Christian Living
The title was "10 Things You Can Do to Finish Strong, and Focus Forward" by Brian Holmes. (http://www.brianholmes.com/065) Brian Holmes is one of my favorite bloggers and he always has something good to say. He gives practical information blended with his faith and I always come away with something good from his blogs and podcast.
What struck me most about the 10 things he listed, though all were good, was number 4. It states as follows. Be ruthless with unbelief and negativity. Personally I believe this should be number 1. It is the beginning of what it will take to achieve any of the other 9 things on the list.
It's usually the renewing of the mind that gets us to a point were we first have an understanding that we need to change and secondly believe we can change. From a young age we are bombarded with negativity. We are cheered on for performance and scoured at for causing trouble. Commercial telling us we are to fat or to bald. Or we need a certain medicine to get better even though the side effects could be worse than the sickness. We are told we aren't good enough for this or that. And some of us hear of this God that is angry at us and unless we meet His expectations, we will burn in hell. Society tell us we need to make a certain amount of money or have a certain amount of Facebook friends to be acceptable. We need to be working for major corporation or have a special degree to be accepted in premier circles.
It's a constant bludgeoning of darkness that fills our minds to the point that we don't and can't have a clear picture of who God created us to be. And to the masses of the followers of Christ this extravagant season of Christmas is an emotional burden. Its not just the gifts we must buy or the shopping we have to engage in but it's the pressure of following the worlds system of Christmas. As followers of Christ, we are not designed to adhere to the customs of this world. And when we do, it takes it toll on us, chipping away at the reality of the true Christmas.
Christ birth was the fulfillment of the hope that so many had been waiting for and never saw it come to pass. And yet we live in the fulfillment of it all and most of us let it pass without deeply celebrating the true story. Hope was born on this day.
A few weeks ago I was asked, "Why do still read the bible, blogs and self-development books?" This someone has seen my life's failures in the last 14 years and it seems to them that nothing has changed, for the good, in my life and in me. It was a valid question. As an outsider, I can see the view they have of me and my life. And quite honestly I couldn't answer the question. Until now.
It is because I now realize the strength in hope. Before following Christ, I had no hope. My life was a total train wreck in motion, in my emotions. I was raised in a completely un-Godly environment. Several alcoholics in the extended family, I had addictions, totally self-righteous, couldn't make friends, sexually assaulted, first son died, divorced, no real career and the strong belief God was against me. Suicidal thoughts often danced in my head and heart. A broken life and broken dreams persuaded me I had no real reason to live and had no real purpose in life. Unbeif and negativity were ruthless to me. I know I would not be alive if I didn't have the two wonderful kids I have today.
Though my life has been a series of failures, I still read because I have hope (Hebrew def of hope: a primary word (to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstract or concrete) or confidence) in Christ. I have hope He isn't done with me. I have hope He will make me who I ought to be. I have hope in the plans He has for me and I decided a long time ago that I would give Him ten, fifteen, twenty years of my life to prepare me for the work He has called me to do. Yes, I have momentarily lost hope but the longer I follow Christ the shorter the span of lost hope.
I continue to read the bible, blogs and self-development books because of hope.
This is Christmas to me. The foretold promise of hope has come to pass and I am living in it therefor I will nurture and express it in my life.
Christ has slowly changed my unbelief to belief for the impossible and my negativity into a positive outlook for this life and the next. He is my hope. He is Hope to me.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a mighty dose of Hope.
Andy
[email protected]
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 528 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Andy Castro or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 528 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.
I think you are being a lot harder on yourself than you ought to be. I can identify with many of the things that you mentioned. Jesus mentioned that there would be a time where people crave signs and wonders. To these people, seeing is believing (which we know is the total opposite is faith).
They look to your life to "prove" God's authenticity. But you and I know better. My life has been tumultuous and difficult, and in some respects even more so after trying to follow Christ! We like to think that God makes the believers life easy and prosperous. But that isn't always the case.
I want you to remain encouraged as you understand that God has a plan for our lives. This doesn't exempt us from hardship, in fact it almost GUARANTEES it. Especially, if that plan will bring honor to God. Especially if it will bring souls into His Kingdom.
I encourage you to expect hardship but rejoice in knowing that you are never alone. God is with you. He is fighting for you. Stay close to God, seek his face and place Him in the center of your life. You will experience unshakable peace and your life will begin to flourish IN SPITE of your hardship. Be blessed.