.”
[d]Amen"
Mark 16:15-16 "And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. "
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Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
Psalm 128:1-4 - ESV
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Imagine you're leaving tomorrow for a month long trip to raft the Colorado river in the Grand Canyon. Today you're only going to do the things that absolutely need to get done
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