Jun
2010

Eyes on Jesus

categories: Faith, Jesus

“Come,” he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus, but when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord save me!”  Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and helped him”. (Matthew 14:28-30 NIV)

Do you think you hear the voice of God inviting you to step out of the boat, to experience new things, to walk where you have never walked before? Do you listen to his voice and act with reckless abandon, stepping out in complete faith in Jesus, confident that he is with you?

Too many times we get caught like a deer in headlights once we step out in faith and see things begin to be in motion. We are creative, the right circumstances and people are brought into our lives, we believe nothing can stop us and then without warning, we allow ourselves to take  a deeper look at what is happening, we see the difficulties which exist, and begin to wonder how we will overcome the obstacles. In losing sight of the One who is leading us, we find ourselves starting to doubt. We wonder if we really heard the voice, we begin to lose our creativity and we lose connection with the people who were brought into our circle.

Like Peter, we sometimes begin to sink, but that does not mean our faith has to falter. We read in Matthew 14:31b, that when Peter began to sink, he cried out to the Lord and the “Lord reached out his hand and caught him” answering him, “You of little faith,” he said “why did you doubt?”  If we will remember to keep our eyes and mind focused on the faithfulness of our Lord, and continue to move through what He has so graciously bestowed upon us, it is completely possible we could find ourselves walking through doors we never dreamed, living a life we never thought possible!

Whenever you are feeling apprehensive and overwhelmed with the troubles, difficulties and obstacles surrounding your circumstances, and you begin to doubt Christ, remember He is the only One you can turn to for help! He has given us his promises and he has been faithful to them since the beginning of all time!

 

What are you doing to keep your faith strong? Do you spend time reading God’s word daily to help keep you from faltering? Are you asking God to strengthen and increase your faith?  Spending time doing these will help us keep our focus on Him alone and allow what we perceive to be impossible become possible!

 

Scriptures to read:  Matthew 6:30-32; Matthew 8:26; Psalm 89:9; Psalm 107:29

 

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May
2010

Discipline

categories: Jesus, QUIET TIME, Relationships

It is so hard with all the responsibilities that we have in our daily lives, especially if we are single mothers, to take time to be still.  But if we begin by setting aside 5 minutes daily as a part our routine, to read one verse of Scripture and then close our eyes and listen to our innermost being, we would find that would crave that 5 minutes, because of the benefits it provides. It sets the precedent for our day, intentionally develops a closer relationship with God, and sets the stage for the lives around us. It is much like diet; we discipline ourselves because we know it is good for us, we eat select foods for proper nourishment and we exclude certain foods from our diet because we know they are empty of anything necessary for our healthy development.  If we can discipline ourselves in this, it would seem that it would be easy to discipline ourselves in taking 5 minutes to listen to our Creator, and to explore and learn more about who this Being is that loves us so much.  But it isn’t easy, and like many things we strive for, we have to demand it of ourselves before we realize the benefit. It is then through the unfolding of your days that you will see the ultimate benefit of your self-discipline.  It will be heard through a child’s profession that Christ is her Savior, or through a college student that says, I know God is in control, or maybe it will just be a peace inside of you that you cannot explain.  However it is shown to you, you will know and you will desire more and more of it!

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Feb
2010

Damaged Emotions and Healing

categories: Depression, truth

Depression is caused from infirmities and the concealing of ones sins. Sin is basically defined as something that hurts someone. Whether it is yourself or someone else that is being hurt, it causes a separation in your heart with God. It doesn’t mean God is not with you, it means you have possibly done something that separated you or there is a crippling of the mind due to damaged emotions that others have inflicted upon you. A direct indication of our emotions being damaged is in the presence of depression.  Depression is defined as:

According to Dictionary.com it is a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason. A further description from a God perspective defines it as infirmities.

“Infirmities:

  • The Old Testament refers to infirmities as a blemish, a physical spot.
  • The New Testament refers to it as a negative from of sthenos which means strength.

If you add an “a”  in front of the word in greek that negates it.

A theist is someone who believes in God and an atheist is someone who does not believe in God, he is lacking in belief. In the same way, by adding an a to the word sthenos and resulting in  asthenos, we see this is defined as one who is lacking in strength, an infirmity, a crippling.

The word is hardly ever used in a purely physical sense in the New Testament. Rather, it refers to mental, moral and emotional weaknesses, to lack of strength. Infirmities in themselves are not sins, but they do undermine our resistance to temptation. In the NT infirmities are qualities in human nature which may predispose or incline us to sin, sometimes without any conscious choice on our part.” – Healing for Damaged Emotions-© 2004, David Seamands, page 38

“This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:  “He took up our infirmities
and carried our diseases.” Matthew 8:17 (NIV)

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.” Hebrews 5:7-8 (NIV)

We have a tendency to think there is something wrong with us because we feel depressed.  Jesus taught us that God is with us always.  Even in our sufferings. Think about all that Jesus life involved while he was here on earth and how he went to the Father boldly praying for His strength and rescue.  We are instructed in the word of God to come to Him boldly.  This does not mean that we have to come to him in shame and defeat; we come to Him boldly and ask for Him to heal us from our infirmities! To reach down within the darkest and most hidden places of our hearts and gently rub the healing salve on our wounded hearts and crippled minds so we can begin to see the truth, and as His light shines into the darkness, be healed and move beyond them into greater purpose.

In addition to believing and asking God to help up, we can create disciplines in our lives which will work hand in hand with God to bring us along in our healing.

  • Look in the mirror and face your problem head on.
  • Take responsibility for the matter.
  • Honestly assess whether you want to heal  “

“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?”‘ John 5:6 (NIV

  • Forgive others – “But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many.'” Genesis 50:19-20
  • Forgive yourself
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in the healing for your specific issues and ask how to pray for your healing. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Romans 8:26 (NIV)
  • Ask others to pray with you.

When we seek God’s and others forgiveness, as a result of guilt and shame in our lives, we will begin to be lifted out of our depression.

Look at David and his sin with Bathsheba.  It was not until he confessed his sins of adultery with her that he began to heal.

“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” Psalms 32:3-4 (NIV)

  • Put your hope and trust in God when you are downcast.

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will praise him, my savior and my God.” Psalms 42:5-6 (NIV)

We may experience some tough situations, but we can avoid long-term deeper depression.

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 2:8-9 (NIV)

“We do not lose heart. Thought outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an internal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not in what is seen, but on what is unseen, For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)

When times are very difficult for me, I have learned to think back upon the times of how the apostle Paul was severely persecuted and how he overcame through the sustaining of His grace with an understanding of his deep need for dependency upon God in every aspect of his life.

“Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 (NIV)

God’s grace is unlimited and He is standing there waiting for us to depend on him.  His promises are that when we call upon his name, he will be there and he will answer our prayers.  Believing God will allow you to have eyes to see things you have never seen before. It will open your heart, eyes, and ears to opportunities which have been there all along, but because of blindness have been unseen!  God demonstrates for us, through the life of Jesus Christ, to keep our focus on Him.  When we do, we will see Him only, lose the consuming fire of our circumstances and have a freedom to live without depression that can be caused either by circumstances or separateness by sin.

“Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God,  for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalms 42:5a (NIV)

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Feb
2010

ReActing From Emotions

categories: Healing, Love

I always look forward to being together with others to share God’s love and truth.  It brings me great joy, encouragement and love. I love to learn about new ways I can grow from others and sharing how God has shown me how to press on even through the muck and mire of the pits.

It can be so hard, even when things seem to be going well, to keep ourselves from reacting out of emotions, anger or hurt. Here are some of the take aways from a group environment I was recently a part of  titled, “Reacting from Emotion”.

Anger is one of the most basic negative emotions. It stems from Fear, one of the two main components we have as humans.  The other and the greatest need of us as beings is LOVE.

  • The emotion of anger tells us something is wrong.
  • The emotion of anger can be a signal to us that we are about to lose something that really matters to us.
  • The emotion of anger could be a way we tend to protect good that we do not want to lose.
  • The emotion of anger is an emotion that was given to us by our Creator.
  • Even God expressed anger, which indicates that it can be a good thing, a form of protection.
  • We need to be careful in our anger that we do not hurt others.

“Do not sin in your anger: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:26 (NIV)

This scripture teaches us not to sin in our anger or to let the day end while you are still angry because it will open the door for it to begin to grow and fester, taking root and turning into bitterness.  When I think about sin, I think of it in terms of me doing something to hurt someone else. It helps to remind me to think about everything I say and do beforehand and the impact it may have in another’s life. It isn’t easy to always keep ourselves in check, but it is something that God can provide for us through His Son, Jesus, if we ask Him for that strength.

Denying anger or suppressing it can cause problems to go unresolved. Unresolved anger leads to a critical attitude and words which can create an unforgiving heart (Hebrews 12:15). This is another perfect opportunity for the adversary to come in and consume control of how we respond.

If we take every thought captive, through Christ we are able to turn around any negative or hurtful thought into something more emotionally healthy.  This will eliminate the opportunity for hurt from angry words to begin to brew and grow from mole hills into mountains, soft hearts to be hardened and possibly trying to resolve issues and circumstances in an unloving way. This will prevent hurt to us and others. This preventive measure could be the groundwork for creating love as the foundation of our thinking and responses. Love is kind, gentle, patient, forgiving, humble and faithful.  If we can do this we are being faithful to God based upon His promise to us.

Anger is a by-product, a symptom of something else. It’s good to determine what it is that has caused our anger and take ownership of it. In many cases, anger is caused by circumstances we believe were out of our control. But rather than blaming, taking ownership allows us to look inward and see what needs to be healed in ourselves. If our focus is turned upward with a desire to have purer hearts and be forgiving no matter what someone else has done to us, we will find ourselves growing beyond the control of reacting from emotions.

When going through separation in relationships we sometimes find ourselves losing control of another and anger can be the result in this circumstance. This can lead us to react from emotions which may begin a downward spiral to the pit. Maybe it’s the recognition that we are under the condemning rule of another and our anger is a signal to free us from that entrapment.  In this way anger can be viewed as a form of protection of our hearts.

“Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Christ has asked us to guard our hearts because from the heart is the flow to others. I am thankful that His lavish grace and mercy has freed me from the ways of anger. It is only His unconditional love and acceptance that drew me to want to know more about this Being that was willing to come to the earth to be persecuted, take all my sins, past present and future upon Him and die on a cross.  It is when He completed His role in a full way that God rewarded Him and us with a resurrected life, thereby which Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father at the throne in heaven and we have received the Spirit to reside in us as our guide.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-25 (NIV)

Emotions can be powerful, but God has promised us if we will listen and live out His way which was laid out for us, we will overcome through Him!

© Allison M. Horner and Pieces of the Heart, 2005-2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material and all photographs without express and written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Allison M. Horner and Pieces of the Heart with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Nov
2009

Appearance Isn’t Everything!

categories: Love

How many times have your eyes been drawn to someone because of their outward attractiveness? How many times have you chosen people to be on your team, to be a friend, or to be a spouse based on outward appearance? Have you ever been in a relationship because someone chose you exclusively because of your appearance?
My experience has been both. I have chosen and I have been chosen, based on outward attractiveness and appearance before taking the very necessary time to be known or to know. What about you?
Many of the devastating events that happen in our lives can be at the hand of someone we chose to be a part of our lives. Oftentimes, I have wondered why I skipped the step of taking the time to really know people. I concluded, it was a lack of instruction and knowledge given to me. What I mean to say is that it seemed perfectly normal for me to fall into relationships quickly, with the most handsome man and without taking the time to really know him. I don’t think anyone ever taught me to do this differently, but if they did maybe I already had so many holes in me that I missed it!
In 1 Samuel 16, God gave Samuel the responsibility to choose a new king for Israel-a king to rule over all the people. What a huge responsibility, not only for Samuel, but also for the one chosen to sit on the throne! In God’s instructions to Samuel, He was very clear with him about not selecting a person based on appearance. Saul, a very tall and attractive man, was the king that God was replacing. Since Saul had become consumed more with what people thought of him than his relationship with God, he no longer made a great leader and king, so God had him removed from the throne (I Samuel 15).
Have you ever chosen to be in a relationship exclusively based on appearance and beauty? Has anyone ever chosen you based on those outward masks?
God’s words to Samuel were, “I do not look at the things man looks at, I look at the heart.” Why don’t we look at the hearts of people? Could it be because we are conditioned by our culture? If you have spent any time thumbing through magazines or watching television, you can easily see that our culture encourages and motivates people to believe that outward appearance is more important than anything. It is a market that drives us to think only of ourselves and how much we can accumulate. When we do this all the things constantly distract us, and as a result, we don’t stop to look inside ourselves to explore why we are doing what we do!
If God is looking at our hearts, maybe we should take the time necessary to heal. We could start with asking for forgiveness, receiving forgiveness and moving forward in His “FREE” love. It seems like it makes more sense for us to stop trying so hard to hide all of our imperfections by adding more “stuff”, and understand that God loves us just like we are! His love is free and so is His forgiveness.
I wonder what it would look like if we decided to change our way of thinking and to look at others straight into their hearts before we decide we know someone well enough to become involved in relationships. When we ignore this vital step in choosing people to be a part of our lives, we may lose an opportunity to have a full and healthy relationship. We should strive to be a person of character and not worry about all the other “stuff”. God’s love creates character. Conforming to society’s standard creates more stuff around us!
I am not saying that character is missing in all those with lovely outward appearances and beauty; what I am saying is that it’s crucial to take the time to discover your own heart and the heart of others. Then you will know if “the stuff” is just stuff or a cover-up.
What are you doing to free your heart of all the debris so when others see you they will see a true heart of love? Do you know that a free heart will attract a free heart?
There truly is nothing on this earth more beautiful, more alive and more alluring than a person who loves from a heart that is free to love!

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