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

During my morning jog, I often take pictures of wildlife. I've encountered bears - no kidding! The three bears I have seen on the Santa Fe Trail sent me running quickly in the opposite direction rather than playing dead; this seems to be my natural reaction! Yesterday, I spotted a big hawk sitting proudly on a telephone pole. I quickly took out my cell phone to try to capture the sight, but then an odd thing happened. A small bird pounced on the hawk causing it to shift and move its wings in an attempt to bat off the bird. The little bird didn't' stop, however. He kept flying back, dodging at the hawk. The hawk then swooped down towards the grass with the smaller bird still in pursuit. Perhaps the little bird realized that the fun was over, as he went his way while the hawk flew on to another telephone pole.

When I came home, I read this Scripture from Romans 15: 1-6
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I had just witnessed a pesky little bird taunt a stronger raptor.  I mused about strength.  What makes us strong? It is our faith in Christ that makes us strong enough to endure tough situations and hang on to hope when we feel weak.

Jesus lived a life of selflessness; He acted not to please Himself, but taking on insults, Christ bore the curse of our sins and endured death so that we could be strong in Him. We can take on the humble attitude of our Savior.  "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."