Counselor’s Corner: Beginning Again: Out With the Old and in With the New

Before you can move into your new season you have to let go of the old first.

“Old what you may be asking?”

1.      Old attitudes that keep you in the “wilderness,” and moving into your “promised land.” These attitudes include: complaining, murmuring, fault-finding, covertness, thanklessness, self-pity, blaming others, being a victim of your circumstances, and idolatry (placing anything ahead of God).

2.      Old mind-sets. Allowing your minds to think whatever it wants, and not taking every thought captive into the obedience of Jesus (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Thinking thoughts that are negative, faithless, and hopeless. Some of you have strongholds and lies that you have believed for years and need to be torn-down by renewing your minds in the Word of God.

3.      Holding onto the old things of the past. Some friendships, ministries, and possibly marriages did not succeed but when we hold onto these things and condemn ourselves repeatedly for our past mistakes we cannot move forward. Ask God to forgive you if you need to, and believe that God has forgiven you and that He does not want you dwelling in your past any longer. (Philippians 3:13-14).

4.      Living in cycles of defeat and hopelessness. Believe in this new season you will be victorious and an overcomer in every situation. Begin to believe the best about yourself and others.

5.      Get comfortable with not fitting in with the crowd and being different. Stop allowing yourself to be consumed by what people think of you. In this new season care more about what God thinks of you.

Moving forward into your promised land will require “letting go” of former things. Former things that are no longer working for you, and possibly areas of sin in your lives that must be dealt with.

Ask yourself what is no longer working in your life?

For example you want to go forward in your life and experience all that God has for you but you are still holding onto selfishness and pride. Perhaps God is asking you to let go of worry and fear. Anything that could be hindering you from moving forward God very well may have you to remove these before preceding to what He has for you next. If you have gotten yourself into the habit of complaining, God may have you deal with this before experiencing your breakthrough or blessing that you have been waiting for.

Ask God what old things need to be discarded in your life, and what new things He is wanting to bring into your life. You may have to get rid of the old before God can make room for the new. Some things no longer work for us, and we need to have wisdom to what those things are. If you are going to purchase a new car and your old car is still in the garage, how can you make room for that new car? Some will try and fit the new car with the old car, but why would you want to hold onto your old car if it no longer is working? Some of us need to stop holding onto to the things in our past, so that God can make room for the new things He is trying to bring to pass.

If what you are doing in your life is not working, it is time to make some changes. The mental health definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Is it time for change?

What is the Christian Wilderness?

The Christian wilderness can be defined as a period of testing and refinement. It may seem during this experience that you have a dark cloud that hovers over you. You may have also encountered several losses during the wilderness time. It can seem like God is distant and does not care or hear your prayers. Your character, sins, and shortcomings are exposed to the light of Christ to bring healing.

There is a preparation period that God brings His people when He needs to correct undesirable behaviors or even to test our faith. This preparation will be used for something greater in the Kingdom of God. If God has called you to a ministry or Kingdom work, you can rest assure there will be a time of preparation. Many people are made whole as the Bride of Christ during the wilderness phase. Yes, it is a lonely and difficult time, but you will make it out if you do not complain, grumble and trust God. Complaining and grumbling over your circumstances will keep you in the wilderness longer, but having a thankful heart will help you get to your promised land quicker.

You may wonder how long you will stay in the wilderness, but it differs from person to person. I believe I would have left the wilderness sooner than 10 years, but I got lost in self-pity, complaining, bitterness, and lack of thankfulness. Was I a bad person? No, I had not learned how to trust God during my time of facing some very difficult circumstances. I felt like Job in the Bible many times, perhaps you can relate?

I also stayed stuck in the wilderness because of my stinkin’ thinkin.’ My thoughts became sour and rotten, and I allowed my thought life to run wild. Some days I felt I had the right to my disturbing thoughts because of all I had been through. I tried everything to take away the pain, everything except running to God. I thought if He allowed all this bad stuff to happen to me why should I go to God for help? I know that is messed-up thinking, but you have to understand I had tremendous pain and losses back to back in my life. I simply did not know that God would turn all the pain in my life for good. I complained and grumbled about my circumstances to anyone who would listen to me. Why? I was needing someone to sympathize me and feel sorry for me. I thought there is NO WAY other people have it as bad as I did. I believed that God must not be pleased with me, and maybe I was being punished for my prior sins.

 I could not see past my pain.

I had so many blessings but I could not see them for all the heartache that was surrounding me. I tried to count my blessings, but it was a struggle for me. I knew God gave me promises, but I saw the “giants” in my promised land like the Israelites did on their journey to the Promised Land.

In the wilderness you may feel isolated from others, distant from God, hopeless, suffer from infirmities, lonely, and may be lacking in ministry work. This is a time to run to God, not from Him. You may be tempted to go back to your former life, or go back to that old comforting sin habit-BUT DON’T! STAY THE COURSE and finish the work God is perfecting in you. It will be well-worth your discomfort now. Don’t give up during your wilderness season, but PUSH and then PUSH some more. I am telling you that you have to push your way through to your promised land. The enemy will try and deter you getting there anyway that he can.

Have you experienced the Christian wilderness? If you are still in the wilderness ask God how you can find your way to the Promised Land.

Check out a book that I wrote on Wilderness Mentality,Stop your Stinkin’ Thinkin’

Contentment where you're at in Life

                                    

How many times I have caught myself saying, “I will be happy when…” I have waited years for answered prayers and longings of my heart to be fulfilled. Can anyone relate? What happens to some is during the “wait” we become discontented and begin to grumble and complain about our circumstances. Is it possible to have contentment right in the middle of your trials and difficult circumstances? I say, “Yes, it is possible but not easy to overcome, but yes possible.”

Be joyful and content today!

In my book, “Wilderness Mentality, Stop Your Stinkin’ Thinkin’,” I devote an entire chapter on the art of learning contentment. I will share with you some excerpts from chapter 3 of my book.

The definition of contentment is to be calm, relaxed, and free of worry? Does that define you? If not, why? Ask the Lord to show you why you are discontented.

 If you are not content with your lot in life you will complain. I have learned (the hard way), that contentment is accepting God’s control over ALL of my circumstances. Most of us are content when circumstances are going well, but God wants us to have contentment in all things and in all seasons in our lives. 

Wait for the Lord in confident expectation. Be joyful today, not when your circumstances are perfect. Enjoy your life now. God molds, teaches, and trains us through our circumstances. Surrender all to God and release control to our Savior. Stop dwelling, pondering, wishing, and wondering when, why, and where. Stop being controlled by your emotions and circumstances. Do not wish to be anybody else or have what someone else does. You really do not know what other people go through, that perfect family and perfect spouse you see; may not be all that perfect. Some people are better at hiding and covering up their problems.

Stop trying to force things to happen on your own time. It’s about timing, and God’s timing is perfect. Do not compare your situations to others. God has a unique plan for each of us individually.

Contentment means wanting nothing more than what God has given you. It is not saying you can never have desires, but if those desires become idols (idols are anything we place above God), then you are risking losing contentment.

I know all too well about the “wilderness mentality.” For so long, I was truly not content with my life (and now it’s a daily, conscience choice to be content). I had a lot of pain and heartache, and I just wanted to slip into someone else’s life. I soon realized that everyone has problems.

Instead of talking about how big your problems are, start thanking and praising God instead. It will confuse the enemy when you praise instead of complain. Stop being a victim, there are many people who go through pain and losses as well. Change your perspective about your life, is it really that bad? Is there anything that you have been blessed with?

Take it one day at a time, and refrain from magnifying everything by saying, “My life will always be this way.” The enemy will always try and keep you focused on what you don’t have, he will even show you! But don’t take that bait! REFOCUS on what you do have and what is right in your life.

Disclaimer:

And yes, everything I write here to you, I had to apply in my own life. I write from my personal experiences with contentment. It has been a journey, but I pray you will take from my experiences and learn something that took me a long time to get.

Scriptures to meditate on for contentment, ponder and reflect over these, say them out loud:

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I LEARNED IN WHATEVER STATE I AM, to be CONTENT. I know how to be abased, and I know how to be abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Philippians 4:11-12

Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. Psalm 55:22

But Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires plunge men into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:6-10

For further reading and to order your copy of “Wilderness Mentality, Stop Your Stinkin’ Thinkin’,” Go to www.createspace.com/4036785

Thank you and may the Lord God speak to you through this book, and let me know how He does!  

Life Lessons on Contentment

This article is based on years of what the Lord has given the author about the subject of contentment. The author has accumulated several journals over the years on contentment. What the author writes in this article are the life lessons the author has learned about contentment.

Have you ever wanted the "White-Picket Fence?"

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to be abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-13

You can be content in no matter what state you are in, with Christ who strengthens you. It may not be easy or comfortable to go through difficult circumstances, but you can truly learn to be content in them. Contentment is accepting God’s control over all your circumstances.

We can rejoice too, when we run into trials, for we know that they are good for us-they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.

Romans 5:3-4

Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything.

Philippines 4:6

Give all your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Psalm 55:22

But in my distress I cried out to the Lord…He heard me from His sanctuary; my cry reaches His ears.

2 Samuel 22:7

Speaking God’s Word over your circumstances is medicine to your soul. Apply these scriptures and any additional ones that the Lord gives you on contentment. Then wait for the Lord to act on your behalf in confident expectation. Don’t get discouraged if your life is not changing in the manner you would like, or your circumstances are seemingly not changing. God is at work, but sometimes there are life lessons we have to learn along the way.

Key Life Lessons on Contentment:

·        Be joyful today, not when your circumstances are prefect. Enjoy your life now.

·        Start doing things bring you enjoyment.

·        Trust God with all your heart and do not lean on Your Understanding of things.

·        Take it one day a time. Don’t focus on tomorrow or dwell on yesterday.

·        Do not be moved or react by your circumstances. Be stable in all your ways.

·        Give God all your desires of your heart and trust that His timing and plans are perfect for your life.

·        Stop dwelling on what you don’t have.

·        Don’t force anything to happen on your time.

·        Never complain about your circumstances.

·        Apply grace to yourself and to others. Don’t have unrealistic expectations for yourself and others.

·        Stop comparing yourself to others.

·        Don’t take life so serious. Things will pass.

·        You are not responsible for everyone’s happiness or contentment.

Contentment comes when we accept our lot in life, and not running ahead of God’s timetable. Take the account of Abraham and Sarah who went ahead of God’s timetable and took matters into their own hands. Countless people get tired of waiting, become discontented and take matters into their own hands.

The most important things to remember about contentment is waiting for God to fulfill His promises to you, and while your are waiting not to enter into complaining. This is not always easy to do, but when you ask God to line your desires with His desires; He will.

Discontentment will cause you to have stinkin’ thinkin’. Most of us are content when circumstances are going well, but God wants you to have contentment in all things and in all seasons of your lives. God teaches, molds, and trains us through our circumstances. Surrender all to God and release all control to our Savior. Do not compare you situations to others or what they have, God has a unique plan for each of us. Contentment means wanting nothing more than what God has given you. So ask yourself, how content are you really? Are you satisfied with what God’s provisions for your life have been? It is okay to have desires, but when we make things we desire “idols,” (things that we put above God) then you risk living discontented. Instead of talking how big your problems are, start thanking and parsing Him instead. Change your perspective. Get your mind off of what you don’t have, start daily counting the blessings that you do have. [i]

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[i] Insert taken from author’s book, Wilderness Mentality, Stop your Stinkin’ Thinkin.’ Order copies from www.createspace.com/4036785

New Year, New Season, and Letting Go

In order to step into your new season, you have to let go of the past. Letting go of all that hinders you. This is a time to leave the “wilderness” and enter into your “promised land.” You cannot carry old, dead-weights into your promised land, but you must diligently lay aside all that would weigh you down; your burdens and concerns of this world. For some, you will not be bringing much of anything of your former season into the Promised Land. It is by and through obedience we take what God shows us into our new season, Promised Land.

These are some things that will hinder you arrival into the Promised Land:

1.       Religion, traditions of men, and legalism.

2.       Toxic and unhealthy relationships.

3.       Anything that hinders your faith, would cause you to stumble or to sin.

4.       Old childhood wounds and current wounds. No victim mentalities in the Promised Land.

5.       Fear of man, people-pleasing, and people approval, along with false responsibility, false guilt and condemnation.

6.       Bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness. We must choose to forgive, release anger and walk in love.

7.       Complaining, murmuring, fault-finding, judging, and criticizing.

We must be free of the entanglements of the world, and go forth in the calling that God had laid out for us. This is a season of change, opportunity, restoration, and open doors. It is time to stop counting all of our losses, reflecting and talking about our wounds, and instead be healed and victorious through Christ.

From the book of Joshua, chapter 5, we read that the Israelites spent 39 years in the wilderness unnecessarily because they were terrified of the Canaanites. They underestimated God’s ability. The Israelites’ first attempt to enter the promise land failed (Numbers 13, 14).

Don’t underestimate God in this new season. If we are faithful to God, He will cause great opposition to disappear.

Reflection/Discussion Questions:

1.    What is preventing you from entering your promised land? What “giants” like the Canaanites are you fearful of?

2.    What do you need to lay aside (look over questions 1-7) to enter the Promised Land?

3.    Have you entered the Promised Land before and did not stay? Do you believe God can cause your great opposition to disappear this time around?

To read more about Wilderness Thinking, you can order a copy of my book, Wilderness Mentality, Stop Your Stinkin’ Thinkin’ from www.createspace.com/4036785

The Seasons are Changing, Arise to Your New Destiny

What a “season” this has been spiritually. It has been a time for planting in the harvest, a time of refinement, a time of cutting away from the former things of the past for many true followers of Christ. It has been a long and difficult season, and so many people of God are ready for change and transition into their new season. For many Christians there has been a “wilderness” journey that they have been on. The wilderness is lonely, discouraging and at times depressing. The wilderness is a place of change and a place of cutting away those things that have hindered our walk with the Lord.

Before entering into your new destiny you must purge and remove the things of the past completely. Let go of things and relationships that have not worked and caused you great suffering and heartache. Let God bring forth the relationships, ministries and outcomes during this time. Don’t hold on to the things of the past. Let God finish the purging and refining work He has started.

A fresh wind of the Holy Spirit is coming forth to bring life to the hopeless and reveal truth in the midst of darkness. It is a time like no other. A time to be born-again and to enter into His kingdom. Many have prayed for loved ones salvation, the return of prodigals, and the return of loves ones who have walked away from the Lord. They will have to make a choice soon which master they will serve, and you will know very clearly their position.

Time is near for the end of the kingdom here on earth, the kingdom here that is ruled by satan and his cohorts. Preparations are being made for the return of the Messiah. Do you discern the times we are in? Let nothing get in your way of watching and looking for the return of the Messiah. So many Christians are living stressed, burdened, and troubled lives, but look away from those things of the world and focus on His return and preparing for His return? Are you ready for His return? Have you made your relationships right? Have you repented from sin and turned away from your sin? Have you shared the Gospel with your family? Do you share the Gospel when you can? Have you forgiven yourself and others? Not all people will accept this way of life. To enter His kingdom is narrow and many will choose the wide path or gate. The wide path seems easier, but it leads to death. His kingdom will have no end and will go on for eternity.

Jesus is preparing a place for all of His believers. The enemy knows his time is short on earth and has assaulted, distracted, discouraged, destroyed and annihilated a lot of followers of Christ. But arise today, you are part of the chosen generation, a royal priesthood and you will arise to complete the finishing assignments to your life and destiny. Do not be distracted by the ones who call themselves Christians, but follow after their own lustful desires and live continually disobedient to Christ and His word. Do not be deceived by them. The ones that follow Christ will be known by their fruit. Let Jesus do the work in the lives of the ones who are not following Christ, otherwise you will get entangled and trapped in their endless needs, issues, and problems. You will know those who truly follow Christ, they will repent of their sins and turn away from their sins. Turn away means not to repeatedly engage in the sin. Those that live in continual bondage to sin are not true followers of Christ. They may know Christ, they may even know the Word, but they don’t follow Christ. There is a tearing away of the “wheat from the tares.” You may be noticing the tearing away and you may be noticing you are undergoing changes. Hold fast, be unwavering in your convictions for Christ and He will bring you through this time. It is a time like no other.

Our ultimate destiny is our eternal home with Christ. For true followers of Christ, our destiny is being prepared. Arise, your destiny awaits you. The world will soon be dissolved and we will rule and reign with our Messiah in the New Jerusalem.

Therefore, rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows he has a short time.

Revelation 12:12

The devil begins to step up his persecution because he knows his time is limited. We are living in the last days, and satan’s work has become more intense. Even though he is very powerful, as we can see by the condition of the world, he is always under God’s control. One of the reasons God allows satan to work evil and bring temptation is so that those who pretend to be Christ’s followers will be weeded out from Christ’s true believers. Knowing that the last great confrontation with Jesus is near, satan is desperately trying to recruit as great an enemy force as possible for this final battle.

And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

I John 2:28-29

The visible proof of being a Christian is right behavior. Many people do good works but don’t have faith in Jesus Christ. Others claim to have faith in Jesus Christ but rarely produce good works. Those who claim to have faith and consistently do what is right are true believers.

Beloved, we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we should be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

1 John 3:2-3

The Christian life is a process of becoming more and more like Christ. This process will not be complete until we see Christ face to face, but knowing that is our ultimate destiny should motivate us to purify ourselves. To purify means to keep morally straight, free from the corruption of sin.

Additional resources from author:

Online Christian Counseling: www.gospelguidance.com/advisors/5311-sreck

Latest book publication, Wilderness Mentality, Stop your Stinkin’ Thinkin’: www.createspace.com/4036785

YouTube Videos on Hope & Encouragement: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOEcx8uKfKE

The Journey's been long but the tide is about to turn

Circumstances, trials, crisis, let downs have captured the people of God.

Some have succumbed to the hardships of life. Some have even given up hope. While others have lost their faith and doubted God’s plans and purposes for their lives. This journey has been long and daunting.

The journey that you have been on has been unrelenting in trials and hardships. You may have even wondered at times what you have done to have such pain. Sometimes you have felt alone on this journey and that you have been misunderstood and even rejected by others closest to you. You have not known which path to take and have even found yourself going in circles or around the same ”mountains” again and again. You have tried to express to others how you have felt but it became apparent that you were not being understood. You may have lost all or most of your traveling companions on this journey. Others left because they could no longer figure you out or you realized at some point you were traveling two different journeys.

You may have experienced health aliments and even emotional distress during this time. You asked for prayer and maybe have been standing, waiting for your healing; and you are still waiting. You are not even sure which direction to take anymore. You feel you are in a waiting period, but you seem to still be waiting. Waiting on what you say, “those prayers, promises, healings, restorations, and direction.” You have held out and waited as you have seen the desires of your heart upon your enemies. The moms who have been praying relentlessly for their prodigal to return, the single waiting for their Godly spouse, family members waiting for family relationships to be healed and restored and for the sick waiting to be healed; these are the times to wait and trust a new journey will begin. It is not God’s intent to bring tragedy, pain, heartache and suffering for you entire life and you never receive good from the evil or harm that has come into your life.

There will be a day of reckoning, a day of restoration. What have you been holding out on? What are you still believing God for? Or what have you lost hope in? Be honest before the Lord, He already knows your heart. Is there something you have given up on already because the wait became too long? I will encourage you to read the entire chapter of Ruth. Ruth lost everything, husband and two sons and was beyond childbearing age. Her future looked bleak and hopeless. But then, God restored everything back to Ruth.

“And may He be a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.”  Ruth 4: 15

Ruth waited a long time for things in her life to be restored. I am sure she had no idea how God was bringing these things to pass in her life. You may be in a place where you have hoped and nothing has happened or you did hope for something but it did not last. You may have deep discouragement and be very disillusioned about God. Ruth was so bitter about her circumstances she asked that her name be changed to Mara, which means bitter. What if she would have given up before her life was restored. Keep hoping, keep believing, and keep trusting God is a restorer.

The time has come for many to receive a new direction for your life. There is a new tide that is turning for the people of God who will flow in it. This new direction will not be familiar, you will not have chartered this territory before. It may not look exactly how you planned, but it is exactly what God has planned for you and it is good. It may be difficult to transition over because we like familiar and comfort, but go with the new flow and direction of God; do not stay stuck or you will become stagnant. God has been refining, restoring, correcting, teaching, and now the time has come to embrace a new journey. Don’t pick up where you were before. Start fresh, a new, and don’t look back, or compare the past to the future.

The tide is about to turn on this very long journey that you have been on. Make sure you are obedient to what Christ tells you and cleanse and repent of all sins. Forgive yourself and forgive others. Embrace the new journey. God is preparing His people, do not be deceived and continue on the journey that the world is taking; stay the course Christ has for you.

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For additional reading on the Wilderness Mentality, www.createspace.com/4036785

Wait on the Lord

So many of God’s people have grown weary and are tired of waiting for answered prayers and promises to be fulfilled. You may have experienced trial after trial in your life and you are exhausted; maybe even lost your faith. Perhaps you have begun to doubt God and His promises and plans for your life. Let’s get honest, we all go through those times. We may wonder where God is in all of this and if He has heard my prayers.

There is a battle raging like never before, and the enemy would love you to believe all his lies and deceptions. The war is on and a sifting is occurring among God’s people. Remain steadfast and remain faithful even if you can’t see what is ahead. God is coming; He has not forgotten His people.

Renew your commitment to Christ today. Though you may be wondering what is going on, don’t despair; help is coming! Remove any and all distractions that are keeping you from your relationship with Christ. Seek Him once again and expect that He will act on your behalf. If you have been waiting months or even years for something; keep waiting! But wait in expectation of God’s promises. Your only other choice to is step subtlety in the enemy’s camp. Once the enemy pulls you in he will destroy everything you know and believe about Christ. Do not be deceived there is a battle going on, and it is to take the people of God out of the Kingdom of light. The enemy will use your circumstances, trials, and times of waiting to destroy what you believe about Christ.

God has not forgotten you. He knows you intimately and He is passionate about you. He sees your desires and even knows your deepest longings. God does love you and wants nothing more than for you to trust Him. When you trust Him the wait gets easier. Waiting on the Lord is expecting that the promises of strength will help you rise above life’s circumstances. Be patient people of the Most High God; Jesus is coming. God is not here to fulfill every desire and longing we have but to reconcile us to Him and to bring others into His glorious reign. Our lives are not our own; but His.

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the Lord,

The creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints or grows weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and grow weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with the wings of eagles,

They shall run and not grow weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Reflection: What do you need to lay down today (unmet expectations, desires) and then ask God to renew your strength. Ask God to prepare you to align your desires with His desires and to want what He wants for your life. It is His desire to bring you good gifts, but not to fulfill all our desires of the flesh.

For more information or to order Wilderness Mentality, Stop Your Stinkin’ Thinkin’ check out this link: www.createspace.com/4036785

Word of Encouragement-Hold on in these end times!

New Perspective

Change your thoughts and change your life. How do you view your life? Do you see the glass half empty or half full? Maybe you need an attitude adjustment and a new perspective. You may be seeing your life through faulty lenses.

We lose perspective in our lives when:

1.      Discouragement occurs

2.      Disappointment happens

3.      Defeat, failure and regret sets in

4.      Hope is deferred once again for those things we are waiting for

5.      We become weary in our waiting time

6.      We stop being thankful and become complainers and murmurs

7.      Trials, circumstances, crisis and trauma that are out of our control

All the above can change our perspective in life. Life can let us down and our expectations about life can let us down. We can become disillusioned very quickly when our lives take a detour. A detour happens when the path we would like to stay on gets detoured by life’s circumstances. If we are not careful our attitudes can become rotten.

Maybe it’s time to get your perspective back today. You might need new lenses to see out of today. When you put on these new lenses your life will look differently.

How do you get a new perspective?

1.      In every situation, trial or circumstance know that God will bring good from it. Maybe not right away but good eventually can come from your worst circumstances.

2.      Be thankful for the good and blessings in your life. If you want the enemy to flee from you, then praise God in everything; this will send the enemy packing. When you do this you are telling God,” I trust you and I know you will turn this around for my good.”

3.      Take the garbage out and stop your stinkin’ thinkin’. Renew your mind and take all your thoughts into the obedience of Jesus Christ. Don’t just allow anything to fall into your mind. You must be proactive and stop the A.N.T.S. (automatic negative thoughts).

4.      Ask God to renew your faith as your waiting for His promise to come to pass in your life. Some of you have been waiting a long time for certain things, and you have grown weary and disillusioned.

5.      See the good in every situation. Don’t see the negative in a situation but see the potential and the good that can come from it.

6.      Surrender your life to God totally. That means giving up controlling your life and others.

From our perspective, God seems slow to intervene on our behalf. But what might appear slow to us is good timing from God’s perspective. It is easy to become impatient while waiting for God to act, but we must never give up on Him! God is worth the wait. Change your perspective and change your life.

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NewSeason

Have you been in a rut lately? Are you going through the motions of life? Maybe it’s time to get stirred up again in the spirit. You might be wondering, how? Sometimes God speaks to us or gives us things to do, and we either ignore what He says to do or we procrastinate doing what He said; hoping He will change His mind.

What I have learned is to obey God as soon as you know He has said something. God is not pushy, nor will He make us feel guilty and condemned if we decide not to follow what He says. But we may notice a few things if we don’t obey God. We may notice our connection to God feels distant, we may lack joy or peace, and we may even feel confused. Why these things? It’s God’s desire to get you to follow His ways, which are for our good not harm. God won’t keep telling you to do the same things over and over again. He will step back and leave your life up to you; how you think your life should be. Living out of God’s obedience can cause a sense of unrest in your spirit. You can be affected in your mind, body, and spirit when you decide to follow your ways.

Maybe it’s time for a new season. Maybe it’s time to follow what God is telling you. Do you want more peace, more joy, and a more fulfilling relationship with God? Maybe it’s time to ask God, “What do you want me to do?” And then do it!

Here are some things the Lord gave me to be obedient with a while ago. I did not follow immediately, and I can say, “It is worth following God the first time.” Use these as a guideline, but seek God for yourself as to what He wants you to do. You may modify or add to this list.

·         Stop looking back. The past is over. This is a new day and a new season.

·         Don’t project the future, what it will be like or what it won’t.

·         Focus on the day you have been given. Take it one day at a time.

·         Trust me to work out your situations. Don’t try and figure them out.

·         Remain calm and peaceful at all times.

·         Do not complain, murmur or find-fault.

·         Do not criticize or judge others.

·         Speak faith-filled, positive thoughts not negative, defeated thoughts.

·         Be hopeful in all things.

·         Do not react in anger or hostility. Do not be easily provoked.

·         Do not be easily offended. Forgive continually.

·         Do not react to your circumstances.

·         Stop worrying and being anxious, instead pray.

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Wilderness Mentality: New Life Changing Book Out

Wilderness Mentality: New Life Changing Book Out: List Price: $9.99  Add to Cart About the author: Stephanie R. Reck is a Licensed Master Social Worker, Licensed Belief Ther...

New Life Changing Book Out

List Price: $9.99  Add to Cart About the author: Stephanie R. Reck is a Licensed Master Social Worker, Licensed Belief Therapist and a Board Certified Christian Counselor. Stephanie has served with a Crisis Pregnancy Center, led Celebrate Recovery groups, has led Bible studies for women, and has given her public testimony on several occasions. Stephanie has a heart and a passion to see women free from bondage and healed from their wounds. Stephanie, has endured much heartache and trials throughout her life, and she uses her experiences to reach out to others with the compassion of Christ. Her desire to see the hurting know the love of God and to have a personal, intimate, life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. Stephanie continues to write and counsel women through her counseling ministry, Hope Ministry. She has been married for 15 years to her husband, Stephen, they have one grown son, Jonathon, a doggie child named Gizmo and their beloved doggie angel in heaven, Kobe.  Wilderness Mentality   Stop Your Stinkin' Thinkin' Authored by Mrs. Stephanie Rene ReckDo you ever stop and think what you are thinking about? The way you feel is directly related to what you think about. This book will take you on a journey on how God views a negative mindset, and how you can enter into a "wilderness mentality." A wilderness mentality will keep you in bondage, and you will not experience the life that God has for you. You know your mind is in the wilderness when you start to complain about your life's circumstances, you are envious of others, you find fault and critize, you lack thankfulness, you worry and are plagued by fear, and you have an overall negative mindset. Throughout this book I will give you practical steps to staying out of the wilderness mentality. I use practical applications, real-life examples from my life, scripture, research and ulitize my education in forming this book's application and purpose. Do you want to live a joy-filled, peaceful life? A life filled with hope no matter your circumstances? If you answered yes to these questions, then begin reading and applying" The Wilderness Mentality." Publication Date: Apr 09 2013 ISBN/EAN13: 1480231517 / 9781480231511 Page Count: 104 Binding Type: US Trade Paper Trim Size: 6" x 9" Language: English Color: Black and White Related Categories: Religion / Christian Life / Personal Growth