Children tend to grow up with wild imaginations, dreaming of becoming a doctor, professional athlete or a wealthy entrepreneur. However, as time ticks away, ambition is often replaced by more realistic goals. Sure, dreams still exist in your mind, but negativity, pessimism and tough luck cause dreams to fade away from your memory.
A few years ago, I was passionate about completing my first novel. Before I typed a word, vivid ideas rushed into my head, inspiring my will to complete this May 15th, a deadline for a major contest in Hollywood. Unfortunately, a long cold spring, filled with racing to see all 3 of my children play sports has drained my desire to do anything. With May in the rear view mirror, a spark for finishing this book needs to be rekindled before my thoughts vanish.
Sometimes, the Bible seems too good to be true, as readers silently murmur, “yeah right?” Nonetheless, a weeping prophet writes of a special day in Jeremiah 29:11. When the day of doubt sets, there is hope of prosperity. If you’ve lost the will to carry on, don’t quit yet. Cling to the promise of Galatians 6:9-10 so that like Walt Disney once said, “one day your dreams will come true!”
You don’t have to be in high school to discern whether or not you belong. Based upon your personality and the people you encounter, conversations and friendships can quickly turn into tug of wars, seeking control. My own defense mechanism causes me to begin cautiously, often listening more than talking before opening up. However, once I feel comfortable in a certain setting or group of individuals, my true identity shines through.
However, there are many things which wage war against your soul in this life, making victory elusive, 1 Peter 2:11. Depending upon your motivation or degree or perseverance, many give up, throwing in the towel before they taste success. When you add this factor to the excess baggage people carry from their past, reaching the summit of John 10:10 seems unrealistic. Spirits of doubt, failure and pessimism imprint a loser mentality upon the souls of many. Instead of claiming the promise of Philippians 4:13, a lack of faith prohibits these bystanders from obtaining joy.
So how can someone establish a foundation for victory? What must one do to turn their fortune from failure to celebration? A Calvinist will say you don’t have a prayer; you’re either chosen or not. The Arminian will disagree, claiming everyone has a shot. While God’s grace does play a major role in victory, Ephesians 2:8, there is more as acts of contrition and penitence demonstrate whether or not someone is on the right track, James 2:26. From my own journey, below are essential ingredients which have put me into position to achieve victory.
1) Like Jesus, you need to find a quiet place, seeking solitude daily to get your heart and mind in the right place, Luke 4:42.
2) You need to find and or develop friendships which elevate your self-esteem and spiritual hunger, Acts 2:42-47.
3) Fill your idle time listening to uplifting music whether through Pandora, Radio Stations or You Tubes that will get you through each day, filling your mind with wholesome lyrics and thoughts, 1 Samuel 16:23.
4) Try to read a chapter of the Bible daily which will enhance your faith while transforming your mind, Romans 10:17.
5) Spend time each day in some form of recreation, whether running, working out and investing in a hobby which makes you happy, providing a sense of accomplishment daily, 1 Timothy 4:8.
6) Once a week, write down, preferably in a journal, goals that you want to fulfill before the day, week or month is over. This exercise provides needed vision for the future, Hosea 4:6.
7) Devote time once a month either helping, serving and volunteering within your church or community. It’s better to give than receive.
May these ideas inspire you develop your own daily/weekly disciplines and practices which will lead you toward a foundation for victory. May God honor the commitments you make to better yourself in 2014!
As I was cleaning today, I uncovered an old Concord High Yearbook sitting on the floor. Last fall, my best friend from high school, Carl, came to Delaware to visit his parents for a week. Catching up and reminiscing about our last high school reunion, I fetched my senior yearbook to put a face with all the names which came up. I’m not sure what it is, but the older I get, the more I repeat myself, sharing the same story annually with my wife and kids. As gracious as possible, I hear that apt reply, “That’s nice, but I’ve heard that before.”
From a writer’s perspective, there is nothing new under the sun, Ecclesiastes 1:9. When you’ve spent 3 years as an editor of a monthly newsletter and 2 more as the main contributor of this blog, some days you struggle to compose a paragraph let alone an entire piece. However, as I opened my yearbook, I had forgotten who I was, what I had accomplished and how a simple smile made an impact on my peers. The perfectionist in me never allowed me to accept and embrace compliments. Thus, these words were discarded, replaced by my lack of eloquence, stuttering and other deficiency’s.
This pessimism began to change for me in college during a Group service project on St. John’s Island in South Carolina. To my surprise, everyone in attendance received their own mailbox, near the center of our living quarters at a local high school. However, this mail was called Care Cards, a chance for others to write notes of encouragement and thanks to those who made a positive influence at some point during the day and week. The catch was you couldn’t open your mail bag until you got on your bus before leaving. I was so touched by this concept I incorporated it into my own mission trips when I became a youth pastor following college. Like my yearbook, every few years I will stumble across old mail bags, bringing tears to my eyes and joy to my soul as I savor these fond memories.
From a biblical perspective, Israel’s memory was so poor, God called Moses to devote an entire book called Deuteronomy, the second law, reminding the Jews of everything they had forgotten. Although retention varies among children and adults today, modern pastors recycle famous words of Jesus, the apostle Paul, and Peter to refresh the memories of lost souls. While some in church may whisper, “That’s nice, but I’ve heard that before,” someone in attendance may be hearing this truth for the first time. Therefore, be patient if someone tends to be redundant, for someone likely needs a reminder of promises within the Bible like John 3:16.
I guess you can say there is something within me that tries to figure out why people behave in a specific manner. A shy personality early on in life gave me time to people watch, pondering and narrowing in on traits others often overlook. Although this thought never crossed my mind, deep down I believed all of God’s creatures are too precious to be flushed down the toilet.
As a teacher, I learned to notice subtle behavior changes in my students. Death, divorce and unemployment were common denominators. While no one responds to trials exactly the same way, mood swings typically give away the emotions young people endure. Distractions, temptations and wanting to grow up too fast can devastate delicate souls. One untimely comment, put down or word can push a distraught mind over the edge, staring suicide in the face.
Looking back as an adult, warts become more obvious, sticking out like a sore thumb. Pessimism has contributed to society’s demise, creating a tsunami of anger, hatred and negativity. This venom is expressed verbally each day through trash talking. The byproduct of the tongue’s wrath is carnage, lies and tarnished reputations. One of the few glimmers of hope is songs like Gold by Britt Nicole. May the lyrics of this song touch your heart and remind you, life is too precious to be flushed down the toilet.
A spirit of pessimism has entered the church, anchored deep within the hearts and minds of Christian soldiers. Instead of asking for things in Jesus name as the gospels suggest, the thought of failure cripples the power of God in their life. Expecting defeat, lame prayer lives abound, void of any change, miracle or victory.
Thus, the devil has taken a foothold of prayer lives, Ephesians 4:27, given over to him by individuals who have lost hope. Its no wonder that churches are in the state they are, empty by low attendance, filled with gossip or slander and corrupted by false teachings of the world. Its time as Asaph urged many years ago to awaken God’s might, Psalm 80:2.
Another Pentecost is obtainable if saints are willing to follow the blue print left behind by the apostles, Acts 2:42-47. We must put aside our petty disagreements, coming together in a concert of prayer, united as one body in Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:12. Once this point is reached, prayers like Acts 4:29, accompanied by immediate answers in Acts 4:31 will awaken God’s might, drawing others into the house of God.
Since I first began attending church as a toddler, I was led to believe that I could earn my way into heaven based upon my own works. As I grew older, attending a different youth group in high school, I become exposed to other theological positions. As an adult, serving as active member and participant of a church, I have searched the Bible to affirm what I ultimately believe today. However, this morning while listening to a few sermons on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, I discovered that I might be living under a curse.
According to scripture, curses can occur through words, after experiencing emotional trauma, by making wrongs judgments or vows and acts of disobedience. When a person one says, “you’ll never do this or you won’t succeed,” a word curse is initiated according to Ephesians 4:29-30 and James 3:9. Meanwhile, Deuteronomy 28:20-22 suggests accidents, disease or illness can be attributed and linked to curses. Ecclesiastes 5:6 and Deuteronomy 28:5 each claim poor decisions result in curses. Finally, Jesus himself reveals that unless you forgive others, God will not forgive you, Matthew 6:14-15.
After contemplating pastor Ron Phillips’ message, the Holy Spirit opened my heart to the possibility my unemployment is curse related. First, its been difficult to completely let go of all the pain I endured while living in the Red Lion soap opera. Although, I thought I had forgiven all parties involved, God convicted me of some bitterness I am still holding onto within my heart. Second, when failure becomes the norm in your life, its difficult to purge your mind of negativity and pessimistic thinking. Lastly, no matter where you are in your faith journey, there is always room for improvement: areas of compromise, complacency and sinful tendencies.
Whatever your own current situation consists of, I know God wants to break any curse or pattern of failure which exists. Thus, God longs to create a hedge of protection around you, your family, church and nation. These hedges consists of 5 major components: prayer, leadership, unity, angels and revival. Breaking and renouncing any curse always begins and ends with prayer, claiming God’s promises. Prayer also energizers church leaders as well as gives people the motivation to be the head of their house. Building upon prayer and leadership, unity is the fulfillment of both these elements. Angelic protection increases when belief in God’s power in verbalized in prayer. When a vision of ushering in heaven on earth is grasped by a community, revival often breaks out. While watching the Super Bowl is nice, I long to see a spiritual super bowl, where curses are broken, saints rejoice and Christians experience victory daily!
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