Do you love yourself? Do you truly understand what it even means to love yourself? Do you realize how important it is?
If you read your bible, you will see that Jesus considers it of the utmost importance.
Matthew 22: 36-40 says:
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Do you see it?
One of the Pharisees, an "expert in the law", asked Jesus that question. He knew the law, yet he tested Jesus to see if HE knew. I wonder if Jesus "blew him away" with His answer. Jesus put things in perfect order of priority. Love God, your neighbor AND yourself. So first we must love God. We must love Him with our WHOLE heart, soul & mind. He tells us that this is the first & the GREATEST commandment. No other commandment is as great, however, there is one that is" just like it"- "Love your neighbor as yourself". Jesus said that ALL of the law AND the Prophets hang on those 2 commandments. They are that great. Being lumped into the same category as loving God is a pretty important place to be. There is such a twisted perception in the world regarding loving one's self that most people don't even know HOW to! Yet, it is important enough that Jesus included it is the commandments, and even considered it one of the highest ones! It's easy to see, then, that we must make loving ourselves an important priority. If we can't love ourselves, how can we truly love our neighbors?
Now that we recognize the importance of it, how can we do it?
Well it helps to first see yourself the way that God sees you. For many of us, that is difficult, because we base our love on conditions, and we can never meet the conditions of a person "worthy" of love. If that describes you, have no fear because you don't have to!
Jesus is the perfect example of love, and He is the one who paid our sin debt for us. Because of Him, everything ugly about us is washed pure & clean. We can NEVER be worthy on our own, but we are seen worthy by the Father because of what the Son did for us. That sounds nice, you say, but can you give me practical suggestions?
Absolutely!
To love ourselves as God loves us, we must see ourselves as Jesus does, and react to our faults the same way He would. When you fail, forgive yourself. It's just that simple. Jesus forgives you, why, then should you not forgive yourself? He wants us to be like Him. When you beat yourself up & refuse to forgive yourself, you are saying you don't believe He has the power to forgive, even though scripture teaches that God has forgiven you. When you cannot forgive yourself, you give the devil a foothold, and you are saying you don't love yourself because you simply can't love yourself enough to forgive yourself. God made you, He knows ALL your faults & weaknesses (see prior post) why, then, would He not forgive you? He understands you!
That brings me to my second point...understand yourself! Loving yourself is truly getting in touch with your needs & wants. It is paying attention to your behaviors & correcting or accepting them. You are unique, God made you that way. When you look to the scriptures to guide you in becoming the person God intended you to be, you learn that your uniqueness was a perfect design in the Master's plan & that God will use those things in you to bring glory to Him.
Which brings me to my third, and last, point...see in yourself what God sees in you. When was the last time you TRULY looked? When you took your eyes off the things you don't like about yourself & put your eyes on the things you COULD like about yourself? Look closely at yourself. Chances are you will see a lot of the same things in yourself that you wasted time envying in others. God gave you the talents that He intended YOU to use. He supplied you with everything YOU need to fulfill His perfect plan for your life. When you refuse to look within & see in yourself what God sees in you, what He has created in you, you keep a part of yourself locked up..unable to experience what it is to truly love yourself as He does.
I don't know what you are struggling with, but most of us are struggling with SOMETHING. Beating ourselves up because of our human imperfections. If we're being that hard on ourselves, it's no wonder we are so hard on others. We expect so much from them, and are very annoyed when they do not live up to our "standard" of what a person should be. I tell you true, unless you can learn to love yourself, you will never experience TRUE freedom. Something will always be there, holding on for your next slip up. Learn to embrace this scripture:
Psalm 103:11-12
"For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. " God loves you so much He extends mercy & casts away your transgressions. If we could embrace His mercy & take our eyes off of our transgressions, just as He has, we would love ourselves far more than we ever thought we could.
God bless you as you learn to love yourself!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
You Can't Hide From The Lord!
Psalm 139: a Psalm of David
1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
How often have you asked God to do this for you? Most people live in a state of denial because they don't want to have to deal with the things they are struggling with. But when we read that beautiful Psalm of David, we are reminded that God already KNOWS everything we are struggling with. He made us and He knows how we think, what we feel & EVERYTHING we are struggling with! You can't hide anything from God, and since He is the One who will bring you through your struggles, why would you even want to?
The greatest gift you can give to yourself is to trust COMPLETELY in Him. Read His Word & allow it to change you. Hebrews 4: 12 teaches us how powerful the word of God is.
"For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
We need the Word to help us correct ourselves. Instead of placing blame on another, or attacking another, ask God to show you what part YOU play in things, or what YOU can change and then let the Word of God convict you & bring about that glorious change. God gave us His Word so that we will know what He expects of us & so that we will know how much He loves us. If we don't know what it says, we don't know what He says. Likewise, if we don't ask God to search our hearts, allowing Him to bring to the forefront of our minds the things we need to change, we will continue to live our life in bondage, void of all the great & wonderful blessings He has stored up for us!
God bless you as you allow Him to search your heart!
1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
How often have you asked God to do this for you? Most people live in a state of denial because they don't want to have to deal with the things they are struggling with. But when we read that beautiful Psalm of David, we are reminded that God already KNOWS everything we are struggling with. He made us and He knows how we think, what we feel & EVERYTHING we are struggling with! You can't hide anything from God, and since He is the One who will bring you through your struggles, why would you even want to?
The greatest gift you can give to yourself is to trust COMPLETELY in Him. Read His Word & allow it to change you. Hebrews 4: 12 teaches us how powerful the word of God is.
"For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
We need the Word to help us correct ourselves. Instead of placing blame on another, or attacking another, ask God to show you what part YOU play in things, or what YOU can change and then let the Word of God convict you & bring about that glorious change. God gave us His Word so that we will know what He expects of us & so that we will know how much He loves us. If we don't know what it says, we don't know what He says. Likewise, if we don't ask God to search our hearts, allowing Him to bring to the forefront of our minds the things we need to change, we will continue to live our life in bondage, void of all the great & wonderful blessings He has stored up for us!
God bless you as you allow Him to search your heart!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Don't Pull The "Trigger"
Whether noun or verb, there are two meanings for the word trigger that are very important to note.
1) noun: an act that sets in motion some course of events
2) verb: put in motion or move to act; "trigger a reaction"; "actuate the circuits"
For a food addict, the "trigger" can be one of several things. It could be any particular food that, once eaten, causes us to binge or to over eat. For some people, these trigger foods can be sugar, bread, flour, wheat, pasta, chocolate, and even cheese! It's important to pay attention to what your particular trigger foods are. What may be a trigger for you, may not be for me. Once you determine what your trigger food is, it is important to avoid it at all costs. Once you indulge, you can be assured it will be hard to disengage that trigger! Replace the desire for those foods with exercise. A simple walk when you feel tempted will give you the same "high" as that bag of Doritos, only there won't be any regrets later!
Another common trigger for food addicts are our emotions. Certain emotions cause us to run to the cabinet! There are those who eat for comfort & solace when they are sad, depressed or stressed, then there are those who eat "celebratorily"...whenever there is cause to celebrate you can find them eating over zealously. To keep this trigger disengaged, we have to learn how to respond to our emotions in an entirely different way, completely unattached to food. Replace it with meditation, which will keep you in control of your emotions & "allow" you to feel.
The trigger that we often overlook is the trigger of a specific place. For instance, I want to eat every time I go to my mother's house. I feel very relaxed there & I have learned to identify that relaxation with food, as my mom was always offering it to me when I was a kid whenever I came home and again as an adult whenever I went to visit her. Like the alcoholic going into a bar, certain places that are identified in our minds with food should be places we try to avoid. I choose to have my mom at my house more than I go to hers and IF I go to her house, I have to let my mom know that I am watching what I eat so I make myself accountable (she doesn't like when I over eat). I also bring in something to drink, usually orange juice, to keep myself in check. There have been many times that I'd wait until she went to the bathroom & then I would raid her cabinets (a little from each item so she wouldn't notice).
Triggers are clever little vices, and they can set off a domino effect. We eat, we feel guilty, we feel like a failure, we beat ourselves up & more times than not we stop fighting & give in. The ideal way to combat this is NOT to pull the trigger in the first place! If a man pulls the trigger of a gun & aims at something, chances are he's gonna hit his target, unless he's a really bad shot. When we "pull" our triggers, chances are we're gonna get hit as well, as we are a lot more proficient. Getting to the point in which you no longer are affected by these triggers takes time & discipline, so don't beat yourself up. Baby steps will get you where you need to go...you can't walk until you crawl...so for now, identify your triggers & then come up with alternative solutions in how to deal with each one. In time your triggers may be gone, and even if they never go away completely, you will be able to master them! Heed the words in Genesis 4:7; " If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
God bless you as you seek to disengage your triggers!
1) noun: an act that sets in motion some course of events
2) verb: put in motion or move to act; "trigger a reaction"; "actuate the circuits"
For a food addict, the "trigger" can be one of several things. It could be any particular food that, once eaten, causes us to binge or to over eat. For some people, these trigger foods can be sugar, bread, flour, wheat, pasta, chocolate, and even cheese! It's important to pay attention to what your particular trigger foods are. What may be a trigger for you, may not be for me. Once you determine what your trigger food is, it is important to avoid it at all costs. Once you indulge, you can be assured it will be hard to disengage that trigger! Replace the desire for those foods with exercise. A simple walk when you feel tempted will give you the same "high" as that bag of Doritos, only there won't be any regrets later!
Another common trigger for food addicts are our emotions. Certain emotions cause us to run to the cabinet! There are those who eat for comfort & solace when they are sad, depressed or stressed, then there are those who eat "celebratorily"...whenever there is cause to celebrate you can find them eating over zealously. To keep this trigger disengaged, we have to learn how to respond to our emotions in an entirely different way, completely unattached to food. Replace it with meditation, which will keep you in control of your emotions & "allow" you to feel.
The trigger that we often overlook is the trigger of a specific place. For instance, I want to eat every time I go to my mother's house. I feel very relaxed there & I have learned to identify that relaxation with food, as my mom was always offering it to me when I was a kid whenever I came home and again as an adult whenever I went to visit her. Like the alcoholic going into a bar, certain places that are identified in our minds with food should be places we try to avoid. I choose to have my mom at my house more than I go to hers and IF I go to her house, I have to let my mom know that I am watching what I eat so I make myself accountable (she doesn't like when I over eat). I also bring in something to drink, usually orange juice, to keep myself in check. There have been many times that I'd wait until she went to the bathroom & then I would raid her cabinets (a little from each item so she wouldn't notice).
Triggers are clever little vices, and they can set off a domino effect. We eat, we feel guilty, we feel like a failure, we beat ourselves up & more times than not we stop fighting & give in. The ideal way to combat this is NOT to pull the trigger in the first place! If a man pulls the trigger of a gun & aims at something, chances are he's gonna hit his target, unless he's a really bad shot. When we "pull" our triggers, chances are we're gonna get hit as well, as we are a lot more proficient. Getting to the point in which you no longer are affected by these triggers takes time & discipline, so don't beat yourself up. Baby steps will get you where you need to go...you can't walk until you crawl...so for now, identify your triggers & then come up with alternative solutions in how to deal with each one. In time your triggers may be gone, and even if they never go away completely, you will be able to master them! Heed the words in Genesis 4:7; " If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
God bless you as you seek to disengage your triggers!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Don't Let The Past Dictate Your Future
Yesterday I had just gotten into the car and was waiting for my 6 year old to get himself settled in his car seat. The door was still open on my side. It was a beautiful day, alive with smells of fresh air & flowers. As I was looking back at my son, a slight wind blew the smell into the car & for a moment I was transported. For just a quick moment my mind took me back to another time and I sat there for a moment & breathed it all in. I had no visual memory, just a strong feeling of happiness & a knowledge that this smell reminded me of it.
What if all of our past memories made us feel that good? I wonder how many of us would walk confidently with a passion for our future if we didn't have a past that we couldn't let go of. Holding onto the past keeps us locked in a place and prevents us from moving forward.
When we become Christians, we accept that Jesus is our Savior and we want to become a new person, but so many times we do not surrender our past to Him. Without that surrender, we are unable to walk forward onto the prosperous future the Lord has for us.
For each person, the past is different, but because we were born into a sin filled world it is inevitable that there is SOMETHING in our past that has affected us. The degree to which we allow that to affect us is the height to which we will soar. Some of us get stuck in mid flight, then we are plucked from the air & crash land.
Did you ever see a program in which it shows a person (most times a child) running toward something & then they look back? When they look back there is usually something in front of them that they just missed and they bang right into it. Usually when they include a scene like this, it is meant to make the viewer laugh, but the reality of it is that if this were REALLY to happen, it would not be funny at all. Yet, my friends, this is exactly what happens to us when we are running forward in our race and we look back. Usually something from our past hits us head on & we get knocked down. For many of us, we find it almost impossible to get back up again. And as Satan is watching OUR "show", he is the one laughing. Look at Luke 9:62 "Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Wow!! That seems pretty harsh, huh? Only to those who do not realize that God is trying to protect us by teaching us that holding on to anything from the past prevents us from moving forward.
Living in the past robs us of a future. Even if your past was great & your present seems bleak, looking back will not change your future. A lot of people become more depressed if they hold on to a "great" past in hopes of getting through their current situation. Unfortunately that only intensifies the feelings of defeat because there is no focus on a future, therefore the person cannot move forward. We DO have a future, God promised it to us in Jeremiah 29:11, it says: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." We DO have a future, and it was one that was ordained by God, but our enemy wants to keep us locked in the past so we are unable to move forward into that future. It's a foothold that some of us are willingly giving to him! If you are giving the devil a foothold by allowing your past to affect who you are today, you are playing right into his hands. Pray that God will show you what you are holding on to & ask Him to help you let go of it. He will not let you down. He will go THROUGH it with you, and when you are able to put it behind you, you will be able to walk forward toward your freedom.
Paul teaches us in Philippians 3:12-14
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (emphasis mine) Paul had an alarming past, but through Christ he was given an amazing future!
If you are struggling with your past, the first thing you must do is acknowledge that. Once you do that, you've taken your first step toward freedom from it. Next, seek help from Christian councilors, and get support from brothers & sisters that are strong in the Lord. Do whatever you have to, because the enemy is just sitting there lurking, ready to pounce and you have to be one step ahead of him. A great starting point is by reading this article by Michael Bradley:
Letting go of your past
It is a great article with awesome helps & references.
Whatever you do, don't let the past dictate your future! Until you break free from your past, you will never experience true freedom.
God bless you as you "let go & let God"!
What if all of our past memories made us feel that good? I wonder how many of us would walk confidently with a passion for our future if we didn't have a past that we couldn't let go of. Holding onto the past keeps us locked in a place and prevents us from moving forward.
When we become Christians, we accept that Jesus is our Savior and we want to become a new person, but so many times we do not surrender our past to Him. Without that surrender, we are unable to walk forward onto the prosperous future the Lord has for us.
For each person, the past is different, but because we were born into a sin filled world it is inevitable that there is SOMETHING in our past that has affected us. The degree to which we allow that to affect us is the height to which we will soar. Some of us get stuck in mid flight, then we are plucked from the air & crash land.
Did you ever see a program in which it shows a person (most times a child) running toward something & then they look back? When they look back there is usually something in front of them that they just missed and they bang right into it. Usually when they include a scene like this, it is meant to make the viewer laugh, but the reality of it is that if this were REALLY to happen, it would not be funny at all. Yet, my friends, this is exactly what happens to us when we are running forward in our race and we look back. Usually something from our past hits us head on & we get knocked down. For many of us, we find it almost impossible to get back up again. And as Satan is watching OUR "show", he is the one laughing. Look at Luke 9:62 "Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Wow!! That seems pretty harsh, huh? Only to those who do not realize that God is trying to protect us by teaching us that holding on to anything from the past prevents us from moving forward.
Living in the past robs us of a future. Even if your past was great & your present seems bleak, looking back will not change your future. A lot of people become more depressed if they hold on to a "great" past in hopes of getting through their current situation. Unfortunately that only intensifies the feelings of defeat because there is no focus on a future, therefore the person cannot move forward. We DO have a future, God promised it to us in Jeremiah 29:11, it says: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." We DO have a future, and it was one that was ordained by God, but our enemy wants to keep us locked in the past so we are unable to move forward into that future. It's a foothold that some of us are willingly giving to him! If you are giving the devil a foothold by allowing your past to affect who you are today, you are playing right into his hands. Pray that God will show you what you are holding on to & ask Him to help you let go of it. He will not let you down. He will go THROUGH it with you, and when you are able to put it behind you, you will be able to walk forward toward your freedom.
Paul teaches us in Philippians 3:12-14
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (emphasis mine) Paul had an alarming past, but through Christ he was given an amazing future!
If you are struggling with your past, the first thing you must do is acknowledge that. Once you do that, you've taken your first step toward freedom from it. Next, seek help from Christian councilors, and get support from brothers & sisters that are strong in the Lord. Do whatever you have to, because the enemy is just sitting there lurking, ready to pounce and you have to be one step ahead of him. A great starting point is by reading this article by Michael Bradley:
Letting go of your past
It is a great article with awesome helps & references.
Whatever you do, don't let the past dictate your future! Until you break free from your past, you will never experience true freedom.
God bless you as you "let go & let God"!
Monday, March 24, 2008
If We Can Think It, We can Become it!
I've heard so many different versions of the power of positive thinking. It is a strong principal that many great leaders & successful people put into practice. C. W. Longenecker wrote a great poem on the subject:
You CAN if you THINK you can!
If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win, but you think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost,
For out in the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But soon or late the man who wins,
Is the man who thinks he can.
I must confess, I have not really "arrived" regarding exercising the "power of positive thinking". I don't know if it's because I'm actually AFRAID to win, but I do know that something is stopping me from experiencing TRUE freedom. I DO believe that the mind controls a lot of who we are. We often think of the mind as our brain, but they are different. The brain can be explained scientifically, but the mind is so much harder to understand.
Look at the "mind over matter" theory. I can't even begin to touch on that, as it has so much to do with psychics & the like, but I will never be so closed minded to deny such things exist. The bottom line is that the mind is something that holds great mystery.
I cannot claim to be a specialist in the "mind field", but what I DO know is that the way you think affects your life deeply. My prior posts "Different Strokes For Different Folks & Ready To Face The Next Day" both discuss the power of "Taking Every Thought Captive". 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (emphasis mine) This does not just happen. We don't wake up one day & all of a sudden we are seasoned in taking our thoughts captive & making them "obedient". It took us years to get this way, and it's gonna take intensive training to get our thoughts under control again. Disheartening? Perhaps. But at the same time it's exciting, because if scripture tell us to do something, then that means it CAN be done!
Because we are sinful people, with a natural desire to sin, we have a challenge to train ourselves NOT to sin. Because our battlefield is in the mind, we can BECOME what we THINK we are. Proverbs 23:7 says about man, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" That is such a great scripture verse, as it really solidifies the precept that "If we can think it, we can become it".
We can retrain our minds by simply replacing every bad thought with a good one. When we think, "Man, I'll never lose this weight" we can replace it with, "I WILL reach my goal weight".
We CAN change our lives by changing the way we think. Not one thing we do is done without thinking about it first. At some point, we had to put the thought into our minds. If we fed it, chances are it grew. So if we've spent a lot of time feeding our negative thoughts, it's no wonder why we cannot believe anything positive about ourselves!
Our minds need to be retrained, but that won't happen if we are not meditating on God's word. We need to know the truth of His word in order to put it into our minds to begin with. We can recondition our minds if we begin to spew out all of those bad thoughts & constantly reaffirm the good things. I can tell you firsthand that there are so many times that I can be doing something and a random thought will pop into my head. It seems like it comes out of nowhere! Suddenly, I'm entertaining that thought and I'll stop what I was doing & take off with the new thing I just thought about. A lot of times, unfortunately, those thoughts are sinful. I get sidetracked & then it takes me a few minutes to come to my senses. I am, after all, a sinner by nature and sinful things are appealing to that nature. However, I am also a new creation in Christ, therefore that sin cannot reign in my body. I am constantly convicted of it and at that point it is the choice I make whether or not to obey Christ. If I choose to obey, I learn & am blessed. If I choose NOT to obey, I still learn, however, I now have consequences to bear. Seeing it laid out, why would I choose to take the consequences? Is my sin really THAT fun? Is it THAT worth it??
I often wonder if I actually LIKE feeling lousy. If I didn't like it, why would I keep doing things that make me feel that way? What a battle, and it all takes place in the mind! Do you realize how strong we would be in the Lord if we could retrain our minds to the point that doing the right thing would become second nature to us? Perhaps that's why Satan works so hard at controlling our mind. Perhaps we are somehow afraid of success, and so we've taught ourselves to live with a defeated attitude. If we don't change our way of thinking, we will never rid ourselves of the control we have given to Satan over our lives. We must IMMEDIATELY take those negative & sinful thoughts captive. There is no way we can get away with entertaining those thoughts even for a second. We MUST rebuke those thoughts right away, or they will lead us into sinful or negative behavior. Likewise, if we immediately replace those thoughts with promises, or encouragement, or positive affirmations, we will NOT give in to sin, and we will, in fact, feel wonderful! We will quiet that little voice inside our minds that we have fed for so long & eventually we will no longer hear it. We CAN win! We CAN be free from this low self image & this self defeating behavior! We don't have to believe the lies, it is a choice we make.
Next time you hear, "I can't do this!" Replace it with, "I KNOW I can do this!" To doubt yourself is one thing, but you can never doubt Him. Philippians 4:13 teaches, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
God bless you as you repeat..."I know I can, I know I can, I know I can"!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
We Don't Get Well By Ourselves
I was reading something from the celebrate recovery materials & I wanted to share this principle, "We don't get well by ourselves". We need each other. It went on to say "Fellowship & accountability are 2 important components of spiritual growth". I thought a lot about that. I've always been the type of person that has drawn my strength from the support of others. Once I became a Christian, that support meant so much more to me. I remember another season of my life in which I had started a women's group with a dear friend. We called it "Sister's in Christ" and it truly was a wonderful group in which women shared their burdens & their pains, their joys & their triumphs. It was based on the scripture in Matthew 18:20 "For where 2 or 3 are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them." Every time we gathered, we truly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. When life took us elsewhere, that "official" group dissolved, but the Lord still kept us in different fellowships in different places, and we still recognized the importance of "fellowship & accountability". Both of those things are key to any man's happiness, regardless of what it is they are involved in. In our case, fellowship & accountability are a very important part of our freedom as well as our growth through this life changing time.
Acts 2:42-47 gives us a great example of the Fellowship of the believers. It says:
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (emphasis mine) I particularly like the parts I made bold, and I'll tell you why. The first sentence I underlined states they "had everything in common". Well, as believers who are struggling with food addiction, so, too, do we have things in common. The Lord will draw even more people to us that have things in common also. Now look at the next sentence I made bold, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved". What an awesome testimony? Do you realize that your struggle is also a testimony in the making? A testimony of God's grace, His mercy & His faithfulness, as well as His power? We are living testimonies every time we overcome the enemy with the power of God through the Holy Spirit!
The Bible also teaches us that not only are we to love each other, but we are to show that love and refresh, encourage and uplift one another.
Philemon 1:4-7 (NKJV)says: " I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother."
When Paul speaks to Philemon, he first tells him that he thanks God for him, and that he prays for him all the time. What a friend! Paul cares so much for Philemon that he includes him in his prayers always. That is one of the first things we want to do too, as fellow brothers & sisters in Christ. We are fighting a foe that desires to sift us as wheat and we need the support & fellowship of those brothers & sisters in Christ that can uplift us in the Lord! Paul also acknowledges in verse 7 that Philemon has "refreshed the saints". This is very important, for this is something we really need as we fight this battle. There are so many times we become weary and disheartened and thus we become doorways for the enemy to walk in. We need to strengthen one another's spirits & revive one another so that we can go on with our work here. In the case of those of us battling with eating disorders, or food addictions, we need to catch each other when we fall and we need to lift one another up.
Now for the accountability factor. Being accountable to someone else can be scary sometimes because it means you have to let someone see you at your worst as well as your best. It requires you to remove any masks you are hiding behind & show who you really are. Being accountable does not have to be scary when you are in fellowship with people who are like minded & struggling with the same things. God draws men together in order that they can become stronger. When we become Christians, we become partners in the faith. We should then strip off any preconceived notions about each other & embrace one another for who we are in Christ. We need to step out of the judgment seat & accept one another as brothers & sisters, equal in the sight of God. We need to love one another, support one another & strengthen one another in the Lord.
To be accountable means we must become willing to share the times we fall down with one another so that, in love, we can be built back up BY one another. When we agree to be accountable to another, we make ourselves vulnerable and that can be scary. We are essentially giving someone else permission to hold a mirror up in front of us & tell us what they see. For those of us who avoid the mirror as it is, that can be truly frightening! Take heart my friends! Hebrews 12:11 tells us, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." I love that verse! Do you see what one of the products of discipline is? PEACE!! How long have you searched for peace? Is it possible that you do not have it because you do not accept discipline? Is it possible that you still hold a secret place within yourself that you will not share? This keeps you from experiencing true freedom & this prevents you from having peace. Let it go! Share it, lift your burden by allowing your brother or sister to help you carry it! Healing comes when we become accountable to one another. James 5:16 says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."
Howard Hendricks makes a really wonderful statement in his book As Iron Sharpens Iron. He says, ""After more than forty-five years of working with men in terms of mentoring relationships, I can tell you without reservation that the men who are making the greatest impact for God in this generation are men who have placed themselves under the tutelage of other godly men. If you care about making any kind of difference with your life — in your work, with your family, in your community, in your faith — then find someone who can help you grow and realize your life goals." Proverbs 27: 17 says it so well, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." We can become so much more effective when we allow ourselves to be taught & to be disciplined by others in the faith. If you need a place of support & fellowship, consider joining Fight4Freedom ~ an online Christian support group for people wrestling with food addictions.
God bless you as you learn to lean on each other!
Acts 2:42-47 gives us a great example of the Fellowship of the believers. It says:
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (emphasis mine) I particularly like the parts I made bold, and I'll tell you why. The first sentence I underlined states they "had everything in common". Well, as believers who are struggling with food addiction, so, too, do we have things in common. The Lord will draw even more people to us that have things in common also. Now look at the next sentence I made bold, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved". What an awesome testimony? Do you realize that your struggle is also a testimony in the making? A testimony of God's grace, His mercy & His faithfulness, as well as His power? We are living testimonies every time we overcome the enemy with the power of God through the Holy Spirit!
The Bible also teaches us that not only are we to love each other, but we are to show that love and refresh, encourage and uplift one another.
Philemon 1:4-7 (NKJV)says: " I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother."
When Paul speaks to Philemon, he first tells him that he thanks God for him, and that he prays for him all the time. What a friend! Paul cares so much for Philemon that he includes him in his prayers always. That is one of the first things we want to do too, as fellow brothers & sisters in Christ. We are fighting a foe that desires to sift us as wheat and we need the support & fellowship of those brothers & sisters in Christ that can uplift us in the Lord! Paul also acknowledges in verse 7 that Philemon has "refreshed the saints". This is very important, for this is something we really need as we fight this battle. There are so many times we become weary and disheartened and thus we become doorways for the enemy to walk in. We need to strengthen one another's spirits & revive one another so that we can go on with our work here. In the case of those of us battling with eating disorders, or food addictions, we need to catch each other when we fall and we need to lift one another up.
Now for the accountability factor. Being accountable to someone else can be scary sometimes because it means you have to let someone see you at your worst as well as your best. It requires you to remove any masks you are hiding behind & show who you really are. Being accountable does not have to be scary when you are in fellowship with people who are like minded & struggling with the same things. God draws men together in order that they can become stronger. When we become Christians, we become partners in the faith. We should then strip off any preconceived notions about each other & embrace one another for who we are in Christ. We need to step out of the judgment seat & accept one another as brothers & sisters, equal in the sight of God. We need to love one another, support one another & strengthen one another in the Lord.
To be accountable means we must become willing to share the times we fall down with one another so that, in love, we can be built back up BY one another. When we agree to be accountable to another, we make ourselves vulnerable and that can be scary. We are essentially giving someone else permission to hold a mirror up in front of us & tell us what they see. For those of us who avoid the mirror as it is, that can be truly frightening! Take heart my friends! Hebrews 12:11 tells us, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." I love that verse! Do you see what one of the products of discipline is? PEACE!! How long have you searched for peace? Is it possible that you do not have it because you do not accept discipline? Is it possible that you still hold a secret place within yourself that you will not share? This keeps you from experiencing true freedom & this prevents you from having peace. Let it go! Share it, lift your burden by allowing your brother or sister to help you carry it! Healing comes when we become accountable to one another. James 5:16 says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."
Howard Hendricks makes a really wonderful statement in his book As Iron Sharpens Iron. He says, ""After more than forty-five years of working with men in terms of mentoring relationships, I can tell you without reservation that the men who are making the greatest impact for God in this generation are men who have placed themselves under the tutelage of other godly men. If you care about making any kind of difference with your life — in your work, with your family, in your community, in your faith — then find someone who can help you grow and realize your life goals." Proverbs 27: 17 says it so well, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." We can become so much more effective when we allow ourselves to be taught & to be disciplined by others in the faith. If you need a place of support & fellowship, consider joining Fight4Freedom ~ an online Christian support group for people wrestling with food addictions.
In closing, let me reiterate, we DON'T get well by ourselves. That is why God calls us into fellowship. Romans 12:15 says, "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." We are part of a great fellowship & we are lucky to have one another. As Paul said, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." Truly, we have much to be thankful for!
God bless you as you learn to lean on each other!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Becoming a "Man after God's own heart"
I was meditating in the quiet of the morning & began to think of this whole situation I'm in regarding my struggle with weight loss, food addiction & following God. I realized as I was still & quiet before the Lord, that I am not as obedient & trusting as I need to be. I have not COMPLETELY given up my own hold on my sin. I have not yet experienced TOTAL surrender. Sure, I trust God, but I have not COMPLETELY trusted Him, otherwise I would have submitted myself to Him completely & I know I have not done that. How do I know? Because when I'm struggling, it is not as automatic as it should be to go RIGHT to God. I hold onto a little of my own will and do not completely submit. That's why I still struggle so much.
I've been meditating on David most recently, and the description the Lord gave him "a man after My own heart" is something I desire for myself. It is apparent to me that God desires me to lead a group for the Christian struggling with addictions, but I fear I have been more like Saul than David & therefore it is not at the point of bearing much fruit yet. The bible says in Samuel 13:13-14;
"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."
Wow! I read that & it really spoke to me. I began to ask myself questions like "Do I keep the Lord's command?" I refer to things He has directly show me or spoken to me. I know I do not always follow the right path, or follow things through to the end and as a leader, wandering will cause the people to stray.
So who was Samuel speaking about in verse 14? He was speaking about David. God called David "a man after My own heart"! God chose David to lead! Yet, was David perfect? Absolutely not! One only needs to hear the name Bathsheba & is reminded of David's imperfections. The good thing about that for me, is that God is not looking for me to be perfect! Whew! Then what IS He looking for? How CAN I become a "man after His own heart"?
To see why David was considered a "man after God's own heart" we have to look at the scriptures. We know that David was a sinner, and we know that as a sinner, he did things he should not have done (just as the rest of us do), but what did he do when he was confronted with his sin? We see it in 2 Samuel 13: "Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
When Nathan confronted David with his sin, David did not try to hide or deny it, he admitted it. So many times we hide behind our masks so that the world does not see who we REALLY are. We live in a state of denial and that denial prevents us from experiencing a true healing. My church bulletin had a great acronym in it this week for the word Denial. It went like this: D disables our feelings(2 Peter 2:29)*E energy drains(Psalm 146:7-8)* N negates our growth(Psalm 107:13-14)* I isolates us from God(Genesis 3:7-8)* A alienates us from all our relationships(Ephesians 4:25)* L lengthens our pain. (Jeremiah 30:17)
I read & re-read that & I realized that I have lived in a state of denial for some time now. Maybe not COMPLETE denial, but denial nonetheless. If I want to be "a man after God's own heart" I have to admit that I cannot do it without Him & TRULY let Him take over.
If any of us want to lead, we MUST be willing to follow. Acts 13:22 tell us EXACTLY why God chose David & why he called him "a man after My own heart".
It says: "After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" God testified that David was a "man after His own heart" Why? Because "he will do EVERYTHING I want him to do" (emphasis mine).
He didn't choose him because he was the greatest(David was the youngest, and not qualified to fight yet he killed Goliath with a stone), or because he was the most worshipful (David wrote many of the Psalms & played the harp), or because he was the most skillful(David was successful in many battles). God chose David for one reason, "he will do EVERYTHING I want him to do "
If I want to be a "man after God's own heart" I must do what God asks me to do. I must not live in a state of denial, but openly admit my weaknesses & my sins. I must completely rely on Christ's power to help me. It's only then that I will experience TRUE freedom & in that freedom bring complete glory to God.
God bless you as you seek to become a "man after His own heart"!
Michelle
I've been meditating on David most recently, and the description the Lord gave him "a man after My own heart" is something I desire for myself. It is apparent to me that God desires me to lead a group for the Christian struggling with addictions, but I fear I have been more like Saul than David & therefore it is not at the point of bearing much fruit yet. The bible says in Samuel 13:13-14;
"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."
Wow! I read that & it really spoke to me. I began to ask myself questions like "Do I keep the Lord's command?" I refer to things He has directly show me or spoken to me. I know I do not always follow the right path, or follow things through to the end and as a leader, wandering will cause the people to stray.
So who was Samuel speaking about in verse 14? He was speaking about David. God called David "a man after My own heart"! God chose David to lead! Yet, was David perfect? Absolutely not! One only needs to hear the name Bathsheba & is reminded of David's imperfections. The good thing about that for me, is that God is not looking for me to be perfect! Whew! Then what IS He looking for? How CAN I become a "man after His own heart"?
To see why David was considered a "man after God's own heart" we have to look at the scriptures. We know that David was a sinner, and we know that as a sinner, he did things he should not have done (just as the rest of us do), but what did he do when he was confronted with his sin? We see it in 2 Samuel 13: "Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
When Nathan confronted David with his sin, David did not try to hide or deny it, he admitted it. So many times we hide behind our masks so that the world does not see who we REALLY are. We live in a state of denial and that denial prevents us from experiencing a true healing. My church bulletin had a great acronym in it this week for the word Denial. It went like this: D disables our feelings(2 Peter 2:29)*E energy drains(Psalm 146:7-8)* N negates our growth(Psalm 107:13-14)* I isolates us from God(Genesis 3:7-8)* A alienates us from all our relationships(Ephesians 4:25)* L lengthens our pain. (Jeremiah 30:17)
I read & re-read that & I realized that I have lived in a state of denial for some time now. Maybe not COMPLETE denial, but denial nonetheless. If I want to be "a man after God's own heart" I have to admit that I cannot do it without Him & TRULY let Him take over.
If any of us want to lead, we MUST be willing to follow. Acts 13:22 tell us EXACTLY why God chose David & why he called him "a man after My own heart".
It says: "After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" God testified that David was a "man after His own heart" Why? Because "he will do EVERYTHING I want him to do" (emphasis mine).
He didn't choose him because he was the greatest(David was the youngest, and not qualified to fight yet he killed Goliath with a stone), or because he was the most worshipful (David wrote many of the Psalms & played the harp), or because he was the most skillful(David was successful in many battles). God chose David for one reason, "he will do EVERYTHING I want him to do "
If I want to be a "man after God's own heart" I must do what God asks me to do. I must not live in a state of denial, but openly admit my weaknesses & my sins. I must completely rely on Christ's power to help me. It's only then that I will experience TRUE freedom & in that freedom bring complete glory to God.
God bless you as you seek to become a "man after His own heart"!
Michelle
Friday, March 14, 2008
Are You An Easy Target?
I was reading my devotional this morning & the subject was "Easy Prey". It spoke of David & how at one time he shared a great intimacy with God, yet at another time he was falling into the trap of sin with Bathsheba. If you read the Psalms, the beauty of the relationship between him & our Lord fills the pages. He evidently had a deep spiritual connection with the Lord. So what happened? How did he stray?
When David became King of Israel, he no longer spent as much time with the Lord. When we read about David at that time, we don't read about him worshiping. Perhaps he'd become too busy with his new responsibilities. Perhaps he'd become over-confident. Whatever the reason, it happened, and it is the very same thing that happens to us, especially in this age of busyness & selfish distractions. The worst thing we can do at any point in our lives is to stop spending time alone with the Lord. We were, after all, created for his pleasure. Revelation 4:11 says, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.".
What?? You mean I wasn't created for MY own pleasure? I wasn't created so that I can enjoy all the things the world has to offer? It's not ME first, THEN God? Isn't that funny when you read it? We can often times get so confused about what our purpose is in life, and yet Revelation states it clearly, we were created for His pleasure. The problem is that we were given free will because God didn't create a bunch of robots. He wanted us to CHOOSE to love & obey Him, and that's the part of us that the devil continually waits for the chance to pounce on.
During the time that David was King, he needed to spend time alone with God more than ever before. God had elevated him to a high position, but when he tried to go it alone, he got caught in a trap of his own making. He let his guard down & made himself vulnerable. Once his guard was down, he became easy prey! The rest, as they say, is history.
While fighting this demonic attack, the one thing you must never forget is to spend time alone with the Lord. Each step you take, remember that He is walking right beside you. The Bible has all of the resources you need to combat this enemy, but it is YOU that needs to call upon them when you need them. The devil wants to destroy you, my friend, just as he wanted to destroy David through his sin with Bathsheba. David's lust for women was his downfall. For us, it is our lust for food. Just as David could not take his eyes off of Bathsheba bathing, it is often times difficult for us to take our eyes off that one food that will restart our bad eating cycle.
What could David have done differently? He could have stopped and prayed, asking God to remove the temptation from him. He could have walked back inside, got down on his knees & asked God to forgive him for lusting. Unfortunately, he did not do any of these things, and he walked right into the snare of the enemy.
How many times do we do that regarding our gluttony? "Man that bag of Doritos looks good!", "I just gotta have that bubbly, cold, thirst quenching soda", or how about the infamous, "Oh, just one piece". Hey listen, unless you are strong enough to fight against that second piece, you need to stay away from the first! Do not give the devil a foothold! This sets you up for a bigger fall. The devil knows what he's doing, he's been doing it for a LONG time! God is the only one that has never been defeated by the devil, and He promises to walk you right on through to victory. You must never let your guard down. The one way to ensure that, is to never let loose your grip on the Lord. I promise you, the minute you do, the devil will pounce faster than you will ever notice. He's been watching you & he's been waiting. He knew just when to step in on Eve in that garden, and he knows just when to catch you too. Don't let him catch you off guard! Don't become an easy target!
God bless you as you walk in your freedom!
Michelle
When David became King of Israel, he no longer spent as much time with the Lord. When we read about David at that time, we don't read about him worshiping. Perhaps he'd become too busy with his new responsibilities. Perhaps he'd become over-confident. Whatever the reason, it happened, and it is the very same thing that happens to us, especially in this age of busyness & selfish distractions. The worst thing we can do at any point in our lives is to stop spending time alone with the Lord. We were, after all, created for his pleasure. Revelation 4:11 says, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.".
What?? You mean I wasn't created for MY own pleasure? I wasn't created so that I can enjoy all the things the world has to offer? It's not ME first, THEN God? Isn't that funny when you read it? We can often times get so confused about what our purpose is in life, and yet Revelation states it clearly, we were created for His pleasure. The problem is that we were given free will because God didn't create a bunch of robots. He wanted us to CHOOSE to love & obey Him, and that's the part of us that the devil continually waits for the chance to pounce on.
During the time that David was King, he needed to spend time alone with God more than ever before. God had elevated him to a high position, but when he tried to go it alone, he got caught in a trap of his own making. He let his guard down & made himself vulnerable. Once his guard was down, he became easy prey! The rest, as they say, is history.
While fighting this demonic attack, the one thing you must never forget is to spend time alone with the Lord. Each step you take, remember that He is walking right beside you. The Bible has all of the resources you need to combat this enemy, but it is YOU that needs to call upon them when you need them. The devil wants to destroy you, my friend, just as he wanted to destroy David through his sin with Bathsheba. David's lust for women was his downfall. For us, it is our lust for food. Just as David could not take his eyes off of Bathsheba bathing, it is often times difficult for us to take our eyes off that one food that will restart our bad eating cycle.
What could David have done differently? He could have stopped and prayed, asking God to remove the temptation from him. He could have walked back inside, got down on his knees & asked God to forgive him for lusting. Unfortunately, he did not do any of these things, and he walked right into the snare of the enemy.
How many times do we do that regarding our gluttony? "Man that bag of Doritos looks good!", "I just gotta have that bubbly, cold, thirst quenching soda", or how about the infamous, "Oh, just one piece". Hey listen, unless you are strong enough to fight against that second piece, you need to stay away from the first! Do not give the devil a foothold! This sets you up for a bigger fall. The devil knows what he's doing, he's been doing it for a LONG time! God is the only one that has never been defeated by the devil, and He promises to walk you right on through to victory. You must never let your guard down. The one way to ensure that, is to never let loose your grip on the Lord. I promise you, the minute you do, the devil will pounce faster than you will ever notice. He's been watching you & he's been waiting. He knew just when to step in on Eve in that garden, and he knows just when to catch you too. Don't let him catch you off guard! Don't become an easy target!
God bless you as you walk in your freedom!
Michelle
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
We need to support & uplift one another!
I am currently reading a book entitled "The War Within You~ A study of the believers two natures" by Craig Massey. Needless to say it is opening my eyes to many things. One very important thing it has reminded me is how very important it is that we support & uplift one another. I have not posted the whole month of February, simply because I was getting myself in line & trying to incorporate many new things into my life. I've gone back to light weight training, yoga & brisk walking. In short, I have been trying to remake my body and have been focusing on that, while learning all I can about the two natures I possess. While doing that, there were days I could have used some encouragement & support. It's so hard to get back on track when your flesh is fighting your spirit. In light of that fact, I've started an online Christian support group for people wrestling with food addictions and trying to get their lives back.
We must encourage, uplift & support one another in order to be strengthened in our fight. That is the goal of this group. God gave us sisters & brothers in Christ, and when we come together we are a mighty force against the enemy. Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." All throughout the Bible you will find examples of brothers & sisters building one another up. Paul made it a personal goal of his & he spent a lot of time uplifting his fellow brothers in the fight. It is my desire to do the same, that we might share in the victory that is ours in Him!
If you are interested in joining this group, please visit Fight4Freedom's Yahoo Group
God bless you as you seek to grow closer to Him!
We must encourage, uplift & support one another in order to be strengthened in our fight. That is the goal of this group. God gave us sisters & brothers in Christ, and when we come together we are a mighty force against the enemy. Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." All throughout the Bible you will find examples of brothers & sisters building one another up. Paul made it a personal goal of his & he spent a lot of time uplifting his fellow brothers in the fight. It is my desire to do the same, that we might share in the victory that is ours in Him!
If you are interested in joining this group, please visit Fight4Freedom's Yahoo Group
God bless you as you seek to grow closer to Him!
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