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†††~~Overcoming Obstacles With God's Help~~~†††
Once, many years ago, I got the idea that God didn't love me. Various things in ones life tend to pull one down and foster many beliefs of the negative sort.
We lack confidence and self assurance and usually add the fear factor, ie; phobias. Mental concepts (I hesitate to use the words mental illness) cripple us just as surely as physical ones do.
We store these "concepts" in our psyches that raise a great barrier to our ability to accomplish goals and , even, just function at a proper level.
The saddest part is that often we try to reach out for those "crutches" that we feel might help or relieve our anguish and pain. All too often, those are things that harm us more in the long run. These crutches of choice might be illegal drugs, alcohol, activities that are sinful,or even a person that seems to be our answer.
That "person" feeds on our co-dependency and takes us down not up. When two "enabelers" get together, only disaster follows.
I've played the blame game, too.
My terrible father, my negative family, my nievate', all on my long list of causes. And, I may be right, because anger leads to depression.
No one gives us a preventive course in mental health. Society waits until the damage is evident, then suggests treatment to reverse it. How much better if we were informed beforehand and prevented the problems. The best tools I've been given are; first: scripture. Get a good promise book. God cannot lie so what He says to do always works.
God's solutions, stand on them, lean on them, claim them, cling to them and thank Him for them. Ps. 46: 1-2...
God has perfect solutions.....the problem is humans who can't or won't accept those solutions. Like medicine, one must apply it for it to work. There is a group called RAPHA. They say there four false beliefs. If we know these and acknowledge that we have them, we can then reverse those beliefs and get well.
These are FALSE....and I emphasize FALSE.....so remember this. Examine each one and work to rid yourself of it.
1. We believe we must meet certain standards to feel good about ourselves.
2. We must be approved and accepted by others to feel good about ourselves.
3. Failure equals unworthieness and we need to be punished.
4. I can't change...I'm hopeless.
Yes there are standards to be met, but we work with God, not man, to work toward them.
We need to please God not man, and God gave us Christ who cleanses us and forgives us. He is our standard and we work to please Him. It is a process.
Meanwhile 3 and 4 are only destructive mindsets. We can learn and grow from failures, so use them to your advantage. If number 4 is your belief, strike it out of your mind now and turn around to accomplish that change even one step at a time, one day at a time.
Know your enemy! Usually it is "us".
Satan is surely our greatest foe but we must use the tools God gives us to defeat him. You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
Why did Jesus bother to suffer and die?
Was He crazy?
The reason is you and me. No one dies to save something WORTHLESS and hated. So I guess we CAN believe God loves us and deems us worth it. Now, that act and gift from God is free, but that act of total love OBLIGATES us.
Our obligation is to realize our worth to Him. Not to boost our egos, but to find our duty as chosen ambassadors for Him. We need to see our worth to see our potential. Our potential realized, lifts out the petty stuff, like resentment, anger, depression, revenge, and inferiority, and unforgiveness. These are the germs that make us sick.
Realize the brevity of this life and dwell on eternity. Read ll Cor. 4. Put aside the trials of this life, quickly, and cling mightly to eternity with God and perfection. Read Rev. 21 and 22 often to remind you of our inheritance. " Sorrow lasts for the night but joy comes in the morning".
I did all these things, and recieved the second greatest gift...PEACE OF MIND. The first greatest gift, of course, is salvation.
Our physical ailments and our losses are terrible burdens. We can pray for healing and usually get it. The great balm for all these heartaches is that peace that passes all understanding, and it does help us ENDURE those seasons of human pain.
This is the lot of us earthbound creatures. Those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.........." Use those tools that God has given us, and run toward the prize that is promised to us by our creator. Think on THESE things. Tape these promises to your mirror and injest them often. They are the truth that will free you.
Then pray for wisdom and comfort. The relief you need may take some time, meanwhile use the best ways to ease your pain and get the strength to endure for a season.
Embrace God's love, provisions and promises. Remember the "comforter" and call upon Him. Read Paul and see how he ovecame his trials and sufferings. And know you are in a vast company of fellow sufferers which are your brothers and sisters in Christ. We join you in asking for relief. This is satan's gift to us....pain.
Work to end his reign over us and earth. I hope this helps you as it has me. God bless and keep you till we meet in Heaven where there is NO MORE SORROW.
----Written By Anita Brown aka Browniecakes@webtv.net---
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