"Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves." Job 5:17
Remember Job? You know, the guy God let Satan torment. And of course, his wife, "Curse God and die," didn't help the situation much. Job was miserable though. I can't imagine. I don't want to ever know that kind of testing. But God does test us. Job responds to his wife, "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?"
We're so quick to grab the good in life, and thumb our noses at what might come along from our Father to test us, and strengthen us, and help us grow. It gets worse for Job though. He tells a buddy, "For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me." Have you ever been there? Maybe not to the degree Job experienced, but what about some other aspect of your life?
Eventually Job cannot stand it any more though, and he launches into this long, pitiful speech about how bad his life really is. It sounds like he's just about ready to throw in the towel. "Let the day perish on which I was born," he cries. "Why is light given to him who suffers?" In other word, let me die!
But then one of Job's friends, Eliphaz, who has been sitting with him for seven days, says this; Behold, you have admonished many, and you have strengthened weak hands. You words have helped the tottering to stand, and you have strengthened feeble knees. But now, it has come to you, and you are impatient? It touches you, and you are dismayed. Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?"
Any chance you can identify with that? It's so easy to talk the talk, but when the train is coming in your direction, what do you do? Doubt? Quit? Feel like you'd be better off dead? No! That's not the reason for this season of darkness. God has something for you in all of it. Look at Job's eventual response. "Teach me, and I will be silent; And show me how I have erred." That's been my prayer lately. "Lord, I don't understand it all, so I will be silent so you can teach me. I will quit trying to do it on my own. Show me how I have erred, so I can follow you." It works. And that's where the peace and joy reside, in letting go, and letting God have His way. -- Greg Tutwiler
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Where There Is No Vision
"Where there is no vision, the people perish."
How are you? Really ... If you're like everyone else I know, you've been effected in some way by this economic turbulence. One friend lost over 60% of his retirement investment. He had to "come out of retirement," just to pay his daily living expenses. "What else can I do?" he said. It's tough, I understand. And yet, God has advised us that times like these would come. They just so catch us by surprise, don't they? There doesn't seem to be any immediate relief on the way.
However, if you know your purpose in life, the one God has planned for you, then times like these are just part of the journey. I don't mean to minimize the situation. But I have come to realize that worrying about how things are doesn't fix anything for me. And as I understand what God's up to in the world, I'm able to navigate my path more patiently.
The writer of Proverbs wrote, "where there is no vision, the people perish." (29:18) We must have a vision of where God is taking us if we don't want to perish. When we understand the vision, our purpose comes into focus. And then we can begin to live in the reality of our purpose. Then when trials come upon us, we understand that it's just part of the life we're living. It doesn't make the suffering go away, but it helps us stay focused on the bigger picture, and the greater mission that God has for us.
Way too often we loose site of the fact that we're just travelers here on earth. This not our destination. We don't have to be controlled by the circumstances we find ourselves in. God has not given us a spirit of fear. If we find ourselves afraid of the future, then we're placing our trust in the wrong things. And with a proper vision for our future, we can find comfort in the fact that God knows a whole lot more about what's going on than we do. God is so much bigger than we give him credit for.
COACHING QUESTIONS:
1) Do you believe that God created you for a specific life purpose?
2) Speculate what that might be for you.
3) If money were not a concern, what is the one thing you would chose to do, if you could not fail?
How are you? Really ... If you're like everyone else I know, you've been effected in some way by this economic turbulence. One friend lost over 60% of his retirement investment. He had to "come out of retirement," just to pay his daily living expenses. "What else can I do?" he said. It's tough, I understand. And yet, God has advised us that times like these would come. They just so catch us by surprise, don't they? There doesn't seem to be any immediate relief on the way.
However, if you know your purpose in life, the one God has planned for you, then times like these are just part of the journey. I don't mean to minimize the situation. But I have come to realize that worrying about how things are doesn't fix anything for me. And as I understand what God's up to in the world, I'm able to navigate my path more patiently.
The writer of Proverbs wrote, "where there is no vision, the people perish." (29:18) We must have a vision of where God is taking us if we don't want to perish. When we understand the vision, our purpose comes into focus. And then we can begin to live in the reality of our purpose. Then when trials come upon us, we understand that it's just part of the life we're living. It doesn't make the suffering go away, but it helps us stay focused on the bigger picture, and the greater mission that God has for us.
Way too often we loose site of the fact that we're just travelers here on earth. This not our destination. We don't have to be controlled by the circumstances we find ourselves in. God has not given us a spirit of fear. If we find ourselves afraid of the future, then we're placing our trust in the wrong things. And with a proper vision for our future, we can find comfort in the fact that God knows a whole lot more about what's going on than we do. God is so much bigger than we give him credit for.
COACHING QUESTIONS:
1) Do you believe that God created you for a specific life purpose?
2) Speculate what that might be for you.
3) If money were not a concern, what is the one thing you would chose to do, if you could not fail?
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Consider The Future
Consider The Future
It's about 24 hours since America began closing the door on one of the most significant elections in recent history. Regardless of how you voted, or how you feel about the politics of the president elect, we witnessed history in the making in this nation. And a group of people in this country were ecstatic with the outcome.As I pondered my personal opinions, and reflected over the past months, and my desires for the months and years to come, I was lead to a particular verse in the book of Lamentations. "She (Jerusalsm) did not consider her future, therefore she has fallen astonishingly." (1:9) You can argue both sides of the fence on this, depending on where you stand with regard to your choice for president. However the bigger picture for me is this; are you really considering your future? Am I? What are you doing today, or not doing, that has a directly significant impact on your future? What are you putting your faith in? A government, or a creator? A man, or God?
If we allow our emotions to become overly focused, either in disappointment, or over zealous enthusiasm, we run the risk of falling from faith in the one real leader we can trust. Later in the passage, (3:24, 25) it says, "The Lord is my portion says my soul, Therefore I have hope in Him ... The Lord is good to those who wait for Him." That is a promise we can stand on, one rooted in the truth, that has no "party" ties, and is available to all who will believe. Hope in the Lord, Waiting on the Lord, for my portion, whatever that is for me. May you consider that most important as you consider your future, and your reaction to world we live in.
Greg Tutwiler, CCLC, BCPC
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
What do you call yourself?
Do you have any nick-names? I've had several through the years. Seems like every time throughout my life whenever I found myself in a new group of friends, I ended up with a nick name. Some were endearing, other were not. Occasionally, I had nick-names that came from a significantly embarrassing moment. I hated those. Every time someone referred to me by that name, I was reminded of the incident, and someone got a chuckle at my expense. The problem is, when those names are repeated over time, they can become your identity. You can become the person identified in the nick-name.
Scripture tells us the tongue is like a two edged sword. Words can kill. And so can thoughts. It's one thing to be identified with a particular nick-name within a group of people. But when we internalize that name and begin to associate with it on a daily basis, it grips us and debilitates us. A good example is weight. Names like "fatty," "lumpy," "tiny," "biggin,'" etc., send a message; "you're fat," even if that word is never used. We then internalize that message and affirm it. "I am fat." No, you're not. Do you have an area of your life that needs work? Possibly. But if you agree with a particular negative message about yourself, then you cement it into reality, and set up a significant hurdle to ever eliminating that from your life.
So, what names do you call yourself; Weak, lazy, unimportant, incapable, unqualified, loser, inadequate? If you believe those things about yourself, they become reality. Why? Because you act as if they're true. Your actions reflect your beliefs. If you believe you are incapable of completing a task, you won't even try. I know, I've done it. "I can't" should never be part of your vocabulary.
We have to replace the negative name calling with positive messages. Make a list of those lies you believe about yourself. If you think you are not smart enough to earn a particular job, replace that thought with, "I am smart enough." And, if for some reason, you lack the education, or training, you can do something about that too. Don't agree with anything that puts a road block between you and your dreams. We don't pursue our dreams because we believe the messages that tell us it's not possible.
EXERCISE:
Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left, write down everything that you believe about yourself that seems negative. Write everything! Don't stop. The first several will come pretty easy. Keep going. I've found that the ones you have to think harder about, are the ones you have a harder time admitting are true, and are also the ones that have rooted in deeper into your reality. Now, on the right hand side of the paper, replace each thought with a positive response. Don't worry if it sounds silly, or you still really believe the ideas on the left. Repeat this with everyone of them.
Once you've completed the list, tear the sheet down the middle and throw away the left side. Better yet, burn it and imagine those negative thoughts burning away from your thought process. Next; begin to focus on the list from the right side. Use it every day in your prayer and quiet time. Ask God to affirm these new thoughts into your mind. It works. If you can dwell on those negative messages for all these years and believe them, you can dwell on these new ones, and expect equal, and positive results.
Scripture tells us the tongue is like a two edged sword. Words can kill. And so can thoughts. It's one thing to be identified with a particular nick-name within a group of people. But when we internalize that name and begin to associate with it on a daily basis, it grips us and debilitates us. A good example is weight. Names like "fatty," "lumpy," "tiny," "biggin,'" etc., send a message; "you're fat," even if that word is never used. We then internalize that message and affirm it. "I am fat." No, you're not. Do you have an area of your life that needs work? Possibly. But if you agree with a particular negative message about yourself, then you cement it into reality, and set up a significant hurdle to ever eliminating that from your life.
So, what names do you call yourself; Weak, lazy, unimportant, incapable, unqualified, loser, inadequate? If you believe those things about yourself, they become reality. Why? Because you act as if they're true. Your actions reflect your beliefs. If you believe you are incapable of completing a task, you won't even try. I know, I've done it. "I can't" should never be part of your vocabulary.
We have to replace the negative name calling with positive messages. Make a list of those lies you believe about yourself. If you think you are not smart enough to earn a particular job, replace that thought with, "I am smart enough." And, if for some reason, you lack the education, or training, you can do something about that too. Don't agree with anything that puts a road block between you and your dreams. We don't pursue our dreams because we believe the messages that tell us it's not possible.
EXERCISE:
Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left, write down everything that you believe about yourself that seems negative. Write everything! Don't stop. The first several will come pretty easy. Keep going. I've found that the ones you have to think harder about, are the ones you have a harder time admitting are true, and are also the ones that have rooted in deeper into your reality. Now, on the right hand side of the paper, replace each thought with a positive response. Don't worry if it sounds silly, or you still really believe the ideas on the left. Repeat this with everyone of them.
Once you've completed the list, tear the sheet down the middle and throw away the left side. Better yet, burn it and imagine those negative thoughts burning away from your thought process. Next; begin to focus on the list from the right side. Use it every day in your prayer and quiet time. Ask God to affirm these new thoughts into your mind. It works. If you can dwell on those negative messages for all these years and believe them, you can dwell on these new ones, and expect equal, and positive results.
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