Negative Self-talk or God's Voice?

Do you ever think to yourself, "I can't do this! I'm not good enough! I'm not smart enough! I am worthless!" Often, these sorts of thoughts fill my mind when I'm in bed and can't sleep or while I'm driving in my car or sitting at the computer.

Negative self-talk can bring us down and fill our minds with doubts and fears. How easy it is to surrender to these thoughts and lose heart thinking that we are destined to fail and that our lives lack meaning and purpose.

But wait! Another voice tells us this is wrong! We do have purpose! We aren't in this struggle alone. We read in Philippians 2:13, "for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."

God is walking with us. Yes, we can and do have free will to make choices, but we can either listen to our own negative self-talk or abide in Christ and listen to His voice.

God can use us even when we are weak, for He is strong despite our weakness. God tells us, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 9, NIV). When we place our trust in God and rely on Him, He gives us strength to do what may seem impossible. " I can do all things through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13, ESV).

Prayer:
Help me, O Lord, to listen to Your voice and not to my negative self-talk. When I walk with You, I am strong. Your grace is sufficient for me. Thank you, that I can rely on Your voice and Your strength to guide me. In Jesus' Name. Amen

How to Love the Adopted Child

I recently read an article about the ugly side of adoption, written by an adoptive mother who is struggling with her adopted child. Many of us have an idealistic image of adoption before we go through the long process of paperwork, wait and wait some more, and then finally bring our child into the family. We take personal pride in the knowledge that we will be bringing hope and love to a child whose life may have otherwise been spent working in the rice paddies, eating with other orphans in an orphanage, living in an abusive home or even surviving on the streets. The picture we imagined of the perfect family, however may soon become replaced with a painful image of life with an emotionally injured child. We want to love the child and make them whole, but they have a subconscious awareness that they were abandoned, and the feelings of abandonment play out in deceptive behavior and rejection of those who want to love them.

We know that our redemption was paid for the by the sacrifice of our loving Savior, and that God chose those of us who follow Him to be blessed and whole in Him: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of Gods grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ to be put into affect when the times reach their fulfillment - to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ (Ephesians 1: 7-10).

Why then, if we have faith and are obedient to Christ, don't we have that "unity" in our family? Why must adoption continue in its path of pain? Should it be difficult to love? I must remember, when my child is not acting lovable that I too am blemished, but perfect in God's sight because of what Christ did for me on the cross.  I also know that my daughter was created in the image of God, and that He loves her with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). I draw strength from the Word and am comforted with the reminder that His strength is made perfect in weakness: But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9). And, I am empowered as I read that He who works in me will fulfill His purpose: being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6).

Dear Father, You made my child in Your image, and love him/her with an everlasting love. Give me Your strength in my weakness so that I can be the loving parent my child so desperately needs. Thank you that You are my confidence, comfort, and strength in hard times. In Jesus' Name. Amern

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8).

Last weekend, my eldest son married a lovely young lady. The meticulously planned for event was over in what seemed the blink of an eye. As I watched Joel express his love and commitment to his bride, scenes from the past filled my mind. I saw Joel as a chubby, babbling baby boy, then as a toddler with wild blond hair, and expressive, dark brown eyes as he ran in circles with unrestrained energy. The silly humor of his elementary years turned into a serious shyness in high school. College and graduate school brought new images to mind as Joel worked hard to acquire skills preparing him to work as an engineer. I was both sad and happy as I recollected these fleeting memories.

In a similar vein, I evaluated the quandary of time after the death of both of my parents. My siblings and I made poster boards displaying photos of our parents at various stages in their lives. I recall my bewilderment as I scrutinized the summation of a life displayed on one large piece of cardboard. I wonder at the uncontrollable passing of time.  I wanted, this past weekend, to slow events down and savor each moment of the happy occasion. During painful experiences on the other hand, I yearn to speed up events and move on to better times.

Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, reasoned that everything in life happens in its appropriate season - death, birth, planting, plucking, laughter, mourning, etc. Every event is a component of our earthly existence, and we learn how to grapple with both joy and sadness through our experiences. Paul encourages us to aim in the present to ascertain and understand the purpose God has placed in our paths and strive to follow His guidance in making the best use of our time:

I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, 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. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained (Philippians 3: 12b-16).

I want to take hold of the purpose Christ places in my life right now. I will often fail in this endeavor, but I aim to make every effort to pick myself up, brush off the dust and try again. We have much to look forward to in the future if we live for Christ and press on toward the goal of living life in service to Him.

Dear Lord: I ask you to help me use my time wisely. Like Paul, I will not always obtain my goals, and I will frequently make poor use of my time. Yet, you forgive me and love me despite my failures. Be with me as I press on to follow your example and grow in faith in You.

In Christ's Name. Amen

So Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through 

the word of Christ.

(Romans 10:17)

We often leave town over the summer weekends. Soon, school schedules will prevent the luxury of these impromptu excursions. It dawned on me that, although I enjoy the spontaneity of our summer jaunts, I miss worshiping with fellow believers and miss time spent in God's Word. My faith is strengthened when I read, listen to and understand the Word of Christ.

Does "hearing" in Romans 10: 17 refer to physical listening? Can I merely hear or read His Word and acquire faith? Christ said, "I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. (Matthew 13:13)

 Hearing refers to spiritual discernment. We can read or listen to the Word of Christ, but listening does not always result in faith. Faith is given to us by God, and faith enables us to understand, hear and see what God's Spirit teaches: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

 With the Spirit's guidance, Christ speaks to us in His Word and uses it to teach us, correct us and build our faith and walk with Him. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16) With God's help, we will read His Word and understand its purpose (Isaiah 55:11).

Although we cannot give ourselves faith, and we cannot discern God's Word without His Spirit, we can make time with God a priority.  And so, I pray that you and I will be strengthened in our faith through His Word.