​ 
The word burnout means “the reduction of a fuel or substance to nothing through use or combustion.” It can also mean “physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress.”
 
Five Signs You Are Heading Towards A Burnout

1. You are beginning to despise people and your compassion for them is decreasing instead of increasing.
2. You continually tell yourself and loved ones that “this is just a really busy season and that you will slow down soon”. (However, the truth is that you have been singing that song for years.)
3. You begin to make easy decisions instead of the right ones… because the right ones take too much work!
4. You cannot remember the last time you simply had fun with your friends and family… and joy is something you talk about but are not experiencing for yourself!
5. You are experiencing unexplained stress, depression and/or anxiety. You may even be having panic attacks.

 
Types of Burnout
 
Burnout can be experienced in a variety of ways. Because our bodies, souls, minds, and spirits are integrated parts of a greater whole, the following types of burnout often come together and have a compounding effect on each other:

●     Physical burnout can be triggered by a lack of exercise, physical effects of stress and sleeplessness. The overloaded schedule and stressful lives cause you  forget to exercise, you eat unhealthy foods, and sleep less. If left unchecked, physical burnout can cause a weakened immune system, aches and pains, a change in appetite, and feeling tired all the time.

●     Relational burnout is related to emotional burnout and can be caused by strained relationships. Constant interactions with energy draining people make you unusually susceptible for this type of burnout. Physical exhaustion and drama between between others can make you isolate yourself to get a break from relationships that drain your energy.

●     Emotional burnout can be felt when you feel like you don't have anyone you can go to when  you are anxious, or stressed out. This type of burnout can wreak a family because of the feelings of isolation. Emotional burnout can numb your ability have normal emotions and have a sense of failure and self-doubt.

●     Spiritual burnout happens when you neglect your own spiritual life while trying to pour into the lives of others.  Many of us do not have anybody pouring into our lives and we do not seek the life and strength of God for spiritual refreshment. If you don’t spend time with God through prayer or Scripture reading, you may be suffering from spiritual burnout!​​

​A Prayer For When You Feel Stuck
by J. Scott McElroy
 
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
 
Does it ever seem hard to make progress in your life; to reach goals (even daily ones) and fulfill your calling? You seem to be going in the right direction, making a little progress… and then you get bogged down. That stuck feeling surfaces again. Maybe it's caused by distraction, fear, or something that's just hard to put a finger on.
 
I often get stuck because I add unnecessary layers; to projects, to my day, to my work, to my routine. I add them because I think I know what needs to be done, or how something needs to look, or because I’m craving comfort or “balance,” or because I’m not ready to go on to the next thing. I add an unnecessary layer when I decide to read one more internet news story and then spend 10 minutes in the click-bait rabbit hole. When I get distracted by a task that seems more fun than the one I need to be focused on.  When my priorities get jumbled, I overdo the preparation phase on a project, or when I spend unnecessary time and energy in order to impress people.
 
Yep, without a doubt unnecessary layers contribute extensively to that feeling of stuckness. And often those layers create a situation I have to deal with; scraping off the gook before things can function properly. 
 
Additionally, I think my problem with stuckness has a lot to do with communication.
 
 When I don’t take the time to communicate and consult with God about my day or my work and instead automatically follow what I think is right, it’s easy to add unnecessary layers. The Bible tells us he’ll reveal things to us when we ask him.
 
Jeremiah 33:3 NIV ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
 
Proverbs 16:3 NIV Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
 
James 1:5 NIV If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
 
Or even—as in my case—when we just get quiet for a moment and listen. Sometimes spending just a few minutes listening for his voice can save hours of extra work and stuckness.
 
God’s given me a new, very effective tool against stuckness: Keep in regular communication with him and keep asking him and myself, “Will this thing I’m doing or thinking about doing add an unnecessary layer to my life or work?” Give it a try.
 
Let's Pray:
 
Lord,
 
We Humble Ourselves Before You And Confess That We Often Go Our Own Way Instead Of Consulting You On Our Plans. And Sometimes We Feel Stuck, As A Result.
 
Thank You For Your Grace And Mercy Towards Us, To Give Us Wisdom And Understanding In How To Avoid Adding Unnecessary Layers To Our Lives. Please Give Us A Listening Ear To Your Guidance. Please Give Us The Strength To Overcome The Temptation To Add Unnecessary Layers And Encourage Us With A New Sense Of Freedom. Enable Us To Live The Life Of Faith That You Created Us For!
 
In Jesus Name, Amen!
​

We all know the story of Paul and Silias who while in prison started singing and praising God, and in the midst of their singing their shackles fell off and the cell doors opened.  Read some of the details of the story below, but to cut to the chase, Paul and Silas were set free the next day.

Acts 16:22‭-‬28‭, ‬35‭-‬36‭, ‬38‭-‬39 NIV The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.  About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”  When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.

We often share this story, or embrace it ourselves, when we are going through difficult times as an example of being set free from whatever is troubling us through praise.   

But what if the freedom that you are seeking doesn't come?  What if you are not released from prison? What if you are not healed?  What if you still lose your job, or your house, or your relationship? What if your praise causes you more physical or emotional pain because of the response it brings from others?  Can you continue to praise?

I want to share the story of a man that I read about during my daily quiet time with God.  The story was in the YouVersion reading plan, Chosen:. Remind Yourself Of The Gospel Everyday written by Author and Evangelist, Matt Brown Can you like this man remind yourself daily that “I have a bright future in Jesus Christ.”
​

Keep Praising Anyway
Excerpted from Chosen:. Remind Yourself Of The Gospel Everyday

My friend Ryan shares a story of a man named Mr. Bi who was a professor at Beijing University, known as “the Harvard of China.” He made a joke in class about the Communist party to a group of students. One of those students reported his joke to the police. The next day officers burst into Mr. Bi’s office and brought him to a remote, cold Communist prison—without warning, without a trial. 

He woke up that morning as a professor chairing one of the most prestigious academic positions in the world. By nightfall, he was behind bars in prison. Chinese prisons at this time were some of the worst places on earth—horrible lairs of disease, torture, and death. Mr. Bi quickly plunged into depression and despair. His depression led to thoughts of suicide over the course of weeks. One afternoon, in a cloud of sadness, he brought himself to the window of his eighth-story prison cell. The Chinese did not put windows in the higher floors of prison cells. If a prisoner decided to throw himself to his death, it was not a problem. 

Mr. Bi’s heart raced as he looked out and thought of jumping. And then it happened. He heard a small voice say, “Don’t go. Don’t go. Don’t go.” He sat down in the middle of his cell, desperate. 

There on the hard concrete floor, memories flooded his mind. A friend of his, a foreign professor who was a Christian, had shared the Gospel with him. Mr. Bi prayed, “Jesus, if You are real, please bring me this forgiveness and peace my friend told me You promised. In turn, I will offer my life and service to You.” 

He looked up and, “The sky was never bluer, the sun was never brighter through the open hole of a window, and I had joy rise up inside of my heart like I have never felt before.” 

This distinguished professor threw all his reservations away and shouted out, “I have bright future in Jesus Christ!” The guards heard him and cruelly told him to be quiet. But his joy could not be contained. He kept shouting it over and over until they came into the cell and beat him. 

A person in a prison freed by believing the Gospel of Jesus is freer than any person outside of prison without the Gospel. 

Mr. Bi was eventually released and started several orphanages in the interior of China, caring for the poor and leading many to Christ. He had a bright future in Jesus Christ. To this day his joy is infectious when you meet him. And he will tell you the joy he had in prison is the same he has to this day. 

Every person feels at times they are in a prison of their own making—trapped by thoughts, habits, actions, and a nagging past that will not let them go. 

The Gospel teaches us that the worst of all prisons is the one we make for ourselves. The cells of this prison are barred with our insecurities, with the deep awareness that something is not right inside us, that something is deeply broken. We carry this with us like chains around our necks. It is the human condition. 

This will only change if something drastic happens. 

The Gospel is the most drastic of measures. It’s a bloody cross. It’s the death of God Himself for our sake. It’s the utter smashing defeat of death itself in a glorious resurrection to show God’s love and power throughout all eternity. 

Scripture reminds us that we must pay close attention to what we have heard, especially when it comes to the Gospel (Hebrews 2:1). The most important sermon you will ever preach is the one you preach to your own heart, daily reminding your heart, “I have a bright future in Jesus Christ.”

Hebrews 2:1 NIV We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

1 Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18 NIV Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

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A few weeks ago I published the post “Confession Isn’t Enough, You Need To Repent Too!”.  In that post I wrote:

“Ezekiel 18:21 (NLT2)21  But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. 
 
Confession is necessary, but it is not sufficient. Sufficiency is achieved only when confession is connected with repentance. You see, confession is making our sins known—to God, frienes, to trusted Christian brothers and sisters. 
 
James 5:16 (NLT2)16  Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 
 
Repentance involves a turning: turning away from those sins; turning our backs on our old selves. Repentance is saying, we don’t want to be those people anymore. Repentance is turning toward God. It’s a willingness to become new people, loyal followers. 
 
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NLT2)16  So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!17  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 
 
Confession is critical, but it’s only the first step. Repentance is the ultimate step.”  Ironically, confession requires great courage, but repentance just requires a soft, willing heart.

Without repentance, we continue in our sin. Without repentance, we continue on our own path . . . toward death.
 
Luke 13:1-5 (NLT2)1   About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple.2  “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered?3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.4  And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.” (emphasis mine)
 
Okay, so what do we do? 
​
Dr. Charles Stanley gives us three steps to true repentance in his devotion Genuine Repentance.  
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Genuine Repentance
Dr. Charles Stanley

2 Corinthians 7:8-10 (NLT2) 8  I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while.9  Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.10  For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. (emphasis mine).

Because we desire to be more like Jesus, we make resolutions, ask Him to help us, and try to behave differently. Yet despite our best efforts to do things God's way, we slide back into old habits. Frustrated, we may ask Him, "Why can't I change?" The reason is, overcoming sinful attitudes and behaviors starts with genuine repentance, which has three aspects.
 
Conviction.

The Holy Spirit will reveal the areas in which we've sinned and convict us of wrongdoing. Through Scripture, the Spirit shows us God's standard and what needs to change. Repentance begins with understanding where we have gone astray.
 
Contrition.

The next step--grieving over our iniquity--is followed by confession to the Lord. Genuine sorrow arises from the knowledge that we've sinned against Him. In contrast, human unhappiness often comes from being caught misbehaving. Other times we are miserable because of where our choices led us, or feel shame that people know about our sin. True contrition is followed by humble confession.
 
Commitment to act. 

Real repentance is complete when we wholeheartedly pledge to turn from our old behavior and move toward righteous ways. God knows we won't live perfectly, but He looks for a surrendered heart that diligently seeks to obey Him.
 
Paul used strong language when telling us to turn from iniquity: "Put to death... whatever belongs to your earthly nature" (Col. 3:5 niv). What sin are you struggling to overcome? Have you genuinely repented, committing to turn from it permanently? Let the Holy Spirit empower you to change.

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There are those times when you can become overwhelmed.  When the pressures of ministry coupled with the pressures of life become too much; your ministry becomes inconvenient; serving God becomes inconvenient.   Lord I want to serve you but, sometimes serving You is inconvenient. 

As a person in ministry I admit that sometimes I feel that way.   Especially when that ministry involves pastoral duties including counseling others. There are the times that the phone rings when you just get to sleep, or just sit down to dinner, want to watch television; when you’re working on a bible study or studying for a sermon.  What about those times that you are trying to leave church and get something to eat, or go to the beach, or take a nap after service and somebody wants to talk to you.  

Are those really inconveniences or is is that we are reluctant to give up what it is we want to do in order to do what God has called us to do? 

1. When God’s call comes, it will never come at a convenient time.
2. God’s call rarely comes with all the details in place.
3. You will never feel fully qualified to answer God’s call.
4. When God’s call comes, you will almost always lack the resources to do it.
5. But… God’s faithfulness always outweighs the risk of the call.

 
To Whom Much Is Given Much Is Required
 
Jesus said this at the end of His parable which teaches us that skepticism about His return produces misuse of authority and laxity of conduct.  Those with authority would be punished in proportion to the level of authority. The more authority the greater the punishment.

Luke 12:35‭-‬48 NKJV “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;  and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.  Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.  And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people? ” And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. (emphasis mine). 
 
The idea of “to whom much is given, much will be required” is that we are held responsible for what we have. If we are blessed with talents, wealth, knowledge, time, and the like, it is expected that we use these well to glorify God and benefit others.
 
Most of us are quick to declare our love for God, but at times we are reluctant because we think it’s inconvenient. 
​

 Why Do We Think It’s Inconvenient?
 
Too Busy 
​
Sometimes our schedules are so full that there's no space to follow the Lord when we hear Him calling us to minister in a certain area. We are always busy we have a schedule to keep and to-do list to deal with.  Places to go and people to see. We all need borders in our lives if we want to abide in God's will. (See Are you too busy for God?)
 
Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV)15  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,16  redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Selfish
 
Sacrificial service is never convenient. It may require that we change our plans, give up our comforts, or even make financial sacrifices.

Matthew 16:24-25 (NKJV)24  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.25  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
 
“Take up your cross and follow Me” means being willing to die in order to follow Jesus. It’s called “dying to self.” It’s a call to absolute surrender
 
We Don’t Care Enough
 
This one is really hard to admit.  If we think it’s inconvenient at times because we’re too busy or selfish it may reveal a lack of devotion to the Lord and the ministry He’s called you to. 
 
Matthew 22:36-39 (NKJV)36  "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"37  Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'38  This is the first and great commandment.39  And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
 
When we love Christ with all our heart we will joyfully serve Him by ministering to those in our families, workplaces, communities, and churches.
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Interruptions Can Become Opportunities  

Editor’s Note:  The following contains excerpts from A Prayer To Look Beyond Life’s Interruptions by Boyd Bailey from the original article “Looking Beyond Life’s Interruptions” from Encouragement for Today.

“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” John 4:29 (NIV)
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One day an unnamed Samaritan woman, going about her daily business, was interrupted by a stranger who asked her for a drink of water: “The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water’” (John 4:9-10, NIV).

He asked her for a favor — a drink of water — but what was Jesus' bigger idea for stopping by the well? To give a gift. He offered it to this searching, hardworking woman who needed living water for her thirsty soul. The Messiah she’d heard about was in her presence to offer her

His forgiveness and love.

So she couldn’t help but tell everyone what Jesus had done: “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” (John 4:29)

Our lives are full of interruptions.

Traffic, a sick child, a financial surprise, a long line, a needy neighbor, a complaining customer, a co-worker in crisis, unfaithfulness, divorce, illness and death. These all look, sound and feel like interruptions. However, with eyes of faith we have the ability to look beyond life’s interruptions and instead see illustrations of God’s love.

Interruptions can be appointments for compassion. 

Life may feel unfair, but in your everyday routine recognize the Lord in the little things and love like Jesus. Interruptions represent people to love and are opportunities for you to be loved!

Loving people is the business of Jesus’ followers. It may be a person in your immediate presence, or it could be an individual in your peripheral vision, such as a restaurant server who needs to be included in your mealtime prayer.

A doctor or nurse who cares for you, a loved one who needs to be encouraged, or a critic who doesn’t have the full story — they too need the gifts of your patience and grace. Look for illustrations of God’s hand at work, home, vacation and especially during the holidays. Let interruptions slow you down, so you can better focus on receiving and giving God's love.

Has your life been interrupted? 

How can you turn this into an opportunity to love and be loved?

Lean into God and learn of His love for the person who may have interrupted your life, then go share your story. Today, settle into the lap of your Lord, rest secure in His comfort and compassion. He beautifully illustrates His story of love for you, written with grace by His Son and your Savior, Jesus.

Heavenly Father, Open My Eyes Of Faith To See Your Illustrations Of Love In The Interruptions Of My Life Today. Lord, Help Me See These Moments As Opportunities To Love And To Accept Your Love And The Love Of Others. Help Me Share The Good News Of Your Great Love With Everyone I Know. Slow Me Down, So That I Can Receiving And Give To Others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The next time ministry becomes inconvenient remember this;
 
Hebrews 6:10-12 (NKJV)10  For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.11  And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,12  that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
 
Any service we offer in Jesus' name will not be in vain. You'll experience the joy of giving and the assurance that the Lord won't forget your sacrifice.
​

I wrote this post because of the disgusting comments the President of the United States, made about and  to  four young, female, ethnic minority, members of the United States Congress.  Whether you agree with them, their religion, their political ideology, or their stance on social issues, those comments were racist. How can I say that they are racist?  Because I have been on the receiving end of comments like “if you don’t like it go back to Africa, or similar comments, more times that I care to count. Whenever I hear those kinds of statements I know exactly what the person saying them means.  They were racist and beneath those of the President of the United States.

The divisions in this nation are worsening under this President and many Christians have become enablers by taking scripture out of context, sometimes attributing things that are not scripture to the Bible, and by looking the other way when things that are completely outside scripture,and against the teachings of Jesus Christ  are done or said.  

It's time for Chrtistians  to stop pointing fingers and trying to justify things that are not from or of God.  It's time to activate the fruit of the spirit that was deposited into every Christian at the time they were saved.  It’s time for reconciliation not justification. It’s time for reconciliation not accusation. It’s time for reconciliation through love not justification of hate.   It’s time to build bridges not walls.

2 Corinthians 5:16‭-‬20 MSG Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.(emphasis mine).

God has restored our relationship with Him through Christ. So we should be about restoring our relationships with each other.  To do that we have to work for reconciliation not restoration. We may never be able to completely repair the divide that has been created but we can reestablish the relationships that existed before.

Reconciliation means reestablishing the relationship. It doesn't mean making it exactly as it was before it was damaged or broken.  It doesn't mean resolving every disagreement because that's not going to happen. What you can do is disagree without being disagreeable.  That's the wise thing, the mature thing, the Jesus thing.  

We can have unity without uniformity. We can walk hand in hand together without seeing eye to eye. If you focus on restoration you won't get bogged down with small petty stuff.  The emphasis will be on the relationship not the issue.  

There’s a lot of conflict in the world. It’s filled with wars, division, arguments, prejudice, racism, terrorism, and partisanism. And as a result, we have broken relationships. We have a broken economy. We have a broken government. We have broken marriages. And we have broken lives and broken hearts.

Jesus has made Christians His ambassadors to reconcile mankind to Him and to each other.

2 Corinthians 5:20 NIV We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
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As Jesus' ambassadors we have a ministry of reconciliation. It’s our job to go out in society and say as Rick Warren said; “God’s done everything to put you back in fellowship with him. He’s already paid for all your sins. You don’t have to be his enemy. He’s not mad at you. He’s mad about you. Be reconciled to God. Be at peace with God. Then spread that peace with everybody else.” 

In a world and nation filled with conflict and division be a bridge builder, not a wall builder. Look for ways to bring people together rather than tear them up.
​

Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary defines “grief” as a, deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement. Its origins from the Middle English and Anglo-French word “gref” denoting injustice or calamity and from the Vulgar Latin word “grevis” or “gravis” meaning heavy.

In essence, grief could be described as a heavy, calamitous injustice to our souls.

When we experience a loss in our lives we experience every emotion we know in that grief; anger, love, fear, hope, insecurity, abandonment – you name it. We all have our losses. They come in many different forms. They come as death of a loved one, separation, children leaving home, moving, conflict, job change, retirement, aging, disappointment.

Grief doesn’t come and go in an orderly fashion. Just when we think we can’t take anymore, another wave of grief sweeps over us, and we are forced to revisit the memories, the pain, the fear
.
Sometimes we try to resist the demands of grieving. We don’t want to go through this necessary journey. We fight against the times of being afraid of being overwhelmed, of being discovered, of becoming lost and alone.  We feel disconnected from everything around us. Our thoughts are all over the place. Grief is so complicated, and is always filled with guilt In many ways our experiences with grief are all the same. We all go through the same stages of shock, denial and guilt.

• First we say: “It couldn’t happen.”
• Then we say: “It didn’t happen.”
• Then we say: “Oh, if only I had . . . Oh, why didn’t I. . . . do this or that?” 

We somehow feel responsible for everything. We take the whole thing on ourselves. 

These are all experiences in which we feel real grief, and all our strong emotions rise up in us and flow over us like the deep waters that Isaiah talks about going through.

Isaiah 43:1‭-‬5 NIV But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he whoformed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; youare mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

We wonder: If we start to cry, will we ever stop? Or will the flood tide take us with it. We
hold back and hide our grief because we imagine that once we begin to really feel it, we won’t be able to bear it.

Many people hide their grief for years, and it gnaws away at them from the inside. Then it comes with a vengeance: 2 months later, 5 years later, 20 years later. Eventually our grief catches up with us, and we know that thing could, and did, happen, and there was nothing we could do about it.

“If only I had known,” we say. But do we think Jesus didn’t know? Do we really think the Lord didn’t know all of that? Not a sparrow falls without the Lord knowing it. He knows the number of all our days, and He is there.

Matthew 6:26‭-‬30 CEV Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth much more than birds?  Can worry make you live longer? Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of them. God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. God will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith?

Now that doesn’t mean things don’t go wrong or that there will not be evil that affects our lives and our deaths. The Lord has told us that there is evil. But He has also assured us that before it even happens He has already overcome all of it and is able to bring good out of all of it for those
who love Him.

John 16:33 NIV I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

He is there before and during and after. “As you pass through the deep waters, I will be with you, and they shall not overwhelm you.” 
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Finding Treasure In Hardships
From the YouVersion Reading Plan Grief Bites:  Finding Treasure In Hardships 

Wouldn't it be nice if life was like a neat little Hollywood movie?

A problem would present itself...there'd always be a short time for the problem to run its course...there'd be a neat and tidy solution to the problem...everybody involved would learn a powerful life lesson...people would see the folly of their ways and instantly become a much better person...the situation would have a dazzling happy ending...and everyone would get along and live happily ever after.

Sounds nice, doesn't it? Just writing that makes me wish a few trials I'm presently going through would experience the cheesiness of a Hollywood movie ending!

The thing is, that usually is not what happens in majority of people's lives.

• conflict happen within marriages and families
• illness sometimes cannot be healed
• a child rebels and moves out regardless of how much their parent loves and treasures them
• a person gets laid off no matter how much good they've invested into their job
• people are rejected and mistreated by family and others no matter how hard they try
• people disappoint us and we disappoint other people
• terrible tragedies happen everyday

We live in a fallen world filled with fallible people...and we are fallible ourselves. Life can be frustrating.

So how do we change things to make life better?

It's not what you think...

We think we must change other people or our circumstances to find our happy ending...but the truth is, our focus needs to be:

1. Delighting in God
2. Doing our responsibilities
3. Waiting on God to work in HIS time in HIS way

Psalms 37:4 NLT Take delight in the Lord , and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Difficult to do...Especially when your world around you is falling apart.

We desperately want our situation(s) to change. We want our loved ones to do the right thing. We want a great life. We greatly desire harmony in our marriages, families, and relationships. We want justice for the times we have been wronged.

We want to meet our goals, be successful, and also be valued for our work by our employers and colleagues. We want a better financial situation. We want family and friends to love and value us. In short...we all want the silver lining in every area of our life!

What if we never are given our silver lining? God has one question for us: "If our lives..or circumstances..never changed, would we still love Him and continue to be devoted and loyal to Him?"

On the journey to God's best for our lives, we must first seek God. As we learn to love, obey, treasure, and delight in Him..regardless of our circumstances, grief, or losses...we find He is the true treasure we've always needed.

One of the best promises God gives to us is that He will be making up for all the heartache, pain, tears, frustrations, and failures we experience in life.

Joel 2:23‭-‬27 NLT Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring. The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil. The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the Lord your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced. Then you will know that I am among my people Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. Never again will my people be disgraced.

God is all powerful. Sometimes, He will give us the desires of our hearts here on earth...other times, He has us wait...and waiting is HARD. It goes completely against our human nature and tendencies.

I can guarantee you this: One day, all of God's children WILL experience the happy ending they crave. God has a purpose and plan through EVERY situation.
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Six Ways God Helps You Grieve
By Rick Warren

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed” (Psalm 34:18 NCV).

Every one of us will experience loss in life, so how does God heal a broken heart? You don’t get over a loss. You can’t go under it; you can’t go around it. You’ve got to go through the grief. And if you’re scared to express emotion and refuse to go through it, that’s where you get stuck.

But how do you get unstuck? You let God help you. Here are six ways God blesses a broken heart.

1. God draws you close to himself.

Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed” (NCV). When you grieve, you may feel like God is a million miles away. But what you feel and what’s real are not always the same thing. God isn’t a million miles away. In fact, he’s never been any closer.

2. God grieves with you.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief”(Isaiah 53:3 NLT). When you come to Jesus with your grief, he knows what you’re talking about, and he understands your pain. God is a sympathetic. He’s not aloof. He’s not apathetic. He’s not standing on the sidelines. He grieves with you.

3. God gives you a church family for support.

We’re meant to grieve in community. Healing comes in groups. Healing comes in the church. Healing comes in community. We’re better together!

“In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others . . . Be devoted to each other like a loving family . . . Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:5, 10, 15 NIV/GW/NIV).

4. God uses grief to help you grow.

God uses grief and even pain to help you become more like Christ, and he does it in three ways:
God uses pain to get your attention (Proverbs 20:30), he brings good out of bad (Romans 8:28), and he prepares you for eternity (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

5. God gives you the hope of heaven.

There are many people who grieve without hope. Your life on this earth is short, but if you believe in Jesus Christ and trust him for your salvation, then you have the hope of spending eternity in heaven with God, and that hope will sustain you through your time of loss. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, “We don’t want you to be ignorant about those who have died. We don’t want you to grieve like other people who have no hope” (GW).

6. God uses your pain to help others.
​
This is called redemptive pain; it is the highest and best use of the pain you go through. God does not want you to waste a hurt. “[God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT).
​

The computer generated (CG) remake of “The Lion King” will be released in the United States on July 19, 2019.  Most of us have seen the original cartoon or the Broadway play as children or as parents or guardians.  A lot of us have seen it many times.  Many of us will see it again when the CG remake is released. You may not know that this classic was inspired by the story of Moses. In fact Simba’s life journey is much like that of the believer’s life.  It’s much more than just entertainment for children. There are many spiritual, in fact biblical, thoughts throughout the story. Caroline Madison has captured a few of them and published them as “10 Powerful Quotes from The Lion King That Will Impact Your Faith”.

1. “Everything the light touches is our kingdom.” -Mufasa

When Mufasa sits on pride rock showing his son the kingdom that will one day be his, Simba is in awe. It’s a vast territory, but it has boundaries and Mufasa points those out as well. The “shadowy place” is dangerous and out of bounds. As Christians, many of us get so caught up in the freedom we have that we ignore or forget about the boundaries God has put in place for our protection.

“…God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.” (1 John 1:5-6)
 
Look for the light and walk in it. It’s a simple enough instruction, but curiosity draws us toward the shadows, just like curiosity drew Simba to the elephant graveyard. We feel like we’re missing out on something. Obedience doesn’t violate our freedom; it protects us from situations that would steal our freedom from us.
 
Trust God’s boundaries when you encounter them. Believe that He wants only good for you and refuse to allow the voice that questions His intentions to linger.

2. “There’s more to being king than getting your way all the time.” -Mufasa 

Simba’s position as Mufasa’s son certainly comes with perks, as any position of power does, but it also comes with responsibility. Although Mufasa chuckles at his son’s excitement, he also reminds him of a vital truth: it’s not all about you.
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“No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.”(1 Corinthians 10:24)
 
Being a king isn’t about fulfilling your own desires, and neither is being a Christian. Look at Jesus — He spent nearly every waking moment of His 30-year ministry talking, healing, and teaching. He even washed His disciples’ feet, and He is our example.
 
Sacrifice yourself and serve others. Give up time, money, and energy to bless the people around you.

3. “Being brave doesn’t mean you go looking for trouble.” -Mufasa

After disobeying his father and putting both himself and Nala in harm’s way, Simba tearfully insists that he was only trying to be brave—a statement that prompts this bit of wisdom from Mufasa.
 
How many times do we provoke battles we were never meant to fight? Maybe we think that God needs us to claim ground for His kingdom, or perhaps we’ve falsely identified a personal vendetta or matter of pride as God’s crusade.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)
 
That’s the opposite of looking for trouble. We are to be courageous when facing whatever battles God allows, but we must not confuse courage with warmongering. Before you engage in conflict, ask yourself if it will bring God glory. After all, that is our purpose as believers. 

4. “Hakuna Matata” -Timon

It means no worries, and that’s exactly what Simba is looking for when he meets a warthog and meerkat duo living the good life.
 
But “Hakuna Matata” doesn’t mean propping your feet up and pretending your problems don’t exist, as Simba discovers.
 
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)
 
No worries—it’s a biblical principle. God doesn’t want us to walk around in perpetual uncertainty agonizing over what might happen or has happened already. We are to hand our worries to Him, trusting Him to care for us and guide us every day.
 
And applied to our lives as believers, it’s a “problem-free philosophy” that is the result of determined trust in the one who made us.
​

5. “The question is, who are you?” -Rafiki

This is a vital question, as Simba has been running from his past and identity for years. And it is just as vital for followers of Christ.
 
Who are you? Sometimes I wish I had a wise old baboon to swoop down, crack me on the head with a stick, and give me the answer.
 
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)
 
Where we place our identity affects our foundation, our clarity, and our choices. If you have surrendered your life to Christ, you are a child of God and that changes everything. 
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6. “You have forgotten who you are and so forgotten me.” -Mufasa

All of Simba’s troubles in that moment could be traced to his deliberate disposal of his identity. Running away from his past meant running from everything his father had taught him.
 
Mufasa had given Simba all the instruction he needed to step into his role and save his family from Scar and the hyenas. But he had to be reminded of who he was first.
 
“Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water? While still growing and uncut, they wither more quickly than grass. Such is the destiny of all who forget God...” (Job 8:11-13)
 
It is frighteningly easy to forget that we are children of God.

• When the world offers shiny trinkets, we forget.
• When society pressures us to go with the flow, we forget.
• When storms arise and threaten our comfort or safety, we forget.
• When we mess up and the consequences are overwhelming, we forget.

But forgetting means tossing aside the tools we need to navigate these difficult situations. God has given us His Word to guide us. And if we remember that we belong to Him, we can walk confidently in that instruction.

7. “You are more than what you have become.” -Mufasa

This simple statement addresses Simba’s primary struggles: his casting aside of the responsibility of leadership and the guilt of his father’s death still shadowing him.
 
Believers often get bogged down by the past. We drag around packs loaded with sins, memories, wounds, and words, and we wonder why our Christian walk is so hard.
 
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)
 
Just as Mufasa told his son, we are so much more than what we have become. “Do not dwell on the past.” The past doesn’t have to be years ago; the past is yesterday. Don’t drag it around with you. God is calling you to be something more.

8. “The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” -Rafiki

Rafiki vividly illustrates his point by swinging a stick at Simba’s head hard enough to leave a memorable bump behind. But his second swing only catches air as Simba ducks away.
 
Learn from the past, but don’t get lost in it. Move on from it, but don’t run from it. There is such a delicate balance here.
 
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
 
Our struggles should make us stronger. If some past difficulty rises in the road ahead like a stone wall, don’t waste your time looking for a way around. Walls like these stretch infinitely in both directions; trust me, I’ve looked.
Learn how to climb. And the next time you encounter it, it won’t seem as formidable.
​
9. “He lives in you.” -Rafiki

Simba wants to see his father; he feels lost without him. Rafiki shows Simba that even though he feels alone, he isn’t.
 
“Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
 
Just because we can’t see or touch God doesn’t mean He isn’t there. He doesn’t interact with us the same way another person might because He isn’t a person. But His Spirit lives in us, enabling us to live abundant, empowered lives.

When life feels impossible, know that you are never alone. He lives in you.
​

10. “Remember…” -Mufasa

This is the final word spoken in the movie. Simba has defeated Scar and reclaimed the Pride Lands, and Mufasa speaks to him as he reaches the tip of Pride Rock.

The Bible is loaded with this command. God tells His people to remember who they are, who He is, and what He has done for them. He commands them to build pillars and altars of remembrance—memorials to future generations.
​
“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.” (1 Chronicles 16:11-12)
 
Humans are forgetful, even more so regarding spiritual things because we have a hostile enemy snatching truth from us. Remember. Write it down, tape it to the bathroom mirror, do what you must to cling to who God is and what He has done for you.
 
Whatever form this story takes (original cartoon, Broadway play, or CG remake), it doesn’t grow old. It’s so much more than entertainment for children. The themes are timeless, stirring the hearts of all ages with powerful truths. 

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Psalms 103:1‭-‬22 ESV Bless the Lord , O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord , O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord , O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the Lord , all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Bless the Lord , all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord , O my soul!
​

A Prayer To Bless The Lord
By Debbie McDaniel

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." Psalm 103:1-5

To “bless” the Lord means to give Him praise, to actually “kneel before Him;” to recognize His goodness and Sovereignty over our lives, by giving Him respect and honor.

We have so many reasons to give God praise. If you’re having a tough day and can’t think of many, here’s just a few from these verses:

He forgives our sin – For all of those times when we’ve missed the mark, turned our back on Him, or gone our own way, He forgives. He graciously extends mercy for every sin, when we simply come to Him and confess our need.

He heals our diseases – Physical, emotional, spiritual, He covers every area of life where we have need. Sometimes our “disease” is a need to please. Sometimes our disease is a heart far away from God. Other times our disease is a physical illness or deep loss we’re facing. And He is able to heal all.

He redeems our lives from the pit – He sets us apart for His purposes, He will never waste the painful times we experience. He lifts us out of dark places, He holds the power to make all things new. Nothing is impossible with Him. No one, no situation, is ever too far gone from His grasp of love and hope.

He crowns us with love and mercy – He is faithful to reward us with his goodness. He gives constantly, continually, steadfastly, love and great mercy. We don’t deserve it, but He loves lavishly, He pours out His grace.

He satisfies our desires with good – He is good to us in all our days. Life may not always be fair, life may not always be good, but God is always just and good. He brings favor and blessing.

He renews our strength like the eagle – His Spirit flows through us, constantly renewing us with strength and power. We can be assured that He is with us, and He will help us to soar over every obstacle and trial.

He has done great things...

So thankful.

Dear God,

We Bless Your Holy Name Today! Thank You For Your Goodness, Thank You For Your Crown Of Steadfast Love And Mercy. We Recognize All That You Have Done For Us, All That You Continue To Do Now, And All That You Will Do In The Future. Thank You That Your Plans For Us Are Good And That You Renew Our Strength Like The Eagle’s. Thank You That You Have Redeemed Our Lives From The Pit, You Have Forgiven Our Sin And Healed All Our Disease. You Are Restorer Of The Broken, Healer, And Redeemer. You Are Father, You Are Friend, Slow To Anger, And Abounding In Lovingkindness. You Are Faithful, You Are True, You Are Powerful, You Are Forever With Us.

You Are Holy, You Are Worthy, And We Worship You This Day, And Always…

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.
​

The events of the past few months, in fact of the last few years, have really pointed out the divisions that exist between us here in this country and throughout  the world. Divisions of race, gender, religion, politics, nation against nation, I could go on and on.  
In The Sermon on the Mount  which, is in chapters 5-7, of Matthew, Jesus said that we should agree with our advisory.

Matthew 5:25-26 (NKJV)25  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.26  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

What Jesus is talking about was what to do in the event you have a dispute about property or money.  The adversary here was a creditor, who demands and insists upon payment.  Jesus said agree before you go to court because if you lose and can’t pay the judgement you could be put in prison until it was paid.   

Later in this same sermon Jesus said that not only should you agree with your adversary, but that you should also love your enemy. 

 Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)44  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 

He was even more specific than that at another time.    When was asked what the greatest commandment was;

 Matthew 22:37-38 (NKJV)37  Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'38  This is the first and great commandment.

Matthew 22:39 (NKJV)39  And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 

What Jesus was saying through this parable is that we are to show love everybody, friends, enemies, everybody, no matter who they are.  

Galatians 3:26-29 (NKJV) 26  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.29  And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

Colossians 3:9-11 (NKJV) 9  Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,10  and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,11  where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 
 
What does love have to do with solving the problems that we have here in this country and in the world?  I may be naive but, if we love each other then we can talk to each other, if we love each other we can admit that we all have problems, if we love each other we can agree to seek help to solve our problems.  But if we are going to sustain that kind of love, we have to love like God loves.        

1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV)7  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.8  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 

That scripture tells us  that not only is love an attribute of God but love is what God is.   That scripture says that if we are born of God, and once you accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are born of God, we should, like God…... actually be love.

John 15:12-13 (NKJV)12  This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13  Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

1 John 3:16 (NKJV)16  By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 

That doesn’t mean that we always agree with each other  but it does mean that we should love each other enough to talk.  That’s what you do when you agree with your adversary quickly. You have to talk to each other in order to start to agree.  
​
What matters to God is our love for Him and our love for each other. Wealth, power and status count for nothing in the kingdom of God. When we truly love our neighbors, we do our part to make the world a better place, and we find our own fulfillment in life.
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A Prayer For Unity In Our Nation
By Debbie McDaniel

“I in them and you in me--so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:23

Often in times of greatest need, we may find ourselves giving way to the stress and strain by battling one another, and forgetting who the real enemy is. Harsh words spoken, friendships broken; we choose sides and draw lines. Feelings get hurt. Betrayal runs deep. It gets harder to forgive and keep moving forward. And sometimes we get stuck, right there in the muddy mess of it all.

Yet it’s in those very times of tension and struggle, that we need, more than ever, to come together as one, unified, and strong.

And we can be assured, it’s in those times, that Satan is fighting the hardest. For he knows that’s when we have the greatest potential to make a difference in this world.

He knows that we’re stronger together as we encourage one another on. He’s aware that we’re courageous and brave when we’re covering one another in prayer. He understands that the unity of believers through the power of Jesus Christ, is a force that can’t be reckoned with. For it’s hard to tear apart a cord of three strands, which can’t be easily broken.

That’s why he’s determined to fight harder. And he’s there, in the midst of it all, cheering on the battle. He loves it when we target one another. He laughs at evil, riots, and violence. He gains momentum when we forget that he’s the cause.

Don’t be unaware.

His schemes are cunning and cruel. He’ll twist words and truth, trading them for lies, and stirring up fires.

Let’s say “No more.”

Let’s choose to set aside our differences and look to the greater purpose in this life. To honor Christ as King. We’ll never agree on everything. And that’s never been the goal anyway.

Let’s choose to live out the Truth that says, “Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14

All that you do. All that you say. All that you stand for. Let’s do it with love. For perfect love, which comes from Christ, casts out all fear. And that is what gives us power to move forward, propelled with His strength, surrounded in peace, eyes on the One who gives us breath each day, filled with greater unity in our land.

May God bless us with His peace and unity in our Nation.

Dear God,

We Are Needy Of You. We’re Aware, More Than Ever, Of Our Own Weaknesses, And Of The Struggle With Dark Forces That Try Hard To Divide Us And Gain More Ground. We Say “No More.” We Stand Our Ground. We Ask That You Would Fill Us With Your Spirit Of Love And Unity Among Believers All Across This Nation. We Ask That You Would Help Us To Set Aside Our Differences And Look To The Greater Cause, The Cause Of Christ. We Ask That You Would Help Us To Truly Live A Life Of Love. We Know That This Is Only Possible Through The Power Of Your Spirit, So We Ask That You Would Move Across Our Land In Fresh Ways. With Fresh Filling And Awareness. Turning Your People Back To You. Drawing Others To Come To Know You. We Thank You That You Are Always With Us, And Give Us Great Purpose And Hope.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

​

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In life, we all certainly like mountaintop experiences better than valleys — the air is clean, the sun is shining, and the view is amazing. But the truth is, we’re going to go through valleys. It’s inevitable.

Ecclesiastes 3:2,4 (NLT2)2  A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.4  A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.

There is a familiar feeling that many who are going through grief (or loss) may feel...yet many do not have the ability to label it.  It is a feeling that envelops a grieving heart, but is so subtle that many do not even realize how it is planting itself deeply down into the roots of their soul.

I don’t know what your loss looks like today and I wouldn’t dare minimize it. Take your time to grieve the loss. Take your time; let time heal the wounds of the loss. But please know: you haven’t lost everything. God is with you. As a born again child of the King, your salvation isn’t lost. Your future beyond this earth is secure.

 It doesn’t matter how you feel today. It doesn’t matter if you can’t feel God’s presence. Feelings are temporary and fleeting. What is true is that He is with you. Satan would like nothing more than to convince you otherwise. There are thousands of lies that Satan will whisper in your ear. But that’s just it. They are lies - lies from the pit of Hell, designed strategically to hold you down, destroy you, steal you your hope, and kill the joy of your future. Do not stand for it. (From When You’ve Lost Everything)
 
The fact is, God does not expect us to have it all together, all the time, so it is a real disservice when our Chuches create this expectation. We will be unsuccessful at helping hurting people if we have not allowed ourselves to grieve and wail and mourn and go through the lament process ourselves. God understands that life is full of pressures, hurts, stings. He took on flesh so He could relate to us in both our joy and pain.
 
Philippians 2:7-8 NLT Instead, he gave up his divine privileges ; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
 
Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
 
He wants us to feel and express every emotion before Him and not minimize a thing. There is no “fake it till you make it” in Scripture. When we fake fine, we fake our way out of authentic relationship with God, others, and ourselves.
 
According to Scripture, pretending we’re fine and suppressing our raw emotions is not wisdom or maturity. Rather, God lovingly says to us that His grace is sufficient.
 
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NLT Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. (From Giving Thanks When It’s Tough Doesn’t Mean To Fake It).
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​You Don’t Have to Be Happy All the Time
By Rick Warren

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens . . . a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance”(Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 NIV).

Life is tough. Would you agree with that? Because of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden, the world is broken and nothing works perfectly. Your body doesn’t work perfectly, the weather doesn’t work perfectly, the economy doesn’t work perfectly, no relationship works perfectly. Life is full of losses.

You need to understand a couple of truths that will give you a better perspective as you face the inevitable losses in your life and rise above them.

1. God doesn’t expect you to be happy all the time.

There is this myth that Christians should be always smiling, always happy, always cheerful.

In fact, the Bible says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens . . . a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 NIV).

Sometimes the only appropriate, logical response to life is grief. The Bible says you are to grieve over your losses, including your disappointments, your sin, the suffering in the world, and your friends who are spiritually lost. God doesn’t expect you to be happy all the time. In fact, he wants you to be intentional in your grief.

2. Grief is essential to your health.

If you never grieve over anything, it means one of three things: You’re out of touch with reality, you’re out of touch with your own emotions, or you don’t love. When you love and you see sad things, grief is a natural response.

Grief is a painful emotion, but it’s also a healthy and helpful emotion. And it’s God’s gift. It’s a tool that God gives us to get through the transitions of life.

Maybe you were hurt many years ago growing up. Maybe your parents divorced. Maybe you were abused. Maybe you were hurt by something somebody said about you. As a child, you didn’t know how to grieve in a healthy way, so you just pushed it down deep inside you.

You need to go back and grieve over it. Why? Because if you don’t grieve, you get stuck emotionally, and you spend the rest of your life reacting to something that happened a long time ago and taking it out on the people around you now. It’s unhealthy!

David talked about this in Psalm 32:3: “When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside me. I moaned all day long” (NCV).

The bad things that happen to you are not your choice. But grief is a choice. You may say, “I don’t like feeling sad.” Not everything that’s helpful and healthy feels good. You’ve got to let yourself mourn losses so that you can move on with your life and receive God’s blessing.

​Editor's Note the following is from 4 Ways to Embrace the Power of Grieving by Lisa Murray, with scriptures added by me.

As painful a season as it is, grief a necessary part of our healing. To run from grief is to run from the very thing that can quell the pain of our loss. English poet and hymnodist, William Cowper, described grief as medicine. Grief cleanses the anguish from our souls and sets us back up on the path of life so we can dance.

Grieving is the process God uses to bring us to a place of wholeness. Grieving is His great gift to us. It is a necessary part of our journey.

1. Create space to grieve.

Don’t hurry past the pain. Don’t distract yourself from the sorrow. You will experience strong emotions —anger, depression, fear, and despair— that you may never have experienced before. Allow yourself to feel these emotions in the presence of God. Create intentional space to simply be and trust that is enough.

Psalm 34:18 (NLT2)18  The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Psalm 147:3 (NLT2)3  He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.

Matthew 5:4 (NLT2)4  God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

2. Be honest about your emotions.

Being a Christian does not mean that we don’t feel negative emotions. God doesn't want us to run from our emotions or hide behind a mask. He wants his children to come to Him with complete honesty. In the Psalms, God invites us to bring our honest grief to Him.avid depicts God as a loving Father who watches over His children and listens for their cries.

Psalm 34:15 (NLT2)15  The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. 

Don't hide your emotions. Don’t ignore your pain. Cry. Laugh. Scream, knowing that God is right there with you.  He will hold you in His arms while you heal. He loves and cares for you.

3. Don’t grieve alone.

We need support while we grieve. Find individuals to walk with you. Whether it’s a loved-one, a friend, a therapist, or a support group, we need the ministry of compassion that can only come as we walk in community with others.
Don’t isolate. Find people who can be there for you. Look around for those God has put in your path to support you and encourage you on your journey.  Grieving is one of the most difficult seasons – don’t walk this season alone.

4. Don’t lose hope.

Trust that this season won’t last forever. There will be other seasons to come.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NLT2)13  And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.

We have hope. We not only have the hope that this season of mourning will end, we have the hope that as Believers, only a thin veil separates us from our ultimate destiny with Christ in heaven for eternity. There is no greater hope!

Revelation 21:4 (NLT2)4  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Psalm 30:11-12 (NLT2)11  You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,12  that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!
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