Sorrow Can Turn Into Joy

One thing is sure. You cannot live life without experiencing some type of sorrow.

We can't deny it. We probably can't even get rid of it. But this life is not all that there is. The way to beat sorrow is to look beyond your sorrow to the joy that is coming.

"Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30 verse 5).

Beauty Restored

I love beauty. But it can be marred. And so, would need restoration.

The beauty of "Pieta" in Vatican was violently damaged by evil a few years ago. A crazed man charged through the barriers and slammed it away with a hammer.

With the broken pieces of the "Pieta" on the floor, can this beautiful piece of art still be restored? When Adam and Eve, Moses, Abraham, Jonah, David, Peter, Paul, Mary Magdalene and others sinned and got broken, can their worlds still be rebuilt? In all of these cases, the answer is YES!

Art experts have restored "Pieta" so that it became more beautiful and the damage was no longer seen. The genius of Christ's Gospel is that broken humankind is also "rebuildable." God can restore the beauty and wholeness inside of us no matter how evil or badly our world has been damaged by past experiences. The Bible refers to it as our great hope. And it is available when we seek it through faith in Christ.

I find this legend from the sheep countries of England instructive about the process the Bible is referring to. Some hundreds of years ago, 2 men were arrested and convicted for stealing sheep. The judge sent them to prison for several years and decreed that the letter "S" be burned into their foreheads.

When the jail terms ended, one of the 2 left the area and was never heard from again. The 2nd one remained and dedicated his life to God. As the years passed, he served in the community, freely giving himself to aid people in sicknesses, family crises, and other life's difficulties. Soon no one remembered or spoke about the crime of sheep stealing he earlier committed.

The legend ended with 2 small boys conversing who knew nothing of this man's past. Looking at the aged man, one of the boys asked, "Why do you think he has an "S" on his forehead?" The other boy answered, "From what my Mom says about him, I think it must mean "Saint."

God's Unconditional Love

God's love remains a mystery to me. Sometimes I struggle to receive His love. It is so pure and simple. It's not something I have earned. Perhaps I preoccupy myself trying to earn His love. But there's no way I can earn it! I can never be good enough, handsome enough, rich enough etc to earn God's love. Still He accepts and loves me unconditionally. All I have to do is receive this love. I will never solve this mystery.

Our Body, God's Temple

I've learned from Scripture that our body is the temple of God.

"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? May it never be! .... one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6: 15-20).

From that biblical view, my body can thus be used as an instrument of righteousness or unrighteousness. So when one violates the body (God's temple) with sin, it is one of the most difficult to share or confess. It's embarrassing. The body as the temple of the Holy Spirit again illustrates how the spiritual dimension of our problems affects our whole person: the body, soul, and spirit.

Join me in saying a freedom prayer: "Lord Jesus, I ask you to reveal to my mind every use of my body as an instrument of sin and unrighteousness. I renounce all of the ways that Satan perverted my attitude toward my body as a result of my past involvement. I announce the truth that I don't have to continue to be a victim of those past experiences. I receive your forgiveness and love, Lord, for I am your child. You are the God who makes all things new. I ask You, Lord, to renew my mind so that I am free to enjoy my body and sex in the way you intended. You have totally cleansed me, that You love and accept me unconditionally. Therefore I can forgive and accept myself. And I choose to do so, to accept myself and my body as cleansed, and to live victoriously in Christ. In Jesus' name, amen."

Swallowed Pride

I believe Pride is one of our Big Issues. Like nature, it always comes up within our self. The Bible says, "A man's pride brings him low, but a man's lowly spirit gains honor" (Proverbs 29:23). Pride in my own abilities or accomplishments could keep me from finding happiness and fulfillment in God. I must be willing to swallow my pride if I am to be whole. As Henri Nouwen put it, "God said, 'Go and live among the poor of spirit, and they will heal you.' " There lies the hidden treasure.

Choosing to Love

Dr. Gary Chapman speaks volumes about the language of love, especially for married couples. According to him, the biblical concept of love is, "LOVE IS A CHOICE." Real love does not claim warm, excited feelings. It chooses to love, whether or not it is natural for us.

As an illustration, Dr. Chapman writes, "Most of us do many things each day that do not come "naturally" for us. For some of us, that is getting out of bed in the morning. We go against our feelings and get out of bed. Why? Because we believe there is something worthwhile to do that day. And normally, before the day is over, we feel good about having gotten up. Our actions preceded our emotions."

A real-life example can be learned from one Christian missionary wife who sent this testimony to Charles Shepson of Fairhaven Counseling, USA:

"I felt trapped between my feelings and my Christian convictions. I hated my husband and wanted to leave. I did not honestly know how I could go on living with him, feeling the way I did. I knew that to leave him was wrong and would have far reaching consequences for my family. And we were missionaries! I knew what was right. I could quote all the verses ... but I was rejecting everything I believed in. My husband and I were given an opportunity to go to the retreat center for counseling, and in agreeing to go, I made my first tentative choice to work on our marriage. My first day there, I made a deliberate choice to commit myself to my husband and to our marriage. It was a decision based upon what I knew to be right, but in no way reflected my feelings at the time. I still felt rebellious and bitter. I felt no love, and these feelings stayed with me. Each positive step I took was a response to my choice as I ignored my feelings. We started to rebuild our marriage. Our first aim was friendship, since we felt this was a measurable, reachable goal. I had no expectations, but I was stuck with it, knowing only that I was doing the right thing. My miracle happened -- slowly .... As I acted on my choice and built on it, my feelings began to change. Over the months, I began to feel respect, then tenderness, and finally love for my husband. I saw his weakness, and I saw his strength. I saw him through entirely different eyes, and I loved him."

Joy in the Journey

I need to celebrate this particular moment of time. It's a gift. The joy is as much in the journey as in the destination. With joy in the journey, it helps me appreaciate the good and beautiful.

Set Captives Free

I've been reading Neil Anderson's book "The Bondage Breaker" that has helped thousands all over the world be free from bondage. It reveals the whys and hows of spiritual warfare.

The Bible warns repeatedly that we battle against Satan. It's not a flesh-and-blood struggle. The war is spiritual. So we fight with spiritual weapons.

Anderson exposes Satan's battle for our mind. It shares powerful truths of who we are in Christ and what it means to be a child of God. Our spiritual identity and power in Christ holds the key that will set us free.

If you are trapped or in a mess (as Anderson would put it) of negative thoughts, irrational feelings, or habitual private sins you can't seem to break, The Bondage Breaker is for you. In order to receive freedom in Christ, Anderson outlines 7 steps to Freedom in Christ.

1.) COUNTERFEIT vs. REAL

2.) DECEPTION vs. TRUTH

3.) BITTERNESS vs. FORGIVENESS

4.) REBELLION vs. SUBMISSION

5.) PRIDE vs. HUMILITY

6.) BONDAGE vs. FREEDOM

7.) CURSES vs. BLESSINGS

What is your life?

Samuel Johnson once said, "Life is very short and very uncertain; let us spend it as well as we can." His statement is biblical. In Psalm 23:4-7, it says: "Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath... But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You." Indeed, for us temporary human beings, time is a precious possession. We need to spend it wisely according to God's will to live well.

Flesh After Salvation

Flesh, in the pages of Scripture, is associated with worldliness, sensuality, what is hidden, lostness. The flesh is still present after salvation in Christ. They manifest in the form of learned habit patterns of thought and behavior.

The flesh is selfish. It prompts you to focus on your own interests. However, if you are in Christ, you are no longer in the flesh as your old self was. But you can still choose to walk according to the ways of the flesh (Romans 8:12, 13). Romans 6:11 tells us what to believe about sin and our position in Christ: "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Because of Christ's victory over sin and flesh, you are free to choose not to sin. It is your responsiblity and decision not to let sin and flesh reign.

Your Self-Image in Christ

Who do you think you are? How do you perceive yourself?

As a child of God, you are not bad. You are not evil. You may have committed sins or evil things.

But at the very heart of your being is a desire to do what is right. Or else, you wouldn't be around seeking God!

Many today suffer from damaged self-image. This may be caused by memories of abuse, wrongdoing, sin, evi, or emotional entanglement. Such memories could haunt you even throughout your life.

If you are in Christ, there is hope. There is no damage that's beyond repair. A bright future awaits you. Look at the following Scriptures that show who you are in Christ:

IN CHRIST, I AM ACCEPTED.

I am God's child. (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend. (John 15:15)

I have been justified. (Romans 5: 1)

I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17)

I have been bought with a price - I belong to God. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

I am a member of Christ's Body. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18)

I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. (Colossians 1:14)

I am complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)

IN CHRIST, I AM SECURE.

I am free from condemnation. (Romans 8: 1, 2)

I am assured that all things work together for good. (Romans 8:28)

I am free from any condemning charges against me. (Romans 8: 31-34)

I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Romans 8: 35-39)

I am a citizen of heaven. (Philippians 3:20)

I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. (1 John 5:18)

IN CHRIST, I AM SIGNIFICANT.

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. (John 15:16)

I am God's temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16)

I am a minister of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5: 17-20)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm. (Ephesians 2:6)

I am God's workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)

I may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

It is never easy to see the ugly presence of evil in this life. Consequences can mar victims. But all of us can exercise Christ's authority over evil and throw off the chains of bondage.

You and I are not mere products of the past. But rather we are new creations in Christ. Because of that, we can walk free. We can live in freedom. We can begin living according to who we really are in the eyes of God.

You are a child of God. Jesus meets all your needs for life, self-image, identity, acceptance, security, and significance.