Encouragement
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‘Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus’
(Philippians 3:13-14).
Stephen Levine said, “There is nothing noble about suffering, except the love and forgiveness with which we meet it.” I agree. Therefore, in my sharing it is to help others come to a place of embracing forgiveness, so that they can steer away from feeling condemned and fearful of moving forward. Fear and condemnation is not of God. God has given us a spirit of power, love and self-control and my mission is to help you walk into that fullness of life.
Below are 3 of the 12 points I listed as I tried to climb my way out of the pit. I am sharing them because I understand that sometimes we need to know that we are not alone in our struggles, that others have had similar experiences and have come out as overcomers. Many people are seeking help to climb their way out of the dungeon and I strongly believe that I am called to share with such individuals. If by sharing my personal experience I can help another person or family, then I believe that I am fulfilling my purpose here on earth.
Reasons I felt dejected included the following:
- In the physical realm, what I was trying to achieve was not accomplished because my words and intentions were misunderstood. Each opportunity given to develop a meaningful relationship has been taunted by past mistakes that no one is willing to address and get the answers they seek in order to then lay the matter to rest. Instead, it has become the focus of each conversation and the reason to manipulate, bully or exclude/cut-off individuals.
- The cry for help was ignored because the tone of my written communication was misinterpreted. That’s the problem with writing. One may use all the right words and believe that one is expressing one’s thoughts very clearly but some things cannot be understood or explained in its fullness through writing. Not all readers will get the same meaning from a piece of text--there are some things that were simply meant to be verbalised on a face-to-face basis. Some things cannot be fully understood without understanding the heart that shares and seeing the expression on the face. It’s not so much what is said but how it is said and understanding why it was said, after it has been said.
- I realised that I hadn’t allowed my heavenly Father to fully guide me into doing or saying what needed to be said or done. Poor timing and choice of words resulted in me bearing the burden of causing ‘division’…pushing the very ones I’m trying to reach even further away. I could have avoided some of the negative effects by remaining silent or choosing more appropriate wording while allowing God to work on the hearts of the perpetrators. So I repented of my sin and sought forgiveness
In the midst of the chaos and the pain, I found a reason to stop crying, stop feeling sorry for myself and start praising. Hallelujah! The experience can be likened unto that of using a torch to search for a coin among overgrown bushes but in finding it I found a reason to rejoice. When the scales are removed we can see clearly what has always been in sight—right before our eyes.
I believe that is why Scripture reminds us to think on the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable/praiseworthy (see Philippians 4:8). To think of those things gives us opportunities to praise God. It also brings understanding to 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which tells us to give thanks in every situation. Of course it doesn’t mean being thankful for the chaos and the pain—God is not the author of confusion, nor does He bring pain to our lives. However, He uses that suffering to bring about greater understanding as He reveals Himself to us when we come to the end of ourselves. He turns negative situations around for our good and causes it to bring glory to His name. So whatever lessons we learn from the difficulties that we go through in life become a reason for praise and thanksgiving. Joseph, in Genesis 50:19, said to his brothers:
‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.’
How beautiful it is when we can see the good that comes out of a bad situation and rejoice in the moment. Let us not focus on the negative circumstances that are causing us to sink into a pit of despair. Instead let us be encouraged today to stop focusing on the long list of negative thoughts floating around in our heads and the negative circumstances in our lives. Instead, let us try to find the pearl, hidden within the chaos. The current situation may be boot camp. So let us strengthen our muscles so we can better handle the next obstacle we encounter. We are overcomers but focusing on our negative circumstances will make us feel defeated. Jeremiah 29:13 says, ‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’ Stop! Begin that search for that pearl of wisdom.
>>>Please join me in part 2: ‘Stop! Search for the Pearl!’ ~ http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=179966
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...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
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