THE POWER OF CHRIST AND REAL FELLOWSHIP IN YOUR INTERNAL STRUGGLES.

4/26/2019

DO YOU OFTEN FEEL LIKE LIFE IS A SERIES OF SMALL STRUGGLES THAT YOU CONSTANTLY KEEP REVISITING ON THE STAGE OF YOUR LIFE. THOSE LITTLE THINGS THAT YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO CLEAN UP. GOSSIP, SWEARING, JEALOUSY, ENVY, PRIDE. THEY ARE ALL PART OF US TO ONE DEGREE OR ANOTHER, AND THEY CAN TAKE A LOT OF ENERGY AND POSITIVITY AWAY FROM US. THEY CAN FALSELY PUT OUR FOCUS ON SELF IMPROVEMENT, RATHER THAN SEEKING THE PERFECTION AND PEACE THAT ONE CAN FIND IN PUTTING FOCUS ON JESUS AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

THE WORLD TELLS US THAT WE CONSTANTLY NEED TO WORK AT IMPROVING OURSELVES, AND IF YOU HAVE STRUGGLES, FIND A GOOD THERAPIST AND ALL WILL BE BETTER. I HAVE MET SOME REALLY GOOD PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IN THERAPY FOR YEARS, AND FOR SOME, THEY HAVE REACHED A PLACE OF BALANCE AND IMPROVEMENT. FOR OTHERS, THE STRUGGLES EBB AND FLOW, BUT THE TRUE SENSE OF PEACE REMAINS ILLUSIVE AND FRUSTRATING. THAT FINAL POINT OF HAPPINESS AND SELF CONTENTMENT IS DEFINITELY A JOURNEY THAT WE ALL FACE IN OUR LIVES. THE IMPORTANCE IS WHO YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE THE JOURNEY WITH, WHAT YOU FOCUS ON, AND WILL IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE END ?

FOR MANY CHRISTIANS, CHURCH CAN BE A PLACE THAT ONE FINDS RELIEF FROM STRUGGLES, OR IT CAN BE A PLACE WHERE OUR STRUGGLES ARE AMPLIFIED AND WE FEEL EVEN MORE INADEQUATE AS A PERSON. SOMETIMES, CHURCH CAN BE A PLACE WHERE YOU FIND YOURSELF MORE ALONE THAN EVER, AND YOU WONDER WHY EVERYONE ELSE HAS THEIR LIFE SO TOGETHER. I’M JUST NOT CONNECTED, AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO…..

THE REASON I WANT TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IS NOT TO SUGGEST THAT THERAPISTS ARE A WASTE OF TIME, OR THAT GOING TO CHURCH WILL NOT HELP YOU GROW AS A CHRISTIAN. WHAT I WANT TO ADDRESS IS JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE SEEK OUT FELLOW BELIEVERS TO FELLOWSHIP WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS. IT IS SO CRITICAL TO FIND A CHURCH WHERE COMMUNITY MATTERS. IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO FIND A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT YOU REGULARLY SPEND TIME WITH WHO ARE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS. WALKING DOWN THE PATH OF LIFE ALL ALONE IS REALLY NOT VERY EASY. SOMETIMES THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY OF DEALING WITH STRUGGLES IS TO SHARE THEM, BUT YOU MUST SHARE THEM WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU TRUST IMPLICITLY TO BE CONFIDENTIAL AND INTERESTED IN YOUR GROWTH AND YOUR VALUE AS A PERSON AND FRIEND. YOUR VALUE AS A FELLOW BROTHER OR SISTER IN CHRIST !

I AM BLESSED TO BE AT BRAVE CHURCH, WHERE COMMUNITY AND LOVE FOR EACH OTHER TRULY MATTER. I AM ALSO IN SEVERAL MEN’S GROUPS WHERE I HAVE MET SOME INCREDIBLE BROTHERS WHO LOVE ME, SHARPEN ME, AND REALLY CARE ABOUT MY LIFE. I HAVE MATURED, AND HAVE FOUND MY IDENTITY AND PURPOSE IN SUCH A HUGE WAY BY SIMPLY PUTTING MYSELF AND MY FOCUS IN THE HANDS OF MY LORD AND SAVIOR, AND SURROUNDING MYSELF WITH THE LOVE AND STRENGTH OF FELLOW FOLLOWERS OF JESUS. YOU SEE, THE WORLD WE LIVE IN IS REALLY GOOD AT LURING US INTO A WORLD WHERE WE SIT ALL ALONE AND GO THROUGH POST AFTER POST OF ALL THE COOL THINGS OTHER PEOPLE DO, AND HOW HAPPY THEIR LIVES ARE, AND MAKE US SMILE AND LAUGH…..BUT IN THE END, NO ONE REAL IS THERE BECAUSE THEY ARE SIMPLY PICTURES, OR VIDEOS, OR SNAP CHATS…..HERE FOR A MOMENT, THEN GONE.

JESUS IS REAL. GOD’S SCRIPTURE AND WORDS ARE REAL. MY CHURCH IS REAL. MOST OF ALL MY FRIENDS OF FAITH ARE REAL. AND GOD’S LOVE FOR ME, AND THE LOVE OF THE PEOPLE I FELLOWSHIP WITH IS REAL. SEEK TIME WITH GOD. READ HIS WORD. PRAY TO THE FATHER, JESUS, AND TO THE HOLY SPIRIT AND ASK THEM TO BE REAL FOR YOU ! FIND A CHURCH AND GO, AND MEET THE LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND GET IN A FELLOWSHIP GROUP. NONE OF US ARE AN ISLAND. WE ARE ALL A PART OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND A UNIQUE PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST. WE MAKE EACH OTHER WHOLE AND COMPLETE !

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR ? TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH. GOD WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN. JESUS PROMISES THAT :) GO FIND YOUR PATH…..JESUS IS REACHING HIS HAND TOWARD YOU RIGHT NOW….JUST GRASP IT AND BE REBORN INTO LIFE AND TRUE HAPPINESS. BE BLESSED IN HIM. JA

MAY THE GOD OF HOPE FILL YOU WITH ALL JOY AND PEACE AS YOU TRUST IN HIM, SO THAT YOU MAY OVERFLOW WITH HOPE BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Romans 15:13

LET THE WORD OF CHRIST DWELL WITHIN YOU, WITH ALL WISDOM. TEACHING AND ADMONISHING ONE ANOTHER WITH PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY WITH YOUR HEART TO THE LORD. Colossians 3:16

FOR WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED IN MY NAME, THERE AM I WITH THEM. Matthew 18:20