What happen's when we find ourselves in relationships that aren't pleasing to us? I found something a few years ago that brought light to my pain. It was something that turned my focus inward, and upward...It was something that saved me from Blame, Anger and Frustration (except the days and nights I fall prey to my own carnal thinking, and find myself backsliding into being a victim again)....Because it told me "WHY" I was suffering...And; as hard as it was (and is) for me to admit my brokenness in this area...I eventually realized this was the foolish road I was own...
My circumstances weren't producing my inner struggles; it was my thinking (my Illusions, my dreams, my self destruction) about the circumstances that was destroying my ability to experience true peace and life....I ran across a summary of this material and it describes me plight to a tee...So I am going to share it here, just in case it can be a beneficial resource for some of you who may can identify w/ it also...
Blessings
C
Every created entity comes into being when the Spirit of life quickens (enlivens) it into existence. Living life, however, is not a one time fix. God does not bestow life upon man and then walk away to see what man will do with his new found existence.
Since only God is life (John 5:26), creation has to experience God continually to continue to experience life. Remove the Spirit of life from the body that is experiencing life and the body soon decays into the nothingness of its original dust. Since the Son of God is “the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world” (John 1:9), every man experiences life because he is lighted continually or experiences God continually (Col. 1:26).
The problem is not that man does not experience God, for to live is to experience God. The problem is man does not know, or worse, refuses to honor God for his life. The ignorant man living in foolish illusions state that God is not the measure and the life of all things. The foolish man proclaims that he, himself, is.Although all men continually experience and live their life according to the outworking of the will of God, man often finds himself in opposition to that will in the world of his imagination. The will of God is still being done, for no man can change the sovereignty of God (Rom. 9:19,20), but in the mind of man, the make believe world of his fantasies, he believes he controls his own life. God still produces the life from heaven, but because man is in his mind he experiences the hells of his own created world–his imaginations.
Man begins his journey to this chamber of death and hell with the illusion that he can (by the power of his choice) decide what is good and what is evil. He believes he can control the times and the seasons of life. The first illusion of man is always the belief that he can make life happen himself.
The consequences of this illusion produce the reality that although he is in control of his life there is something missing. No matter what he chooses to do, for some reason the sense of fulfillment or completeness does not occur. He begins to live by playing roles, hiding the real self of what he has become, and readily blaming others for his misery.
The consequences of this first illusion should be sufficient to cause him to cry out to God for his salvation. The pain and the agony of no meaningful, lasting relationships should bring him back to God. But, it does not. For there is something within man that refuses to give up the control he perceives he has.He knows something is wrong, but to fix the fault of the first illusion, he creates a second illusion. He begins to believe that he can take the things of God (although he gives no credit to God for them) and by his choices and efforts make the good life occur. He believes that he can mix the grace of God (which produces all things in the world) and the laws of man (the attempt to do as he thinks he should) and produce or force the issues that should exist between people.
He craves meaningful relationships, as he understands them, and he attempts to make them happen. He will now live in the illusion that he can force relationships to occur. He will either create a false world of illusions about himself, to make himself something he is not. Or, selfishly scheme interactions with others to get what he thinks he needs. The end result is the same: corrupted, dysfunctional relationships.
The consequences of this second illusion should be sufficient to cause him to cry out to God for his salvation. The hells of his life should bring him back to God. But, it does not. For there is something within man that refuses to give up the control that he perceives he has.He knows something is wrong, but to the fix the fault of the second illusion he creates a third illusion. Unable to experience the ultimate life of meaningful relationships, and finding himself in the misery of everyday life, he turns to the world of make believe. The imaginations, the dreams, and the fantasies he creates in his own mind become the means by which he attempts to experience life. So much so that he now finds himself controlled by a world that his own mind has created. Trying desperately to experience life in those dreams, he becomes in bondage to those same dreams.
Living in this world of being controlled by the endless, hopeless fulfilling of man’s own fantasies will eventually bring him to such corruption and violence that God has to step in to destroy that world. God will eventually, after much long-suffering, bring everyone to the end of themselves. Once the individual is being destroyed by the world he thought he could control, his cry finally rises to God in agony, “Lord, save me, I am perishing.”We all need to be saved from our own thinking.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
The simple hearing of Jesus (literal meaning of obedience) as opposed to hearing the words of our own imaginations is the only salvation of our souls. Hearing Jesus is the path to the contented life of the Spirit of life that dwells within us.
author Dr. James Stone
Thanks, C.
Submitted by jennalemone on
Words of comfort and faith. Thanks for being a balance for our/my negative musings and frustration. I sometimes wonder why I go to church. It has become so peripheral in our culture. Attendance is failing all over. I go because, the adorable people there give me hope, strength, community, peace, support. Some of the lingo still used is archaic. I am on a committee going to statewide meetings about our congregation's future. It is being said that there will be a major change in religion in the generations coming up and we are the beginning of that change. No one knows what the change will look like yet, but we are to be open to the necessity and the benefits of the change.
So many searching people and churches are emptying.
Keep the faith.
Small Town...Churches and Bars...There are lots of those in ALA.
Submitted by c ur self on
I smiled when you posted that earlier about your town:)....The Lord has changed me (my thinking) over the years about "Church"....It's amazing how much man made stuff I have been indoctrinated with as I grew up...(out of ignorance)...Just noticing and being around other Christians over the years, it's quite obvious I'm not alone in this attempting to mix Law and Grace... (for a better way of saying it)...
Just a few things that has changed in my thinking is when I think or here the word "Church" I don't see a building any longer; I see faces...Another thing is the word "for"....Growing up hearing preachers or teachers saying we should do this or that for God? Now when I hear that, I just smile...My mind immediately changes the word "for to the word "by"....God don't need me to do anything for him (He is God!)...But, if I hear him, he can use me (his child) by his spirit, for his purposes...
I'm not down on gathering together for the reason's you stated, scripture urges us (the body of Christ) to do this....Iron sharpens Iron....I need the fellowship, encouragement and the strength that comes from sharing and worshipping together...But, I also know that God is no respect of person, and it doesn't matter who you are or where you are...He is there, he hears our cries....
What you said about changes coming in the visible Church....I have seen quiet a bit of change over the past 40 years here in the South Eastern US...Denomination's are disappearing more and more...We see non-denominational churches springing up more and more...Things that use to be a hindrance (man made religion) to the body of Christ is being exposed and there is much more unity between true believers...Over the past 20 years or so, its been common to see pastor's of different denominations and different races meeting together, and seeking unity....
If anything changes in the US for true believers it may be more persecution. (Of course we all know it goes on frequently in non-Christian nations, where the laws don't respect or protect their citizen's rights to worship as they choose) The anti-Christ is strong, and will deceive many who aren't abiding in the Christ....
I have done and still do my share of spewing frustration...I read what you, PI, dvance and dede said...I've followed you girls and prayed for you for three years now..Like you were my own sisters...It breaks my heart that you ladies like myself can't seem to be heard and cared for like you deserve....
I've come to realize many of our spouses just have no ability to draw close to us in a real way...Accepting this has been what has calmed me, and helped me to not be a victim....
It's not in their power...I'm not throwing them all in one pot...But their are real reasons,( there is to much commonality between them to be coincidence)....For some it may be damaged emotions from the past...For others, their own lives so overwhelm them, all they can see is their next curve in the road...(a life of tunnel vision)...While still others may just be sinners, who have no heart felt conviction to do anything but what their flesh cries out to do....
I personally think it's a mix for many....If you suffer w/ clinical level adhd, you will suffer w/ many of the things like messiness, distraction, time management, and emotional outbursts to name a few...Throw in low self esteem and the fear of vulnerability, that may have come from abuse or just poor decisions while trying to maneuver growing up...That is a load for one man or women to bare!...And to top it off, if there is no heart felt convictions to not think, speak or do evil things....WELL, you pretty much have a messed up life on your hands....
C