Who Do I Believe?

Sometimes I am sure that my thinking gets me in trouble. I over think many situations, relationships, and my own abilities and failures.

I've been dealing with a situation recently that I really want resolved. I do not like being misunderstood. I want to be heard and I want to come to a mutual understanding with the other person involved. But I must admit to myself that it may not happen.

The hardest part about the entire conflict is that the longer the conflict lasts the more I think about my part. I analyze and work it over in my mind again and again. I try my best to be fair and honest but all too often I begin to spiral my way down into a dark hole. I begin to believe only bad about myself. I do not trust my motives or the truth. It is my belief about myself that will change my life for the better or for the worse.

What do I believe about myself? Do I believe the truth or do I believe a lie that seems to right? Do I trust all the things God has put into me, or do I trust the voice I hear in my head that heaps piles of past failures on me? Do I let the lies cloud my thinking? Sadly I must say "yes."

I want to believe in the person that God sees in me. I want to believe the truth He speaks over me, but I don't always believe. The truth I heard today from Beth Moore was that if I am ever going to change my life I must start believing God. I cannot change unless I believe what He says about me. I have to stop the pity party and take time to listen. I remember the times I have listened and changes have been made. Those are good times.

Who do I believe? God or me?

Sovereign God, You speak only truth. You know me inside out. It is You I must believe when I look at myself. You are my mirror. Thank You for revealing the truth to me. Even when the truth hurts, I know it is for my good. Forgive me for the times I believe my own thinking. It can never bring me change. My eyes can only see things as a shadow. Let me hear You speak into my heart and my head so I might believe what is true. Help me to turn away from my own thinking and let Your thoughts become my own.

Thinking about what I am good or not good at is one thing that can get me in trouble fast. It is never good to concentrate to long on yourself.



When I let my thoughts linger over what I do best, I can become prideful and sometimes judgemental of others. If I do something well then I have a hard time learning something new or changing my old ways. When trying to be creative, it is never smart to put yourself into a box and only do the same things over and over. Over thinking my positives can lead to obstacles that keep me from being all I can be.

On the other hand, focusing on my "need to change" habits will lead me down a dark and downward spiral that will halt any productive activity. Thinking about my self in a negative way is selfish and maybe even a cop-out for doing what I know I should do. Yes, I am convinced that my thinking can get me in a pit of quick sand that is hard to escape.

There is one kind of thinking that is always helpful and can lead to a changed life. When my thoughts are in unity with the truth of Gods' Word, I will begin to believe and act on that truth.

Its the Pits

I heard Beth Moore talking about getting out of a pit. She has written a book along those lines but I have not read it yet. Maybe I should. It seems that we all need to get out of a pit at one time or another.

Beth Moore said that we can accidentally fall into a pit, be pushed in, or we can deliberately walk in. She also said that we need help to get out of our pits, no matter how we got into them. Sometimes we just need God, other times we need a friend and then there can be times when we need professional help. Helping someone out of a pit is a good thing! Being helped out of our own pit is wonderful too.

I am in a pit that kind of snuck up on me but that I also chose to walk into by making some unwise decisions. I have just reached out for help from a friend. And I am helping her too.

Helpers bring hope and truth and shoulders to cry on. They are our reason to keep going....because we don't want to let them down!

Today I am giving thanks to God for my helper! I know we can do it! We will succeed. We will find our way out! My helper is strong for me and I am strong for her and God is on our side...if God is for us who can be against us?

Captivated Women

This Saturday our women's Ministry is having a half day retreat called Summer Lite. I will be one of the speakers for the break out groups. The theme of the day is finding Peace in.... Where do we find peace?

Do we find peace in forgiveness? crafts? Is there peace in our homes? There isn't much peace in our world. Which is more important, peace in our hearts or peace in the world? Peace: we fight for it and we seek after many things that promise peace but it so often eludes us.

I've been listening to Beth Moore on Wednesdays when she teaches a short study for Life Today with James Robison. She has been teaching on finding the God of all comfort versus desiring comfort at any cost. I relate comfort and peace together. Do you? It seems to me that more often than not we seek comfort and peace at the same time.

Curling up in bed with a good book, watching a chick flick lounging on the couch, avoiding issues with our loved ones for fear of losing the plastic peace that sits between us, or grabbing that sweet dessert and savoring its comfort. Many things pretend to bring us peace and Beth moore says that when we Desire these comforts more than the God of all comfort we live lives of relational disasters, lives full of addictions, and we will miss our calling because our calling will only be found outside of our comfort zone.

I think Beth is right about comfort, but when I look at it through this window, I must say I am wrong to bind comfort and peace together so securely. Yes, the lack of peace leads to relationship disasters and addictions, but I think we can have peace without having comfort! Even in the most difficult circumstances we can have peace.

Jesus is our Prince of Peace (Is.9:6) Jesus is our peace (Eph.2:14a) and He fills us with the Holy Spirit so we may bear fruit, of which one is peace. The question arises how do we get this peace Jesus offers?

I am certain that the first step is to be captivated by God. We must be overpowered by the desire to seek Him in His word, and to be with Him in relationship throughout each day. It is when we are bound to Christ that we can find peace in any situation. When turmoil is thrust at us and we find ourselves sinking, we know that Jesus is with us. We believe He will get us through the trial and make all things right in the end as He promised. Of course we don't know when the end will be, but we really can trust Him. He has proven Himself to be faithful. He has proven Himself to be my Prince of Peace.

For you I pray that He will fill your hearts with peace that passes understanding. May You always know the peace He offers and refuse plastic peace. I also hope and pray that you will find comfort in Him alone!

Have a great day!