“While the earth remains seedtime and harvest, cold, heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” – Genesis 8:22
God has enacted certain eternal principles regarding time. King Solomon was the wisest man of all in Biblical times. He observed these precepts in his description of the cycles of life in Ecclesiastes 3. 1-6.
“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.“
“A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plants and a time to uproot what is planted.“
“A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to read 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 throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.”
“A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.”
“A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.”
“A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.”
Timing is important to fully experience God’s peace throughout the many storms of life, the man or woman of God must learn to discern, accept, and appreciate the perfect timing of God. God accomplishes His will in each individual’s life in their perfect time. Learning to adapt to God’s timing is essential to avoid feelings of despair and outright rebellion. Submitting to God’s perfect timing is also an effective remedy for those who tend to “help” God hurry something along as well as those who all too often move ahead of God’s guidance in the zeal.
The Four Seasons
Every person experiences four different seasons. Each season presents its own set of benefits and challenges. Our ability to determine which season we are in at all times requires an acute sharpness of spirit. Sharpness of spirit is a worthy goal to strive for.
Winter is marked as a long and dreary season. It can become time for inner growth in us as well as plants and trees.
This time of year represents a time of introspection and examine of our hearts and motives. A time to allow God to make changes in us, strengthening and maturing us.
Spring represents a time of joy and glory after dormancy and hardships. It’s a time of pruning, not only in nature but us as well. It’s a time when God can shape and mold us.
Summer is marked by extreme dryness and heat. A time when everything needs more water than usual to sustain strength and life. Our spirits need more spiritual food to stay replenished. Are believers it’s a season to become stronger. As we may struggle and sometimes go through permanent stages.
Fall is marked as a time of harvesting. A time of pruning in preparation for winter. Leaves fall from trees as a sign of transition. For the believer, it’s a time to bear fruits. More correction and shaping can come from God which is required to prepare us for the late ng winter season.
Allow the season that you might be in right now to run its full course. God is a good God and it’s always His intention to bless you despite the circumstances you may be facing. Hard times bring forth good character if you allow God to do His work in you. He had a perfect will for your life.
Do not attempt to change the season you are in. Just as the day is balanced out by th night the seasons that you must walk through are designed by God to keep your life balanced.
Paul’s understanding of these precepts are evident in his letter to the Phillipian church when he declared,
“Not that I speak because of lack for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. I know how to be humbled, and I know how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” – Philippians 4:11-13.
If our source of power is not Christ, the seasons of our lives can and will be unbearable. Don’t carry your own burdens. They are too heavy. Hand them over to the Lord. We must learn to trust in God’s promises and Jesus’s power to give us strength. By submitting ourselves to God we can trust Him to bring us through every trial and circumstance and to exalt us in due time.
Being an independent thinker means formulating your own thoughts and making decisions on your own,
The idea of thinking for oneself is not seen as a good thing. Young people today are so distracted by technology, especially in America. They don’t take the time to see if what other people are telling them is true.
Humans tend to adapt their behavior to confirm the culture’s beliefs. However, understanding how to think critically and set aside biases can help develop more creative solutions.
An independent thinker is someone who analyzes every situation using their own judgment rather than conforming to public opinion. They evaluate multiple perspectives, ask questions and use their critical thinking skills.
Independent thinkers are confident in the person they are -in terms of having a set of core personal values and aim for living their lives, as well as knowing and accepting their personal strengths and weaknesses.
This knowledge is needed to act as an overall anchor to guide their daily choices and judgments. Without them, a person has no compass or bearings for their thinking and will be like a straw in the wind, simply reacting to circumstances or accepting the opinions of other people.
A fundamental point to note is that none of us are, in the purest sense, truly independent thinkers, no matter how much we might like to like the idea of self-reliance. All of us exist and have grown up in communities where common sets of knowledge, beliefs, and values have been accumulated and shared with so many others. But we can all do better in being independent thinkers by just being curious and investigating what people are saying.
There are 3 sides to every situation. His thoughts. Her Thoughts. And your thoughts.
I would love to visit Hungary because of my ancestry is there and also for the food markets as well as maybe learning some tricks to cooking some of my favorite dishes. Mine never turn out like my nagymama’s.
I would also love to visit Israel, namely all the places Jesus walked and spent time. I believe it would be filled with some powerful moments. I would like to visit the food markets there also.
Many people do not fully know what Spiritual Warfare is or what to do about it.
One way to explain spiritual warfare is by comparing it to physical war. War is often about controlling territory for political reasons or economic power. Spiritual war is the battle for control over people’s souls.
Whether you follow God or not, God created you for a reason. He created you so that we may know Him and experience His love. He created you for you to love others as you love yourself and to use your skills and talents for the good of the world.
However, God has an enemy, who is known as Satan or the devil or simply “the enemy.” Because he is an enemy to God he is our enemy too. Satan is jealous of all people, Satan is on the warpath to erase mankind as God intended. In a world where there is hate and confusion that gobbles up what God intended for good satan wants mockery. Satan is jealous because we were created to have fellowship with God and ultimately worship Him as Creator and Lord.
Satan is committed to preventing people from knowing God and trusting Him with their lives. Whether your a believer or not Satan’s purpose is always to keep people from experiencing the Love of God.
2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us,
“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (NIV)
I remember at time when Satan attacked me at a prayer meeting. I was singing worship songs and after I said something to the worship leader. I thought I heard Him say something derogatory towards me. I was completely filled with hate toward him. As I left the church I had a huge hate for my Pastor. By the time I reached my home, I hated the entire church and everyone in it. So much so I told myself I was never going back.
In the temptation of Adam and Eve recorded in Genesis 3, it provides a clear picture of what we can expect from the devil.
He is more crafty than any wild animal
He comes along pretending to be an ally.
He received by trying to bend the truth that God speaks to us.
He tries to plant doubts in your mind about the things God has said.
He wants us to think God is restricting us when in reality He is protecting us.
He uses our pride and our sense of shame to turn us against others.
Whether you feel under a spiritual attack right now or know someone else who might be or just want to understand spiritual warfare better. We are all involved in a Spiritual war whether we realize it or not.
Spiritual warfare sounds like a battle between God and His enemies. But what does that have to do with us?
Our flesh and souls are in an internal fight. There are days where we all struggle to believe what the Bible says about God or about you. Which is completely normal but lies, and the subtle ones are one of Satan’s favorite tactics.
The Bible teaches that three forces are battling with God for ownership of our hearts:
The World
Our flesh
Satan
Thankfully God is stronger than all of them.
There is no doubt the world encourages people to think and act in certain ways. Today very few cultures point us towards Jesus. And our ability to follow Jesus and maintain a strong connection with God.
Culture wants us to follow the path of hate and confusion. God desires us to go down the path of love and wisdom. The things culture wants us to focus our attention on is usually a clear indicator of the position of God commandment and wants the opposite.
You shall not have other gods before God. Yet culture focuses on personal appearances, money, material possessions.
You shall not murder. Yet we are killing babies and each other for no reason except for greed.
You shall not steal. Yet culture has become okay with store thefts. As long as you don’t steal over a certain dollar amount.
1 John 2:16 says
“For everything in world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world” (NIV).
When we pray we should ask God if there are ways you are putting something the world values before Him in our life.
There is no doubt the influence of the world is very real, we also need to be aware that the struggle to turn away from God can comes from within us from our own sin and our own desires.
Paul gives us a great picture of what this struggle feels like in Romans 7:21-23,
“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the ones who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” (NKJV)
Ask God to search your heart and make you aware of the ways you might be choosing to be the god of your own life. As He reveals things to you, ask for His forgiveness and strength to live according to His plan for you.
Ultimately Satan had already been defeated by what Jesus did when He died on the cross. Jesus’s resurrection from the dead demonstrates that He won the victory over death. But Satan wants to blind people to this truth -what Jesus has done for us.
Satan attempts to send people off course in our relationship with God. It goes right back to the beginning of the human story. Satan was the author of the first temptation humans faced.
It is important to be mindful of your enemy, Satan, is real . He is single minded and dangerous, so we must be wise in how you conduct your warfare with him. If you follow Jesus, God have given you incredible resources by placing the Holy Spirit within us when we are saved (baptized), but you need to resist letting your pride tempt you and try to defeat the Satan on your own. You cannot do it without God.
If you feel like you’re under attack from Satan in any way, bring that to God in prayer. Thank Him for the protection only He can give and allow Him to fight the battle on your behalf. God gave us His Armor. “The Armor of God” to fight Satan.
Armor of God Chart
If not Satan will attack us so regularly that it can be predictable. The moment you decide to do good, sin is there to trip you up. If you don’t delight in God’s commands you won’t see that God joins us in this delight. Whether parts of you covertly rebel just when we least expect us and want to take charge.
Fight Your Battles God’s Way
Throughout Jesus’s life on earth, He faced spiritual warfare in many forms. He was tested by Satan during His 40 days in the wilderness (- 4:1-13). He was provoked, falsely accused and verbally abused by people who did not like what He was saying and doing. It’s important to remember that Jesus was a man -fully human so He faced all the temptations any other person would face.
But He never lost any of His spiritual battles. Even His wrongful conviction and execution on the cross, which looked like a bitter defeat, but was His ultimate victory. Jesus gives us examples about using prayer in spiritual warfare.
“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed“ -Luke 5:16.
Jesus withdrew from situations of spiritual warfare, One example was when He heard the news that His cousin John the Baptist, had been killed by Herod.
It’s important to spend regular time alone with God, with as many distractions as possible. God needs our full attention to guide us through our journey through life.
Taking time alone with God reminds you that He is ready and waiting to spend alone time with you.
Jesus combined prayer with fasting. Fasting can help our awareness of our need to depend on God. The Bible teaches that fasting can enhance our ability to hear Him as we prioritize Him above our physical needs.
I have to admit I have issues with fasting. Because of my diabetes, I get a headache if I don’t eat regularly. But there is something called the Daniel Fast. It’s derived from Daniel 10:3. It limits food choices to vegetables and water.
“I ate no pleasant bread. No meat or wine came into my mouth. I didn’t anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled.”
Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days. This was immediately before Jesus began His public ministry. Satan must have threatened by what Jesus was doing given the efforts He went to trying to distract Jesus from His mission.
Holy Spirit’s Role In Spiritual Warfare
God is three persons in one God, and the Holy Spirit is the most often understood. But we need to know His crucial role in experiencing consistent victory in Spiritual warfare.
Jesus knows the spiritual battles ahead of us (everyone). After Jesus was raised out of the tomb. He appeared to as many as 500 people. He did this to promise the Holy Spirit. Jesus wanted us to have peace and clarity for our battles in this life. He is our greatest strength.
“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you” – John 20:21
God is someone completely separate and different from humanity. But Jesus entered humanity and experienced the same struggles. When He was leaving to return to His Father in heaven, He left the greatest gift He could. He offered everyone the chance to experience His own presence living with Him, His Spirit -The Holy Spirit.
As we experience battles in this life, it’s important to not just look for strength from outside or from the tools God gives us such as prayer and His Word. But realize God works within us and gives us everything we need to live the way we are designed as His children. We may not feel worthy, but God works through us to make us worthy.
Pray With Other Believers
James 5:13-16 says,
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of their church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And as he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer if a righteous person has great power as it is working.“
Matthew 18:20 tells us where two or three are gathered in my name, He is among them.
The fact that God designed us to experience freedom from our sins, struggles, and even sickness through praying with others clearly shows that He doesn’t intend for us to go through any battle alone.
God encourages us to be bold in the things we pray for.
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” -Mark 11:24 (NIV).
It’s important to know that Satan wants to put as much distance between you and God. His tactics often involve exploiting human emotions, such as shame, disappointment, insecurity, and loneliness.
Try using the following scriptures as prayers when you have to overcome spiritual battles.
2 Corinthians 10 3-5 (NIV)
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world, on the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself us against the kno of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,“
Isaiah 54:17 (NIV)
“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will retire every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
John 8:32 (NIV)
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
John 15:7 (NIV)
“If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
It’s important to note if we ask according to God’s will it will done for us. If we ask for evil or wrong things to be done they will not be done for us.
I am stubborn. While some don’t think of being stubborn as a positive trait. Stubbornness is what makes me preserve. It helps me stand my ground when everyone else is trying to tell me that I’m wrong. I use it as well as the discernment that God gave me to be the determinant of my success. Being stubborn is a positive because I always know what I want and this makes me more decisive.
“For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?“ – Matthew 16:26
In 1 Kings 18:21, Elijah challenged the people to decide who they were going to follow; God or Baal. We need to decide the same thing. There is no doubt in these troubled times something in the spiritual realms is happening.
We must decide whether we are going to live for God, live for the world, or sit on the fence. And when sitting on the fence, we are actually choosing not to follow God. We cannot be wishy-washywavering between two options and not sold out to anything.
Revelation 3:16 says
“So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
If we believe in God, it can be easy to become a fence sitter if we are not careful. In choosing things that align with the world, we can gradually lose ground and drift farther and farther away from God. Some of the things we choose are not so small, and some of the things can become big obstacles to living wholeheartedly for God.
Culture wants us to be okay with same-sex marriage, abortion, and gender changes. But God is looking for those of us who will follow hard after Him. He doesn’t want us to be sort of in or sort of out. He wants us totally and completely. We need to be continually checking our spiritual temperature to make sure we aren’t growing lukewarm towards Him.
One thing that shows our spiritual condition is what we are willing to stand for and sacrifice for God. Abraham in Genesis was ready to sacrifice Isaac for God.
How much more do you love God, are you willing to give up listening to music or television that glorifies sex, or violence?
I love my ice cream. I could eat an entire quart with no problem. But I need to get to the point where I can love God more than those extra servings of ice cream.
The Bible is clear about many things to stay away from, like being a drunkard, and a glutton. God also warns us of the danger of using witchcraft and mediums and how Satan uses witchcraft to deceive and destroy.
This is not intended to be a debate about alcohol, overeating or sex. It is intended to prompt you and me to check our commitment level. If we truly love Jesus, then nothing else will even come close to being as important to us as following Him and doing His will.
I would like to buy a cabin in the mountains when I retire. I enjoy being in nature it would have to be by a stream for fishing, and enjoying the wildlife.
There is nothing that gets you closer to God than spending time in nature and seeing the beauty He created.
Accountability today is placed in all the wrong places, especially today. Blaming others is easy to do and takes all the stress off us.
If we were such a… I wouldn’t be acting this way
If you would have shown me more respect, I would have given more effort.
It’s your fault I feel this way.
All of the statements reflect someone else being the issue. When we think or say these like this we reflect someone else is the issue. We don’t take responsibility for ourselves or our actions. It’s my dog ate my homework kinda stuff.
Blame holds other people responsible for our pain and frustration. When it’s someone else’s fault for how we feel then we don’t need to own anything.
A blamer expects that other people should change to suit them.
I hate to admit it, but there was a time when I blamed everyone else for how I feeling. Taking responsibility changed my life.
Blame makes us victims which leads to us being depressed and gives the other power over our happiness. The number one rule of not falling into this trap is NEVER!!! blame people for how you act, or feel.
When we blame people we might think we are pressuring people enough they will change to suit our thinking. Whether it’s done in silence or speaking it out loud.
This kind of thinking means people are stuck in the blame trap. This trap doesn’t allow people to see their contribution to the situation or at least the fact that they can own how they are reacting. No one makes us angry -we choose to be angry.
Blaming others is toxic behavior that damages relationships and productivity in life.
One way this happens is by finding fault with another person or group and then transferring responsibility to that person or group, both by using criticism, accusation, punishment, and humiliation. Then uses these behaviors in four ways:
1. Changes someone’s behavior
2. Vents a feeling
3. Escapes personal responsibility and
4. Protect ourselves
Which makes it a zero-sum game -If you win I lose.
By aiming toward the absence of blame and connecting the win/lose attitude. We become more pleasant to be around and makes us more efficient.
Blame thrives in environments where commitment and obligation are crucial. Without ownership of our actions, and feelings there is little resolution that occurs.
It’s far more useful to be aware of shortcomings in ourselves than it is to be aware of a thousand in someone else..
Does it ever feel like there’s a conflict that constantly takes place inside yourself? As if there’s a “war” taking place in your heart between the part of you that wants to do the right thing and another part that wants to do the wrong or selfish thing? Right now there is a constant battle inside over how we are to act, think, and believe. When we have been wronged or even when people have done the right thing to us we have many different thoughts on how to respond. Some thoughts are good, others bad, and sometimes bad thoughts appear good in our own eyes,
The answer to all of these emotions is the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we learn to hear his voice over our own then we can truly have fellowship with Jesus. When we learn to listen and trust his voice then we have the advantage over the war that’s in our hearts,
Where does this whole conflict come from?
In Galatians 5:16-17 Paul shows us the source of this struggle: it’s the war between our flesh, which is our fallen nature, and our spirit, which is part of us that has been made alive through Jesus,
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want” – Galatians 5:16-17.
We must first understand that we have two realities, so we have two natures within us striving for control. One of these desires to please God and the other one is in constant rebellion against God. The second nature is what is in control without knowing God. Our flesh – our self-focused sinful nature. The nature that only looks out for you, me myself and I are the only thing that matters. It is our physical needs, wants, and desires. It is our physical needs that we require to survive and supercharge them and forces us to go above and beyond to satisfy every desire no matter the cost or consequences.
If you’ve accepted God as your savior you have the Holy Spirit within you. And have been made alive through the resurrection of Jesus and have been adopted into the New Covenant you have both of the above natures fighting for control of your every thought and action. Your spirit is alive and trying to live according to God’s standards while your flesh is trying to lead you back to living according to your own standards.
A heart torn between two masters
One of the best examples of this cuak nature living in us and at work in the believer comes from Paul in Romans 7:14-24. Here Paul lays out one of the greatest struggles faced by believers, which is that although we are saved, redeemed, and made righteous the flesh’s desire to sin and act selfishly does not automatically disappear. We see and know that we still struggle to do the right things at times and at others we have no will to do what we know God wants to do in any given situation,
“I thank God -through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” – Romans 7;25
Through Jesus, we can receive forgiveness of sins when we do follow the will of the flesh, with Jesus and the Holy Spirit living inside of us we have hope to prevail, as long as we are aware of the battle between the flesh and the spirit taking place,
That is why prayer and taking moments to stop and wait in God is crucial in many instances. When we don’t stop for a moment and bring God into the picture we are exceedingly more prone to following the will of our flesh because it seeks instant gratification and can’t stand playing the waiting game.b
The secret of winning this war.
In Romans 8:5-6 this is revealed,
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
What we get our minds on will determine how we act and respond. If we are only concerned about ourselves, our will, and our feelings then we will inevitably turn towards acting in a fleshly way. But id we are mindful of the Holy Spirit and God living on the inside of us and think about His will and feelings first then we walk according to the ways of the Spirit. We begin by making willful choices on how we are to live and interact with others and how we follow God,
The soul is the heart of our being.
Our flesh will try to lead us to sin and the Spirit (Holy Spirit), in us tries to lead us closer to God but there is a third power at work among all this turmoil -the soul.
The soul is the combination if our mind, will, and emotions. It is the center of our being here on earth and it is the one which both the spirit and the flesh are trying to dominate. Our spirit is eternal, it is how we communicate with God and this is the point of contact between the natural and supernatural realms. The flesh represents our bodily needs such as food, drink, sleep, sex, self-preservation, and so on. In its current state, these are the only things that the flesh cares for and it does whatever it can to get as much of these things as it can.
The soul is left in the middle to pick and choose which other parts of our being it will submit to and follow.
Our soul is not just our mind, but it also our desires, memories, and intellect. It’s the captain of our choices and it’s the part of our being that makes the choice to accept Jesus and receive salvation and forgiveness.
Going back to Romans 8:5-6, for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit…
Here we see the interaction between the spirit, soul. and flesh. Paul lays out how desires and urges begin in one place but are acted out in another.
Whether it’s good thoughts, urges, and desires from the spirit or from the flesh. It is the souk that casts the deciding vote on how and what we act upon.
If we allow our flesh and carnal nature to rule over our lives and thoughts we become hostile toward God and will not allow ourselves to be subjected to the love, power and expectations of God.
Even Jesus eluded to the contrast between the ways of the spirit and the ways of the flesh throughout His ministry when He spoke of the ways of the Kingdom, how He expected His followers to act in nearly every parable He told.
Seeing all of this we must accept that the way of the flesh will never be aligned with how God sees the world and how He wants us to live. If left unchecked our flesh will always choose the exact opposite of what God would have us do or at least corrupt our motives for doing the right thing, because the flesh is focused on itself -it’s true God.
This current situation isn’t hopeless because we have been given an unfair advantage in the war over the control of our hearts. Our spirit is not alone if we are living in communion with God and through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit we have living in our spirit so that it can speak loud and clear to our soul. (Romans 8:9-24; Galatians 2:20).
We must come at this war over our soul from the mindset that our spirit actually has the advantage over the flesh, but only if we allow it. Through patience, we learn the ability to not act impulsively when situations come up, we must always give God the opportunity to speak and intervene within our spirit and soul.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life had set you free from the law of sin and death” -Romans 8:1-2
Condemnation can be:
1. Through God
2. Inward condemnation
3. Through satan
In the verse above we see the law of sin and death. Sin and the law of sin along with death and the law of death is mentioned, along with the spirit of life. The mind is governed by flesh is death and the mind is governed by the spirit is peace.
Our minds need to be controlled by the Spirit and not flesh, and then we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Sometimes we find it difficult to retain the spirit as we deal with situations in life but we must make it a point to reach out to God for help and remember that once we are held in His hands nothing is difficult, everything becomes easier.
When we live in the way God wants, a new way of living gets activated.
The earth functions on laws, natural and statutory laws. These laws remain the same. The result of the law of sin is death. Sin directly leads to spiritual death.
It is dangerous for us to spend time wondering what people think of us. What people think about you is inaccurate. No matter whether they think more of us than they should or less of us than they should, they never hit the nail on the head. It’s a common affliction for many is the preoccupation with how other people perceive them.
Are they talking about me?
Do they like me?
Am I attractive?
Am I impressive?
Why can’t I ever please them?
Maybe if I change this about myself they will like me.
This type of self-conversation can be endless and if I’m going to be honest worthless. When it gets boiled down to the basics we conclude that some people either like us or they don’t. Nothing can change that.
I tried to get people to like me most of my life. All it led to was stress and exhaustion. Some people really don’t care much for you and that’s okay.
Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 tells us,
“Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.”
God’s Word here commands us not to be overly concerned with how others perceive you. When people speak ill of you, God’s advice is for you to refuse to take it to heart. If you listen long enough, you will eventually be made aware of something said about you that strikes at the heart of who you know yourself to be. In those times we can be offended, hurt, angered, indignant, defensive, or shamed. If we are not careful, we can allow the misguided analysis of others come to define what we believe about ourselves. This is an awful place to arrive if you are a believer in God.
So much of God’s Word seeks to empower us to draw our identity from what He says concerning us. In the Bible, God teaches us to view ourselves through the lens of grace and the completed work of Jesus. Not the hollow, inaccurate opinions of others (or even the opinion of ourselves). We are all a work in progress and we are empowered to live purposefully and fruitfully as we trust that all of our lacks are known by God.
I am not worthy but God is and He will work through me. In church last week there was a guest speaker He was a Christian Trauma Therapist. And that statement hit me like a ton of bricks. We don’t have to toil, despair, or hide when we address what we lack. Yet, when we listen to others and begin to place a premium om what they say of us or expect of us, we can lose sight of who we are in Christ Jesus and also the person who God is making us to be. So God tells us to make an art of tuning people out.
Verse 22 above indicates that we are not only victims of wrong thoughts and words but we are the source of the same thing. How many times have we spoken a thoughtless, hurtful word about someone else? I know I have said some things in anger, defensiveness, and frustration about other people. It’s easy to make quick generalizations of people, sizing them up in an instant, and communicating our dissatisfaction with them. Realizing we didn’t mean to assault anyone with our words but that’s the way they took it.
Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” when we believe what others’ opinions of us we in a sense saying they are wiser that God or have sharper discernment than the Holy Spirit.
It isn’t that you shouldn’t care what others think, it’s that you are not controlled by what others think of you.
We are supposed to love people and we are free to consider what they see and say about us, but we are also free not to give it a second thought. Some people see that they can control you by past responses you’ve given them by offering criticism or approval. These are people who you shouldn’t listen to. Instead, listen to the voice of God and Savior Jesus. That supreme voice that knows when to confirm you and convict you in your journey through life.
The voice of God is never impatient or insulting. He speaks with authority and decisiveness, but His aim is always to help you, not harm you.
Accusation is the work of the enemy and he is an expert at speaking nonsense to you through your words and thoughts as well as through others.
Ask God to empower you with a discerning heart to know the difference between His truth and fruitless input in your life.
From Pity to Praise 