Tag Archives: beyond circumstance

Tired of being robbed?

Leave a reply

 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. – Jesus, John 10:10

 

When I was a teenager, our house was broken into. The thief didn’t take much except my jar of quarters, set aside for my college fund. It wasn’t nearly so bad as those who have been robbed of much more, but to me it was a raw deal. Why would anyone take a kid’s money?

 

Perhaps you’ve had something stolen from you too, maybe something a lot more valuable than a jar full of quarters. In fact, we all have been robbed, and sometimes it is our own fault. We might lock the door to our house but what about the door to our life? The articles we read, the things we choose to look at, the movies we watch, the company we keep, the thoughts we think, even our private ambitions – all open the door to our life and can steal from us the very essence of an abundant life.

 

The enemy, a thief, comes to steal, kill, and destroy. How does he do this? He connives and lies in such a way that it sounds believable, even desirable. And what do we lose in this robbery? Joy, confidence, security, sometimes faith and hope. And so often, we are the ones who let the thief into our house…our life.

 

Perhaps you can reflect back on decisions you made that went poorly and resulted in turmoil for you and others. It’s said that the train of sin will take you farther than you wanted to go and charge you more than you wanted to pay. There are consequences to robberies, including the ones we choose to allow. All decisions can be forgiven, but some bring consequences we can’t control.

 

But wait. There is good news. Jesus tells us that He has come to bring abundant life. He offers renewed joy, restored hope, and redeemed value. The thief tries to break in and steal our joy and our hope. But the Son of God offers a full life, that cannot be stolen away. You can lose all your money but still be rich. You can lose all your property and still have a home in His kingdom. Your name can be tarnished, but it cannot be wiped from the Book of Life. Your body may be robbed of pleasure but your soul will survive. Your relationships may be torn asunder but your relationship with God is not threatened. Every circumstance may point to darkness and despair, but God’s light in you cannot be extinguished – it always shines hope.

 

Are you tired of being robbed? Turn to Jesus right now, and accept His free gift of a life that is abundant.

 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Jesus, in John 10:10

 

 

Are you an overcomer?

Leave a reply

 

 

Nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37

 

One of the songs from the Civil Rights movement still rings in my mind:

“We shall overcome, We shall overcome
We shall overcome someday
Deep in my heart I do believe
We shall overcome someday.

We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace
We shall live in peace someday.

Deep in my heart I do believe
We shall overcome someday.”

For me, the song is about more than civil rights; it was about overcoming the oppression inside each one of us; to get beyond struggling against difficulties and disadvantages.  Do YOU want to be an overcomer? Do you want to conquer your fears and frustrations? Do you want to break out of whatever difficulties are holding you prisoner?

 

God’s Word says that we ARE overcomers.  How can that be possible? Can we rid ourselves of pain and remove ourselves from sorrow? Can we guarantee our success in all ventures? No, but we can rise above our circumstances. Though they remain around us, they don’t have to remain within us.  We break free of the oppression of our circumstances by standing firm in God’s presence and in belief that His Word is true; that He WILL complete that which He has started in us, that He will NEVER abandon us (no matter how we feel at the time); He WILL give you a supernatural peace if you will just claim it. He can promise these things because He already has overcome the world. It may not seem like it in this present chapter of our history, but His Story has been written; and in the end, GOD WINS! Isn’t it time to start being the overcomer you are meant to be?

 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus in John 16:33

 

 

Belief Trumps Attitude

5 Replies

I am learning some important lessons in this journey. For example, as strength varies throughout the day and when appetite diminishes, I learn to eat my ice cream FIRST! 🙂

I have heard many folks say we have good spirits or a strong attitude in the face of this cancer. The simple truth is this:

“Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but with POWER, with the Holy Spirit, and with DEEP CONVICTION. The word of God is AT WORK in you who BELIEVE.” 1 Thessalonians 1:5,13

None of us get this right all the time. We all get distracted. (For example, getting up the courage to eat was sometimes a struggle for me during the chemo, as was forcing myself to walk at least a half mile on my weakest days.) But God’s Word promises there is real power available to those who believe it…power to live out our moment by moment lives according to what we believe.

I remember teaching a values clarification class on stress management years ago to a group of adults with mental illness. In the middle of the discussion, a young man raised his hand and asked, “So you are saying that whenever we act in ways that contradict our true beliefs, we will always experience stress?” Exactly!

Belief is an active word. It doesn’t just refer to an historical discovery of some principle. True belief drives us to present action despite what circumstances may present themselves. We choose to love in unlovable moments. We keep quiet when we are tempted to complain about someone. We reach out when we are inclined to withdraw. We believe even as doubts cross our mind.

When the Bible says ‘believe’ it actually means “Keep on believing.” We can’t simply rely on a past decision or experience. We have to keep believing in the midst of each circumstance, the great ones and the challenging ones. True belief reminds us of our passion and purpose and doesn’t let the storms of life distract us. True belief keeps us focused with eyes firmly fixed on our goal, so we can continue to press on toward the prize we seek.

Dealing with this Leukemia requires all the prayers that many of you are offering on behalf of Marcia and me. (It matters!) And it requires believing and acting on belief, in what is and always has been true, and always will be true.