“Water.” I say with a measure of finality.
“Water and mountains. Or fog and mountains. Or Rain! But there has to be a front porch and coffee involved, and preferably somewhere ‘away’.”
These are things I often say to myself when I am tired or stressed. Yes, when I am definitely stressed! And stress has been a frequent visitor of mine lately, so much so, I think he has taken up residence for the time being.
It is hard for me not to feel this way, especially since most of my life I have lived as if I am on my own to figure everything out, to make a way. When you add in a wife and a little girl, the feeling just skyrockets sometimes. No wonder stress has decided to move in and stay a while.
BUT WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON?
When I choose to look below the surface, when I take time to breathe and check my emotional pulse, then I start to find something else going on that has been hidden for a long time it's become so normal. These are feelings of betrayal, anger, frustration, and hopelessness.
When my job is going well; when I have enough money; when it feels like things in life are moving in a positive direction, then it is easy for me to believe I am doing something right or God is for me. But when these things aren’t happening, like being stuck in a dead end job...again. Or, not being able to raise support very well for a trip you are sure you heard God tell you to go to. Well, that is when these feelings surface again.
These are some of my triggers. These life events trigger certain reactions, and those reactions are tied to my beliefs. Pull on the string of the triggered emotion, and I can usually, in time, explain why I feel that way in the moment. It is usually tied to mistrust in some way towards God’s ability to take care of me, despite myself. Because in this world of mine, I am responsible for my own well-being...and now my family.
Drumroll…...
I DON’T ACTUALLY TRUST GOD!
THERE! I said it...
And this is why I am stressed. I constantly feel I have to do it on my own to make it happen. Or the verse that says “With God, some things are possible. And those that aren’t, I must find a way”. This is often how I actually live! I don’t actually believe the real thing, so I change it to fit my circumstances or my beliefs based on how I see the world.
So, suffice it to say, this is a root of mine that I am learning how to dig up and replace with truth. That is all this is! They are lies that I have made in agreement in believing, and God is after complete freedom in my heart! He knows when I have freedom, my heart and life is more fully His!
And these circumstances that betray the reality of my own soul, while really difficult to face, are really good things! God puts his finger on certain areas that he wants to address, and in the process, I get the chance to partner with Him in the solution. It is all about the process of me becoming more like Jesus anyways.
What are these triggers for you?
What is God pinpointing in your own life?
He is after your heart and greater freedom in your life.
And God knows what we need even before we ask Him! So take some time to step back away from the busyness and talk with Him it. Listen to what He says. And just do it!
Friday, September 21, 2018
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Keep Fighting, by Will
Over the past month I've heard the word "weary" used to describe my life and situation a lot. "physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain, etc.; fatigued; tired" I think that's a really good descriptor. I'm in the midst of a battle that seems to be never ending, and I've had about all of it I can take.
As I've discovered my God given identity and begun to embrace who He has made me to be, I've been intentional about seeking discipleship to grow and develop the characteristics that define my name. The key verse God gave me is 1 Peter 5.1-11, and one of the five themes I've identified from that passage is "Endure Suffering" (you can read more about the themes I've discovered on my personal blog, Fighting Lions, click my picture on the left and you will be linked to my blog).
Last month I met with one of the two pastors I've asked to intentionally invest in my life over the next year. As we discussed what's been going on and what I'm looking to do, we began to talk about suffering, and how we press forward through it. As we met he asked me to read Proverbs 24.16, "For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity." (and no, it doesn't mean that the eighth time we can stay on the ground). The man who is rooted in God can endure because he isn't living alone. He can face adversity over, and over, and over again because he isn't living in his own strength but God.
Ephesians 6.10-13 tells us, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm."
The struggles we face are not flesh and blood, but spiritual. Paul says, in 2 Timothy 2.26, that people are ensnared and held captive by the devil to do his work, and so the battles we fight are spiritual; the warfare we are engaged in is spiritual. The only way we endure is by drawing strength from God.
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40.28-31)
It is only in God that we can stand firm.
It is only in God that we can endure suffering and hardship.
It is only in God that our strength is renewed.
It is only in God that we can keep fighting.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
As I've discovered my God given identity and begun to embrace who He has made me to be, I've been intentional about seeking discipleship to grow and develop the characteristics that define my name. The key verse God gave me is 1 Peter 5.1-11, and one of the five themes I've identified from that passage is "Endure Suffering" (you can read more about the themes I've discovered on my personal blog, Fighting Lions, click my picture on the left and you will be linked to my blog).
Last month I met with one of the two pastors I've asked to intentionally invest in my life over the next year. As we discussed what's been going on and what I'm looking to do, we began to talk about suffering, and how we press forward through it. As we met he asked me to read Proverbs 24.16, "For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity." (and no, it doesn't mean that the eighth time we can stay on the ground). The man who is rooted in God can endure because he isn't living alone. He can face adversity over, and over, and over again because he isn't living in his own strength but God.
Ephesians 6.10-13 tells us, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm."
The struggles we face are not flesh and blood, but spiritual. Paul says, in 2 Timothy 2.26, that people are ensnared and held captive by the devil to do his work, and so the battles we fight are spiritual; the warfare we are engaged in is spiritual. The only way we endure is by drawing strength from God.
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40.28-31)
It is only in God that we can stand firm.
It is only in God that we can endure suffering and hardship.
It is only in God that our strength is renewed.
It is only in God that we can keep fighting.
Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Friday, August 31, 2018
Journey Part 3: Finding Your Name, by Will
I've given a lot of thought to it, and talked with Aaron a bit, and I'm in agreement with him, I'm not going to be sharing my name at this point either. It is something deeply personal, and something I'm still working at owning and embodying, and for now, as I continue on this journey, it needs to remain between those closest to me and myself.
As I began this search for my real name, I felt a constant pull to help others discover their own God given identity. As part of my own identity, I feel that God is calling me to help others discover this, and I'm currently working to start a non-profit ministry that will focus on helping men, and hopefully women at some point in the future, begin to embrace who God has created them to be and live the lives He intended for them to live. Lives of passion, pursuing a destiny, in the context of community, however, the foundation for this lies in the discovery of identity.
In the beginning life was perfect. Man lived in perfect harmony with God, humanity, and creation. Man knew God intimately and personally, man had work to do that was satisfying, and man knew who he was. This is when the enemy moved in, struck a deadly blow, and left the world in chaos. He attacks the relationship man has with God, and the identity that God has given them.
"The serpent said to the woman, 'You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'" (Genesis 3.4-5)
He attacks the identity they have with God, making them believe that there is more for them, something better, that God has withheld. They question the goodness of God, and they question who they are in light of what they might gain. They gave into the temptation, inherited broken identities, twisted passions, damaged destinies, and broken community, falling from God's original intention. And it's crucial to remember that this took place before sin had entered the world, this is what the enemy was able to do when man existed in a state of perfection, walking with God in the cool of the day, knowing the sound of his footsteps. Don't drop your guard for an instant, he decimated the world when it was perfect; never underestimate what he can do.
God steps in, and He promises hope. The identity destroyer will be destroyed by the one who will bring restoration. The road is going to long and dangerous, but all things will be renewed. Christ came, modeled how God intended for us to live life, died to pay the price for sin, and then rose again so that we could be empowered to follow His example. Jesus had an identity that was bestowed on Him by the Father, "After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.'" (Matthew 3.16-17). In the same way, God has an identity for each of us.
So how do you learn your God given identity? How do you receive your name from God? I believe the answer is found in two questions that Jesus asked.
"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' ... He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'" (Matthew 16.13, 15)
Who do people say that you are?
Who does God say you are?
You need to ask yourself the first question.
Who do people say that you are?
What have people said about you? Who have people tried to make you? What do you believe about yourself as a result?
This probably isn't going to be a fun place to go, people are mean, they intentionally try to inflict pain, and they do that because they are hurting. Even if there isn't a ton of painful baggage you have to deal with, you still need to examine this, I can't tell you how many people have tried to influence my life, pointing me in the direction they thought was best, but ultimately their direction wasn't God's direction, and trying to be who someone else thought I should be only hurt me.
As a result of these two things, we begin to believe things about ourselves. We may feel that we have no value, believing that we need to change things about us, give up our dreams or passions in order to be accepted, and come to the end our lives in misery and full of regret. That isn't how God intended for us to live, we were made to live with passion, pursuing something for His glory, but before we can do that we have to find healing, and in order to find healing, we have to identify the wounds we are carrying. That is the aim of the first question.
The second question is one that we need to ask God.
Who do You say that I am?
This question takes courage to ask, and the answer may be even more difficult than those of the previous question. This answer will demand something of us, calling us into intimacy with God that we've likely never thought possible, and challenging us to be fully transformed by the One who created us. The answer to this question will change you life, and you'll never be the same once you receive it.
For me, my name came from a passage of the Bible that hit me in a different way. It led me to search for similar stories, and the consistent theme of the story of was the name God gave me. From there He gave me a passage, 1 Peter 5.1-11, that taught me what it meant to live out my name, and right now I'm on a journey to grow and develop these characteristics, seeking intentional discipleship and counsel from older men I deeply respect.
God knows you by your true name. Your God given identity captures who you are at your deepest level, the core of your being, and it reveals what you are here to do. Do you have the courage to ask two questions? Are you ready to become who you were born to be?
May you seek God, and discover your identity from Him.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
As I began this search for my real name, I felt a constant pull to help others discover their own God given identity. As part of my own identity, I feel that God is calling me to help others discover this, and I'm currently working to start a non-profit ministry that will focus on helping men, and hopefully women at some point in the future, begin to embrace who God has created them to be and live the lives He intended for them to live. Lives of passion, pursuing a destiny, in the context of community, however, the foundation for this lies in the discovery of identity.
In the beginning life was perfect. Man lived in perfect harmony with God, humanity, and creation. Man knew God intimately and personally, man had work to do that was satisfying, and man knew who he was. This is when the enemy moved in, struck a deadly blow, and left the world in chaos. He attacks the relationship man has with God, and the identity that God has given them.
"The serpent said to the woman, 'You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'" (Genesis 3.4-5)
He attacks the identity they have with God, making them believe that there is more for them, something better, that God has withheld. They question the goodness of God, and they question who they are in light of what they might gain. They gave into the temptation, inherited broken identities, twisted passions, damaged destinies, and broken community, falling from God's original intention. And it's crucial to remember that this took place before sin had entered the world, this is what the enemy was able to do when man existed in a state of perfection, walking with God in the cool of the day, knowing the sound of his footsteps. Don't drop your guard for an instant, he decimated the world when it was perfect; never underestimate what he can do.
God steps in, and He promises hope. The identity destroyer will be destroyed by the one who will bring restoration. The road is going to long and dangerous, but all things will be renewed. Christ came, modeled how God intended for us to live life, died to pay the price for sin, and then rose again so that we could be empowered to follow His example. Jesus had an identity that was bestowed on Him by the Father, "After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.'" (Matthew 3.16-17). In the same way, God has an identity for each of us.
So how do you learn your God given identity? How do you receive your name from God? I believe the answer is found in two questions that Jesus asked.
"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' ... He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?'" (Matthew 16.13, 15)
Who do people say that you are?
Who does God say you are?
You need to ask yourself the first question.
Who do people say that you are?
What have people said about you? Who have people tried to make you? What do you believe about yourself as a result?
This probably isn't going to be a fun place to go, people are mean, they intentionally try to inflict pain, and they do that because they are hurting. Even if there isn't a ton of painful baggage you have to deal with, you still need to examine this, I can't tell you how many people have tried to influence my life, pointing me in the direction they thought was best, but ultimately their direction wasn't God's direction, and trying to be who someone else thought I should be only hurt me.
As a result of these two things, we begin to believe things about ourselves. We may feel that we have no value, believing that we need to change things about us, give up our dreams or passions in order to be accepted, and come to the end our lives in misery and full of regret. That isn't how God intended for us to live, we were made to live with passion, pursuing something for His glory, but before we can do that we have to find healing, and in order to find healing, we have to identify the wounds we are carrying. That is the aim of the first question.
The second question is one that we need to ask God.
Who do You say that I am?
This question takes courage to ask, and the answer may be even more difficult than those of the previous question. This answer will demand something of us, calling us into intimacy with God that we've likely never thought possible, and challenging us to be fully transformed by the One who created us. The answer to this question will change you life, and you'll never be the same once you receive it.
For me, my name came from a passage of the Bible that hit me in a different way. It led me to search for similar stories, and the consistent theme of the story of was the name God gave me. From there He gave me a passage, 1 Peter 5.1-11, that taught me what it meant to live out my name, and right now I'm on a journey to grow and develop these characteristics, seeking intentional discipleship and counsel from older men I deeply respect.
God knows you by your true name. Your God given identity captures who you are at your deepest level, the core of your being, and it reveals what you are here to do. Do you have the courage to ask two questions? Are you ready to become who you were born to be?
May you seek God, and discover your identity from Him.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
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