Self Care

But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Luke 5:16

 What happens when your forget to recharge your cellphone?  What happens when you let the car run out of gas and don't fill it up?  What happens when you go and go and go and go, from project to project, activity to activity, eating "bad for you" stuff?  Answer....you know.

Yet we do these kind of things more than we want to admit.  We will, quite literally, keep going until we drop and then wonder why we are so exhausted all the time.  We drink more and stronger coffee.  We'll pound down gallons of energy drinks.  Why? Because, well let's face it, we're not the brightest critters.

I am fully convinced that Abba put animals on this earth, (BEFORE He brought us into the picture) to teach us!  For example, when our pup, Woody Bear, gets tired he will simply lay down and take a nap.  Guess what? No alarm is set. When he's rested, he wakes up.  Well....unless there's a snack to be had.

So why do we drive ourselves so hard?  Do we REALLY think we can fulfill Abba's plan for us in record time, thus changing His plan for us?  Let me come clean here: I like helping people usually through listening and offering counsel.  However, I am also very bad about not taking time to rest, relax and recharge. This usually leads to feeling burned out, resentful, irritable (ask my bride), sleepless nights...but I'm trying to help people which is good, right?  At what cost?

Look at the life of Jesus.  He would go away frequently to pray, relax and recharge.  He would spend time appreciating the creation. He encouraged His Disciples to do the same.  So, if Jesus needed to take time away for self-care, who are we to believe we don't need to?

Our Advocate

 If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Romans 8:30-34

When I was much younger, one of my favorite programs was "Perry Mason" (yes I'm THAT old).  The thing that struck me about that show was the fact that no matter what case he had and no matter how badly it was going for his client, somehow by the end of the show he had managed to find some way to win his case much to the chagrin of the Prosecutor.

Now...imagine this scene: You are called into a courtroom to face the judge. Our enemy, the deceiver, presents his evidence by way of a book in which every sin we ever committed has been written.  How do you feel right about now?  

The book is presented to the judge. He opens the book and then closes it again.  He calls on your advocate to present your defense.  He steps up to the judge and says, "Abba, this is one of Your children."  The judge opens the book again and every page is blank, because your advocate is Christ.  The Deceiver is unspeakably angry but has nothing left with which to condemn you...he is defeated.

Read this again and thank Abba: Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

 

The case against you has been dismissed by the blood of Christ!

Hiding In Plain Sight

"Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."

2 Corinthians 11:14

As a kid, I used to enjoy watching Superman.  "Faster than a single bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap buildings in a single bound."  The images of such immense power amazed me.  However....I also remember the day I realized that the people who couldn't tell that Clark Kent and Superman were the same person...weren't very observant.  Let's face it, you come to work in a suit and tie, a crime is committed (on every show), Clark Kent excuses himself, dashes into the nearest phone both to change clothes...(side note: when he tore off his suit in the phone booth, did he just leave it there or did he have a "super backpack"?)... the off he'd dash to save the day.  All the while, no one caught on that Clark Kent was just a disguise.

Every spy movie I ever saw had one thing in common, the spy used disguises (camouflage) so they would blend in and not alarm anyone.  Think about it, soldiers use camouflage. So do hunters. So do actors. And so...does....the deceiver!

How did the wicked queen get Snow White to bite the apple? By appearing as a kindly old lady. What happened when Snow White bit the apple, the wicked queen's true self was revealed.

The deceiver, according to Scripture, was an Angel.  Not just any angel, but the most beautiful.  Yet he wanted more and plotted to take Abba's place.  Abba threw him down from Heaven to the earth along with all of his minions and they would be forever condemned.  So what did the deceiver do?  He deceived Eve and Adam in an attempt to thwart Abba's plans.  

What does he do with us?  He seeks to deceive us into sin by making it sound like it isn't sin.  Even the Apostle Paul tells us: "I see another law working in my body, which makes war against the law that my mind accepts. That other law working in my body is the law of sin, and it makes me its prisoner. What a miserable man I am! Who will save me from this body that brings me death? I thank God for saving me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" - Romans 7:23-25.

Abba has provided rescue for us in Jesus!  He has provided forgiveness through Jesus!  He has provided for us through Jesus!  The deceiver may hide in plain sight, but he cannot hide from Abba!

 

Hiding Is NOT Wisdom or Strength

"Jesus wept"

John 11:35

I remember as a child being told, "What do you have to cry about? BE A MAN!  Real men don't cry."  What a lie that was and is!   Because of that statement, I began to hide my feelings and put on a stoic expression.  I took to heart the lyrics of a Simon and Garfunkel song "I am a rock":

"I've built walls,

A fortress deep and mighty,

That none may penetrate.

I have no need of friendship,

friendship causes pain,

It's laughter and it's loving I disdain.

I am a rock,

I am an island."

I quite honestly believed that wearing the mask of stoicism would protect me from the pain of having to let people see....me.

At one point, I was drawn into a discussion about the humanity of Christ.  I was skeptical of the idea that Christ had emotions as do we.  I followed the discussion with interest as both sides of the issue were discussed.  On the one hand, how could Christ effectively minister to so many hurting people if His emotions were expressed. On the other hand, how could Christ minister to so many hurting people if He had no emotions to express.  Good points!  Both sounded plausible and valid on the surface.  Then came the truth of the matter, found in John 11:35, "Jesus wept."

You see, how could Christ ever truly know what it's like being human if He locked away His emotions and became so stoic?  Over and over in scripture we read the phrase, "and He was moved with compassion." Does that sound like someone you'd want to know?  You bet your boots I want to know Him!  Why would ANYONE want a cold, calculating, unemotional being to rely on for their eternal life?

Compassion is Empathy in Action!  Because Christ knows exactly what we must endure, He can empathize with us and walk with us through that Valley of the Shadow of Death. I can love because He first loved me. 

Consider that!

 

AAUGH!!

"It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge .I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different." Romans 7:21-25

Have you ever decided that you're going to do the right thing every time?  What happened?  I foolishly believed that I could, somehow, make up my mind that I would always do what is right and pleasing to Abba. When I failed, the frustration set in and I would beat myself up because, once again, I had failed.  Once again, I had proven how weak I am. In my mind, I could hear the laughter of the whisperer and feel his rancid words to my soul "See? I TOLD you that you were a worthless waste!"

Sadly, for many years, I believed the whisperer because I simply couldn't seem to get it right.  I finally reached the place in my life where I just decided to give up.  After all, why bother if I can never do what's right consistently?  It was then I found a book entitled, "When Being 'Good Enough' Isn't Good Enough."  The title alone sparked my interest.  So I purchased the book, a cup of coffee and began to read.  I finished reading that entire book that afternoon.  I couldn't put it down.  It was as if Abba was talking directly to my very need.  

You see, if it were possible for me, in my own strength, to do what's right all the time, then the whole reason for Jesus coming to pay my debt was simply a wasted effort!  However, because Jesus came, walked among us, taught us, loved us enough to die for us, my debt is paid. I owe Abba EVERYTHING!

Did the whisperer go away?  Nope.  He still hangs around telling me how worthless I am and how I'll never amount to anything.  But we both know he is wrong!  Praise be to Abba for adopting me as HIS child and, thus, securing my eternity!

 

Let's Talk About Freedom

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom 

as an excuse to do evil. Live as children of God.

1 Peter 2:16

As we prepare to celebrate Freedom this weekend, let's take a minute to consider...Freedom.  Freedom means many things.  For some, freedom from an addiction is true freedom.  For others, having the freedom to choose where they wish to live/work/relax is true freedom.  Still others consider the freedom to do whatever they want to be the true meaning of freedom.

Think hard...what does Freedom mean to you?  If I may, let me share my thoughts of Freedom.  We live in a time and place where we have the freedom to choose.  THAT is the basis for all freedom....being able to choose.  Now, the flip side of that is the simple fact that every choice will have consequences.  If I choose to save money, the consequence might be that I will be able to afford a nice car at some point.  However, if I choose instead to eat pizza for every meal, the consequence will most definitely be a health crisis.

Here's the fact: Abba sent His Son to pay the ransom for our sins, thus setting us free from the eternal consequence of being separated from Abba.  Yet some of us take that freedom to mean we can do what we want, to whom we want, whenever we want, without consequence.  This is the lie our enemy likes to whisper to us.  When Abba set us free, we are truly free to be His child!  We are free to enjoy His love.  We are free to talk with Him. We are free to enjoy His provisions for us. We are free to treat others in the same way we want to be treated.  We are truly free in Him.  And because of that, should we not seek to embrace and bask in His love and mercy?  Would we not want to share that gift with others?  Should we not love each other as Abba loves us?  We have been set free from the sin that destroys, let's take time to thank Abba for that freedom!

 

Talking to Myself?

Have you ever found yourself having a conversation with yourself?  Perhaps even an argument with yourself?  It might sound ridiculous to think about arguing with yourself, but have you even engaged in negative self talk?  A memory comes to mind and you suddenly find yourself berating yourself...and where does that lead?

Imagine being King David, beloved of God.  One would think he would have only good things to say to himself. After all, he was God's chosen King of Israel.  He was the one God appointed to face Goliath and win.  God had guided David's life and yet, if you read through the Psalms, you will find that David had some pretty negative conversations with himself.

"My heart pounds in my chest.

 The terror of death assaults me.
Fear and trembling overwhelm me,
    and I can’t stop shaking."  - Psalm 55:4-5

Does that sound like a man with his life all together? 

"Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?" - Psalm 42:11a

In just these two verses, and the Psalms are full of such verses, we can almost feel David's palpable dread, fear and uncertainty.  However, as happens so often in the Psalms, if we continue reading, the answer pops out like the sunshine after a storm. 

"Be gracious to me, O Lord,

    for to you do I cry all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
    for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul." - Psalm 86:3-4

Many times we will hear the voice of our enemy whispering into our minds that we are old, worthless, and no longer have value.  We will hear the whispers of all the wrongs we have done, all the times we have tried and failed, all the relationships that have ended badly...because that's what the enemy does, he twists everything to cause us to look at ourselves instead at Abba!

You see, when we focus on Abba and His love for us without limit we take the whispers and negative self-talk and lay them all at His feet.  Guess what He will do?  Shine His love on them and us, and those whispers will burn away like our already defeated enemy. And then, like David wrote in Psalm 103:1 - "Praise the Lord, O my soul. With all that is within me, praise His Holy Name."