Thursday, August 17, 2023

What is your most Driving Force?

 


Can you articulate the rule system, the driving force, the things you believe in that you live by?  I'm not just talking about your religious beliefs.  I'm talking about what drives you, what gives you joy, what you believe about hardships that come into your life, how you handle them, basically what you believe is important, where you spend your money and time.  This book put my belief system into words. 

Its title drew me in because as a life coach I see so many people clawing at being able to be resilient after some of the most awful experiences in life - death of a loved one, health, financial, relationship issues, or sometimes just going under because of the pressures and stresses that are a part of life.   I've noticed a pattern - that whether they  bear up under their hardships or have their disappointment or sadness spiral into depression and bitterness, all depends on their thought processes - basically in what they believe about what has happened to them and how to navigate it.  Some already have resilience and just need reassurance, which understandably sometimes takes time to kick in, but some are so ingrained in their belief system, they don't know where to start or they've lost hope in starting the uphill climb at all.

We've all been in the place where we're faced with calamity or distress.  We've all known the feelings of discouragement, disappointment, depression or just plain blankness of soul. It's part of the human condition.  But we don't have to stay there.

John Eldredge points out in his book Resilience that we all have an innate yearning for things to be good. It's one of the deepest yearnings of the human heart. We all search for happiness! He tells us "that it has slumbered in the depths of our souls ever since we lost our true home.  For our thoughts remember Eden."  Whether you are a believer in God or not, he points out that we all have this Primal Drive for a good life... we often live in denial of it being an idol,  but we all go off looking for a taste of Eden - or of the deep-seated memories of the womb where it was all soft and warm.   Some people end up thinking they'll find it in a bottle, or a job, a hobby, or a new relationship, a vacation, a new or redecorated house, or in the government getting things right.  Truly, these can be gifts that sustain the heart.  But the trick is to not make them the focus of life.  Look where you spend your time and your money and you'll find your belief system of what you think will make your world right.  

Although in earlier years I read many of them, I've never found any self-help book to help, trying to get over some of my own trauma, having grown up with an often depressed mother.  But when I found the Bible, I've studied it ever since, because I have found answers there!  And anything I did find helpful in a self-help book, I've found in the Bible.  Not that I won't have a few questions on the other side of this earth, and not that I understand all of the Bible, but it makes such profound sense to me the more I study it on how to live and react to life. I've seen its truth played out over and over.   That is what makes me believe in it more than anything.   I don't get stuck on the confusing parts, because there are soooo many parts that are crystal clear.   It's also been confirmed fully in my work a life coach,  because of  the many lives I have seen changed by people who adopt its principles.

And it doesn't take a Bible scholar to have it be beneficial. Sometimes it just takes one verse that suddenly hits a person's heart with truth.  I recently saw one woman who was severely depressed learn to "Speak the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15) - that verse hit her like a tsunami.  She had not been brought up as a believer, but because of that one verse she adopted as a belief, she learned to manage the people at her work differently.  And when she decided she wanted to learn more, she joined a church and radiantly announced at her baptism that "People say I'm changed!" Now that's a miracle, if you ask me!  And I get to see them all the time!!  Beauty from ashes!

My own mother didn't learn resilience until at age 85 when the verse, "Praise the God of comfort, that comforts us SO THAT we can comfort others."(2 Cor. 1:3) hit her heart.  That one verse helped her to understand why God allows us some pain in life, and caused her to look to help others instead of focusing on her own issues and the pain she had been through in life.  I also will never forget the day she said to me,  "I guess I need to stop dwelling on the past and make the most of the time I have left."  And she did!  At her funeral there was much talk about the peace she finally found later in life. I also will never forget the joy that radiated from her when she talked about giving a woman in her retirement home a  90th birthday party  - the first birthday party that woman had ever had. I'd dare say that comforting others is not usually the place where we first look for our happiness. 

As Eldredge boldly puts it, "Who gets to put a governor on my natural inclinations?  I'd turn to Jesus if I were you."  I once heard a psychologist who was teaching about the spiritual nature of healing say that she often saw people stabilized with talk therapy and medications, but she never saw anyone really healed of their mental strongholds until they had a spiritual touch. It doesn't always come by way of one verse but this verse is clear:  "Without faith it is impossible to please God.  He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." (Heb. 11: 6) Sometimes it takes persistence in seeking earnestly.  Based on many other things that Jesus said, I'd venture to say, he ONLY rewards those who earnestly seek Him, and I'm talking about the eternal reward or punishment here.  That thought may not be one in vogue, but has to be sobering if you've taken time to think about it at all. 

In Galations 5 we're told by following Jesus we gain the fruits of the spirit, "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control." Those are gifts we receive on this earth as Jesus followers.  Those gifts are enough reward alone for seeking Him, which I can attest are gifts I wish I'd sought earlier in life - and which I personally value above all else.  These intangible gifts are a good measure of whether your Driving Force is working for you. 

And yes, we still see plenty of lack of self-control and little evidence of these other traits even among Christians who are at least  profess to be seeking these gifts. The Bible speaks on this too:  "The mind governed by the flesh is weak, but the mind governed by God's Spirit is life and peace." (Romans 8:6).  Our natural defaults take over so easily since our mind is so filled with what's going on around us. It takes practice and dedication to abide in the vine as the parable of Jesus tells us to.  We never fully achieve it this side of heaven, but we can strive to continue to learn to abide.  You've heard it said: Church is a place for sinners.  At least they are seeking those fruits! They have a target that is a lasting and fulfilling one.  After all who doesn't want love and joy and peace?

Eldredge, as a trained professional therapist, tells us we need to identify our emotions and let them out, not suppress them.  He says, "We honor our emotions by acknowledging them.  But we bridle our emotions by keeping them subject to truth."  Surely many emotions need bridling! But where is truth? Could our truth be we have made up as a result of our own experiences? Have you ever stopped to think on who is shaping the narrative for your beliefs and perspective on the world?  Past traumas, your family of origin, friends, social media? 

Eldredge goes on to say ,"We cannot let our emotions drive the bus... Mental resilience begins when we decide to take hold of our thought life. We can begin with not catastrophizing and speculating.  We burn through so much of our emotional, mental, and spiritual energy simply through worry, anger, being generally unsettled, and by taking in too much of the overwhelming news of the world. We must intentionally replenish our reserves and we can do that without taking vacation time." 

But it does take the discipline of  letting go of our distractions and getting quiet and filling our mind with truth! The Bible tells us Jesus often went away alone - if He needed this time, surely we do even more!  This verse takes no interpretation: "Whatever if true, noble right -whatever is pure, lovely, admirable -whatever is  excellent or praiseworthy, think on these things."  In the worst situation, there is always something to be thankful for - now that's a biblical concept that could  change the world!

And if you have some faith, but maybe are not practicing because you've been disgusted by some of the real harm religion and the organized church has done, I hear you, but if you have no organized place to learn, have you really checked out if what you do believe lines up with the Bible?  What are your beliefs based on?  So many times I hear the Bible misquoted by people that obviously haven't opened it up!  The Bible is a book that people spend their whole life studying, who eyewitnesses died to proclaim and has stood the test of time, supported by history and archeological evidence.  I'm so amazed that so many just ditch this book of wisdom.  Have you given Jesus's words a chance?  Do you even know them?  How is your current belief system working for you?  Are you bypassing wisdom because some people have twisted it?  Though it is an amazing piece of wisdom, and there are some confusing parts, there are many, many parts that are crystal clear, and can be life-changing.  

Eldredge begins by telling us that a "sort of belief" won't give you the resilient results you want.  It takes singlemindedness, putting away all of the idols of what we try to fill our God-shaped hole in our heart with.  It means taking the first commandment seriously,  "Love your God with your whole heart, mind and soul."  That's a commandment - one that "good people" may not be responding to. It means we put God first,  before we hit social media, or the to-do list for the day; we search out the source of strength.  We can begin by just turning our mind to Him.  Romans 8: 26-27 says, "The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us..."  I've found topical books are one place to start that contain stories of how the Bible has worked to help people find peace in many situations, like this one with endless bible references, where we let  someone else tell of their experience in using THE good  book to help them handle life. 

Eldredge reminds us that "We all have a deep inner life, whether we pay attention to it or not.  This is hopeful because we can learn to access it....Our attention is ruled by what is before us on earth; we are unpracticed at drawing anything from the depths of our being because the tumultuous, upset world we live in keeps us from going beyond the surface level of our life to find the beautiful presence of Jesus-within-you. This isn't about attaining some new level of sainthood,  We're simply pausing, and releasing."  He's telling that when we  release the world for just a moment of prayer we  can change our emotions as we do what we are told:  "Cast all your cares upon Him.(I Peter 5:7)  We can learn to count to ten and put it all in the hands of God for a few moments as we clear our minds and wait for solutions and peace, and our next step.

 Another Biblical word of wisdom: "Watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with... the cares of this life. Stay alert at all times, praying you have the strength to escape all the things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:34-36)  Yes, I believe in heaven - do you?- if not, what do you base your belief on?  If I'm right about the Bible having the answer to life AND heaven, look at what that verse says I get:  strength and standing before God.  And if I'm wrong - at least it has given me a measure of peace and resilience on earth.  What are you going to do with the words of the man who changed history in three years, ignore them?

As C.S. Lewis has famously reminded us, Jesus was either the Son of God or a liar or a lunatic. We  have historical proof he walked this earth and His words have been accurately recorded (check the archaeological findings.  An easy read on this is A Case for Christ by Lee Canter, a modern day atheist who got his undergraduate degree at Missouri University who set out to prove he was right, but instead proved himself wrong.)  C.S. Lewis and Jordan Peterson who also were atheists who set out to prove their theory, but by thoroughly and studiously examining their beliefs  are now believers.

"Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" is what we're commanded in Rom. 2 - again, commanded! Where do most of us go to be transformed from the angst of this world?  Where do we go for renewing?  Is our mind transformed to peace by figuring out your politics?  Improving your golf or pickleball game? Going on a great vacation?   Spending time on social media?  All can be enjoyable distractions, but do they produce true transformation and merit the priority in your life? 

 The Bible tells us, "Out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being.  (Eph. 3:16),  and Jesus Himself said, " The one who believes in Me, from out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38).  Eldredge doesn't mince words with His conclusion, "This is the secret of all recovery and resilience - that Jesus Christ comes to dwell within our created nature, deep down in the center of our being.  It is down in the depths that we must learn to tap into Him , for the strength that prevails. That is the only hope strong enough... to overcome the heartache of the world.""  That may be the one of the reasons God allows testing here on earth, for if it was like heaven, why would we turn to Him?  That's all He wants, we'll never be good enough; all He wants is for us to turn to Him, abide in Him.

Eldredge's work as a counselor allows him to make this very  bold statement:  "The secret to our unhappiness and the answer to the agony of the earth are one and the same - we are longing for the kingdom of God." We all long for life to be like heaven! The resilient person understands that their present situation is something they are moving through - even if the results are not what they are hoping for on this earth. They are ones that tap into the help of God to see us through those times. Eldredge says, "This frame of mind changes everything. Over and over, in a thousand little choices we must turn our faces back to God.  It's best to do this in the moment, or we will be tempted to give our heart to something else that will bring temporary relief.  The great falling away from church - that human landslide of weary and bitter hearts - is filled with people who have reached the point where their hearts have simply  decided to settle for relief, small turns to other comforts."  

And what answers have you come up concerning the greatest questions about life? - such as what happens after death, and why God allows suffering.  Where else do you find those answers if you've rejected what the Bible teaches? Or have you made up your own version of it, such as all good people go to heaven?  Unfortunately, that's NOT what the Bible teaches.  Personally, I'd rather base my life and what happens in eternity on a way of thinking that is also helpful on earth, even if  I find out in the end it's wrong!  All I know FOR SURE is how I've seen for myself how this way of living has rescued me and so many people out of bitterness and despondency as I have navigated the valleys we all encounter in this life.  

 Many churches will help you do this, where you will also find true fellowship, and conversation about the major questions of life, the questions not usually entered into at the country club or social gatherings or sports events.   It is in a gospel-preaching church where you are helped to unlock some of the mysteries in the Bible, for instance, as I learned in a sermon recently,  to understand that the rich, young ruler was turned away, not because he didn't give his riches away - Jesus didn't ask more than 10% of anyone else - but he saw what an idol it was to this man.  True, some churches unfortunately focus on doctrinal issues and being right about some of the questions that are not clearly addressed in God's word. But it's not rocket science.  Jesus influenced the world in three short years, leaving it forever changed.  He constantly preached to the poor and marginalized who weren't so proud as to think that they had it all figured out.  They were the ones searching.  

Eldredge says,  "So many are looking for the kingdom without the king. They give up because our journey of salvation is not instantaneously life-changing." This typical human condition is why David cried out, "Give me an undivided heart." (Psalm 86:11). Read the psalms next time you're down - see the horrible enemies David was dealing with, how he poured out his heart to God, and at the end of almost every psalm you see a quieting of heart as David turns to God.  

It's as hard to describe this connection with God as it is to describe the color blue to a blind man.  But if you "Be still and know that I am God," (Psalm 46:10) which is another command, not a suggestion, soon you'll hear that still, small voice that Elijah heard shortly after he was so depressed he was ready to die in I Kings 19.  We've all had what I call glimpses of heaven - in a sunset, a piece of beautiful music, on a gorgeous sunlit day - that's where God stirs our hearts and speaks as Romans 1:20 tells us " For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without an excuse."  Next time you get down, start getting still with a walk in God's creation. Who else can describe that feeling of awe that a sunset can bring?

Eldredge also tells us to not give up, that "Simply because the rage, bitterness, unbelief, pops out of your closet doesn't mean your salvation isn't real.  It is a process, not an event, to be delivered into the pure air of God's way of thinking and feeling." True faith more than what church you attend or holding certain doctrinal beliefs; it is a union of  the soul with God. It's more than your failings.  God is as patient with us as a shepherd with sheep, often calling us little children, expecting us to mess up - and just wanting us to keep following His lead, rerouting when we get off His path.

Eldredge constantly refers to our search for happiness, and tells us how we miss it.  He describes fully how we  only "sort of " want God;  what we really want is life to be like we want it.  And if he doesn't give it to us right away, (which might be helping us develop resilience and learning to seek Him first), "we get lost chasing after whatever we think will fill our famished cravings."  It makes me think of the church of Laodicia in Revelation that were told that they were "neither hot nor cold, lukewarm" - and God says he is about to "spit them out of His mouth!...Whoever has ears, let them hear." Maybe we need the story of Ezekiel to remind us to how to hang tight even if wind, and earthquakes and fire still come after we've rested and been still - because it was then he heard the still, small voice.   

Are you listening?


Finding Resilience in the 23rd Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd 
I will turn to Him first
When I'm feeling down 
And recognize my thirst.

To quiet waters and green pastures
I'll follow His lead,
To be still for just a moment,
To let Him plant a seed.

By guiding me to the right paths
To let Him anoint my mind,
To assuage the fears, doubt and envy
With the peace and strength I find...

Though I walk through the darkest valley
You will keep me from the spiral
Into despair and depression
That threatens to go viral.

You prepare a table for me
Both everlasting but even now
My cup overflows 
When I let Him show me how...

To come back from the places
We chase for relief.
And to just be still and listen
And simply give Him our belief.

Surely goodness, peace and love
Can come despite the current weather
And when this earth is done
We will dwell with Him forever.  





 




Saturday, June 24, 2023

 


It was way more than the story of C.S.Lewis and his wife that caught my heart in this book.  It was their shared conversion and making meaning of the world that spoke loudest to me.  I underlined only their thoughts concerning these deep subjects, which occured in between the happenings of the story line.  I found them to be as profound as C.S. Lewis himself, as of course many of his quotes were shared during the course of this story.  

As I wound these earnest thoughts of theirs together, italicizing the words that were theirs, I found a thread of more than just a love story with each other, I saw their love story totally crafted by their understanding of God.  

I have no more words to describe this work of art, a lifetime of discovering the depths of their faith, wound through pain and joy.  My words are simply used to tie theirs together which I offer now:


Becoming…His

-       A compilation of words (italicisized) and ideas taken from Becoming Mrs. Lewis by
by Patti Callahan, set in rhyme by Sherrill Schlimpert

There is a quest that calls me. 
A yearning for the unknown.
The unseen that betrays its presence
When I get quiet and alone.
 
It promises an unknotting,
Kind moments to ease the tension,
Private thoughts kept to myself
Too tender to be given mention.
 
How are we to make sense of it?
Caught in the mesh of wondering,
It’s a feeling we only acknowledge dimly
Though deep in the soul it’s thundering.
 
If we long for something more,
Then surely something more must exist.
And so, I seek with troubled heart
Peek through my mask and persist.
 
It was the aching and the emptiness
That through the years remained steady,
It was the longing that brought me to my knees,
I was finally ready…
 
To grasp for wisdom in this weary land,
To no longer shut my teeth upon my need,
It’s the Hound of Heaven who has been calling,
Yes, it’s He indeed.
 
Darkness, though, is part of the program,
We were promised nothing more.
But there is solace and nourishment along the way,
We must seek hard to be sure.
 
To find where the desire for meaning and truth
Surrenders the need and wants on this earth
To the idea of a place where the longing is fulfilled.
This, a pursuit of endlessly countless worth.
 
Sometimes all we hear is the command, “Follow me.”
Into a transformation toward a new self.
The fourth dimension of the one true myth we find in Jesus
The promise of this kingdom of wealth.
 
Then begins an unfolding into a new life
Which takes radical forgiveness and grace,
Sometimes costing the ache of stifling desires
A rejection of the enticements we face.
 
 In the mundane dayliness of survival
We give up our desires and wishes with rage.
That’s where we find when we give up ourselves,
We find our real self on stage.
 
God’s megaphone to reach us,
Shouts to us in our pain.
Hurts over time don’t melt easily.
Their unconscious urges continue to reign.
 
But when we walk in the beauty of nature
We can always find a revelation
The Love behind it, over it, and under,
Allows our thoughts a transformation.
 
We must abandon the belief that this is all there is
It’s our hearts we need to carry,
While we can be happy while wanting to go there,
On this journey we must not tarry.
  
We must see the divine in everything,
Always asking, “Create in me a new heart.”
For God demands your whole to fulfill
The longing we’ve had from the start.
 
We must learn to surrender our emotions,
Find a way not to indulge them.
Taking the wrecked parts in all of us
Healing the pain from which they stem.
 
With God as our primary relationship,
We can pour out our brokenness upon Him,
We can understand the larger truths
The only cost is to focus our weak attention.
 
We grasp at the world to fulfill us
But we must learn and relearn to trust the Truth,
We confuse our longing for something else
A default from early times even in youth.
 
We begin to live with acceptance,
“Thy will be done,” we can learn to say,
Still the hard parts are never easy,
We begin to accept with fury, “Fine, have it your way.”
 
It seems we search for happiness
Everywhere but God who holds all joy,
But in transcendence He is with us
If our prayers we still employ.
 
So we pray and walk in creation,
Where we listen for the whisper of something more,
Then we find that this long journey
Has brought us to what we’ve been yearning for. 
 
For like the mystical quality of nature
We revel in the unfolding of answered prayer
We must keep guard over our heart
And know He’ll put answers there.
 
For if we indulge our own desires,
We invite fog and confusion
We make up our own stories to make sense of the world
Grasping at the world’s delusion.
                             
For the world leads us to despair
The pursuit of people, success, acclaim,
The pain of our past proffers a neurosis
And we search the world in vain.
 
Sometimes we forget to turn to Him
But we must surrender again and again
Our conversion may not fix the things in life
But it can change us in the end.
 
For we forget we are all dying.
But beauty for ashes we will receive,
If we but surrender to our Master’s presence
And by His side pledge to never leave.


Friday, February 24, 2023

Learning How To Abide

                                                 

I love how in this study of John 1,2 and 3, he continually refers to us as little children. 

It caused me to  remember once trying to comfort my little doggy who was shaking in fear of the thunder.  I held her, whispered that I had her, that it was going to be ok, but the thunder didn't stop and neither did her shaking.  The  thought then came to me that's what God wants from me - to be comforted even in the midst of storms.  To turn to Him and believe Him that no matter the storms, He will be with me and will lead me through.  And to take in His word carefully and consistently, letting Him hold and guide me.  Sometimes that's not easy, in this world of dividing voices but I've come ro know that sometimes I must wait for insight, listening to my own discernment, thoroughly studying alternate interpretations, and humbly being open to consider them, while always measuring them against the fruit of the spirit which is the yardstick of knowing if I am walking in His ways,  I must constantly ask if my reactions are full of the Galatians 5 fruit of the spirit:  love, joy, peace patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. 

I am so thankful that so much of God's word is not open to interpretation. It is straightforward - and clear.  One of His attributes (that is pointed out in this study) is  that we can rest and abide in His promise to be with us always, that He is a light in the darkness of this world, a real, present help in time of trouble. 

I strongly recommend this study by Jen Wilkin, to help you understand what contentment can come from learning to  abide in Christ.  Yes, that means living in Him, taking every thought captive, surrendering to whatever He allows in our paths and turning to Him as to how to navigate through it.  Notice that I said LEARNING to abide - it is not our natural emotional circuit, but learning to abide in Him can surely short-circuit and calm some of the natural negative emotions that come from experiencing life in this world. It takes practicing His presence, and learning to crawl up into His lap when facing fear, disappointment, dread, and all those other emotions that rise up along with the storms of life.  

I invite you into some of my thoughts that have been stirred to poetry as I consider what it means to abide: 

Learning to Abide

Oh, my little children, (I John 2:1)  
If only you knew 
The peace you often forfeit
As you look through your childish view.

You only see your life
Through lenses by which the world have clouded.
You often look right past 
How we are all surrounded...

By the evil one who lurks. 
And who makes the bad look good,
Who deceives us and confuses
And keeps us from what we should...

If we abide in His Word.
It's our only hope.
It lifts the veil from our eyes
And gives us perspective to cope...

As we navigate this life, 
And learn what it means to abide 
In the One who grows the fruit
That is so easy to hide...

Behind the idols that so deceitfully entice,
And promise to deliver what's good and right,
But we do this in our own strength and stumble
And often become part of the night.

Our fruit decays and turns
From gentleness and kindness and peace,
And morphs into frustration 
And bitter anger released. 

We become part of the problem.
Our joys are like butterflies deceased,
Here today, gone tomorrow,
The world never brings lasting peace.

He won't always take away the storm
But will hold us and guide us through,
He'll calm you and shed His peaceful light
And shepherd you on what next to do.

So, children, open your eyes, 
Lift them to the One who saves,
Keep your eyes from dwelling on the worldly darkness
And work at discerning how to walk in HIs ways.
                       
                    -by Sherrill Schlimpert









Sunday, July 17, 2022

Finding the Way with Anne Voskamp's The Waymaker

 


I love paths.  I named my blog and life coaching work Pathway to Peace because I think that's what we are all searching for -  peace.  Yes, peace, even more than happiness,  aren't we all just after the absence of the angst this broken world often wells up in all of us?  I know of only one way to circumvent that angst and that is with the word trust -  a trust that whatever happens in this world, come what may, somehow we will get through it to a place of resilience, a restoration, a return to our peace. The book, The WAYMAKER, shows us a way to get on that path to peace, using real life examples and a biblical foundation to find the way through the dark times that come to all of us.  I share some of its main ideas in hope that you will read the entire thing, with all the beautiful eloquence of Anne Voskamp, made complete with how she applies what she has learned through her own experiences of letting the Waymaker lead her out of the dark valleys in her own life. 

She uses the acronym SACRED as a signpost of how to travel - a habit of daily reorientation, to make sure we're on the right path.  She compares this to a habit like a nun's set of clothes that shows what we're devoted to, a uniform worn to make our way through this life, instead of just forging our own way forward.  

Stillness to know God.  Attentiveness to Hear God.  Cruciformity to Surrender to God   Revelation to See God.  Examination to Return to God.  Doxology to Thank God. 

When introducing the first signpost, STILLNESS, Anne makes this statement: "Our battle is to keep still - while God does the battle." She goes on to say that a Christian soldier learns this only after years of training, that we can't be still when we aren't driven by our own expectations.  God knows about trouble in Paradise.  Ps. 46:10 advises us of the importance of this first signpost:  Be still and know that I am God.  She talks about how we spend more time on stories on the news, and about Hollywood, and Facebook than we do with the Good News, trying to stay in His story.  She points out that Exodus 14:10-14 also shows us the importance of being still.  Moses said:  Do not fear.  Stand firm and see (watch).  The Lord will fight for you.  Be still.  She ends the section with this statement:  "If our first sin was to turn from God, detach the fruit from the tree, and savor it, then our return to wholeness is to turn, attach to God and savor Him."  Resilience, return, restoration - that's the way to peace.

The next rerouting along the way is to return to not only being still, but to ATTENTIVENESS, listening and watching to see what God is doing.  After all, Romans 8:28 tells us that ALL things work together for good to those who love the Lord. Anne translates that to her definition of hope: "Hope isn't insisting on the way we imagined things would go, but having an imagination that whatever comes our way will be worked out for our good." It may not always look like it from an earthly perspective.  We need to stop looking at what is in the way, and look for His way.  Hebrew 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.  Life is not about an easy way but an attached-to-God way.  To be chosen doesn't always mean you get the way you'd choose, but it means you were chosen for a good way. We can expect God to come, but it isn't in the ways you'd expect - all we can expect is to be loved through whatever path He has allowed us to be on.  If we aren't living attentively,  we become deeply disoriented, we keep asking questions of God instead of asking what God is asking of us.  We sell our souls to whatever we pay attention to.  But what God wants from us is to trust His ways, paying attention to all His blessings, even in the midst of dark times.  

If we are following these first two steps on the path, we will soon arrive at the need for the strange word CRUCIFORM which simply means to stretch our arms out in the way Jesus did for us, surrendering to what God asks of us.  Moses gives us this model: standing at the edge of the Red Sea, having no idea what the Lord was up to, but with his arms up and out like a cross, the precursor of the cross upon which Jesus' outstretched arms also brought an unlikely rescue.  When I think of Cruciforrrrrmity I think of these words:  Repentance, Rest, Relationship, Reorienting, Repetition, Resilience, Revelation, all leading to Restoration and Resurrection.  Cruciformity is what transforms.  As Anne says, "It's when you give yourself to the Way Himself that you know there's going to be a way through." And it may be a Red Sea way, not one you'd have chosen at all, but when you look back you see His hand.  

It takes getting this far to be able to see the next signpost:  REVELATION - to be able to see God.  It seems all roads lead to some sort of Gethsemane in each of our lives.  The question is, can we surrender like Jesus to say, "Not my will, but yours be done"? Anne suggests that terrible clouds can actually be torches, just like the one that led the Israelites on their journey.  She suggests that it is truly a mystery how God has a plan, even through the darkest times, to extricate, reinstate and celebrate even as the father did to the prodigal.  She says, "Not asking for eyes to see God IN the darkness, we become blind and lost and afraid." This is surely a mystery, just as the Holy Spirit can be our guide in the darkness now.  She tells us that the way out of pain is cruciform, reaching out to God's mystery of redemption and revelation even in our pain instead of our natural tendency to curve in to ourselves in what Augustine called homo incurvatus in se, the beginning of all our defaults and addictions.  Turn any way but to God and we miss revelation.   We get lost and our fears get louder in our souls.  But if we keeeeep turning to Him, walking His way, we begin to see Him even in the darkest paths.  This is a hard mystery to accept, but Anne says, with examples from her own family, her marriage, her worry for her own children, "There will be days when you think this is a mocking joke, that any of these dark clouds can be lighting the way, and you will weep, but there will be days when you know it, and will not be afraid. Within the clouds there is a light to lead the way."  She is vulnerable in her honest sharing, telling us she has been "pig-pen low" like the prodigal, that she has suffered "valley-of the-shadow of death desperation", and has suffered "literal physical heart failure", but that the only real danger of life in the darkness is to start curving away from the Waymaker and toward ourselves, that instead of looking for revelation in the dark, we start looking for relief.  She tells us that these dark times are the chances to trust God with our pain, not deflect it.  She calls these times "trust-greenhouses", a journey from bondage to bonding.  And tells us that unless we long for more of a revelation of Him - we fall into addictions to far lesser loves, that make us far lesser versions of ourselves.  

The next signpost keeps us on the road by telling us to constantly EXAMINE our return to God.  She tells us:  "Life isn't about how far you've come or how far you have to go.  It isn't about the detours, the wrong ways, the wildernesses, or the overwhelm, life is about living constantly in the direction of God."  Returning - necessary for us wandering sheep.  She reminds us that God isn't transactional, He is relational, making the way to be with us through pain, rather than keeping us from it and that new rhythms require repetition...returning, returning, returning.  Lamentations 3:20 also reminds us - Let us examine our ways, test them, and return to the Lord.  Are we turning in and trying to find our own way or reaching out to His strength?   It makes me think of one of my favorite verses, Isaiah 30:15 - In returning and rest is my salvation.  In quietness and trust is my strength. More wisdom from Anne's pen:  "When we attach our identity to being loved no matter what we are experiencing on earth,  we find there is nothing more we  need.  If we turn the pages of God's Word, turn toward Jesus, our whole life can turn around right in the middle of the darkest path". She warns us:  "When we want what we want too much, when our love for what we want outsizes our love for God, our fears outsize our living.  As Anne turned me toward Psalm 46:1-3,  the mystery of a revelation of poetry came out of nowhere:  

Our God is a safe, calm place to hide,                                                                                                          A Waymaker along the ride,                                                                                                                          Where we can not fear when faced with cliffs of doom,                                                                              But find that in our hearts courage has made room                                                                                      To face overwhelm, detours, wilderness, and deserts                                                                                    Only to find He never deserts us.                                                                                                                  The Jacob-wrestling God will always fight for us                                                                                        The God of angel armies always protects us.                                                                                                God is our refuge and our strength                                                                                                   In In trouble our ever-present help,                                                                                                                  We We must turn to Him                                                                                                                                      Instead of our self.                                                                                                               

And there we encounter the  last signpost - not D for Detour - but D for Doxology - no more detours - only a blessed assurance of a straight path into God arms in thankfulness, because based on Ex.15:1-2, what comes after exodus is praise and thanksgiving.  Anne reminds us that in a matter of days the Israelites went from abject terror to astonishing adoration.  And we can too, even without an earthly deliverance.  She tells us that if Jesus could give thanks even on the night He was betrayed, then we can give thanks in the midst of anything, and there is always something to be thankful for.  A habit of thankfulness is always our exodus out of bitterness, and Christ-exultation always leads to some sort of exodus.  Dark places need  not be places of despair, they can be spaces of divine dialogue.  She lets us in on her personal revelation: "When I have been holding on by a thread, what's been holding me together was this looking for a thread of grace still running through everything." It reminds me of what Anne Frank said even though she'd been in hiding for months, "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart."  And we can remember that in spite of everything, unlike people, God is always, always good at heart.

When we use these signposts from the bible that Anne has so beautifully elaborated on, we can see that this path is a way to a meaningful life.  As Anne says, "Finding a way through is really about finding a way of life, a new way of thinking, a new way of being. The way through happens wherever you stop focusing on how to get out of something and focus on what you can get out of this to become Christlike...to be pressed into the narrow pathway through. Looking from this vantage point, you see everything differently, the whole of the story, always making a way into the promised land of union"  - as the bible tells us in Is 45:3 "I will give you treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you will know I am the Lord...who summons you by name." 

If you've made it this far, I have to tell you, that this is only a brief outline of all the beautiful, real-life wisdom found in this book. I've decided I don't have to come up with my own thoughts to try to share what I've been learning in this blog which somehow I feel called to write.  Instead, I can send you right to the source of where I'm learning - from giants in the faith that walk before me, and Anne Voskamp is surely one of them.  



Friday, April 1, 2022

Paul Tripp's Take on Finding the Real Treasure

Ha! The above meme makes me wonder what we all miss in these days of technology - time with our grandkids, our kids, our friends, time reading something that might nourish our soul instead of clog our mind with other's opinions?  Now this meme of course is a modern day look at an old truth, but Paul Tripp in his Lenten devotional Journey to the Cross gives an even deeper, applicable look into Matthew 13.  It amplified its truth in a new way to me and I hope it will for you.  

He starts with this quote: 
The Christian life is a battle of treasure.  Whatever treasure captures your heart will control your life. 

So how does he relate that to the scripture story about the man who hunts for a treasure in a field, and then sells everything he owns to buy that field and treasure? 

He starts by helping us to see that each of us is a treasure seeker.  We hunt for treasure in relationships, careers, political parties, achievements, physical strength or beauty, positions of power to name a few.  But we never seem to find that "heart-satisfying pot of gold that we're looking for, at least not in the created world."  He directs our thoughts to realize that we can attach the desires of our heart and the hope of our lives to earthbound treasure or heavenward treasure.  But what so many don't realize is that this search for meaning, purpose and security is in reality a search for a savior and will never be satisfied by anything else!  He tells us, "We're all that man (in the parable). We're all traversing the fields of life, and we all have our heads down looking for something that will give us hope, something that will fix what is broken in and around us, something that will satisfy our hearts."

We are then confronted with the fact that we make sacrifices in this quest for treasure; businessmen who sacrifice time with their families to climb the ladder of success, teens that sacrifice their virtue to be popular, politicians who sacrifice their ethics to get elected. Have they found the thing that so satisfies that they don't even have the desire to search anymore?  He asks us to ask ourselves the question:  In what field and for what treasure are you making sacrifices?  

And then He supplies the best answer:  The only thing worth sacrificing everything for is the kingdom of heaven.  In His rule is the place where I am freed from my bondage to the created things that never fully satisfy.  

But then, we must all find that treasure in our own search.

The Real Treasure

We search for it endlessly -
The pot of gold that will satisfy
Our hopes, dreams and longings
That we testify...

Will finally break the bondage 
We have in our restless soul,
That will finally quench our thirst
As we all strive to be made whole.

We think it's in the pursuits 
We are confronted with on earth -
The success, achievements or circumstances
We think will fulfill our sense of worth.

And yet, the bible tells us 
That the man who found the treasure,
Sold ALL for that field 
In which he found the measure...

Of the only thing worth everything
That is not found upon this earth.
It may not even be realized 
Though we know of the virgin birth...

That brought a savior to this earth,
To save us from our desperation
To find what will bring us life
And finally the cessation...

Of our endless search - 
The treasure is freely given!  
All we must do is surrender our life
And to accept we are forgiven...

And then we find our treasure 
Not in this kingdom we see
But in the one we can start to live in
Even now - and for eternity! 
     - by Sherrill Schlimpert






Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Excerpts from Truthfilled by Ruth Chou Simmons

I love the honesty in the video that came with this study by Ruth Chou Simmons.  She confessed that instead of growing in the fruits of the spirit that she had learned about by being what she describes as "a good bible study gal", she realized that she made a regular practice of "freaking out."  She recognized that she was more like what James  1:6 describes as a person who is "tossed about by the winds," a person who spins out of control instead of trusting in the Lord as seasons of conflict and the pressures of this world inevitably come at us.

At this point, she decided it was time to take what she learned in bible study and begin to preach it to herself,  just like David models in the Psalms.  She decided she would find out how to do what the bible prescribes "to take our thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5), and to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God." (Rom. 12:2). She recognized the truth of Proverbs 23:7 that tells us, For as He thinks in his heart, so is he." She also recognized that she must change her thinking  in order to do what James commands as an antidote to being tossed about by the wind:  "to be doers, not just hearers of the Word."  She was determined to find out how to deal with her "woe is me" moments with more grace and the "endurance and patience" that Col. 1:10-11 speaks of.  

As she made this active choice, she realized that just as there are seasons of differing circumstances in our lives, some good, some not - that there are also seasons of growth and waiting - that this being able to take our thoughts captive and hold up to testing does not come in one single decision.  She was reminded what I Peter 1:4 tells us:  that we can rejoice though now we have had to suffer a little while in all kinds of trials that have come to prove the genuineness of our faith. 

She outlines the seasons of growth as the Winter of  RESTING in God's promises,                                                                                                 the Spring of REHEARSING truth and REPLACING lies,                                                                         the Summer of  RESPONDING in faith,                                                                                                       the Fall of REMEMBERING when blooming stops and                                                                                                                             weariness sets in

She clung to the model of David in Psalm 42 as he tells his own soul to PUT his hope in God, POUR out his soul and emotions, to THIRST for God as he PRAYED,  PRAISED and REMEMBERED what God has done for him in the past.  Though these word were familiar, to actually DO them required a new way of thinking, living and being.  

Ruth then sets out on this journey by using Colossians to lead her through these seasons of growth, starting with the command in Col. 3:1-2 to set her heart on the things above, not on earthly things.

Winter - the Season of Resting

Running on empty, she started her search for growth in a state of Winter, where her sense of hope felt trampled on like the hardened earth of this season, when she wasn't sure if she could survive the bitter cold, overwhelmed and frustrated by her to do lists.   She listened to God's call to lay down her fears and her frantic striving to fix and control and to wait, trust, weep and rest.  

She began to see that resting is not passive; it is an active choosing to trust in the God who is at work in the unseen, beneath the surface of the frozen ground. Like the hymn, she saw how she was "prone to wander, prone to leave the God I love." but was ready to learn the next verse: Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it, seal it for they courts above." She began to rest in His promise to be her Guide, Comfort, Presence and Strength, to know that He is sufficient for our every need because as Augustine famously voiced our true condition: "Thou madest  us for Thyself and our heart is restless until it finds repose in Thee."

Spring - Rehearsing Truth and Replacing Lies with Truth

She began to see a new way of  thinking peek out from the long, dark days of being tossed in the winter winds, to peek out like a crocus in a new snowfall, knowing the wind and rain was not over, but clinging to the new roots, anticipating growth ahead as she grounded herself in what is right and true.  This was the time of watering and waiting, building muscle memory for new growth instead of withering to her default modes, to know that she would one day bloom into holiness in His sight IF she continued in her faith as is promised in Col. 1:21-23.  REHEARSING truth began to be her new default when storms came.  It didn't happen naturally.  Her muscle memory of reaching for her phone first, began to slowly be replaced by seeking Him FIRST, by practicing His presence and being immersed in His Word.  

She began to see herself as the blessed one that is like the tree Psalm 1 and Jer. 17:5  speak of, the one who doesn't reach first for the wicked and mocking which she saw in so many of the memes in the wasteland and elemental spirits of the world that she found as she spent so much time on Facebook and listening to talking heads on tv,  but whose delight is in the law of the Lord.  She began to see that she was meditating on the law of the Lord day and night and began to expect that she  really would yield its fruit in season and be one whose leaf does not wither in a time of drought. She began to see that she really was abiding and depending on Him as she rehearsed who she was becoming more and more alive in Christ that Col. 2: 13 -14 speaks of. She began to see that she was filled with Him as she began to depend on Him , and be emptied of anxiety, fear, discontent and worry.  

Summer - the season of responding in faith

And then, just as the days become longer in summer, so did her time and delight in the Word. She began to see how she had forced her fruit of service out of obligation and people-pleasing rather than discerning His will and purpose for her.  She began to see that she was walking in the Spirit and not gratifying the desire  of her flesh, but instead the fruit of the spirit of Gal. 5 began to be what she was reaping : growth in  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and SELF-CONTROL!!!

She began to understand that setting her mind on things above was reiterated in Phil. 4:8 - that though she still listened to the news and checked in with friends on Facebook, what she dwelled on was whatever is honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, things of moral excellence and worthy of praise, that  dwelling on His Word began to be a way of life.  And she saw that fruit was not just  working at looking like a good church person, but of abiding in Him.  She began to see what Col. 3:23 meant when it says that whatever we do, work at it with all your heart as unto the Lord. And that fruit also began to appear in her marriage as the peace of Christ began to rule in her heart (Col. 3: 14) allowing her to bear the fruit of humility and submission more often in her marriage which encouraged more sacrificial loving and respectfulness from her husband.  (Col. 3:19-20)  And she began to take seriously (Col. 3:8) to watch what come from her lips, that speaking ill of others does not honor the Lord.  

Fall -  Remembering when blooming stops and weariness sets in

This is no bible study for those who have lofty ideas of becoming pharisetically holier thou.  No, the discussion of fall reminds us of the reality of the shifting seasons of our lives.  While we do find that becoming immersed in the Word and seeking to put God first in every thought really does bear the fruit that Col. 3:15 promises, that we can let the peace of God rule in your hearts.

But anyone that has done any gardening at all knows that they do not stay neat and tidy and nor do our lives.  Perfect rows become overgrown, vines and weeds threaten to take over.  Growth looks messy.  Growth takes work and resources of fertilizer and honest labor.  Growth makes weariness worth it.  But even disciplined pruning and a well kept garden has an end to the fruit bearing season.  If we forgetfully take credit for our own resourcefulness or ability to  produce beautiful by-products of faith, we will take on a burden we were never meant to carry.  Phil. 2:12-13 tells us that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you. The seasons of our fruitfulness are totally dependent on Him, not on what we hope to accomplish, or take credit for.  

Paul's final instructions to the Colossians in 4:2-6 tells them (and us) to continue steadfastly, to walk in wisdom...  Let your speech be gracious.  We will have fallow seasons where we must wait on the Lord and His timing and not force fruit, in others or ourselves.  With Him we can know that no season is wasted.  Even in the darkening seasons of fall and winter we can know with the Psalmist in Ps. 62 that truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him, that He will refresh the weary (Jer. 31:25), that we can come to Him when weak and heavy laden and He will give us rest. (Matt. 11:28)

And so, this book is one that I've just given snippets of its wisdom.  It truly is one that uses the Word throughout its pages to help us understand that we must, as Hebrew 10:23 commands: to let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.  For He who promised is faithful. 

In this beautiful book, illustrated creatively by the author, we are reminded that seasons of the heart are just that - seasons.  After a season of growth and productivity, we still become surprised by a season of painful waiting and unrest, back to a  season where  we must call upon reminders of God's provision when we are weary and spend.  But we must be resilient, just as our earth was created to be, to have seasons of rest, rehearsing, responding and remembering.   

                                                

Saturday, January 15, 2022

A Condensed Version of Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Cycle of Toxic Thoughts by Jennie Allen

                             Ever feel like your thoughts are like this t-shirt - spiraling from your mind into your shoulders and your stomach until it's a mess of tension like these ugly colors?  Of course you have!   It's the human condition. As a life coach both privately and as a volunteer for a local clearinghouse for people in need and as a Stephen Minister at our church for people in crisis, I see a lot of people whose countenance looks as volatile as that t-shirt  - with dark and scary thoughts that are swirling and sometimes ready to explode or draw them deeper into the spiral of depression or despair.  

Interestingly, as I read about brain research that I did much reading on during my years as an educator, I see that the word depression is almost always described as a spiral into darkness - which to me implies that it can become worse from the origin of where it started.  This causes me to think, although the source may not be able to be helped, maybe we can keep it from spiraling into a worse situation!!  Indeed, over the years, I've seen that to be true, in myself and the many people I've had the privilege of walking alongside in their crisis.

When I read the book Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen, I was so validated to see that she put into new words a very synopsis of what I've come to believe truly helps people.  I was also validated that what I see work in self- help books, is also further validated by the bible.  Indeed, I took a course once in healing prayer where the psychiatrist that taught the class shared that she had seen many people stabilized though talk therapy and medications but she saw the swiftest and most complete healing in those who also had a spiritual awakening in their search for mental health.  

I offer to you my summary of  Part One of this book, which also are validated by some of my favorite verses from God's Word that has proved to be ageless wisdom.  I hope they prove as meaningful to you as they have as I have watched them prove to be truth in myself and many others that I have been privileged to walk with along their journeys:

Summary of Part One, Get Out of Your Head:  Stopping the Cycle of Toxic Thoughts by Jennie Allen

Chapter 1: Thinking About Thinking

The greatest spiritual battle of all generations is between our ears – it truly is a battle for our minds.

How we think shapes how we live. Our emotions lead to thoughts – which determine our actions – which affect our relationships.   But we do not have to be victims of our emotions that churn within us – God has promised a way for us to escape the downward spiral of negative thought. 

 Take every thought captive.  2 Cor. 10:2

 Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Romans 12:2

Chapter 2:  What We Believe and Chapter 3:  Spiraling Out

Every lie we believe about ourselves can send us into a spiral of darkness and is rooted in what we believe about God.  We can still spiral even though we are doing the typical suggested methods of battling depression:  working out, being productive, even going to church. Our distorted reasoning, which is the result of toxic thinking, actually begins to make sense and we forget who we are. 

We have an enemy and he can beat us up, but the fears, doubts, restlessness and pain we experience are not who we are made to be.  Taking our thoughts captive is not about what happens to us; it’s about choosing to believe that God is with us, for us and loves us even when all hell comes against us.  Learning to capture your thoughts will inform and shape every aspect of your life and give you peace and joy that transcend your circumstances. 

 We are God’s workmanship created to do the works Christ Jesus prepared in advance for us. Eph. 2:10

 You have searched me and know me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up.  You understand my thoughts from afar. (1,2, 3))… You hem me in behind and before. ( 5) Where shall I go from your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence? (7) …Even there your hand will lead me (10)… For You did form my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.  I will give thanks to Thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made (13) … Search me and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts.  - Psalm 139      

Chapter 4 and 5:  Breaking Free, When Thoughts are Captured

There may be seasons where we need help in the form of medicine or counseling.  You cannot think yourselves out of a chemical breakdown or mental illness. But neuroscience has proven we can change our neural pathways, some dug deep from a lifetime of toxic thoughts.  The heavy fog can be lifted, but it takes fighting back.  Spiritual disciplines of prayer and fasting and meditating, spending time with God and learning who He is provide weapons to fight with. 

The first thing we must remember is that we  have a choice regarding where we focus our energy.  We are not subject to our behaviors, genes or circumstances.  The heroes of the faith (Heb. 11) were not subject to their own thoughts or feelings or circumstances; they worked to think about Christ.  They chose Him over than their own ability to work things out.  Jesus needs to be the axis around which all our thought spirals cycle.  We can interrupt our downward spin by looking at what we are obsessing about and interrupting those thoughts.  It might take counseling, it almost always takes community, is often helped by fasting and always takes prayer and meditation.  When we think new thoughts, we physically alter our brains.   Just like we do with children, we need to redirect our thoughts.  

When we’re spiraling in noise or distractedness, we have a choice to shift our minds back to God through stillness.   When we’re spiraling in isolation, we have a choice to shift our minds back to God through community.  Whether we’re spiraling in anxiety, cynicism, self-importance, victimhood or complacency, of because of truly dire circumstances, we have a choice to shift our minds to God.  We CAN mind our minds and fight this battle. 

Paul experienced a massive shift which totally changed his perceptions. No longer was he a slave to his circumstances and his emotions.  He tells us: 

Though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.  - I Cor. 10:3 

To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.  - Romans 8:5

We look at things as they are outwardly. -  I Cor. 10: 7 

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the ruler, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Eph. 6:12 

As he thinks in his heart, so is he.  Prov. 23:7

Chapter 6 and 7:  Making the Shift and Drawing the Battle Lines

Psychology Today reports that many researchers point out that the vast majority (70% of our thoughts) are negative.  Because of our assumptions and perceptions negative emotions surface:  frustration, anger, despondency, hopelessness, embarrassment, inadequacy, shame.  These are normal human reactions – part of the human condition. But, we need to make a choice about what to do with these thoughts by first acknowledging them and by being aware of our them.  Are you thinking in patterns such as worrying about things you cannot control, dwelling on how you’ve been wronged,  being obsessed with what you don’t have, or being self-critical?  Are you being patient with yourself if you’re experiencing grief? 

Worldly self-help, can be a stabilizer and should never be minimized,  but it can never cause us to see ourselves in our true identity as heirs of heaven, or give us the fruits of the spirit, or help us in humility to think less about ourselves.  Worldly self-help can offer a better version of yourself; Christ is after a whole new you.  

Taking every thought captive is not about what happens to us.  It’s about choosing to believe that God is with us, for us and loves us even when all hell comes against us.  Changing your thoughts may not change your circumstances, but capturing your thoughts with truth will inform and shape every aspect of your life and give you peace and joy that will transcend your circumstances. 

 Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.”  Jn. 16:33

 Submit yourselves to God, Resist the devil and He will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  James 4:  6,7,8

 As he thinks in his heart, so is he.  Prov. 23:7

Chapter 8 Holding Space for Silence, Choosing to Be Still with God

Be still and know that I am God.  Ps. 26:10

Neuroscience assures us that our brain can be physiologically altered by prayer and meditation. (One source is:  7 Ways Meditation Can Actually Change the Brain, Forbes, 2015)  Toxic  thoughts can be combatted with positive thoughts, as simple as getting our minds focused on a hobby, on playing a musical instrument, studying a subject, or some other positive activity, even housework. Studies have shown that changing our focus onto something that makes us relax changes our brain waves into alpha waves that decrease anxiety and depression.  A UCLA study shows that meditation can even preserve the brain as aging happens.  We CAN be people of kindness, patience, peace; we CAN be gentle and self-controlled even when this broken world jabs at us. 

 Whatever is true, noble and right, whatever is pure and lovely, whatever is excellence or worthy of   honor, think on those things.  Phil 4. 

 For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and  self-control.  Against those things there is no law.  Gal. 5.

While negative thoughts must not be suppressed; they must be confronted and processed; spending too much time attending to our fears and doubts causes our need for control when confronted with chaos to become our present reality.  If we let our worry spiral about our health, finances, our relationships or our pasts, we may come to see things as worse than they really are, or focus on what may never happen. 

 Connection with God is the foundation for every other God-given tool we have to fight with.  We need to walk by the Spirit, not be jerked around by our swirling, chaotic thoughts.  In other words, we urgently need time in the presence of God.  

Above all else guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.  Psalm 4:23

You were taught with regard to your former way of life,, to put off your old self...To be made new in the attitude of your minds.   Eph. 4:22,24

Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.  Matt. 6:33

We CAN change our thought patterns.  It is normal to think in the pattern of “I have a negative emotion because…”  But we can reframe that situation by making a choice about how to act on that emotion:  “I feel this negative emotion because …SO I will…”  We can shift our thoughts to the truth that nothing can satisfy you like quieting yourself before God as lines from this poem says:            

The mind is a broken thing,
It runs, races, and paces, taking me places
That consume me, distract me, and tempt me to believe
I’ve got to strive to survive
Don’t show weakness, be tough; try to be enough. 
 
But “if anyone is in Christ He is a new creation. 
The old we can pass away from; behold the new has come.”
Your mind doesn’t have to be out of control.
Those thoughts and loops and cycles can take a toll.
 
You can interrupt and fight against lies,
The racing, pacing, list making, consuming ties
To arrows from the enemy that fly in the darkness of the night.
They are coming for you -  but you have the Word, life, the Light.
 
Wake up from the perspective that keeps you despairingly self-focused,
Your hope in tatters.
Instead fix your eyes to see what really matters.
 
It’s hard to grasp the vastness of His grace and rest in
His mercy that can pull us from the pit we find ourselves thrown in.
For if you really believe Him, you will kill any seed
That will take your mind from whatever is true and honorable
And lovely and pure indeed.
 Yes the mind is a broken thing
But God’s spirit dwells deeper
To free our hearts to sing.

 -    Adapted by Sherrill Schlimpert from a poem in Ch. 8

 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls.  (Matt. 11: 28-30)

Let your gentleness be known to all...Do not be anxious about anything, but by prayer and petition present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Phil. 4: 5, 6, 7

If you've stayed with me this whole blog, I pray that you will be seeking God with all your heart - and that He will give you the peace that passes understanding.  As I've said, it has been my privilege to share many of these verses with people that felt anything but peace, with circumstances often more horrible than I could ever imagine - but I've been blessed by seeing this peace truly come over those hearts that were troubled.  What a joy to behold.