Jesus
Foundations or stepping stones?
"How are you feeling 'project human' with the thought of a demon whispering you in the ear that everything is temporal, and nothing is supposed to be repeated?"
This is one of the confronting lines of a book called "Projektmennesket" (project human) of Anders Fogh Jensen I'm currently studying for my Masters in Diaconia. The author describes our current society as a project society all about saying yes to as much as possible. It's about constantly optimising one's chances for getting a new project, whether work-related or in our free time. This new normal in society demands endless initiative from each individual to pursue the next project in order to not land in a place of unemployment or boredom. The spirit of project society is 'next' and 'new' while repetition is the enemy. Instead, there is a constant search for openings when what is often needed is boundaries.
When rarely no one is resisting this pace, life becomes about keeping up on the threadmill of the thrill of a new exciting project. Overbookings become a way of life. Because there is no collective opposition to the race and pace, there are instead individual breakdowns manifesting as stress, depression and burnout. When project society does not think in foundations but in stepping stones, it has a price.
Whether you agree totally in this author's description of today's society or not, I bet you can recognise some of the dynamics...
Do you feel caught up in all this madness sometimes? Ready for some more rest, rhythms and repetitions instead of constantly chasing the next stepping stone for the life you are building? I am with you. 🙋
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To build for a lasting impact, foundations are key. What's your foundation? Jesus talks about foundations' significance this way:
"Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakeable foundation. When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation.
But everyone who hears my teaching and does not apply it to his life can be compared to a foolish man who built his house on sand. When it rained and rained and the flood came, with wind and waves beating upon his house, it collapsed and was swept away." Matt. 8,24 TPT.
This is the cure for anxiety, to apply His transformative words to our lives in order to have a strong, firm and unshakeable foundation in Him.
Another illustration on foundations is the act of filling up a see-through vase. The vase is a picture of our life. First, the vase is filled up with sand which symbolises hobbies, cleaning, phone calls, emails, sport etc. It's all the stuff that needs to get done for our daily lives to be sorted. After filling the vase up with sand, stones are laid on top to symbolise substantials like bible, prayer, community, worship and church. It will quickly be evident it can't all be stuffed in the vase. It's cramped, over the top and overwhelming. But if the order is changed and the foundational stones are laid in the bottom first, all the sand, symbolising less important things, seems to find its place, even with the complete same amount of ingredients. This is the mystery of life. The upside down kingdom. The way of Jesus.
Have you ever experienced that what you start with really matters? What's most important to you?
I pray it will be our reality that as we continuously above all constantly chase after the realm of God's kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from him, all these less important things will be given to us abundantly. Matt. 6,33 TPT.
Let's not only adapt to society's frantic search for stepping stones but let's be more intentional about the invisible: roots, foundations and our inner heart from where life flows.
Let's build wisely together on the rock that is higher than us, remaining in Him so that what we build last into eternity.
Bless you,
Sandra.
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When life treats you tight
Have you ever been in a tight spot?
Have you experienced a tight financial situation or have you felt tight on friends? Have your to-do lists and deadlines been so tight that it feels like they are teasing you and about to squeeze the life out of you? Well, no matter what kind of 'tight' you are experiencing, our tolerance sure gets tested when the treadmill of life seem to treat us terrible or tight trials arrive.
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All this tightness we can experience can threaten our trust in Jesus or totally trash our trust. Thanksgiving becomes tight. The thrill of being alive becomes tight when we have a hard time imagining the transformation that's truly possible for our situation. The tenacity we once had turns tiring.
Synonyms to the word 'tight' are words like unyielding, solid, compact, compressed, stretched, strained and stressed. Life can definitely feel that way.
It did for me in the Summer of 2017. My sense of overwhelm was enormous with the responsibility of leading a newly started department of church, building a new marriage, intense health issues arising, having to move apartments and on top of that finishing a four year education, and not having the vision of what awaited me afterwards. In all of this, I felt God pruning and taking away stuff in my life; it was an excavation of my life. God was tilting the soil of my heart which exposed all sorts of ugly stuff in my character. I felt a spiritual battle going on for my future and I felt like I had no energy to fight it. The tightness was tough. And for me, I was dancing around the edge of burnout.
So what do we do when life throws that at us? What's the good news in all of this?
The word 'tight' has synonyms like to fix, fasten, and be closed firmly; hard to move, undo, or open. I believe that's the exact kind of TIGHT that GOD is holding you with! He is holding tight to you in this hour - his firm hands are strong and not letting go of you. It may look like you're surrounded, but you're surrounded by Him!
"If anyone stands in your way, if anyone tries to get you out of the way, Know this: Your God-honored life is tightly bound in the bundle of God-protected life; But the lives of your enemies will be hurled aside as a stone is thrown from a sling." (1 Sam 25,29 MSG)
Remember He is fighting the battle for you. Even when the path you know God has for you seems rough, don't doubt that He is holding you tight to Himself, even when the trials seem to hold you tighter. Call out to Jesus, and let this be your testimony, like it was David's:
"When I call, give me answers. God, take my side! Once, in a tight place, you gave me room." (Psalm 4,1 MSG)
What kind of room do you need in your life? Room to have fun, to rest, to create, to unload some burdens, just to breathe? Ask Him for that and see Him do the divine exchange He is so famous for doing; giving us His rest for our heaviness, His joy for our mourning and His comfort for our angst.
God brought me out of a tight place that Summer and into a revelation and sense that He was holding me even tighter to me than what was coming against me, and it gave me room to experience joy and rest again.
Side note is, I do still feel overwhelmed every day! There is nothing wrong with that in and of itself. But what I am learning is to be more overwhelmed by Jesus than whatever task is at hand, the art of bending without breaking and to rejoice in getting to live a big life and embrace the crazy that comes with it.
Can I encourage you, when you feel like life is tight, keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions through those circumstances, give it all you’ve got, be resolute, and love without stopping. (1 Cor 16:13-14 MSG.) Let the lines of purpose in our lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to our future in heaven, kept taut by hope. (Col. 1,3.5 MSG)
This prayer from King David I've made own, and you can do that as well <3
"With your very own hands you formed me; now breathe your wisdom over me so I can understand you. When they see me waiting, expecting your Word, those who fear you will take heart and be glad. I can see now, God, that your decisions are right; your testing has taught me what’s true and right. Oh, love me—and right now!—hold me tight! just the way you promised.
Now comfort me so I can live, really live; your revelation is the tune I dance to. Let the fast-talking tricksters be exposed as frauds; they tried to sell me a bill of goods, but I kept my mind fixed on your counsel. Let those who fear you turn to me for evidence of your wise guidance. And let me live whole and holy, soul and body, so I can always walk with my head held high." (Psalm 119,73-80 MSG)
Hold tight to Jesus. He is holding tight to you!
Love,
Sandra.
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"Head and not the tail" pt. 2 - Head towards your promised land 👉🏻
(For pt. 1 in the "Head and not the tail"-series, click here.)
Have you ever been in a frustrating situation, dreaming yourself away to another reality? Most likely you've already experienced this in 2018.
That was me a couple of days ago. Let me set the scene for you. I was waiting on delayed public transport and in that extra hour spent on the station, I saw a bus driver being kicked and screamed at and then having to continue his work teary eyed. A gang of guys were also making waiting passengers feel unsafe with their angry behaviour. Minus degrees did not help the situation either. Topping the situation off with being a woman on an empty station late at night made it plain uncomfortable.
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As I was freezing and going in circles in a seven eleven-shop to keep warm, I looked to heaven and desperately wanted it to come down in the midst of my frustrating circumstance. It was like heaven bent over and whispered back: "Freeze frame this moment for it will not always be like this. 🖼 To be the head and not the tail is the desire I have for my people."
The bible speak about it like this:
"The Lord will give you great prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your livestock and the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open for you His good treasure house, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow.
The Lord will make you the head (leader) and not the tail (follower); and you will be above only, and you will not be beneath, if you listen and pay attention to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today, to observe them carefully. " Deut. 28,11-14 AMP.
The purpose of Deuteronomy was to provide guidelines for the new covenant community - the generation of Israel entering the promised land - to enable them to live obediently before God and to carry out His intentions for them. In the same way, we will be prepared for the promised land God has for us as we obediently follow his guidelines above. If this is not fully your reality yet, don't despair:
Do not get weary in the waiting
There is a season for everything, and a process until a promise is prepared to prosper in your life. Perspective, knowing that what we are sowing now is not in vain, is crucial. If you are hustling several jobs, paying off debt and just getting on with what you know is right for building the right foundation, good on you. God does not despise small beginnings. He delights to see the work begin, and so should we. He delights in seeing you put healthy habits in place over hurried hustling. Gain a healthy irresistable desire for His promises to become part of your life. And then hold the tension. Because where you are now is significant for that future to become present tense. Praise Him in the middle. Build your vision from the ground up. Steward all that's in your hand the best you know how to, and then watch what God will do.
Freeze frame this moment
How does your life look if you took a freeze frame now? What beautiful lessons would leak from the photo that would be of service to your future not to forget? As God is elevating us in life, we must never forget where His rescuing grace brought us from. There are gifts inside of you that has not been fully manifested as of yet. When these gifts are brought forth, you will be the head and not the tail. Don't forget how tail-living is for when you are brought out of that, you will have to go back to that mental snapshot and remember and have compassion for those still trapped in that mindset. Your testimony will be a bridge others can walk on over to the other side. As they cross the bridge by loyalty to their current assignment, they will see the promise come about and enjoy the process because they will start living in a "head mindset" long before it is a reality in their circumstances.
There will be an end to this.
Your current reality does not have to be your final destination. God has so more for you. This does not mean we won't be facing hardships anymore in our lives as we are entering our promised land. Far from that actually. We are promised by Jesus we will have trouble. But as we obediently put one foot in front of the other, walking closely with Jesus, and apply wisdom, understanding and wise counsel to the journey, our lives will prosper and in due time, we will reap a harvest. Tail-living is not where we settle when God's intention is to make us 'the head.' What your eyes have seen this far is only the beginning. Where do you need to believe, "there will be an end to this?" Is it to believe you can become an owner, not only a renter? Is it believing for a time where your passion becomes your fulltime job instead of having to make ends meet with working several jobs? The scenaries are countless, and rarely even about money. Whatever it is, listen to hope, and remember, true success is being obedient right where you are.
All my love,
Sandra.
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"Head and not the tail" series - Established in His ways
(Part 1 of 3)
Have you ever seen a building site like on this pic? It is often messy, grey and with time it will even be invisible as a house is built on top. There is a sense of vision but it often takes creativity to imagine how the envisioned future building will look like. It can be easy to underestimate the foundation because of its colour and basicness. This underestimation happens both in the natural and spiritual. However, building the right foundation is essential to be established well in life!
Deuteronomy 28 is a great place to let our year be framed by. It's full of faith and desire from the heart of God for us to be the head and not the tail in life! As we dig in, I believe the depths and reality of this chapter will unfold before our eyes in 2018.
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This first chunk talks about being established. Let's dig in.
The context we are entering is that Deutoronomy is the last installment of Moses’ original writings to Israel. The events in Deutoronomy occurred over a relatively short period of time as Israel prepared to enter Canaan in 1406 BC. The book was likely written right around that time, a message from Moses to the generation of Israelites that would enter the promised land. The book is providing guidelines for the new covenant community, enabling them to live obediently to God’s intentions for them. (She Reads Truth info)
“The Lord will establish you as a people holy [and set apart] to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk [that is, live your life each and every day] in His ways. So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you.” (Deut. 28,9-11 AMP)
Here are beautiful promises I believe are for you and I today, and here are also calls to obedience that are the keys that will unlock these exact promises over our life.
The bible all over actually talks about being established, so we know that it is important to our King. It talks about it in the context of establishing God's covenant, His rule and His people. The bible talk about establishing a core of disciples, establishing a firm foundation of roots, and about how salvation and power are established for all mankind.
The bible is also really clear that God's love and trusting in Him is the perfect foundation to build over lives on. (Psalm 89,1-4 MSG and Prov. 22,17-21 MSG)
Also, it tells us that the basic foundational truths are already in place. These are turning our backs on “salvation by self-help” and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment.
God helping us, we’ll stay true to all that. But there’s so much more. Let’s get on with it! (Heb.6,3 MSG)
Your turn:
- What could it look like for you to be established this year? Then expect God to surprise you over and above!
- What are the “if’s” in the verses in Deut. 28 that will unlock the promises in your life?
- How can you pursue this call to obedience today, and long-term?
- What are those promises, and how do you believe your life would change if you saw this happen in your life to a greater extent?
- Where do you need to start building on the rock instead of sinking sand? (Matt. 8,24)
- Are there any places you are called to rebuild a firm foundation? (A relationship, habit, thought pattern, job situation etc.)
I pray over you for the desire and grace to live in Jesus’ ways. I pray that 2018 will be a year where people will sense there is something special about you that make them know you are royal and set apart, a daughter of the King that they shouldn’t mess with as the last verse in Deut. 28,11 talks about! I pray you will see an establishment deeper into community with the people of God this year in your life! I believe foundations will be set in your life so that you can start building this year.
Receive His steadfast grace for you today.
Let's be established in Him,
Sandra.
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R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – find out what it means to me. 🎵
This well-known song from Aretha Franklin popped into my head as I thought about being intentional about showing respect for one another in relationships.
Respect is key for maintaining healthy relationships. It is about considering others' feelings and treating people the way we want to be treated ourselves. It applies to the small interactions in everyday life as well as to respecting someone's dreams, desires and needs. Scenarios of disrespect are honestly countless. It can appear everywhere.
In our key relationships I think it takes a bit of exploring to find out how the other person feels respected as it is also captured in the song line: “R.E.S.P.E.C.T – find out what it means to me.” It is in the seemingly insignificant, small moments and details of the hustle and bustle of everyday life we find out how can show our respect or lack thereof.
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When respect is lacking, whether because of busyness, indifference or ignorance, (or another reason) little foxes start creeping in that can hinder our relationship with each other.
Song of Songs describes this perfectly:
“Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming.” (Song of Songs 2,15 ESV)
The Passion Translation commentaries to this verse talks about how these “foxes” are the compromises that are hidden deep in our hearts. These are areas of our lives where we have not yet allowed the victory of Christ to shine into. The foxes keep the fruit of his Spirit from growing within us.
The scripture suggests that an otherwise blossoming relationship (whether with God or man) can be ruined if all these little foxes are allowed to mess with what has been planted of beautiful seeds in our garden of love.
If you have felt the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit about an attitude to confront within yourself towards someone, whether it be a one time event or more of a festered attitude that has crept in, below are a few suggestions that might help you practically take steps towards showing and having respect for someone.
- Ask the person a question every day
A question shows interest and a willingness to hear the person’s point of view. Ask the person a question every day for a few weeks about something you have wondered about in the bible, about cooking, technology or whatever area that person is good at or where you might have shut their voice down previously. The person might shy away from the question the first days if there has been a pattern of you not listening and showing respect beforehand. Just keep asking their help with humility until he/she gains the confidence to step into that area and trust you are listening and respecting their point of view. By doing this, you will empower and encourage the person to gain confidence in what they are good at. Return the favour and ask how you can help them too.
- Give thanks for the differences
It is simple and yet powerful when we start giving thanks in prayer and in person for the different strengths another person has. At first we might give thanks begrudgingly, but with time our view will change and we will start seeing the differences as strength. This is definitely a continual exercise.
- Hope for the future
Whether you have discerned there is someone you need to forgive in your heart, confront in love or work on respecting by asking questions and giving thanks, believe there is hope for the future! There is hope for you! There is hope for you to grow in forgiveness and grace. There is hope for you to grow in asking and listening as a way of showing respect. There is hope for you to be thankful in all things. There is hope for you to discern what is the right application for your situation.
I believe in you, so does Jesus!
Love,
Sandra.
(To clarify: When talking about respect, I am not talking about empowering bad or sinful behavior. In those cases I believe respect looks like either confronting the truth of the hurtful behaviour wrapped in love, or it is to bear over and forgive. Sometimes we will need outside help from a trusted pastor, mentor or counselor to do this. We might not get it right every time, but I believe we can grow in dealing with these cases in a healthy way by God’s grace.)
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Spread your wings - soar & serve
Have you ever seen a beautiful bird spread its wings? It looks so natural, elegant and confident. Birds are generally thought of as a symbol of freedom. Birds can walk on the earth and swim in the sea as humans do but they also have the ability to soar into the sky. Birds are free to roam to earth and the sky, kind of like the link between heaven & earth.
For Easter, I went with my whole family to Scandinavias biggest bird park that is located in Nordsjælland, and there we watched one exotic bird after another spread their wings majestically as they are made to do!
One bird stood out though. As it had spent its first year as a pet inside a cage in captivity, it had never been stimulated by its owners or other birds to fly! It was cute and beautiful but not flying as it was created to and it was a bit sad to see the bird just sitting there on a fence watching the other birds fly around in freedom.
The interesting fact for me was that the ability to fly was inside of the bird from birth but flying still needed to be stimulated, nurtured and cultivated to actually happen. The bird needed encouragement and allowance to spread its wings. When we heard all this explained from the bird expert in this bird park, my husband exclaimed, something along the lines of:
"It's kinda like people who haven't met Jesus yet, and don't know the freedom and power they have access to through the Holy Spirit!"
Just wow, and yes and amen. We all continously need the Holy Spirit to be able to soar, fly and rise to live an overcoming life, and to not stay caged to our fears!
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That comment from my husband made me think about all the freedom I have access to through the gift of the Holy Spirit, and how I do not want to take that for granted. It made me think how I want to use that freedom to serve others in love, as Paul speaks about in Galatians 5,1. And I want to experience it also in areas where I can currently relate to that sweet bird who still lives with a cage mentality even though it has the freedom to step into the fullness of flying.
The good news is that even if we have had a bad start like this bird, we are not doomed to stay in that misery forever. Even if we are still waiting and praying for support from people around us to cultivate us to fly in life, we don't have to wait in despair. Even if no-one can do the cheerleading for us right at this moment, the Holy Spirit is our comforter and friend that can guide us into all truth that sets us free to soar & serve!
So, how are you using your freedom? Where are you trapped? Are you continuously inviting the Holy Spirit into your life to do what only He can do - set you free by the truth who is Jesus?
I know I need to lovingly ask myself these questions, because what we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. (1 Corinthians 2:10–12 NIV)
When we know what we have access to, the freedom that has been given to us, we can spread our wings to soar and serve and encourage others to do the same! 🕊
If you have never invited Jesus into your life and experienced this freedom I'm talking about, you can pray this prayer whoever and wherever you are. He will welcome you with open arms:
Dear Jesus, I’m praying this prayer because I know that I have done wrong by living without you. I am sorry and I trust that you will forgive me. I accept your love and grace for me and ask that you would be my Lord all the days of my life. Help me believe in you and love you every day, and help me to show the world what you are like and how great your love is.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
Congratulations! To pray these words with a surrendered heart to Jesus is the beginning of the most important adventure you will ever embark on: the journey to follow Jesus. If you've prayed this prayer, the best thing you can do is to share it with someone and find a local church to be planted in. I would love to hear from you!
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Dip your toe in the water
Me. Myself. I. Words that normally would equal selfish to me! But I think there is actually more than one side to these words! They might have gotten too bad of a rap.
This post is some thoughts on how it can be easy to neglect ourselves in the name of selflessness! Thus avoid all that has to do with self so we can be selfless people, living for others. I know at least this lie has lived inside of me!
But I want to learn from Jesus who is the perfect example of being truly connected to His true identity as the Son of God. In order for me to walk in His footsteps and look like Him more and more, I realise how okay it is to know myself - strengths and weaknesses - so that I can be loved and embraced, with flaws and all.
It is also great to be self-aware (without being consumed by self-consciousness) so I can see parts of me I have orphaned, parts that still need the healing touch of Christ, and also to the rejoice over the parts of my self that Jesus' love has transformed.
Me, myself and I are therefore not to be shameful words which need to be avoided in the pursuit of being selfless! I think Augustine had a good point when he wrote in Confessions:
“How can you draw close to God when you are far from your own self?”
My own self is what needs to be honestly engaged in my relationship with God and others. Otherwise the relationship is just hypocrisy. Without engaging my own - at times - selfish, fleshly self, I live without wholeheartedness, not fully alive and just numb. A way I have lived but refuse to live anymore.
Instead I am waking up and rising up to the challenge of becoming aware of where numbness creeps into my life.
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'Cause to live from the inside out, wholeheartedly, I need to be curious about the movements of my heart. My heart from where life flows. It is all about emotionally healthy spirituality. It's about truth and understanding. Of myself and others.
As I have begun dipping my toe in the water - into the depths of my own soul - I have found help in different tools.
First of all, community with fellow believers and seeing myself reflected in the pages of the bible, that's a no-brainer!
But tools like the Enneagram and Meyers Briggs (Use whatever tool you trust and unlock something in your heart) have also had impact on my ability to get aware of my own blind spots.
Used wisely, tools like these are not to put myself in a box but rather to help me break out of them. They can truly help turn blind spots into sweet spots. In cooperation with the Holy Spirit, they can serve as ways to get curious...
They can reveal how I go about a problem and why I go about a problem like I do.
What's my go-to defense mechanism?
What makes me tick?
What am I hiding behind?
We need to be willing to observe our resistance to reality and our attachment to our old self. It is all about taking off the old to lay hold of the new life Jesus has for us.
"We have to be whole to be wholehearted, and reclaim and reconnect with the parts of ourselves we have orphaned." (Brene Brown)
It is so sad to think about how we orphan parts of ourselves!
I have orphaned myself at times because I have been terrified of being a separate self, an individual who must assert myself against others. I would often rather melt and merge into someone else or quietly follow my idyllic daydreams. This default to hide is not awesome. Also, I can easily feel over responsible for others and under responsible for myself.
Therefore I have to be aware of this pattern that when orphaned turn into numbing out and people pleasing where I unconsciously communicate, "Sorry for taking up space! Sorry for breathing!"
Thankfully, I do not have to stay this way!
When I begin to have a grace culture for my own heart, everything has permission to rise to the surface! Also all the nasty stuff! When light invades in to the dark corners of my soul, I can then - and first then - fruitfully light up the darkness around me. Therefore we should not fear digging deep!
We do not look inside to be introspective or to overanalyse ourselves to pieces. That will just turn out to be super overwhelming! We cannot fix or heal ourselves. Instead, we engage the Spirit to do His work in us.
Step by step, little by little, I trust our love will overflow more and more, and that we will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. (Phil 1,9 NLT)
Getting to know ourselves that we might know God is the discipleship work of a lifetime!
So - dive in.
Explore.
Go ahead and dip a toe in the water! YOU are important.
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I love the word victory. 'Cause who really loves defeat and struggle? I think everyone enjoys winning!
The dictionary defines victory among other things as the overcoming of an enemy, the achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties.
Time to unpack
I want to enter the new year light. I want to enter the new year NEW. Therefore, it is time to unpack.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2. Cor.5,17 NIV)
When I started dating my boyfriend, this verse was pivotal in how we wanted to build and shape our relationship. We were aware that we both had baggage we brought into each other's lives and we knew this truth was something we wanted to cling to. The old has gone, the new is here.
We do not want any of us to be defined by our pasts. BUT in reality there is stuff of emotional baggage to unpack before the new can enter and be enjoyed to the full. This becomes so obvious in a relationship!
What we personally experience is that the conflicts arising in our relationship rarely has much to do with the real situation in front of us. It makes sense with these facts I've heard that normally a conflict is only 10 % about the current situation. 90 % of the conflict arises because of past emotions and fears in a similar situation.
The past can easily have power over us if we do not intentionally help each other unpack it.
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A suitcase that needs unpacking was lately revealed to me. It was a suitcase I dragged along that caused recurring conflict in our relationship.
Thankfully, God helped me see differently. Clearly. So that I do not keep punishing the one in front of me for the mistakes made by the one behind me.
Holy Spirit showed me how I am still carrying a suitcase of emotional baggage because of past betrayal. A betrayal that led to hurt, pain, fear, anger, jealousy, doubt & distrust.
Ugly, I know.
I know too though that I’m not alone in this.
Everyone comes with baggage.
Therefore, we resolved early on in our relationship to be courageous and to not fear the shadowy side of the past that every one of us carries.
A part of being courageous is to own our own journey and the wounds it has caused. Another part of being courageous is to be willing to “feel it to heal it.”
It takes courage to do so but it is necessary if we want to live and stand firm in the new life that has already been purchased for us. It is necessary to be courageous in these ways when we want to refuse to let shadows of our past hold our futures hostage.
Do yourself a favor and read Graham Cooke’s stuff full of revelation!! I love this quote from ”Provision & Partnership”:
"The place of struggle is always the place of your breakthrough, but the first thing that has to be broken through in a struggle is you.
It's your mindset, it's your willingness to trust, your willingness to believe the Lord, and your willingness to step into a miracle."
Yes. Struggle - past - present - future - can become birthing ground for miracles when we choose not to let our past define, destroy, deter or defeat us. We can let it refine us and move on and leave it behind us.
Our baggage isn't too heavy for Jesus! With him our past does not have to make us bitter. It can make us better.
New days, new beginnings & new chances await us. New new new. Our Father makes ALL things new.
Jesus is with us. Love goes before us. Therefore, I'll choose trust for the new year! To not trust will just make me miserable anyway!
Let’s pack light for 2016 and keep pressing forward. (Phil 3,13)
Future, I’m so ready for ya.
"Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new.
The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!
All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other." (2 Cor 5,17 MSG)
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