Overcoming Emotional Wrinkles

Press Past your Painful Feelings and press on Towards Victory - Joyce Meyer

What do you do when your clothes are full of wrinkles? You press them with an iron. The steady pressure of the iron, along with some heat, turns those wrinkled clothes into attractive outfits. But without the pressing, they stay wrinkled.

Let's take a look at the word press. It means "to exert pressure on something." Sometimes we need to apply a push to something, or squeeze something, to make things happen. Lemons have to be "pressed" to make lemonade. A certain amount of "press" is needed to print a newspapater. Pressing can be good.

Let's apply this to your spiritual life...

God has a plan for you - a destiny He sees from beginning to end. Jeremiah 29:11 says, 'For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' (NIV)


God's plans are always good, but sometimes we are our own worst enemy... We let things trip us up, sidetrack us, and hold us back from God's best. And oftentimes, our emotions are the culprit. We allow anger, resentment, guilt, shame, jealousy and other toxic emotions to keep God's best out of reach.

If you want to grow and progress as a Christian, you need to be willing to press in and confront negative emotions like anger and resentment. Then, you need to press on past it and keep growing or you will never have victory in your life. Let's take a closer look.

PRESSING PAST THE PAIN OF FEELINGS

I've been teaching a lot lately on emotions because God has given me some great insights on this subject. I sued to be one of the many who allowed their emotions to control them. That is definitely not the best way to live your life. Yes, feelings are real. They serve a purpose. But they don't need to be in control.

You need to press past your feelings.

How do you do that? Here's a good place to start: Stop blaming everyone else and take responsibility and ownership of your own feelings and attitudes.

I still marvel at how God has changed my attitudes and my desires and how He's broken a lot of the selfishness off of my life. It was painful and difficult. But I'm glad I pressed in to my relationship with Him and press on through the pain.

If I had chosen instead to not press in to God's strength and press on past those selfish attitudes, I would not be where I am today. You have to pay a price to reach God's perfect will for your life. Do you want God's best? Then make a decision to press past your negative feelings.

As you move toward victory, you will likely come to a place of pain. When you do, you'll either run back where you came from or you'll PRESS THROUGH that pain and find the victory!

PRESSING PAST GUILT AND SHAME

These two feelings can prevent you from reaching the kind of life Christ died for you to have... but only if you don't press on through them with the help of Christ. Here's how to get started...

Before I overcame guilt and shame, learned the nature of it and learned how to stand against it on a daily basis, I could not find happiness. See, you cannot enjoy your life if deep down on the inside you're ashamed of who you are.

Because of the abuse I went through I had a root of shame deep on inside of me. This shame produced horrific guilt in my life every time I did not perform perfectly. It seemed I could not do anything for God that amounted to anything. I lived like this until I really learned who I am in Christ.

I don't want to talk today about what you did, or what happened in your past; I want to talk about who you are in Christ. The Bible tells us that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) When we are born again, God puts His Spirit in us. He gives us a brand- new heart, a brand - new beginning, and we have to see ourselves in the light of who God says we are, not who the world says we are.

Truth is greater than feelings, but oftentimes we believe our feelings more than we believe the Word. "But I feel..." I'm not saying we're supposed to feel glad when we make mistakes; We should be sorry for our mistakes; we should repent. We might even have a short season of grieving over what we've done wrong, but we're not supposed to hate ourselves, reject ourselves, feel guilty for days and weeks on end and feel ashamed. We're supposed to receive the forgiveness that God offers us and we're supposed to press on.

PRESSING PAST ANGER AND UNFORGIVENESS

Do you ever get mad? Of course, we all do.  But if you're not careful, you can let anger and unforgiveness create problems in your life. Anger not dealt with properly leads to unforgiveness. And unforgiveness leads to bitterness and resentment - which leads to unfulfilled dreams.

The Bible is very explicit about the fact that when we get mad, we are not to stay angry and it fully explains the need for every believer to keep their heart completely cleansed of offense and unforgiveness.

You would be amazed how many people sincerely love God and are desperately looking for a miracle in their life, yet , they are angry at someone. And it may not be something that recently happened - it may be something that happened a long time ago.

Sound familiar? Are you telling yourself, I've tried to get over it and I just can't. Yes, you can. God does not tell us to do things that are impossible for us to do. If the Lord said: "Forgive", then we can forgive. If He said: "Don't be offended," then there is a way for us to press on and not be offended.

God has given us His power, or grace, to be good to people - even to people who aren't being good to us. God has given us the power to pray for our enemies. He has given us the ability to NOT be mad at people who have hurt us and attacked us. God has given us the ability to be able to say: God forgive them because they don't know what they're doing. And you know what? That is the truth. So many times people don't know what they're doing. They're just reacting out of their own hurt and pain. Remembering this will help you press on past anger and unforgiveness..

PRESS IN TO A NEW BEGINNING

No matter which negative emotion you face - anger, unforgiveness, guilt, shame - ask God to help you press past it.

Only people who press turn out to be the ones who do anything for God. Paul said,... I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me (Philippians 3:12 NIV). Anyone who wants victory has to press past their feelings. Not just once or twice or every once in awhile, but everyday. If you don't you'll just stay stuck where you are.

The fact is, every controlling emotion you press through is a victory in your life. Think about it - before you press in to those controlling emotions, they're still in front of you, blocking God's best. But once you press in and press on past them, you can look at them in the rearview mirror and laugh at them.

Go for it! Ask God to help you press in and press on past those controlling emotions and propel you toward His best future for you!
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from 'Enjoying Everyday Life', a Joyce Meyer Ministries (JMM) magazine December / January 2011 issue

Why ask Why?

Training Yourself to Stop Questioning God - Joyce Meyer

What in the world is going on in my life? Why did this happen? When will that happen? Why, God, why? When, God, when?

Does that sound like anybody you know?

Before we can ever be content and satisfied in life, we have to get to the point where we don't have to understand everything, because in many ways, God is a mystery. We want to understand Him, but His ways are past finding out according to Job 9:10. His ways are above our ways, His thoughts are above our thoughts (see Isaiah 55:8,9)

As far as I'm concerned, Job was a man who had a reasonable complaint. I mean, he went through a terrible time. He lost his family, his fortune, his cattle, he got sick. And the Bible says he was one of the most righteous men on earth at that time! Well, that doesn't sound fair, does it? But in the end, Job stuck it out with God and he received double what he had lost.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD OF ASKING WHY?

Is there something in your life that you just haven't been able to get beyond? God wants you to know He's in control. He is able to fix your situation. What He needs you to do is trust Him with it. You need to put God back in the place where He belongs, - on the throne of your heart and mind - and you need to trust Him like never before.

Every time why me? comes up in your mind, stop yourself and say "Never mind, God. You don't have to give me an explanation. I don't have to understand this and even though I'm hurting right now, I know You're good. I'm putting all y trust in You."

You might not like the circumstances you're in right now, but you can trust God to bring you all the way through.

WHAT OUR TROUBLES SHOULD TELL US

Job han an awful mess in his life that nobody could understand. But his ordeal caused him to get to know God in a way that was amazing - and your mess can dot he same for you.

I went trough some terrible abuse as a child and it took me years to recover from it. But you know what? I'm not sorry it happened to me, I wouldn't know God the way I know Him now and I wouldn't be the person I am today.

You see, there was a time in my life when I only knew how to talk about God, but now I know Him and I know the power of His resurrection... how it lifted me up out of th epit, set my feet on a rock and put a new song in my mouth!

If you've lost a loved one... if your child has died...if you've lost your spouse... if you have a terminal illness... if you lost your business.. if you've been abused and you just don't understand what's happening in your life, don't try to figure it out. Trust god and get through with Him. I guarantee you will come out on the other side able to say, "Once I could only talk about God, but now, I know Him and I know the power of His resurrection that lifted me out of my pit of hopelessness.

RELAX YOUR TIME IS COMING!

The day's going to come when all our troubles will be over. The Bible says that in heaven there will be no more tears, and no more pain and no more sorrow and no more sighing, and we will hear God say, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End" (see Revelation 21). But for right now, we have faith.

Let's not ever let unanswered questions make us discontent and dissatisfied.

Every time you start to wonder Why, God, why? Just stop right there and say "Never mind, God. I've been there, done that, and now I've got a new message: I trust You."
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from Enjoying Everyday Life, a Joyce Meyer Ministries (JMM) magazine December / January 2012 issue

Wisdom for the Trials of Life

Understanding God's Perspective by Dr. Charles Stanley

Why does God allow us to go through hard times. Sometimes, Christians assume that if they're following the Lord, He should protect them from problems. But Jesus never promised His disciples lives of ease and comfort. On the contrary, He told them to expect tribulation (John 16:33 - ³³ These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”). After all, Christ Himself wasn't exempt from affliction. He was called " a man of sorrows" (Isa. 53:3 - ³ He was despised and forsaken of men,  A man of ^[a]sorrows and acquainted with ^[b]grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. )

Trials have been the common experience of mankind throughout history. By looking back on such situations from God's perspective, we can gain insight that will help us respond wisely in the future. The Lord uses hardships to achieve something good in our lives, but whether we experience these benefits depends upon our response.

Develop the right attitude

What is your behavior when experiencing difficulty or pain? Do you grumble and complain or indulge in self-pity? Or do you get angry and blame others for your troubles? All these reactions lead to despair and misery, but James 1: 2-6 presents a totally different perspective about suffering: "Consider it all joy, my brethren when you encounter various trials (v.2) 

Some may read that verse and think, What a preposterous statement! Trials and tears go together. How is joy possible? Yet James obviously understands something about suffering that we need to know. The word  consider is a financial term which means "to evaluate." James isn't telling us to delight in pain and be happy about suffering, but to assess our trials as an opportunity to receive the blessings God has promised us when we respond wisely.

I don't know what you're facing right now. But I do know that if you're willing to count it as joy, you will find God's goodness right in the middle of suffering. Unlike happiness, joy is not dependent upon pleasant circumstances, because it's produced by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Determine the source

Have you ever noticed that troubles come in all shapes and sizes? They also tend to pop up unexpectedly, and sometimes one right after another. In fact, you may feel as if you're dealing with an entire range of difficulties.

Knowing how a trial began can help you understand the wise way to react. Since our problems originate from different sources, we need to adapt our responses accordingly. Each time you encounter difficulty, ask the Lord to help you determine the cause and the proper response. Here are some common sources of hardship:

      Self: Sometimes we get ourselves in trouble with our own choices or actions. We may find   ourselves standing in a field of trials simply because we've planted troublesome seed and are now reaping what we've sown (Gal. 6: 7-8 ⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.) The good news is that if we'll repent and humble ourselves, the Lord will redeem our failures and teach us valuable lessons.

     Others: But there are also times when our problems result from someone else's decisions or conduct. Perhaps a loved one's behavior has caused you suffering, or maybe an enemy is maliciously accusing or maligning you. Either way the pain is real. Your job is to forgive those who wrong you, guard against resentment and seek god's wisdom in dealing with the situation in a way that honors Him.

      World: Many of our trials are simply a result of living in a fallen world. Accidents happen, people get sick, natural disasters strike, wars erupt; and we have no control over any of it. Our hope is that one day when Christ returns, all this will end - we'll finally live at peace. In the meantime, drawing on the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit will enable us to respond in a manner that draws others to the Savior.

     Satan: We also have an Adversary who wants to devour us. The Devil is constantly working against us to weaken our faith, ruin our testimony, and make us useless in the kingdom of God. But we're not helpless against his onslaught. The Father has given us His spiritual armor to protect us from enemy attacks (Eph 6:11 -¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.)

    God: Because the Lord is sovereign on all things, no trial can touch us unless He has first allowed it to do so. Our heavenly Father knows that sometimes the only way we'll grow spiritually is through suffering. Pain can sharpen our sensitivity to His presence and give us ears to hear when we have been deaf to His voice. It reveals hidden sins and purifies us the way fire refines gold. From a human perspective, trials hurt; but from God's viewpoint, they are a bridge to a deeper relationship with Him. 

Understanding God's purposes

Meaningless suffering is exhausting and demoralizing, but if we understand that there is a purpose and a benefit to our troubles, we can endure just about anything. The reason James could rejoice in trials was because he knew God was achieving something good. Though we may not know His specific purpose for each individual challenge or obstacle, Scripture reveals His overall goals. 

--->The testing of your faith. For faith to be genuine, it must be tested - just as weightlifters rely on resistance to make their muscles stronger. when everything's going well, it is easy to say, "Sure, I trust the Lord." But when times get tough, confidence in Him can take a nosedive. will you believe and act on the truths in Scripture or let hardship cause you to doubt His love and care for you? Each moment of adversity you face is an opportunity to believe God, rest in His promises, and grow further into His likeness.

--->Produce endurance. One of the most valuable qualities the Lord desires to produce in our life is endurance. That may not be what we desire when suffering knocks on our door. But the Lord knows that some lessons are learned only under the pressure of adversity. Yet even then, He sovereignly and lovingly protects us by determining the length and intensity of each trial. Although we may think we can't endure it, He knows our limits and will not go beyond them. The kind of endurance God wants us is not resignation in which we grumble saying "Well, I can't do anything to change my situation so I guess I'm stuck with it." His goal is that we patiently abide the trial with an attitude of unfailing trust in His goodness and complete reliance upon His strangth. The only way we can do this is to have a firm determination to live for His purposes, regardless of the cost.

--->That you may be perfect and complete. James tells us that to endure hardships in this way will have amazing results - but not that we're going to be sinless. "Perfect and complete" means that we will be mature and fully developed. Being born again is not the end goal in the Christian life; it's just the beginning. From that point on, God wants us to grow up to become mature men and women of faith. His goal is to conform us to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29 - ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren) and trials play a vital role in this life long process. He uses them to sand away ungodly qualities, sift out sinful habits and attitudes, and polish our character until we reflect Christ.

--->Lacking in nothing. Perhaps the most surprising benefit of trials is that they supply something we need. If you endure hardship with the right attitude, James says you'll come out "lacking in nothing" (1:4) The apostle Paul said that his "thorn in the flesh" was given to teach him humility and dependence on Christ. (2 Cor. 12:7-10, ⁷ Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! ⁸ Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. ⁹ And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.) But he also says that the Lord comforted him in his afflictions so that he'd be able to comfort others. If you want to become useful in God's kingdom, brokenness is the path the Lord uses to produce the qualities needed to accomplish His will.

Cooperate with God's goals.

Although all of these benefits are available to you, they are not automatically yours. But by following James' commands in these few verses, we open ourselves up to God's promised blessings - all the tools we need to live victoriously in Him. So consider trials as an occasion for joy, and let endurance produce its fruit, because then your suffering will be profitable both now and in eternity. If you lack wisdom in responding to trials, the Lord invites you to ask Him for it and in faith expect to receive. (James 1: 5-6,  'But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. ) 

The crown of life awaits those who persevere under trial and are approved (1:12 Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor's] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.) God wants to do great things in you - and he will, if you let Him. But He won't force any of this upon you. The choice is yours. Won't you allow Him to use adversity to transform you?

(In a Nutshell..) 

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Intouch magazine January 2011 issue 

The Necessity of a Renewed Mind

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Have you ever vowed to put an ungodly habit behind you, only to fall again soon after? Feelings of guilt can lead to a renewed commitment to never do something again. But the very next day, the cycle repeats itself as we give in to the same temptations. Our defeat leaves us wondering, What's wrong with me? Our despair at repeated failure produces a sense of hopeless resignation and confusion. We want to know, Lord, why can't I change?

All of us have experienced the problem of wanting to honor God and yet reverting to old sinful ways almost immediately. Isn't the Christian life supposed to be more liberating and victorious than this? After all, the Bible says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come". (2 Cor. 5:17).

Why, then does habitual sin take hold of us? Wasn't Christ supposed to change all this? If we are new creations, why do we still act like old ones? We feel as stuck as a ship run aground.

So how do we shake free from our sinful behaviors? First, we need to examine the way change occurs in the Christian life. Salvation is an instantaneous work of God, which happens the moment we receive Jesus as Savior. But from that point on, we enter a continual process of transformation called sanctification. The Lord's goal is to mold us into the image of Christ, but this process requires our cooperation. That's what the Bible means when it says, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil 2:12). If we neglect this responsibility, we'll find ourselves struggling with the same issues over and over again. But if we submit to the Holy Spirit, He'll exert His influence in every area of our lives. Old sinful habits will pass away and be replaced with new godly behavior.

The path to transformation

Becoming the people God created us to be is an inside-out process. Because our thoughts govern each area of our lives - emotions, decisions, actions, attitudes , and words - any lasting transformation must begin with the mind. If all we want is to modify our conduct, we'll never experience long-term success. What we need is a new way of thinking.

This can be accomplished only by what the Bible calls renewing the mind. 'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2). It's not a sudden transformation but a lifelong process.

At the moment of salvation the Lord doesn't erase all our negative and sinful thought patterns any more than He automatically removes our physical imperfections. If you had a scar on your arm before you received Christ, most likely you will still have it afterward.

We are all a reflection of whatever we've been thinking throughout the years. From early on, we are taught to respond to situations in a certain way, with a particular response pattern and this impacts every area of our lives. In some cases, we can see how people's expressions reveal the way their minds have developed throughout their lifetime - etching continuous worry, pain, and guilt on their faces.

Take a look in the mirror. Do you see the joy of Christ in your eyes? Or are the destructive effects of sin betrayed by your appearance? The good news is that whatever thoughts have been in the past, God can teach you to think differently. He gives His Spirit to lead you through a process that produces real healing and lasting change.

Where thoughts originate

Then what triggers negative thought patterns? The Lord has given us physical senses so we can interact with each other and our world. The capacity to see, taste, hear and smell is an amazing gift from God, which affects how our thoughts develop and what we think. However, because we are continually being influenced by the fallen world around us, we don't always use these abilities in a way that honors Him. We experience a sight, sound, smell flavor, or touch that gives us momentary pleasure and we begin to think, What would it be like if I...? This begins the downward spiral - our senses trigger thoughts, which elicit destructive patterns of behavior.

James 1: 14-15 explains, "But every person, when he is tempted is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire. Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death"(Amplified version). That is why we must be discerning about what we listen to and watch. It is also why the apostle Paul tells us to lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted and instead be renewed in the spirit of our minds - to put on the new self which is created in God's likeness (Eph. 4: 22-24).

A second source of sinful thoughts is the Enemy of our souls. Have you ever been thinking about some plan or task, only to have a vile, ungodly idea pop into your mind? You may wonder, Where did that come from? These are Satan's attempts to distract us with his ideas and twist the truth, inciting us to disobey God. His purpose is to destroy our character and lead us astray

The way we respond determines whether we fall to his enticements or stand strong against him. Will we, as Paul says, dwell on "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute" (Phil 4:8), allowing our minds to be transformed by these things? Or will we take the bait?

No matter how our minds are bombarded by unwanted temptations, we must remember that as believers, we do not have to be enslaved by sin. We are not helpless victims, but sons and daughters of  almighty God. We have within us the Holy Spirit - a positive, powerful influence that is mightier than the Enemy can ever hope to be. Because we are indwelled by God's Spirit, we have the power to extinguish the Enemy's flaming arrows (Eph. 6:16). We are also able to know the mind of Christ, take our thoughts captive to Him, and have victory over every temptation.

How your mind is renewed

God calls us to be watchful and guard our minds at all times. If we don't, worldly values and purposes will subtly creep in and influence our lives. Whenever we allow ourselves to be conformed to the world, the Enemy gains a foothold in our thinking. And the more we yield to those thoughts, the stronger his hold becomes.

We must wisely choose which thoughts we will accept and which ones we'll reject. It's not enough just to resist the Enemy's lies; we must also deliberately fill our mind with truth from God's Word. Jesus used this technique when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness (Matt 4: 1-11) He countered each challenge with Scripture, saying "It is written..." When we are ready with a verse that refutes one of Satan's falsehoods, we have the most powerful spiritual ammunition possible. (Scriptures for Memorization) 

So consider: How diligent have you been about guarding your mind? Have you permitted the world to influence your thoughts? Or are you allowing God's word to shape your reasoning and values? You cannot coast through the Christian life. An unengaged mind is an open invitation for sin. If you're distracted, having trouble praying or reading the Bible, your thoughts are not where they should be.

Perhaps you feel as if you're the rope in a tug of war between God and sin, constantly being pulled in two opposing directions. Don't beat yourself up when you fail. Rather, confess and repent as quickly as possible (1 John 1:9). During those times, remember that you are engaged in a long process and you can not renew your own mind. Trying harder and making promises to God will only discourage you, because in your own strength, you will never be able to change. True transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit - and it takes time. Therefore, submit to His leading, heed His warnings, and obey His voice.

Begin Today

As believers, we can expect this process of transformation to continue until we reach heaven; however, the important issue is that we begin today.

Just as your area of struggle began with one act of yielding to temptation, so your path to victory can begin with one act of submission to God. Through the power of the Spirit, start saying no to thoughts that don't belong in a believer's life. At the same time, say yes to appropriate thoughts. When you fill your mind with truth from God's Word, you'll gain discernment and be able to more readily identify the thoughts and feelings that cause you to sin.

As you persevere in choosing which thoughts to allow, the bondage of sin will diminish and your mind will be renewed. This transformation which began internally, will now be worked out externally as behavior changes. When you think right, you'll act right. Areas of your life that you were powerless to adjust on your own will be refashioned. And Christ's victorious life will be beautifully demonstrated through you so that others will see and be drawn to Him.

(In a Nutshell...)

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 Intouch magazine, August 2011 issue