June 2018 Archives
Thankful for the Father
Today has been a rough day, but in spite of that, God has been reminding me of my blessings. It’s also been a test to see whether or not I will practice what I preach–to rejoice in all things. I don’t do it perfectly, but I am trying to incorporate that practice into the trying days.
There are a lot of things in life that I don’t see how any good will come out of them, and some things I expect there won’t be a positive outcome, but God has a way of giving grace beyond what you or I could ever imagine. If nothing else, trials cause us to run to the Father like we often fail to do when things are going well. And I am thankful for the fact that He will be by my side through every moment while I sleep, and He will still be here when I rise, ready to greet me and welcome me to a brand new morning. That alone is worth smiling about.
Clarifying Some Things
After my last post, I was accused of being judgmental toward those who suffer depression, and I apparently gave the impression that I view it as a spiritual problem. Lest anyone else walked away from my blog believing that, I decided it’s time to clarify some things. I’m sure I have done so before but it’s been a while.
First of all, with this particular issue, I do not believe that depression is necessarily a spiritual problem. It definitely can be, but it can also be physical or circumstantial. A while back, I went through a couple years of depression that I thought I would never break out of. I would have had a much harder time getting through that if I didn’t have a friend who checked on me daily and was available any time I needed to talk. That meant the world to me, and I hope to be there for my friends as well. Even with that, though, it was God who eventually brought me to the other side and helped me to once again see the light of day.
I also want to point out that there is a difference between discouragement and depression. One can be discouraged while still believing by faith that God is in control and will work everything out even though we can’t see it. Being a Christian does not negate us from hardship, and I hope I never imply that I believe it does.
The purpose of my last post, and the purpose of this blog, is to encourage the Church while challenging them to Biblical, Godly living and thinking. Maybe it sounds trite when you are going through the deepest trial of your life and I post about praying without ceasing or rejoicing in everything, but that is what we are commanded to do. No, it isn’t easy, but you cannot experience the joy of the Lord if you don’t obey His Word.
I am not claiming to live the perfect, Spirit-led life–much of what I write, I am writing to myself as much as to you–but I am praying as I study to know how He desires me to walk. Then I ask for strength to do so. Obedience is not always easy, but it is vital to a closer walk with Him, and I, for one, want that! I want to receive the oil of joy in exchange for my mourning, peace where there has been turmoil, faith that replaces fears. And I want my Brothers and Sisters to experience these things as well.
So forgive me if I come across as judgmental. That is not my intent. But I am burdened for a lot of what I see in the Church, and I will not stop sharing what God’s Word says in the hope that someone will find freedom and joy and a closer walk with God that will forever change their lives.
Put Off Negative Character Traits
This week, my Bible study is focusing on traits that should not be part of a Christian’s life: Anger, Fear, Worry, Depression, Laziness, and Apathy. I’m sure some of you are exclaiming, “Wait a minute! Those things don’t make a person any less a Christian! I struggle with ______ all the time!” I struggle in some of those areas as well, but that doesn’t mean that it is OK to do so.
As humans, our tendencies may be to worry and fret, become angry or depressed, but those are not Godly attributes. As we draw closer to Him and learn to love and trust Him more, these things should disappear. We need to be constantly examining ourselves in the light of God’s Word instead of comparing ourselves with others. The Christian life should be one of constantly growing and changing and becoming more like Christ. If you are not doing that, then you need to evaluate whether or not you are really “in the faith.”
These words should not bring discouragement, but they should build faith. Through Christ, we can overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Rejoice!
Sometimes it’s good to look back down
We’ve come so far; we’ve gained such ground
But joy is not in where we’ve been
Joy is who’s waiting at the end
As I sat down to write this afternoon, these lyrics came to mind (taken from the song “Run After God With All Your Heart”). In my case, I am looking back to where my health was from January to April of this year, and I am thanking God for how far He has brought me. It’s easy to still be discouraged when I think that I’m not where I want to be yet, but why would I complain when God is continuing to do a work in my life?
Nobody likes to be around someone who is always down, and I imagine that is true for God as well. As long as everything is going well, we are full of praise and adoration for Him, but when something happens that we don’t like, we grumble and complain and fret. How that must make Him sad! After all, He is still as powerful as He was last week, but we very quickly lose sight of that.
I confess that I do this too often, but I pray to lift up my eyes of faith to see what God is doing instead of focusing on the negative that can cause discouragement and depression. I want to “rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
I would like to see every Believer share more praise reports than prayer requests. We have both, and I love to pray for my Brothers and Sisters, but often the needs overshadow God’s goodness. In the midst of our trials, let’s not forget to rejoice because He is good!
