IDENTITY

Identity, is one of the most deep complicated subjects. I recently had a conversation with someone very close to me about their purpose in life. The conversation was anxious, in desire for change! I recently did a post on desire, but this takes desire to an even deeper place. Even though we have many desires, desire does not claim our Identity. We must decide who we are before we can even sift through our desires.

Sometimes we can want things simply because it is popular and it is a direction others are taking. In helping the person I asked a question, what separates you from everyone else? Then I answered the question because I know this person well. I said the thing that separates you from your friends and others is the fact that you think through your choices and usually you make the hard decisions that require sacrifice! This quality is your best quality I said! This quality is a given blessing and is a part of your Identity. I then said but you have to ask yourself are you going to listen to your friends or are you going to continue to be what separates you from the crowd?

Everyone is searching for Identity! The only true place to find it is through Christ! The more we walk with Him, the more shall I say, we become ourselves! Honestly we start out so lost. Through a process we slowly begin to find ourselves through our Identity in Him! Praise you Lord, thank you! This transformation can’t happen without worship and His word, quiet time with Him and meditation.

We have an inner battle taking place between the flesh and the spirit and this is what causes us to want to go the same direction as the world.

Matthew 7:13-14 [Full Chapter]
[ The Narrow and Wide Gates ] “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Moving towards Christ and struggling through the process of following His word is the only way to find your true Identity. Learning sacrifice and conforming to His will, is when you the clay, begin to take shape! Your Identity!

Isaiah 64:8 [Full Chapter]
Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

God bless you in your search for your true Identity!!!

Blessings to the New Year! It’s your year!!!

BROKEN BRIDGES

Relationships seem to begin well, after some time they can be very complicated. Two different people trying to connect with each other, with the goal to become one in each other. So often what we find is conflict and then it goes unresolved. Once so excited, talking on the phone for hours at a time, never seemingly getting enough of each other. So what happened? How did things go wrong? What changed? What led to saying things we will regret! the cold shoulder, anger, tears, resentment, and hopelessness!

Can it be repaired? Do I want to repair it? He changed, she is not the same person. I’m no longer attracted. I cant forgive. I cant forget. My heart is hard, I cant go on! So few avoid this from happening, so few live the dream we all start with. Our vision of a relationship in our mind, that ever so quickly crumbles.

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

This scripture is very challenging when it is the last thing you feel like doing. Our battle is against principalities. We are called to choose and not live by our feelings.

Ephesians 6:12King James Version (KJV)

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Principalities want you to work off of feelings rather than love. Feelings are the hook! Like a fish caught fighting for its life. Caught by the bait of pride, fear, insecurities, lies, anger, and fooled by the shinny lure of misunderstanding! If only we could see to the heart like God. I believe it was purposed for us not to see to the heart. I believe we are purposed to battle with feelings. Because our battles begin in the mind and if we are convinced in our mind the enemy has its hold.

Might I say relationships are not about feelings but a choice, a choice to love. A commitment to do what is right regardless of the other person. The choice to love when you feel the person doesn’t deserve your love, as we do not deserve Gods love.

When we walk by our feelings it is like a blind man feeling his way around in the darkness. We must walk by the word of God which is the lamp to our feet. At first the feelings we have are not good but as we walk by faith and the word of God our sick heart heals and feelings that were dead come alive in Christ. So we must walk by faith not by sight or feelings.

Men are so built to lead but what happens when the women starts giving honey do list, or telling her husband not to do this or that! The man puffs up his frustrations, because you know, he is the man, he should lead! He struggles with disrespect rather then understanding relationships are about serving, Remaining humble, being gentle, leading by softening his character. Not listening to the negative thoughts about her in his head. Instead renewing his mind to the mind of Christ.

When a relationship is lost and there seems no hope to fix it, I can tell you there is always hope. You must start to dig up the bad that you sowed. So that you can begin planting new seed. because Gods word says you reap what you sow.

Dig up your hard heart, resentment, and anger. Dig up the lies in your head. Put on Christ and begin by sacrificing. Sacrifice your time, give up things to God and your relationship without him or her knowing. Serve them, seek to understand the true heart of their bad behavior, rather than living in misunderstanding. Care about how they feel, choose to care for them as you desire to be cared for, even if you don’t feel it. Most people act badly when they are hiding hurt. The crazy thing is if we take the time to find out whats really going on we can usually fix it quickly.

Ephesians 4:29

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

Philippians 4:6

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Proverbs 4:23

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

Philippians 2:3

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves

I am a work in progress, sharing my walk with you through this blog!

BROKEN

I see the reflection from the shadow of your broken heart
I see the pain from my rejection of your brokenness
The world casts away the pearls covered in soot
Only adding more layers to the rejection you have known
If the world only knew their state of brokenness was even more
They might consider how to care for you
Their shadow overlaps yours, so you know
Now excepted for all that you are
I choose to stand in the gap of the two shadows
pouring light and love on yours
To care for your heart and mine at the same time
I choose to mend the broken heart

I realize how irritated I get at times with someone who is extremely needy or not as smart, someone who is not as neat or organized, someone who is always negative, sad or just a complete downer. Addicts, drama queens, lyres, weak people! As if I’m so together or at least I can fake it better than most. Have I hardened my heart so much? Has pride taken me to a dark place disguising itself as light? When yet, I am just another dark shadow. Don’t get me wrong I’m going to some extremes in this post to make a point. Our we missing it?

Psalm 34:18 [Full Chapter]
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

As a Christian am I not suppose to make myself low and how low? Lower than the weakest of them? Meaning care for the broken! Not that I haven’t, I have preached at rehabs and ministered to many different types of people but how irritated have I gotten at times?
What is the state of my heart? If I am to model Jesus, should I not get close to the broken? Should I not take greater care?

Job 4 New International Version (NIV)

Eliphaz
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

2 “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
But who can keep from speaking?
3 Think how you have instructed many,
how you have strengthened feeble hands.
4 Your words have supported those who stumbled;
you have strengthened faltering knees.
5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;
it strikes you, and you are dismayed.
6 Should not your piety be your confidence
and your blameless ways your hope?
7 “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?
Where were the upright ever destroyed?
8 As I have observed, those who plow evil
and those who sow trouble reap it.
9 At the breath of God they perish;
at the blast of his anger they are no more.
10 The lions may roar and growl,
yet the teeth of the great lions are broken.
11 The lion perishes for lack of prey,
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “A word was secretly brought to me,
my ears caught a whisper of it.
13 Amid disquieting dreams in the night,
when deep sleep falls on people,
14 fear and trembling seized me
and made all my bones shake.
15 A spirit glided past my face,
and the hair on my body stood on end.
16 It stopped,
but I could not tell what it was.
A form stood before my eyes,
and I heard a hushed voice:
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?
18 If God places no trust in his servants,
if he charges his angels with error,
19 how much more those who live in houses of clay,
whose foundations are in the dust,
who are crushed more readily than a moth!
20 Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;
unnoticed, they perish forever.
21 Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,
so that they die without wisdom?’
New International Version (NIV)

God deals with this subject as he speaks to Job! Job now finds himself very needy! Job was at the peak of the mountain and now at the lowest pit. (10 The lions may roar and growl, yet the teeth of the great lions are broken.) This really speaks to me about the strength I think I have! It could be taken at any moment and how then would I be. (2 “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?) I believe God is adding to the already amazing Job! He is allowing him to experience what only the broken and needy know ( PAIN )! Will Job now have more to give to those in need, those more needy then him? I believe the answer is yes. Does God have to bring us to the same place of Jobs brokenness for us to gain the same wisdom? I don’t think so. All we need is something to provoke our hearts to the point of asking God to help us in this.

DESIRE

In this life we all have desire! It seems like the majority of our desire gets shattered leaving us feeling empty, less than or as someone who will never reach the deepest longings of our heart. I believe the bible speaks on this in many different levels. Psalm 37:4 [Full Chapter]
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

I’m writing this post because of a comment left on my post (THE ROAD TO LOVE) A gentleman spoke of never feeling love and having a deep desire for it. This blogger left me feeling very sad, yet at the same time very encouraged and excited about what the Lord will do with someone with such desire and not only desire but the desire for the most important thing in the world, ( LOVE )!

How do we take delight in the Lord when our desire has left us empty? Faith is the answer to this question. Everything is tested by faith! Do we believe God? Can we pick ourselves up when we feel discouraged, hopeless, beaten down, faithless and our heart full of lies. Our we able to take an honest inventory of our lives looking at our sin, repenting, getting right with God and then walking in promise, security and faith. 2 Samuel 23:5 “If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire.

We are in this together Christian family! Didn’t God say, don’t seem it strange these trials we are up against, that our brothers and sisters are all facing the same kind of trials. I have many desires and some I am still waiting for, and have been waiting for, I have a strong desire for them to come to fruition. Waiting, trusting, believing, struggling, doubting, despair, being restored and beginning again, waiting, trusting, believing! The process of growing in our desire and even sometimes God changing our hearts and showing us desire in a new light and it usually has to do with our desire for Him!

Our hearts can deceive us especially when it comes to desire. Our flesh the sinful nature has a desire against the spirit and is why our desire leads us into despair. The way we envision our desire from the flesh is not the way it looks once we are living the vision, where our fleshly desire took us. Gods way is not our way and so we fight against Gods desire. Gods desire usually means dyeing to self, humbling our-self, seeking first God and His kingdom which then leads us to our desire being filled. Gods way is hard at times but the most rewarding. You have to ask yourself what does God really want? It usually has to do with you! Something you must walk through within yourself to bring forth the plan God has towards the blindness, darkness of our future, which is the outcome we cant see at first, but as we move through the darkness putting on faith the light shines through of Gods true desire for our lives, beginning with you. Sometimes It can be confusing, because we are going through trials that are painful and never seem to end. God said you gain the prize by perseverance and faith especially when your heart is being tested and an unfinished work is in place. look at Job.

Job 17 New International Version (NIV)

6 “God has made me a byword to everyone,
a man in whose face people spit.
7 My eyes have grown dim with grief;
my whole frame is but a shadow.
8 The upright are appalled at this;
the innocent are aroused against the ungodly.
9 Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways,
and those with clean hands will grow stronger.
10 “But come on, all of you, try again!
I will not find a wise man among you.
11 My days have passed, my plans are shattered.
Yet the desires of my heart
12 turn night into day;
in the face of the darkness light is near.
13 If the only home I hope for is the grave,
if I spread out my bed in the realm of darkness,
14 if I say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’
and to the worm, ‘My mother’ or ‘My sister,’
15 where then is my hope—
who can see any hope for me?
16 Will it go down to the gates of death?
Will we descend together into the dust?”

Listen to Jobs heart as he dealt with desire and was crushed by it! Mostly what I want you to see is a Man finding victory in His desire as he begins to fight out from the fire as he holds to faith!! He finds His one true desire, His faithful desire, God! The amazing thing is that God was always looking at His man Job with delight!

Question? Will you give and trust your desire to God?

God bless you, I hope this word in the time of discouragement, has given you strength and hope!! My greatest desire is for my God and my beautiful wife. God bless!