How long does it take to win the battle from within? I don't know...it's different for everybody. What I DO know is that the battle is always won from within first, if it is TRULY won. You will see people losing weight like crazy, but some of them just can't seem to keep it off. Why?
For a food addict things are more than just diets and exercise & weight loss. We have deep rooted problems that cause us to over eat in the first place. We can't keep the weight off because inevitably the issues we struggle with will rise up again, or perhaps even new ones will come, and once they do we go right back to our comfort...food!
We must win the battle from within first before we can ever hope to achieve the weight loss we so desperately desire. The enemy is slick, and he does not want us to win. He wants to keep us under his thumb for as long as he possibly can. God has given us everything we need, but we still stay stuck. Sometimes we just can't move forward. There are so many reasons. Sometimes we are afraid to face the things we have kept inside. Sometimes we are actually afraid of succeeding because we don't think we're worth it! Can you imagine that? It's true! There are many Christians out there who have succumbed to the lie that they are worthless. Only God can take those lies from your mind and He does it when you read the truth in His Word.
Take the attitude of the Psalmist! Psalm 119:97 says, "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long." I really believe that meditation is one of the most neglected disciplines in the Christian's life today. I'm not the only one who feels that way either, there are numerous books & websites dedicated to the subject. Meditation lines your thoughts up with God's thoughts and keeps your attitudes right. When you focus your energy on fighting the battle from within, you can be assured that your body will follow. You WILL lose the weight you've been struggling to lose for so long. For the first time in my life I feel different from within. I fight for freedom, but I win so many more battles than ever before. I'm aware of the enemy's schemes, I recognize his attacks more than ever and I can see the "spoils" of the battles I have won. I get the great pleasure of seeing my "outside" lining up with the changes that are happening within. I am FINALLY losing weight, the RIGHT way...God's way! Today I celebrate a 10 lb weight loss. I have the honor of giving God the glory for it. If you have not taken the 10 day challenge I posted about before, consider trying it now! You have nothing to lose but weight! *smile*
God bless you as you fight the battle from within!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Making a spiritual commitment
Daniel 1:8 says, "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself."
Daniel PURPOSED in his heart. That means he made a decision, he made a commitment to uphold God's law no matter what. In order for us to enjoy our freedom, we, too, must make the same type of spiritual commitment. When we commit to something and offer it to God in order that He might bless it, we can be sure that it will be much easier to keep. We "purpose" in our hearts to stay on the right path so that we might honor God with our bodies. It is then that He can bless us completely, for He blesses our obedience. Pushing on toward the prize, we must make a spiritual commitment to run this race. If we do, we can be assured we will win.
Last night my husband & I went out to dinner. It was his day off & we try to do something enjoyable together. We usually always go out to eat because we really like doing that, and I didn't want my fast to get in the way of it. I really did "purpose in my heart" to honor God during this fast & I truly did make a spiritual commitment. Having that commitment really did make a difference in how I was thinking. Wanting to enjoy a nice dinner out with my husband without compromising my commitment, I thought hard about what to do & my solution is something I'd like to share with you.
I decided that we should go to a Chinese buffet because I was only eating fruits & vegetables & I know that the Chinese buffet we go to usually has a large selection of these. Likewise, the one I chose had a lot of fish & shrimp as well as a Mongolian buffet, where they cook very thin sliced meats & vegetables on the grill right in front of you, so you can control what goes in it. This is great for my husband who likes to eat his meat, but is on a diet as well.
Let me just say that we had a FABULOUS dinner!! I enjoyed an abundance of fresh fruits & vegetables and left very full & satisfied, all without compromising my commitment to stick with the Daniel fast. I'd like to encourage you to take that step toward cleansing your body from within. Make a spiritual commitment to God to honor your body & see how he blesses you!!
God bless you as you experience true freedom!!
Daniel PURPOSED in his heart. That means he made a decision, he made a commitment to uphold God's law no matter what. In order for us to enjoy our freedom, we, too, must make the same type of spiritual commitment. When we commit to something and offer it to God in order that He might bless it, we can be sure that it will be much easier to keep. We "purpose" in our hearts to stay on the right path so that we might honor God with our bodies. It is then that He can bless us completely, for He blesses our obedience. Pushing on toward the prize, we must make a spiritual commitment to run this race. If we do, we can be assured we will win.
Last night my husband & I went out to dinner. It was his day off & we try to do something enjoyable together. We usually always go out to eat because we really like doing that, and I didn't want my fast to get in the way of it. I really did "purpose in my heart" to honor God during this fast & I truly did make a spiritual commitment. Having that commitment really did make a difference in how I was thinking. Wanting to enjoy a nice dinner out with my husband without compromising my commitment, I thought hard about what to do & my solution is something I'd like to share with you.
I decided that we should go to a Chinese buffet because I was only eating fruits & vegetables & I know that the Chinese buffet we go to usually has a large selection of these. Likewise, the one I chose had a lot of fish & shrimp as well as a Mongolian buffet, where they cook very thin sliced meats & vegetables on the grill right in front of you, so you can control what goes in it. This is great for my husband who likes to eat his meat, but is on a diet as well.
Let me just say that we had a FABULOUS dinner!! I enjoyed an abundance of fresh fruits & vegetables and left very full & satisfied, all without compromising my commitment to stick with the Daniel fast. I'd like to encourage you to take that step toward cleansing your body from within. Make a spiritual commitment to God to honor your body & see how he blesses you!!
God bless you as you experience true freedom!!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Following Daniel's example
The Lord has placed heavily on my heart recently that I spend "40 days in the desert to prepare for ministry" just as Jesus did. As you know, Satan has sent many messengers to "buffet" me and receiving this call will open the door for him to send many more. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil. I believe that was to build His spiritual muscles, and keep Him focused. I believe that is what the Lord intends for me as well at this season of my life.
When Jesus was led into the desert, he fasted for 40 days. This enabled Him to stay focused on prayer & fellowship with His Father. Jesus drank only water during that time. Two years ago, when my father was dying, I partook of that same fast, 40 days without food, only drinking water. It was the most spiritually exhilarating time of my whole life. This time, however, I was convicted to partake of a different fast. Commonly known as the "Daniel Fast", a person consumes only vegetables & water as Daniel did. You can read about it in Daniel chapter 1. I, however, was not convicted to eat only vegetables, but I was also convicted to eat fruits. Ezekiel 47:12 says, "...fruit for food:leaves for medicine." Since a part of my ministry will be to teach others the benefits of life giving foods, it only makes sense that I partake only of them while preparing for this ministry.
Daniel set an example for us regarding resisting temptation. His unwavering integrity is an example we should strive to follow.
In Daniel 1:12-13, Daniel tested those who opposed him. He said to the guard:
"Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see. So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days."
Now see what it says in Daniel 1:15-16:
"At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead."
At the end of 10 days, they looked HEALTHIER and BETTER NOURISHED!!!! Friends, can you not see that God chose to honor their obedience?
God does not want us to live inside these overweight shells we have created for ourselves! He wants us to be HEALTHIER and BETTER NOURISHED!!!
So here is my challenge to you:
You try eating like Daniel did for 10 days, only 10 days! You try it & see for yourself if it doesn't make a difference! Daniels choice to consume vegetables changed his appearance. You are reading this because you, too, desire to change your appearance. Though Daniel was not looking to change his appearance (he was doing it out of the desire not to defile himself with the king's food) the fact is that the direct result of this decision is that his appearance DID change!
I decided to log my experience & results on a separate blog page. If you want to follow that, you can find it here:
40 Days in the desert
Daniel's way of eating is not a "law" for us to obey, it is an example of good stewardship.
1 Cor. 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" Daniel did just that by taking good care of his body & purposing not to defile it.
Paul tells us that we are no longer under the law, so even if it WAS a law to eat Daniel's way, we would no longer be subject to it. There are a lot of voracious meat eaters that oppose Daniel's way of thinking. I am not here to challenge them.
1 Corinthians 10:23 says, "all things are lawful, but all things are not beneficial" In other words, just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD! There is a lot of death & disease attributed to what a man puts in his body.
I hope that you accept the challenge to follow Daniel's way for 10 days. It is my prayer that you will experience a rejuvenation you never thought possible!
God bless you as you follow Daniel's example!
When Jesus was led into the desert, he fasted for 40 days. This enabled Him to stay focused on prayer & fellowship with His Father. Jesus drank only water during that time. Two years ago, when my father was dying, I partook of that same fast, 40 days without food, only drinking water. It was the most spiritually exhilarating time of my whole life. This time, however, I was convicted to partake of a different fast. Commonly known as the "Daniel Fast", a person consumes only vegetables & water as Daniel did. You can read about it in Daniel chapter 1. I, however, was not convicted to eat only vegetables, but I was also convicted to eat fruits. Ezekiel 47:12 says, "...fruit for food:leaves for medicine." Since a part of my ministry will be to teach others the benefits of life giving foods, it only makes sense that I partake only of them while preparing for this ministry.
Daniel set an example for us regarding resisting temptation. His unwavering integrity is an example we should strive to follow.
In Daniel 1:12-13, Daniel tested those who opposed him. He said to the guard:
"Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see. So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days."
Now see what it says in Daniel 1:15-16:
"At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead."
At the end of 10 days, they looked HEALTHIER and BETTER NOURISHED!!!! Friends, can you not see that God chose to honor their obedience?
God does not want us to live inside these overweight shells we have created for ourselves! He wants us to be HEALTHIER and BETTER NOURISHED!!!
So here is my challenge to you:
You try eating like Daniel did for 10 days, only 10 days! You try it & see for yourself if it doesn't make a difference! Daniels choice to consume vegetables changed his appearance. You are reading this because you, too, desire to change your appearance. Though Daniel was not looking to change his appearance (he was doing it out of the desire not to defile himself with the king's food) the fact is that the direct result of this decision is that his appearance DID change!
I decided to log my experience & results on a separate blog page. If you want to follow that, you can find it here:
40 Days in the desert
Daniel's way of eating is not a "law" for us to obey, it is an example of good stewardship.
1 Cor. 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" Daniel did just that by taking good care of his body & purposing not to defile it.
Paul tells us that we are no longer under the law, so even if it WAS a law to eat Daniel's way, we would no longer be subject to it. There are a lot of voracious meat eaters that oppose Daniel's way of thinking. I am not here to challenge them.
1 Corinthians 10:23 says, "all things are lawful, but all things are not beneficial" In other words, just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD! There is a lot of death & disease attributed to what a man puts in his body.
I hope that you accept the challenge to follow Daniel's way for 10 days. It is my prayer that you will experience a rejuvenation you never thought possible!
God bless you as you follow Daniel's example!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Your actions & attitudes determine that of those around you
After my last post, I received a lot of emails offering me prayers, support and encouragement. It was touching and overwhelming. I was very appreciative that God loved me so much that He chose to bless me with such wonderful sisters in Christ.
As I read the thoughts and concerns of others, I felt that I must share what I've learned & how I have been blessed.
At the end of the last post you will remember that I stated "Things did not change between my husband & I, he was still elusive & non attentive toward me, but I knew that I had turned him over to the only one who could change him from the inside out." This seems to have been something that several people focused on. I'd like to share that though things did NOT change for my husband & I THAT NIGHT, as the Psalmist says: " Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning." (Psalm 30:5) And joy DID indeed come with the morning.
The greatest thing the Lord has blessed me with regarding my husband is that he has a heart for God & receives conviction. I believe a lot of the fruit of that has come from my own conviction & submission. When I turn things over to God & change my attitude, I am stepping out in faith that I trust God, not myself, to change things. My attitude changes, and I receive peace. When I walk in that peace, my attitude shows it, and those around me feed off of it. Likewise, when I have an attitude of anger & mistrust, those around me feed off of that too.
When I chose to trust in God to take care of my husband, I set in motion a spiral of change. If you knew my husband, you would know that the changes in him since we were first married could never have taken place without his conviction & submission. I believe that if I had tried to change him, he would have fought it to the end. That is the sad truth about the sinful nature, it fights against what's right.
So the "morning after" my husband received revelations of his own, and began his own journey of further change. Realizing that his commitment to his family was more important than his job, he tweaked some small changes to make himself more available. The change in his attitude made me very happy, for I knew that God would bring about the necessary changes to get my husband back where he needed to be.
Change is inevitable, nothing stays the same. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 teaches us that there is a season for everything.
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven
God bless you as you become more like Him!
As I read the thoughts and concerns of others, I felt that I must share what I've learned & how I have been blessed.
At the end of the last post you will remember that I stated "Things did not change between my husband & I, he was still elusive & non attentive toward me, but I knew that I had turned him over to the only one who could change him from the inside out." This seems to have been something that several people focused on. I'd like to share that though things did NOT change for my husband & I THAT NIGHT, as the Psalmist says: " Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning." (Psalm 30:5) And joy DID indeed come with the morning.
The greatest thing the Lord has blessed me with regarding my husband is that he has a heart for God & receives conviction. I believe a lot of the fruit of that has come from my own conviction & submission. When I turn things over to God & change my attitude, I am stepping out in faith that I trust God, not myself, to change things. My attitude changes, and I receive peace. When I walk in that peace, my attitude shows it, and those around me feed off of it. Likewise, when I have an attitude of anger & mistrust, those around me feed off of that too.
When I chose to trust in God to take care of my husband, I set in motion a spiral of change. If you knew my husband, you would know that the changes in him since we were first married could never have taken place without his conviction & submission. I believe that if I had tried to change him, he would have fought it to the end. That is the sad truth about the sinful nature, it fights against what's right.
So the "morning after" my husband received revelations of his own, and began his own journey of further change. Realizing that his commitment to his family was more important than his job, he tweaked some small changes to make himself more available. The change in his attitude made me very happy, for I knew that God would bring about the necessary changes to get my husband back where he needed to be.
Change is inevitable, nothing stays the same. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 teaches us that there is a season for everything.
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
With that in mind I encourage you to develop this attitude: Enjoy what you have when you have it because you never know when you will lose it. Likewise, persevere when you are being "buffeted" because assuredly this will not last. Always claim the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13:
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it"
God bless you as you become more like Him!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Gain Control By Submitting
I'll tell you straight up, I've always been the type of person who likes to take control of things that I'm passionate about. Most times, if I'm right, I can win some battles simply by exercising my knowledge. There are others, however, that I cannot seem to win no matter how hard I try. The word to note in that sentence is seem. What I've learned is that though it may seem I cannot win them, it's simply a matter of changing my approach.
Sometimes you really do have to take the bull by the horns & really do what you know. Other times, however, you have to wait upon the Lord~be still and know that He is God~before you can ever get anywhere with your fight.
As I've been enjoying the freedoms that have been bestowed upon me while exercising obedience, I've also been getting attacked on other fronts. The enemy does not want to see me win, that's for sure! He sees me overcome a struggle & he's right at the door waiting to pounce on the next thing I struggle with. The great thing about this, however, is that though he intends it for evil, God will use it for good. And the beauty of it is that after going through it, the Lord is glorified and I grow deeper as a Christian. Every rose has it's thorn and the thorns that are attached to us "roses" are the things that keep us completely dependent on God. They keep us humble . 2 Corinthians 12:7 remind us of the thorn Paul had. "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure".
The messenger of Satan was sent to strike Paul, to attack him, if you will. Evil men, unbelievers, and the like are all messengers of Satan, and he will use them to persecute and attack us. I even believe he can use "religious" people, because though a man may be religious that does not mean he has a relationship with God. Likewise, there are the misguided people. In their ignorance they do not see, and therefore are able to be used by the devil. Perfect example is those who put Jesus on the cross. Jesus said to God, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
It is important to note what areas you are weak in , because that is from where your attack will come. Matthew 10:16 tells us we are "Sheep in the midst of wolves." I find that interesting, because wolves, like most other animals stalking prey, will often search out the weak and the sick. The wolf waits & watches, a part of his stalking behavior, and will pounce at the perfect opportunity. It is always the weakest that are the easiest to catch. If we are not in tune to our weak areas, submitting them to the Lord, we can be assured that we will never gain any control over them. The wolf will overtake us every time. Jesus is our Shepherd. In John 10:11 Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." He does not run when the wolf comes. He laid His life down for us, why, then, would we not submit to Him? Last night I learned a great lesson about submission. Here is the account:
My most recent of attacks has been on the home front. My husband was recently promoted and as part of his promotion he has now acquired more hours. He leaves the house at 9am or earlier & gets home at 11pm or later. He comes to church with us Sunday morning & leaves right from church to go to work. He has one day a week off from work and has to juggle that day with errands, and spending time with me & my son. As I'm sure you can see, my time with my husband has been minimal. A weaker relationship would not survive.
It has been said that it's not quantity of time, but quality of time. I tend to believe that to be true for the most part. My husband & I have to make a conscience effort to make the time we spend together meaningful. When we do, it is better than some of the days we were together consistently. When we don't, however, I am miserable because I know that it may be many days before I get the opportunity to spend time with my husband again. Unfortunately I can tend to be possessive of the time we spend together, because it is so precious and there is just so little of it. With people all around me dying so young, and my husband having health problems of his own, I tend to want to spend every moment I can with him, for I know that our days are numbered. Because I allow myself to become miserable if my husband does not make time for me, or if he seems to be spending his free time (what little of it there is) focused on other things, I leave a door open for the devil to attack. There are many doors to a mans soul, and we have to be careful not to leave them open. One of the doors I leave open a lot is the fact that I suffer from insecurity. My husband is surrounded by young women at his job, and some of them are in the partying stages of youth. He also works with several young males who find their enjoyment in bars & clubs. These are the people my husband spends most of his time with. When he & I are in sync, it doesn't bother me as much. When we are both preoccupied with things outside our relationship, it bothers me a lot.
In addition to this, there is a woman from my husband's past who is trying to reconnect with him. I honestly feel no threat from her, in fact I have a lot of compassion for her as she is a cancer survivor. I pray for her and have a brotherly love for her. However...as nice as she may be, it is not healthy for her or us that she pursues a relationship of any kind with my husband. I was informed by my husband's sister that this woman held a torch for my husband and had a hard time letting him go. I was also made aware that she still has feelings for him now. In light of that, I cannot see any good coming from a relationship, and jealousy has absolutely nothing to do with it. The devil can use things like that & we have to be very careful. I am very much in tune to the fact that the people I mentioned can possibly be the "messengers of Satan" that he has sent to "buffet" me. Though they, themselves, don't even know it. I'm not saying anything bad about any of them as people, so please don't misunderstand that. Some of them I don't even know personally. This is not an attack on them. When I say they are messengers of Satan, I acknowledge only that Satan can use them against me & if he can, he will.
Because I have never had much luck with trusting men (molested by males in the family, my father left my mother for her girlfriend, my first husband cheated repeatedly, my sisters husband cheated repeatedly, most of my family members have been divorced at least once, when I was single many of my friends husbands or boyfriends would try to have an affair with me, and the list unfortunately goes on) it has really been a challenge for me fighting the thoughts in my own mind. Hormones have a lot to do with it too, and sometimes my hormones will be raging, causing me to imagine things that aren't true & to over react to things that are really not that big of a deal. It's hard for us women sometimes. Take the "real" things that attack us, couple it with things from our past which influence our behavior and add to that hormones, it truly is a wonder that we can get through it at all!
Yesterday was a combination of hormones, physical illness, past insecurities & lack of attentiveness from my husband. I was such a jumble of mixed emotions that I felt as if I was being torn in many different directions. What torment! Unfortunately I handled it all wrong at first, giving in to my flesh & responding in ways that did not honor God. The way I reacted showed that I did not fully trust God to take care of things. When my husband said things to me that provoked me, I was not still & quiet, waiting upon the Lord. I reacted right away, playing right into the hands of the enemy. It was unfortunate on my part, but what Satan intended for evil, God used for good. Last night, I grew. Even if only a little, I know that I grew.
In my quiet time that same morning, when I was confessing my faults to the Lord & asking him to search my heart, God had already given me an answer. When I was confessing the mistrust I had in my spirit for those around me, including my husband, the Holy Spirit said, "Michelle, you don't HAVE to trust your husband. The only one you have to trust is ME. I will take care of you." Scripture confirms this in several places. I will give a few.
Psalm 56:11 says, "In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me."
Jeremiah 17:5-10:
Many people will get insulted at the fact that I am saying man cannot be trusted, but God Himself said, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure." It is not wrong for me to acknowledge that sometimes man cannot even trust Himself.
After my husband left in a flood of anger, I confided in my daughter the way I was feeling. She really understood where I was coming from. As I heard her confess her own shortcomings with trust & arguing the facts, I realized two things. 1) She truly DID understand 2)She was not submitting to God either. We had a nice talk about submission. My role had changed from councilee to councilor. I began to share with her the importance of submission. We discussed how hard it is, especially when you know the other person truly is wrong. During our conversation, one statement I made really struck a chord. I said, "The bigger person ALWAYS submits". Jesus Himself submitted, even unto death. He set that example for us. We cannot change the way people think or react, we can only change ourselves. We cannot control others, we must let God convict & correct them & only by turning them COMPLETELY over to God can we do that. If we hold onto them and the anger or pain they provoke in us, we prevent God from doing His work in their lives. Someone has to take the first step...someone has to let go & trust God. It is the one walking closest to Jesus that will do that first. The hope is that each person will walk closely with the Lord but until such time, one person needs to submit. Last night I chose to be that person. Admitting my wrong, and asking God's forgiveness, then apologizing for my part in the argument I immediately felt free & knew that I had given control of the situation back to God. Things did not change between my husband & I, he was still elusive & non attentive toward me, but I knew that I had turned him over to the only one who could change him from the inside out.
By submitting to God every time, we gain control of every situation because we relinquish our own need for control & give it the One who controls the universe. Victory comes when we surrender our lives to God's control.
God bless you as you submit to God!
Sometimes you really do have to take the bull by the horns & really do what you know. Other times, however, you have to wait upon the Lord~be still and know that He is God~before you can ever get anywhere with your fight.
As I've been enjoying the freedoms that have been bestowed upon me while exercising obedience, I've also been getting attacked on other fronts. The enemy does not want to see me win, that's for sure! He sees me overcome a struggle & he's right at the door waiting to pounce on the next thing I struggle with. The great thing about this, however, is that though he intends it for evil, God will use it for good. And the beauty of it is that after going through it, the Lord is glorified and I grow deeper as a Christian. Every rose has it's thorn and the thorns that are attached to us "roses" are the things that keep us completely dependent on God. They keep us humble . 2 Corinthians 12:7 remind us of the thorn Paul had. "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure".
The messenger of Satan was sent to strike Paul, to attack him, if you will. Evil men, unbelievers, and the like are all messengers of Satan, and he will use them to persecute and attack us. I even believe he can use "religious" people, because though a man may be religious that does not mean he has a relationship with God. Likewise, there are the misguided people. In their ignorance they do not see, and therefore are able to be used by the devil. Perfect example is those who put Jesus on the cross. Jesus said to God, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
It is important to note what areas you are weak in , because that is from where your attack will come. Matthew 10:16 tells us we are "Sheep in the midst of wolves." I find that interesting, because wolves, like most other animals stalking prey, will often search out the weak and the sick. The wolf waits & watches, a part of his stalking behavior, and will pounce at the perfect opportunity. It is always the weakest that are the easiest to catch. If we are not in tune to our weak areas, submitting them to the Lord, we can be assured that we will never gain any control over them. The wolf will overtake us every time. Jesus is our Shepherd. In John 10:11 Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." He does not run when the wolf comes. He laid His life down for us, why, then, would we not submit to Him? Last night I learned a great lesson about submission. Here is the account:
My most recent of attacks has been on the home front. My husband was recently promoted and as part of his promotion he has now acquired more hours. He leaves the house at 9am or earlier & gets home at 11pm or later. He comes to church with us Sunday morning & leaves right from church to go to work. He has one day a week off from work and has to juggle that day with errands, and spending time with me & my son. As I'm sure you can see, my time with my husband has been minimal. A weaker relationship would not survive.
It has been said that it's not quantity of time, but quality of time. I tend to believe that to be true for the most part. My husband & I have to make a conscience effort to make the time we spend together meaningful. When we do, it is better than some of the days we were together consistently. When we don't, however, I am miserable because I know that it may be many days before I get the opportunity to spend time with my husband again. Unfortunately I can tend to be possessive of the time we spend together, because it is so precious and there is just so little of it. With people all around me dying so young, and my husband having health problems of his own, I tend to want to spend every moment I can with him, for I know that our days are numbered. Because I allow myself to become miserable if my husband does not make time for me, or if he seems to be spending his free time (what little of it there is) focused on other things, I leave a door open for the devil to attack. There are many doors to a mans soul, and we have to be careful not to leave them open. One of the doors I leave open a lot is the fact that I suffer from insecurity. My husband is surrounded by young women at his job, and some of them are in the partying stages of youth. He also works with several young males who find their enjoyment in bars & clubs. These are the people my husband spends most of his time with. When he & I are in sync, it doesn't bother me as much. When we are both preoccupied with things outside our relationship, it bothers me a lot.
In addition to this, there is a woman from my husband's past who is trying to reconnect with him. I honestly feel no threat from her, in fact I have a lot of compassion for her as she is a cancer survivor. I pray for her and have a brotherly love for her. However...as nice as she may be, it is not healthy for her or us that she pursues a relationship of any kind with my husband. I was informed by my husband's sister that this woman held a torch for my husband and had a hard time letting him go. I was also made aware that she still has feelings for him now. In light of that, I cannot see any good coming from a relationship, and jealousy has absolutely nothing to do with it. The devil can use things like that & we have to be very careful. I am very much in tune to the fact that the people I mentioned can possibly be the "messengers of Satan" that he has sent to "buffet" me. Though they, themselves, don't even know it. I'm not saying anything bad about any of them as people, so please don't misunderstand that. Some of them I don't even know personally. This is not an attack on them. When I say they are messengers of Satan, I acknowledge only that Satan can use them against me & if he can, he will.
Because I have never had much luck with trusting men (molested by males in the family, my father left my mother for her girlfriend, my first husband cheated repeatedly, my sisters husband cheated repeatedly, most of my family members have been divorced at least once, when I was single many of my friends husbands or boyfriends would try to have an affair with me, and the list unfortunately goes on) it has really been a challenge for me fighting the thoughts in my own mind. Hormones have a lot to do with it too, and sometimes my hormones will be raging, causing me to imagine things that aren't true & to over react to things that are really not that big of a deal. It's hard for us women sometimes. Take the "real" things that attack us, couple it with things from our past which influence our behavior and add to that hormones, it truly is a wonder that we can get through it at all!
Yesterday was a combination of hormones, physical illness, past insecurities & lack of attentiveness from my husband. I was such a jumble of mixed emotions that I felt as if I was being torn in many different directions. What torment! Unfortunately I handled it all wrong at first, giving in to my flesh & responding in ways that did not honor God. The way I reacted showed that I did not fully trust God to take care of things. When my husband said things to me that provoked me, I was not still & quiet, waiting upon the Lord. I reacted right away, playing right into the hands of the enemy. It was unfortunate on my part, but what Satan intended for evil, God used for good. Last night, I grew. Even if only a little, I know that I grew.
In my quiet time that same morning, when I was confessing my faults to the Lord & asking him to search my heart, God had already given me an answer. When I was confessing the mistrust I had in my spirit for those around me, including my husband, the Holy Spirit said, "Michelle, you don't HAVE to trust your husband. The only one you have to trust is ME. I will take care of you." Scripture confirms this in several places. I will give a few.
Psalm 56:11 says, "In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me."
Jeremiah 17:5-10:
This is what the LORD says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."
The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
"I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve."
Many people will get insulted at the fact that I am saying man cannot be trusted, but God Himself said, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure." It is not wrong for me to acknowledge that sometimes man cannot even trust Himself.
After my husband left in a flood of anger, I confided in my daughter the way I was feeling. She really understood where I was coming from. As I heard her confess her own shortcomings with trust & arguing the facts, I realized two things. 1) She truly DID understand 2)She was not submitting to God either. We had a nice talk about submission. My role had changed from councilee to councilor. I began to share with her the importance of submission. We discussed how hard it is, especially when you know the other person truly is wrong. During our conversation, one statement I made really struck a chord. I said, "The bigger person ALWAYS submits". Jesus Himself submitted, even unto death. He set that example for us. We cannot change the way people think or react, we can only change ourselves. We cannot control others, we must let God convict & correct them & only by turning them COMPLETELY over to God can we do that. If we hold onto them and the anger or pain they provoke in us, we prevent God from doing His work in their lives. Someone has to take the first step...someone has to let go & trust God. It is the one walking closest to Jesus that will do that first. The hope is that each person will walk closely with the Lord but until such time, one person needs to submit. Last night I chose to be that person. Admitting my wrong, and asking God's forgiveness, then apologizing for my part in the argument I immediately felt free & knew that I had given control of the situation back to God. Things did not change between my husband & I, he was still elusive & non attentive toward me, but I knew that I had turned him over to the only one who could change him from the inside out.
By submitting to God every time, we gain control of every situation because we relinquish our own need for control & give it the One who controls the universe. Victory comes when we surrender our lives to God's control.
God bless you as you submit to God!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The Importance Of Setting Goals
As I've been traveling this road & walking in new found freedoms, I've come to realize the importance of setting goals for myself. I was always a dreamer & thought a lot on what I WANTED to happen in my life, but I never really committed to MAKING it happen. I would wish each & every day that I could have the body I was meant to have & yet I did nothing physical to make it become a reality.
As I've been dealing with my inner man & daily working through each struggle, I see myself changing from within. I also desire to see changes from without. To make that happen, I have to be committed to the task at hand. The fat I've accumulated through years of abusing my body is not magically going to go away. I'm going to have to work to reach my goals. To know what kind of work needs to be done, I need to assess the situation, write down a plan of action & actually make a list of goals for myself. The Lord has been teaching me how to do that. Just as He created a different portion of the world each day of the beginning of creation, I, too, must focus on a different portion of my body as I seek to rebuild it. The Lord let me to a great site called "The Daily Plate"where I've started to keep track of my eating & my exercise. Seeing things written down makes things so much more real. We start by setting small goals for ourselves, ones that are achievable. This way we can gain confidence as we watch ourselves move closer to our ultimate goal. My goal is to completely reconstruct my body. It's gonna take a lot of work, and if I look at it that way, I may become overwhelmed & never move forward. Instead, I set small goals for myself-ones I can definitely commit to achieving- and then as I reach each one I can move on to the next level. An important part of reaching a goal is being motivated to reach it. If you set tiny goals for yourself, you can see the fruits of your labor at each small bend. If it helps, allot rewards for yourself. Each time you meet a goal, do something nice for yourself, like buy a new piece of clothing, visit a spa, or get your nails or hair done. It doesn't matter WHAT reward you choose, just let it be something that you can look forward to. This will increase your motivation.
Paul teaches us that we are ALL running a race & that we should run in such a way that we MAY obtain the prize!! (1 Corinthians 9:24) We all have dreams we'd like to make a reality, but until we commit to making them happen they remain exactly that...just dreams. By setting attainable goals for ourselves & striving to reach each one we can assure that our dreams WILL become a reality!!
God bless you as you set your goals!
As I've been dealing with my inner man & daily working through each struggle, I see myself changing from within. I also desire to see changes from without. To make that happen, I have to be committed to the task at hand. The fat I've accumulated through years of abusing my body is not magically going to go away. I'm going to have to work to reach my goals. To know what kind of work needs to be done, I need to assess the situation, write down a plan of action & actually make a list of goals for myself. The Lord has been teaching me how to do that. Just as He created a different portion of the world each day of the beginning of creation, I, too, must focus on a different portion of my body as I seek to rebuild it. The Lord let me to a great site called "The Daily Plate"where I've started to keep track of my eating & my exercise. Seeing things written down makes things so much more real. We start by setting small goals for ourselves, ones that are achievable. This way we can gain confidence as we watch ourselves move closer to our ultimate goal. My goal is to completely reconstruct my body. It's gonna take a lot of work, and if I look at it that way, I may become overwhelmed & never move forward. Instead, I set small goals for myself-ones I can definitely commit to achieving- and then as I reach each one I can move on to the next level. An important part of reaching a goal is being motivated to reach it. If you set tiny goals for yourself, you can see the fruits of your labor at each small bend. If it helps, allot rewards for yourself. Each time you meet a goal, do something nice for yourself, like buy a new piece of clothing, visit a spa, or get your nails or hair done. It doesn't matter WHAT reward you choose, just let it be something that you can look forward to. This will increase your motivation.
Paul teaches us that we are ALL running a race & that we should run in such a way that we MAY obtain the prize!! (1 Corinthians 9:24) We all have dreams we'd like to make a reality, but until we commit to making them happen they remain exactly that...just dreams. By setting attainable goals for ourselves & striving to reach each one we can assure that our dreams WILL become a reality!!
God bless you as you set your goals!
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