Saturday, October 31, 2009
Suffering Is NOT Your Destiny
This is a bit of a follow up on my post..."Trauma, Life In The ER" read here. All of us have endured some trauma in our lives. What I want to tell you is that it was NEVER God's plan that you would endure trauma. He can and does teach us good things out of traumas that we have endured. That is His grace to us "to work all things for good". But God never initiates those traumas just so He can teach us something. That is NOT our loving God.
Man has freewill to do what he wants on this earth. We all know the craziness that has got us into. Not only crazy things, but horrible, hurtful things. Horrible and hurtful are never from God! God will not go back on his promise of free will just to snap us all into submission. That wouldn't be free will, that would be control. So why doesn't God step in to prevent someone from hurting someone else? Greg Boyd puts it this way "A freedom which was prevented from being exercised whenever it was going to be misused simply wouldn't be freedom". Yes, God is all powerful and sovereign but just because you have power doesn't mean you always use it. I have the power to murder someone, but that is not the most loving choice for me to make in regards to my neighbor. So it is with God...using His power to control us isn't the most loving choice for us.
So along with our freedom comes the choice to use it for evil. This was the same freedom that the angels were created with. That is why Satan was able to make the choice to leave heaven. This is also the same reason why Satan was allowed to make the choices that he has made. God loves his creations so much and he is so just, that he will not go back on His promise of freedom.
So why doesn't God just put us all out of our misery and kill us all? Because he loves us and it is not in the nature of a Creator to destroy. But that is also why Jesus and the Holy Spirit were made available to us. The Spirit to minister grace to us on this earth. Jesus to show us the way to the Father...so that we my live out eternity with no fear, pain or sorrow. Hard to swallow for some, but it is the truth.
The bottom line is that God is never in favor of trauma in our lives. It was and is never his plan for you. His plan for you is to prosper and be whole. Why would a loving God break us down just so He could restore us? That is totally twisted! Jesus came to bind up the broken hearted and set the captives free. He didn't come to plunge you into a life of despair and misery.
So this doesn't make God less powerful or sovereign. Really it is a display of his power and love for us. That He keeps His word in regards to us. That word is always LOVE. Anything other than LOVE is NOT from GOD!
Man has freewill to do what he wants on this earth. We all know the craziness that has got us into. Not only crazy things, but horrible, hurtful things. Horrible and hurtful are never from God! God will not go back on his promise of free will just to snap us all into submission. That wouldn't be free will, that would be control. So why doesn't God step in to prevent someone from hurting someone else? Greg Boyd puts it this way "A freedom which was prevented from being exercised whenever it was going to be misused simply wouldn't be freedom". Yes, God is all powerful and sovereign but just because you have power doesn't mean you always use it. I have the power to murder someone, but that is not the most loving choice for me to make in regards to my neighbor. So it is with God...using His power to control us isn't the most loving choice for us.
So along with our freedom comes the choice to use it for evil. This was the same freedom that the angels were created with. That is why Satan was able to make the choice to leave heaven. This is also the same reason why Satan was allowed to make the choices that he has made. God loves his creations so much and he is so just, that he will not go back on His promise of freedom.
So why doesn't God just put us all out of our misery and kill us all? Because he loves us and it is not in the nature of a Creator to destroy. But that is also why Jesus and the Holy Spirit were made available to us. The Spirit to minister grace to us on this earth. Jesus to show us the way to the Father...so that we my live out eternity with no fear, pain or sorrow. Hard to swallow for some, but it is the truth.
The bottom line is that God is never in favor of trauma in our lives. It was and is never his plan for you. His plan for you is to prosper and be whole. Why would a loving God break us down just so He could restore us? That is totally twisted! Jesus came to bind up the broken hearted and set the captives free. He didn't come to plunge you into a life of despair and misery.
So this doesn't make God less powerful or sovereign. Really it is a display of his power and love for us. That He keeps His word in regards to us. That word is always LOVE. Anything other than LOVE is NOT from GOD!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
"GENESIS" Adult Supervision Recommended
To be released later this month is the book of Genesis "as you have never seen it before! Adult supervision recommended." The new "book" has been illustrated by legendary comic artist R. Crumb, who is a self professed Gnostic. His site is here. I am just a tad too young to remember any of his works from the 60s and 70s. But from the very limited research I have done on Mr. Crumb he has always had a bit of controversy around him.
For this particular "book" I have read most of the hub-bub and really don't see what the big deal is. You know the usual complaints of too much sex and violence. In this case however it "is" the bible we are talking about. What is most interesting to me is that Mr. Crumb set out to turn the book of Genesis into satire but later decided it was already too wild in it's own right. So the book he ended up with claims to be word for word, unabridged "Genesis"; just with Mr. Crumbs comic book style illustrations. And anyone that has read Genesis knows that does mean lots of sex and violence.
So I say...Hmmmm, very interesting...might have to check this one out myself. What do you think? You can see more pics from this book here. I couldn't get them to post on this blog for some reason. Be warned...Adam and Eve were in fact naked in the garden!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
TRAUMA...Life In The ER
What injury or trauma has your identity received? If you have one that comes to mind lets use an analogy and say that "that" particular trauma was your shot in the leg. Something in your emotional life that has injured you but didn't kill you. Are you with me?
So what was your initial trauma? It could have been physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental abuse. You may have been neglected or rejected by someone. Maybe it was a divorce or death of a loved one. Or it could have been negative reinforcement "you're ugly", "you're stupid", "you're weird", "you're fat", "you're a loser". Ringing any bells? This is the initial attack of the enemy on your life...usual at a young age.
So now now you are lying on the floor, shot in the leg. You are still alive but bleeding fast. Now since the devil can't kill you he uses the freewill of other humans to inflict trauma. To bleed you to death over time. So when no one comes to your aid or you don't get up and try to find help...you just sit there and bleed. This is where the anger, shame, low self esteem and unforgiveness set in. More time passes, more blood loss. You start to self destruct. You self medicate with pills, drugs and alcohol. You may start cutting yourself, starving yourself. Anything to speed up the march to death. You may even try just that...suicide. You don't secede. You are still just bleeding out.
Now anger is turning to bitterness, shame has become self loathing, unforgivness gives way to hatred. No one comes to save you, and you don't try to find help. You begin hating God. You begin hating everyone. Everyone has let you down. You may even become the abuser at this stage. Hurt others the way you were hurt. You try to take control of the perpetrator by becoming one. You tell yourself "I am in control now. No one can hurt me...I hurt YOU." All the while you are near death due to your blood loss, laying in your own puddle of blood.
The wound is now infected with anger, bitterness, shame, and self hatred. You don't have much life left in you. You have grown cold towards others, and your heart has hardened. No one has come to help you. Even if they did you would push them away. You have refused to ask for help...until now. One last chance...now or never...you are left with only two choices. Cry out to God and LIVE or succumb and DIE. So, you cry out.
Instantly God applies a tourniquet of forgiveness. This bandage stops the bleeding and pulls you back from the clutches of death. You see this breaks the bonds of the enemy. When Jesus died on the cross He took the keys of death back from Satan. Now Jesus bleeds in your place. That is part of the message of the cross. Jesus taking our wounds upon Himself that we may be healed and have everlasting life! Awesome!
So in that instant bleeding from your wound is halted and the healing process ensues. God medicates you with forgiveness, grace and love. You in turn accept the medicine. You decide to put yourself in situations of healing. Renew your mind, body and spirit. Keeping your eyes on Jesus you immerse yourself in active rehabilitation of your trauma. Worship, prayer and the Word. Most importantly you realize that the healing process takes time. You must be patient and make the choice each day to keep that bandage on. Surround yourself with people that support you anywhere you can find them. DON'T ISOLATE! Satan loves to sneak back in at any opportunity and rip that bandage off. So make sure to keep the bandage on for the duration of the healing process. Don't be tempted to pick at the scab in self-pity and doubt. That will only induce bleeding and prolong the healing. It also hands control back to the enemy and takes your eyes off of our Great Physician God.
So when do you you know when it is OK to remove the bandage? Well your Physician God can help you with that. I think this is different for everyone and different according to how severe the trauma was to begin with. There is no doubt there will be a scar. I could be an emotional scar or even a physical one. Jesus had all power to be brought back from the dead, but he did not allow his scars to totally disappear. His scars tell the story of his triumph over death and the grave. So your scars don't tell of your death but of your new life. I believe one of the final stages of healing is using your scars for the glory of God. This can be by ministering to others in the same situations. Telling them your story, your testimony. It could be by being a good parent or spouse. Breaking the cycle of trauma in your family. Really anything that God is glorified through the choices of your new life in Him.
Don't forget to minister to yourself! Don't take on the spirit of the abused or the abuser. You are no longer that person...you are a new creature in Christ. You have been healed. Let your life and actions reflect that healing. The enemy is always just around the corner waiting to shoot you in the leg again. So if for some reason you have a slip up or a new trauma ensues....DON'T let yourself bleed out. Ask God to get that bandage on right away. Don't give the enemy the pleasure of watching you bleed to death. Choose life!
So what was your initial trauma? It could have been physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental abuse. You may have been neglected or rejected by someone. Maybe it was a divorce or death of a loved one. Or it could have been negative reinforcement "you're ugly", "you're stupid", "you're weird", "you're fat", "you're a loser". Ringing any bells? This is the initial attack of the enemy on your life...usual at a young age.
So now now you are lying on the floor, shot in the leg. You are still alive but bleeding fast. Now since the devil can't kill you he uses the freewill of other humans to inflict trauma. To bleed you to death over time. So when no one comes to your aid or you don't get up and try to find help...you just sit there and bleed. This is where the anger, shame, low self esteem and unforgiveness set in. More time passes, more blood loss. You start to self destruct. You self medicate with pills, drugs and alcohol. You may start cutting yourself, starving yourself. Anything to speed up the march to death. You may even try just that...suicide. You don't secede. You are still just bleeding out.
Now anger is turning to bitterness, shame has become self loathing, unforgivness gives way to hatred. No one comes to save you, and you don't try to find help. You begin hating God. You begin hating everyone. Everyone has let you down. You may even become the abuser at this stage. Hurt others the way you were hurt. You try to take control of the perpetrator by becoming one. You tell yourself "I am in control now. No one can hurt me...I hurt YOU." All the while you are near death due to your blood loss, laying in your own puddle of blood.
The wound is now infected with anger, bitterness, shame, and self hatred. You don't have much life left in you. You have grown cold towards others, and your heart has hardened. No one has come to help you. Even if they did you would push them away. You have refused to ask for help...until now. One last chance...now or never...you are left with only two choices. Cry out to God and LIVE or succumb and DIE. So, you cry out.
Instantly God applies a tourniquet of forgiveness. This bandage stops the bleeding and pulls you back from the clutches of death. You see this breaks the bonds of the enemy. When Jesus died on the cross He took the keys of death back from Satan. Now Jesus bleeds in your place. That is part of the message of the cross. Jesus taking our wounds upon Himself that we may be healed and have everlasting life! Awesome!
So in that instant bleeding from your wound is halted and the healing process ensues. God medicates you with forgiveness, grace and love. You in turn accept the medicine. You decide to put yourself in situations of healing. Renew your mind, body and spirit. Keeping your eyes on Jesus you immerse yourself in active rehabilitation of your trauma. Worship, prayer and the Word. Most importantly you realize that the healing process takes time. You must be patient and make the choice each day to keep that bandage on. Surround yourself with people that support you anywhere you can find them. DON'T ISOLATE! Satan loves to sneak back in at any opportunity and rip that bandage off. So make sure to keep the bandage on for the duration of the healing process. Don't be tempted to pick at the scab in self-pity and doubt. That will only induce bleeding and prolong the healing. It also hands control back to the enemy and takes your eyes off of our Great Physician God.
So when do you you know when it is OK to remove the bandage? Well your Physician God can help you with that. I think this is different for everyone and different according to how severe the trauma was to begin with. There is no doubt there will be a scar. I could be an emotional scar or even a physical one. Jesus had all power to be brought back from the dead, but he did not allow his scars to totally disappear. His scars tell the story of his triumph over death and the grave. So your scars don't tell of your death but of your new life. I believe one of the final stages of healing is using your scars for the glory of God. This can be by ministering to others in the same situations. Telling them your story, your testimony. It could be by being a good parent or spouse. Breaking the cycle of trauma in your family. Really anything that God is glorified through the choices of your new life in Him.
Don't forget to minister to yourself! Don't take on the spirit of the abused or the abuser. You are no longer that person...you are a new creature in Christ. You have been healed. Let your life and actions reflect that healing. The enemy is always just around the corner waiting to shoot you in the leg again. So if for some reason you have a slip up or a new trauma ensues....DON'T let yourself bleed out. Ask God to get that bandage on right away. Don't give the enemy the pleasure of watching you bleed to death. Choose life!
Girls...God Thinks You Are Beautiful...
"I made you(girls) grow like a plant of the field. You grew up and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels. Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, you were naked and bare. Later I passed by, and when I looked and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you declares the Lord, and you became mine. I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you with fine linen and covered you with costly garments. I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric. Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made YOUR beauty PERFECT, declares the Lord." Ezekiel 16:7-14
This is for all the girls, women, females, ladies, sisters, mothers, grandmothers out there. Believe it! You are beautiful to God, even if you have a ring through your nose!
Guys...God Thinks You Kick Ass...
"My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the King; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. You (guys) are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever. Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. In your majesty ride forth victoriously on behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds. Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; and let the nations fall beneath your feet. Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad." Psalm 45:1-8
This is God's heart for all the boys, guys, dudes, brothers, fathers, grandfathers, menfolk out there!
Monday, October 26, 2009
The TRUTH in Twilight
So I just finished watching the movie "Twilight". Yes I know I'm am slow! LOL. At least I watched it before "New Moon" came out. So what did I think? FANTASTIC!!! I love, love, loved it. Now I have to say that I have never read the book. So anything discussed here is only in reference to the movie.
After watching the movie "Twilight" I clicked around the web to see what other christians were saying about it. Not to my surprise but to my frustration most of them are bashing it to death. Now what they are doing by bashing this movie to death is bashing the MILLIONS of teens and young people who LOVE this movie. Not very Christ like! Call me crazy but if there is a movie that MILLIONS of teens are in love with wouldn't it be smart to reach them at their level? To speak TRUTH to them via their worldview. We don't have to fear about the TRUTH of GOD. Truth is truth no matter who is saying it as long as it leads back to biblical TRUTH and JESUS. So that means a vampire named Edward Cullen can speak the truth.
Are you with me? Can you step out of your box for a minute? Try to use a movie that is already tugging at the hearts of our young people to speak the TRUTH into their lives. God is not afraid of vampires and you shouldn't be either.
Now remember I have only seen the movie...not read the books.
The fantastic overwhelming theme of this movie is the passion that grows between Bella & Edward. When Bella moves to the new school she doesn't really fit in with the "normal" crowd. The "normal" crowd being those that are immature, party, and are superficial. She is looking for something more in her human life. She begins to feel herself drawn to a boy named Edward. Edward is mature, virtuous, and deep. To Bella he surely is not of this world. So Bella falls fast for this guy who has strength & reserve, passion & self control. He is different from the human boys.
As the movie goes on...Bella finds out that Edward really isn't of this world, he is of a supernatural world. The spirit realm if you will. In this realm there are two types of "vampires" of which Edward Cullen is one. The Cullen Family have harnessed their wills and desires for human consumption. They only feed on animals. This in turn has made the Cullen's more virtuous and powerful than their other vampire counterparts. The Nomadic vampires still run wild and have no control over their blood lust for human consumption. They are angry that the Cullen's have found peace in this world of humans. The Cullen's have learned to exist in the human world even with their supernatural powers. However the Nomadic vampires are still trying to take over humanity by death and destruction.
So back our our lovers Edward and Bella. The movie continues to build around the growing passion they have for one another. All the while Edward is able to harness his desire to consume Bella though his supernatural strength. His love for her overrides his passion and desire for her. Edward's love for her causes him to be her biggest champion and protector. He will do anything not to hurt her. Toward the end of the movie comes the climax of his love for Bella. She has been bitten by one the Nomadic vampires. The only way that he can save her is to suck the venom out but at the same time not consume her in blood lust and hurt her. See I believe the "consumption" is the portal to the spirit realm. The "consumption" is a spiritual act. Even though Bella wants to be consumed by Edward, he wants her to wait. He succeeds. He finds the supernatural will not to consume that which he has such deep passion for. He waits because it was not at a time of her choosing. The Nomadic vampire had bitten Bella against her will. Edward chooses not to give into his passions for the greater good of love. The movie ends with Bella practically begging Edward to consume her. Edward does not yield. Instead he makes Bella wait until a real commitment is made. A commitment that they both need to take time to think over. All the while the passion and love has grown to gigantic proportions but neither has allowed it to consume them. Neither has has made the choice to consume one another.
I think it is a great illustration of the access to the Spirit we have. The Holy Spirit can help us to harness our wills and desires. The Spirit can help us make the most loving choices for the ones we love. The Spirit is a REAL supernatural power that we have access to through Jesus. This movie is one of the biggest teen romance movies...maybe ever. What a pleasant surprise that the boy all the girls are swooning over is a spirit filled man of virtue, strength, passion & self-control. Who cares that he is a vampire! Now... am I saying that everything in this movie is straight biblical truth? No. But I do know that this movie is what young people are feeling a connection to. So lets use that to our advantage. Let's get on their level. I think we will be much more successful teaching them the truth in a way they can identify with. Telling them they are evil for liking a vampire movie slams the door shut. I want to keep that door open and get the truth out to as many as I can.
After watching the movie "Twilight" I clicked around the web to see what other christians were saying about it. Not to my surprise but to my frustration most of them are bashing it to death. Now what they are doing by bashing this movie to death is bashing the MILLIONS of teens and young people who LOVE this movie. Not very Christ like! Call me crazy but if there is a movie that MILLIONS of teens are in love with wouldn't it be smart to reach them at their level? To speak TRUTH to them via their worldview. We don't have to fear about the TRUTH of GOD. Truth is truth no matter who is saying it as long as it leads back to biblical TRUTH and JESUS. So that means a vampire named Edward Cullen can speak the truth.
Are you with me? Can you step out of your box for a minute? Try to use a movie that is already tugging at the hearts of our young people to speak the TRUTH into their lives. God is not afraid of vampires and you shouldn't be either.
Now remember I have only seen the movie...not read the books.
The fantastic overwhelming theme of this movie is the passion that grows between Bella & Edward. When Bella moves to the new school she doesn't really fit in with the "normal" crowd. The "normal" crowd being those that are immature, party, and are superficial. She is looking for something more in her human life. She begins to feel herself drawn to a boy named Edward. Edward is mature, virtuous, and deep. To Bella he surely is not of this world. So Bella falls fast for this guy who has strength & reserve, passion & self control. He is different from the human boys.
As the movie goes on...Bella finds out that Edward really isn't of this world, he is of a supernatural world. The spirit realm if you will. In this realm there are two types of "vampires" of which Edward Cullen is one. The Cullen Family have harnessed their wills and desires for human consumption. They only feed on animals. This in turn has made the Cullen's more virtuous and powerful than their other vampire counterparts. The Nomadic vampires still run wild and have no control over their blood lust for human consumption. They are angry that the Cullen's have found peace in this world of humans. The Cullen's have learned to exist in the human world even with their supernatural powers. However the Nomadic vampires are still trying to take over humanity by death and destruction.
So back our our lovers Edward and Bella. The movie continues to build around the growing passion they have for one another. All the while Edward is able to harness his desire to consume Bella though his supernatural strength. His love for her overrides his passion and desire for her. Edward's love for her causes him to be her biggest champion and protector. He will do anything not to hurt her. Toward the end of the movie comes the climax of his love for Bella. She has been bitten by one the Nomadic vampires. The only way that he can save her is to suck the venom out but at the same time not consume her in blood lust and hurt her. See I believe the "consumption" is the portal to the spirit realm. The "consumption" is a spiritual act. Even though Bella wants to be consumed by Edward, he wants her to wait. He succeeds. He finds the supernatural will not to consume that which he has such deep passion for. He waits because it was not at a time of her choosing. The Nomadic vampire had bitten Bella against her will. Edward chooses not to give into his passions for the greater good of love. The movie ends with Bella practically begging Edward to consume her. Edward does not yield. Instead he makes Bella wait until a real commitment is made. A commitment that they both need to take time to think over. All the while the passion and love has grown to gigantic proportions but neither has allowed it to consume them. Neither has has made the choice to consume one another.
I think it is a great illustration of the access to the Spirit we have. The Holy Spirit can help us to harness our wills and desires. The Spirit can help us make the most loving choices for the ones we love. The Spirit is a REAL supernatural power that we have access to through Jesus. This movie is one of the biggest teen romance movies...maybe ever. What a pleasant surprise that the boy all the girls are swooning over is a spirit filled man of virtue, strength, passion & self-control. Who cares that he is a vampire! Now... am I saying that everything in this movie is straight biblical truth? No. But I do know that this movie is what young people are feeling a connection to. So lets use that to our advantage. Let's get on their level. I think we will be much more successful teaching them the truth in a way they can identify with. Telling them they are evil for liking a vampire movie slams the door shut. I want to keep that door open and get the truth out to as many as I can.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
"Hello, My Name Is..." Part Deux
So lets get back to Sally aka "Candy Stripe" who we met in the last blog. Does the fact that Sally is a broken person making some wrong choices gives us the permission to use her and aid in her devalued self- identity? I mean it's her choice to be the stripper. It is her choice to break with her name and identity. Right? WRONG!!! Let's get to the root of this problem.
One of the big reasons why we have a world full of people with broken identities is because something happened to them to cause them to disassociate with who they were CREATED to be. A family member abused or neglected you, you were made fun of as a child, you were an outcast in high school, your boyfriend beat you...the list goes on and on. Or maybe it is just simply your unhappiness with yourself compared to others. You don't feel that you are anything special. All of these things chip away at our identity and value. How we value ourselves will determine how others value us. A break with our true identity and value is a symptom of a broken spirit. So we have a world of broken spirits walking around with no sense of identity and value. This is why the usury of one another in our society is sooooo rampant. And in Sally's case why she is ALLOWING herself to be used. But guess what? How we value ourselves and how others value us is not the sum TOTAL of our value and identity. There is more to us.
You were created by the guy that CREATED the entire universe! (increase your value by 100) This guy even CREATED you in His own image! (increase your value by 1000) And This guy breathed His own Spirit into you to give you life! (increase your value by 10,000) He gave you free will and dominion over the whole earth! (increase your value by 100,000) He sent His only Son to die for you so that you could be a whole person! INCREASE YOUR VALUE BY INFINITY! Do you get the picture? Whether you believe in God or not He created you different from all the other animals. He gave you His Spirit and this should be the root of your identity and value! Therefore every human has value by default because God created them with value.
So even if you were born to crappy parents, abused by an uncle or you are an outcast at school...these things do NOT determine your value. The bible says that we were not given a spirit of fear, but a spirit of adoption. We are God's children regardless of our past. (Rom 8:15,16) Until we believe this in our own lives our identity will always have some degree of brokenness. Your identity must be first and foremost rooted in Christ.
If you have brokenness in your identity take it to God. Ask Him to show you what He thinks of you. Don't be seduced or taunted by the false identities of the world. An identity in Christ is the best you. Let God renew YOUR name and identity...because you are perfect just the way He created you to be.
One of the big reasons why we have a world full of people with broken identities is because something happened to them to cause them to disassociate with who they were CREATED to be. A family member abused or neglected you, you were made fun of as a child, you were an outcast in high school, your boyfriend beat you...the list goes on and on. Or maybe it is just simply your unhappiness with yourself compared to others. You don't feel that you are anything special. All of these things chip away at our identity and value. How we value ourselves will determine how others value us. A break with our true identity and value is a symptom of a broken spirit. So we have a world of broken spirits walking around with no sense of identity and value. This is why the usury of one another in our society is sooooo rampant. And in Sally's case why she is ALLOWING herself to be used. But guess what? How we value ourselves and how others value us is not the sum TOTAL of our value and identity. There is more to us.
You were created by the guy that CREATED the entire universe! (increase your value by 100) This guy even CREATED you in His own image! (increase your value by 1000) And This guy breathed His own Spirit into you to give you life! (increase your value by 10,000) He gave you free will and dominion over the whole earth! (increase your value by 100,000) He sent His only Son to die for you so that you could be a whole person! INCREASE YOUR VALUE BY INFINITY! Do you get the picture? Whether you believe in God or not He created you different from all the other animals. He gave you His Spirit and this should be the root of your identity and value! Therefore every human has value by default because God created them with value.
So even if you were born to crappy parents, abused by an uncle or you are an outcast at school...these things do NOT determine your value. The bible says that we were not given a spirit of fear, but a spirit of adoption. We are God's children regardless of our past. (Rom 8:15,16) Until we believe this in our own lives our identity will always have some degree of brokenness. Your identity must be first and foremost rooted in Christ.
If you have brokenness in your identity take it to God. Ask Him to show you what He thinks of you. Don't be seduced or taunted by the false identities of the world. An identity in Christ is the best you. Let God renew YOUR name and identity...because you are perfect just the way He created you to be.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
"Hello! My name is..."
"The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother's womb He named me." Is 49:1
If there is any question whether or not you have value, you need not look any further than you name. Your name is the primary indicator that are are indeed valuable. When someone asks you who you are you don't just say "I'm a girl" or "I'm a guy"...you have a name. "I'm Cherie" or "I'm Oliver". Now if we stop right here we have already proven that you were not just a gooey ball of "life form" that evolved into various stages of mammal..Other mammals don't have names for one another. Man has given them names according to species but each and every animal roaming the earth does not have a special name. We do tend to give our pets special names...and what does this mean? That we value this animal more than the others. The pet is now a part of the family. You always hear the classic farm chat..."Don't name the chickens cuz if you do you will get attached and be harder to make into dinner!" See the chicken is no longer just a chicken. Her name is "Coco" and now she has value beyond her chicken counterparts. So the very fact that we have have names and often got them before we were even born tell us we have value. You are not an animal you are (insert your name here).
If there is any question whether or not you have value, you need not look any further than you name. Your name is the primary indicator that are are indeed valuable. When someone asks you who you are you don't just say "I'm a girl" or "I'm a guy"...you have a name. "I'm Cherie" or "I'm Oliver". Now if we stop right here we have already proven that you were not just a gooey ball of "life form" that evolved into various stages of mammal..Other mammals don't have names for one another. Man has given them names according to species but each and every animal roaming the earth does not have a special name. We do tend to give our pets special names...and what does this mean? That we value this animal more than the others. The pet is now a part of the family. You always hear the classic farm chat..."Don't name the chickens cuz if you do you will get attached and be harder to make into dinner!" See the chicken is no longer just a chicken. Her name is "Coco" and now she has value beyond her chicken counterparts. So the very fact that we have have names and often got them before we were even born tell us we have value. You are not an animal you are (insert your name here).
Truth Be Told
"Falsehood has an infinity of combinations but the truth has only one mode of being."
Jean Jacques Rousseau
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