Category: Emotions

THE BEAUTY OF GOD'S LOVE

4/3/2020

“Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.”
C. S. Lewis

There are three core truths about God that are critical to our freedom. The first is that God is good. The second that God is loving. And finally, that God is in control. All three of these truths are intertwined, and without one the others fall short. If God is good, he must also, therefore, be loving. But if He is not in control, how can He really be good? And if He is not loving, He certainly cannot be good.

Today I want to talk with you about the reality of God’s love.

I think for the most part we all have a general understanding of the fact that God is loving. We all know John 3:16, and we often tell each other “God loves you!” But the question I want to challenge you with today is this: How is the reality of God’s love impacting your daily living?

While we may find ourselves familiar with the fact that God loves us, we may not necessarily have a full understanding of what that love looks like, which leads us to feeling, and subsequently living, as though God does not love us. The sad fact is that many of us struggle with looking at what’s happening in our lives and in our world and find ourselves wrestling with the question of God’s love.

THE CHALLENGE OF LOVE

To fully grasp the love of God, we need to take a step back and redefine love. The first problem we encounter when it comes to God’s love is that we have a misconception of what love is, what it looks like, and how it acts.

Scripture talks about three primary types of love: romantic/sexual love, brotherly/friendship love, and sacrificial love. The love that God has for us is sacrificial love – which, by the way, is the same love that He ultimately calls all us to strive to have for each other.

Part of our problem in defining love is that we resort to feelings over actions. We struggle to apply the truth of whether or not God loves us simply based on how we feel, rather than evaluating His love based on what actions He has taken towards us.

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LIVING LIKE GOD IS GOOD: THE FREEDOM OF FAITH

3/27/2020

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Yesterday we looked at our struggle to believe that God is good.
To read the previous post, click here.

HOW DO WE GET BACK?

When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply
till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
And afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
-Psalm 73:16-17, 21-28

STEP 1: THE RIGHT FOCus

Asaph doubted God’s goodness when he looked around him. He failed when he compared his life to the lives of others. He became discouraged when he let his emotions fuel his perspective. But when he lifted his eyes to God, he found hope.

When we go through times of pain and suffering, having the right focus is critical.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
-Isaiah 55:8

We need to take a step back and see the bigger picture. Not the bigger picture of our circumstances, but the bigger picture of God and who He has proven Himself to be in Scripture and in our own lives.

Instead of focusing on our circumstances, which constantly change, we need to focus on God, who never changes. Has God been faithful before? He will be faithful again.

God created us to glorify Him, and He gets glory through being good to us! Our problem is that we tend to forget that God knows more than we do, and so we question His method, forgetting that His thoughts and His ways are so much higher than ours.

STEP 2: THE RIGHT EXPECTATION

Instead of expecting God to make us happy, we need to expect God to make us holy – and then we will discover that joy is byproduct of holiness. Unfortunately for us, growth can only come through trials; that’s why Peter wrote that our suffering comes for a purpose:

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THE TRUTH ABOUT FREEDOM

2/22/2020

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“Ah, freedom.”

The thought that runs through our heads when we’re finally alone. When the project is finally finished. When we’re finally off work. When we’re finally on vacation. When we’re finally able to do what we want. For different people, different circumstances cause us to breathe out that sigh of relief.

Each of us has our own ideas about freedom. If you’re anything like me, in spite of the short-term instances of relief you occasionally experience, freedom is an elusive dream that you’re always chasing.

If I can just get through one more week, I’ll be free.

If I could just find a different job, then I’d be at peace.

If I could just break this one habit, I’d be okay.

If I could just have this relationship squared away, then I’d feel better.

If I can somehow find a way to make more money, I’ll be set.

But the week comes and goes, and I still feel restless, the new job has its own set of problems, the habit just won’t go away, the relationship is never perfect, and the money is never enough.

LIFE TO THE FULL

JOHN 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

The imagery Jesus uses when He speaks these words is vivid – “life to the full.” Abundant life. Life that has richness. He’s not speaking about life in a biological term – He’s speaking of a quality of life that is higher than we are able to experience on our own because it comes only from Him.

Many of us would use words like frazzled, frustrated, overwhelmed, stuck, defeated, fearful, insecure, lonely, confused, burned-out, or discouraged to describe our lives. I know I’ve used those words many times, even in the last few months. In contrast, Jesus offers us abundant life. Life that could be described as peaceful, contented, gracious, loving, joyful, and free.

As you consider your current season of life, which list most resonates with you? Are you experiencing the abundant life and freedom that Jesus came to offer? Or is it possible that, like me, you’ve been attaching your peace and freedom to the wrong things and as a result, are experiencing discouragement over joy, frustration over peace, and bondage over freedom?

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WHEN GOD DISRUPTS YOUR LIFE

8/24/2018

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I think it's easy for us to get comfortable in life.

Comfort zones can be danger zones, though. When we get comfortable, we tend to become self-centered. We take things and people for granted. We stop giving. We start taking. We become proud. And God's not a fan of our stagnation, and He tends to only let us stay comfortable for so long before He begins to create some friction in our lives. Gently, at first, and then with increasingly more force as we stubbornly hold on to what we believe we need and have a right to - whether that's a certain emotional state of being, a particular relationship, an orderly set of circumstances, or even a way of thought and belief that is comfortable to us.

Our response to these disruptions reveals our heart. The right response is surrender to what God doing, trusting Him, and being obedient even in the hard things. When we surrender, we grow. We change. We become strengthened emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.

But often we respond negatively, with anger, resentment, and a stubborn refusal to change. That's when things tend to get bad, because God often has to use pain to motivate us to change, as most of refuse to budge until the pain of staying the way we are is greater than the pain of change.

Jonah is an example of someone who had a very clear comfort zone in life, and when God began to challenge him, he responded in anger. His desperation to maintain control over his life and choices made him emotionally unstable and ultimately estranged from God.

I'm excited to share this study on Jonah with you. it's one of my favorite lessons to teach. And yes, I know, I'm breaking the cardinal rule of blogging by publishing an article that's over 1,300 words - but I felt like it would be worth it.

I recommend you pull your Bible out and follow along. For the sake of time and space, I'll only be including key verses as we go through. Start with reading the book (it's just 4 chapters) to familiarize yourself with the story.

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Mysteries

4/13/2018

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I love mysteries!

And I hate mysteries.

And if I had to guess, I’d venture to say you’re in the same boat with me.

Allow me to explain.

My favorite genre of fiction happens to be suspense/mystery. I love them. Mysteries are a perfect escape from reality for me. I like not knowing what's going to happen next, and I love trying to figure out what happens next anyway, and of course, trying to guess "whodunit." Maybe reading isn’t your thing – but perhaps crime dramas are a go-to for you. I think media trends to show that we, the people, love mysteries.

In real life, however, I have a much harder time getting excited about not knowing what's around the bend. It's far too easy for me to find myself anxious, and often fearful, about anything from what's going to happen when I call this person, to what's going to happen over the course of the year – or beyond. When I don't have a grasp on what to expect or what's going to happen, it doesn't matter how big or small the situation is, I just plain don't like it.

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For what it's worth

3/23/2018

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Most of us are familiar with the story of how God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses, the burning bush, plagues, splitting the sea. There's a lot there. A lot to learn. And as I was recently reading in Exodus 8, something jumped out at me. It was following the curse of the frogs:

Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”
    Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”
   “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.
   But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.
(Exodus 8:8-10a, 15)

WHOA.

So Pharaoh refuses to obey God.

God sends consequences – painful, irritating, frustrating, and annoying consequences.

God offers relief – “obey.”

Pharaoh gives in. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

When?

“Tomorrow.”

God brings relief.

Pharaoh says, “Eh, never mind. That wasn’t so bad.”

It wasn't until Pharaoh and all of Egypt suffered the most personal loss of all that he finally surrendered.

Isn't that just like us?

People change when the pain of staying the way they are becomes greater than the pain of change.

The problem is that we suffer frequently from memory loss.

We sin. We suffer. God offers freedom. We hesitate. Is it worth it? Maybe. Tomorrow.

Sometimes tomorrow doesn't come until next week. Or next month. Or next year.

But eventually, the time comes. It's too much. We agree. We'll do anything. Just help.

So God relieves the pressure and the pain.

And then we forget.

We forget how painful the consequences are. We forget how much we suffered. How overwhelmed we were. And, instead, we overwhelm ourselves with the “what ifs” of the change we promised God – of the obedience we promised God.

What if I’m alone forever?

What if I never get healed?

What if they never make it right?

What if, what if, what if…

And just like that, we decide that the pain of change is worse than the pain of staying the same.

Just like that, we reject God.

And God begins the process over again. Consequences, pain, suffering.

“Can you hear Me now?"

"Do you believe Me now?"

"Will you seek Me now?”

And because He loves us, He does this until we finally see His goodness, His patience, and His mercy and find the motivation necessary to follow through. To believe Him. To trust Him.

Enough to overcome the fear.

To overcome the what ifs.

And to start saying, “even if.”

Even if I’m alone,
it’s worth it.

Even if I never find healing,
it’s worth it.

Even if they never say they’re sorry,
it’s worth it.

Even if.

It’s worth it.

Disobedience, on the other hand, is never worth it. It brings pain, bondage, anger, despair.

But obedience? Obedience is always worth it.

Let's choose to obey God
for what it's worth -
Peace. Hope. Joy. Freedom.

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HUPOMENO

3/9/2018

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My father had many verses that were meaningful to him, that he drew encouragement from. But the most meaningful thing to him in his relationship with God was this simple word, “hupomeno.” It quickly became the theme of his life, and he lived it in full, to his last breath.

HUPOMENO

from hupó = under, as in under the rule of someone + méno = to abide or remain)
- literally to remain under, but not simply with resignation, but with a vibrant hope.

The idea of enduring is not just to "grin and bear it"
but to remain under trials in a such a way that we glorify God
as we learn the lessons the trials are meant to teach us,
instead of seeking ways to get out from under
the trials and be relieved of the pressure.
(source)

Examples in scripture

Matthew 24:13:
"But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved."
Romans 12:12:
"rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,"
1 Corinthians 13:7
"[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
2 Timothy 2:10
or this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.
James 1:12
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

I am constantly inspired by the meaning of this word to choose hope, to choose trust, and to choose God. I am inspired by my father’s example, and how he endured all things with hope, with expectation of God’s deliverance – and how God continually proved faithful to His promises in each and every trial. I hope to live my life in such a way as to inspire others the way that my father inspired me.

One way to remind myself to keep perspective is a bracelet which says “hupomeno.”
I’m now selling those bracelets for $6 on Etsy. You can purchase them at my store, TheSurrenderedLifeCo.

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Fearful Relationships

3/3/2018

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Until my own recent struggle, I don’t think I realized just how far-reaching fear can become, not only personally, but how my internal fears can begin to affect my relationships in significant ways. I think we’re all guilty of acting in fear in our relationships – I just think we don’t generally notice until it becomes out of control and is seen more in the results of deep depression, desperate behavior, and a pattern of broken relationships.

It’s often not too difficult to look back and see where we did things the wrong way, acted in fear, and where things got off track. Unfortunately, it’s much harder to fix the problems when we’ve reached that point. It is not, however, impossible. It simply requires much humility and a determination to let God become our focus rather than people, and let love control our actions, not fear.

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Healthy Fear

3/1/2018

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Fear.

One of those sins that Christians tend to address as "minor," "little," and "unimportant," fear is often deemed unnecessary to address. We don't see it as a big deal, so we just ignore it, hoping it’ll go away. Unfortunately, though, as time goes on, fear not only doesn’t disappear – it actually grows. Before too long, the “little” sin is now the BIG sin that has begun to push us around and is grasping for control over every part of our lives.

I think part of the struggle we have to take fear seriously starts with the fact that fear in and of itself may not be a problem. Fear is a God-given emotion. The danger is found in what we’re fearing and how we respond to that fear.

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The Hands of God

2/17/2018

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I am so thankful that God uses people

Our God is a very personal God. He is a relational God. He lives in community, and He designed us to need that community, as well – starting with the fellowship we have through a relationship with Him. But it doesn’t end there – He also created us to need other people. Other Christians. Fellowship and relationships through the local church. Because God uses people.

We need encouragement. We need help. We need hope.

When we’re overwhelmed, frustrated, tired, and broken, we are tempted to isolate. But it’s in those broken moments that we most need each other. We benefit the most from our relationships when it’s the hardest – when we’re most tempted to give up, close up, or shut down. When we’re vulnerable. When we’re scared. When we’re desperate.

The pattern in scripture is that when people (or even the nation of Israel) were desperate, they cried out to God. And God sent a man. God sent a woman. God sent a person. And He used that person to help, encourage, and bring about deliverance, both personally and corporately.

When Adam was alone and needed a helper,
God created Eve.

WHEN DAVID WAS RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE,
GOD GAVE HIM JONATHAN.

When Israel cried out for deliverance in Egypt,
God sent Moses.

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THE BEAUTY OF GOD'S LOVE

“Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.”
C. S. Lewis

THE CHALLENGE OF LOVE

LIVING LIKE GOD IS GOOD: THE FREEDOM OF FAITH

HOW DO WE GET BACK?

STEP 1: THE RIGHT FOCus

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
-Isaiah 55:8

STEP 2: THE RIGHT EXPECTATION

THE TRUTH ABOUT FREEDOM

LIFE TO THE FULL

JOHN 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

WHEN GOD DISRUPTS YOUR LIFE

Mysteries

For what it's worth

WHOA.

Isn't that just like us?

And then we forget.

What if I’m alone forever?

What if I never get healed?

What if they never make it right?

What if, what if, what if…

“Can you hear Me now?"

"Do you believe Me now?"

"Will you seek Me now?”

Even if I’m alone,
it’s worth it.

Even if I never find healing,
it’s worth it.

Even if they never say they’re sorry,
it’s worth it.

Even if.

It’s worth it.

Let's choose to obey God
for what it's worth -
Peace. Hope. Joy. Freedom.

HUPOMENO

HUPOMENO

Examples in scripture

Fearful Relationships

Healthy Fear

The Hands of God

I am so thankful that God uses people

When Adam was alone and needed a helper,
God created Eve.

WHEN DAVID WAS RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE,
GOD GAVE HIM JONATHAN.

When Israel cried out for deliverance in Egypt,
God sent Moses.

bethany HARRIS

Archives

Categories

“Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.” ​C. S. Lewis

THE CHALLENGE OF LOVE

HOW DO WE GET BACK?

STEP 1: THE RIGHT FOCus

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.-Isaiah 55:8

STEP 2: THE RIGHT EXPECTATION

​LIFE TO THE FULL

JOHN 10:10​The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

​WHOA.

Isn't that just like us?

And then we forget.

What if I’m alone forever? What if I never get healed? What if they never make it right? ​What if, what if, what if…

“Can you hear Me now?""Do you believe Me now?""Will you seek Me now?”

Even if I’m alone, it’s worth it. Even if I never find healing, it’s worth it.Even if they never say they’re sorry, it’s worth it. Even if.​It’s worth it.

Let's choose to obey God for what it's worth - Peace. Hope. Joy. Freedom.

HUPOMENO

Examples in scripture

​I am so thankful that God uses people

When Adam was alone and needed a helper,​God created Eve.​WHEN DAVID WAS RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE,GOD GAVE HIM JONATHAN.​When Israel cried out for deliverance in Egypt, ​God sent Moses.

bethany HARRIS

Archives

Categories

“Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.”
C. S. Lewis

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
-Isaiah 55:8

LIFE TO THE FULL

JOHN 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

WHOA.

What if I’m alone forever?

What if I never get healed?

What if they never make it right?

What if, what if, what if…

“Can you hear Me now?"

"Do you believe Me now?"

"Will you seek Me now?”

Even if I’m alone,
it’s worth it.

Even if I never find healing,
it’s worth it.

Even if they never say they’re sorry,
it’s worth it.

Even if.

It’s worth it.

Let's choose to obey God
for what it's worth -
Peace. Hope. Joy. Freedom.

I am so thankful that God uses people

When Adam was alone and needed a helper,
God created Eve.

WHEN DAVID WAS RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE,
GOD GAVE HIM JONATHAN.

When Israel cried out for deliverance in Egypt,
God sent Moses.