It’s time to let go

Deep inner strength is required to hold on in life. We take things as they come and some of them knock us over. We can prepare ourselves for trials and tests, making us stronger mentally. We begin to get used to pain after a while, becoming tougher emotionally and we acquire what some say is “thick skin.” I have discovered that some of us are stronger than we think, we can take some pretty tough blows from life. Sometimes we are so good at being strong, we actually form a bad habit, a habit of holding on too long. We never get past some things and end up keeping them very near our hearts. I heard this said once, “when we don’t forgive, we allow the people who have hurt us to live in our hearts, rent free.”

The same amount of strength required to hang in there is the very same source of strength that allows us to let go. Problem is, we forget how to let go well, in fact we might actually forget how to rid ourselves of emotional baggage sometimes. As the years of struggle, pain and testing pile on, we end up carrying things around with us, things that reside in our past but because we don’t heal properly, we carry them around in our present, making it feel and seem like the incident is happening over and over, when in fact it happened already, it’s in the past.

In order to be really healthy, we need to be able to sit alone, meditate, pray and clear our minds from some things that have kept us back from emotional maturity, some things that just aren’t worth carrying around anymore. Maybe we hold on because it just feels better to still have someone else to blame, maybe we like being the victim. Either case, only in silence, getting on touch with spirit that lives inside can we find these things, address them, bring finality to them and once and for all decide that it’s time to let go.

Have you learned how to let it go?

My inheritance

For those who may not know this, my father raised me in a Christian home, I spent my whole young adult life in a churched environment. I wasn’t saved by it but became a born again Christian when I was 17 years old. Every morning, I literally mean every single morning that I can remember waking up early and walking around the house I recall seeing my father, kneeled down praying on our sofa. I could be cooking up breakfast, using the microwave, he’d be deep in prayer on our sofa, focused on talking with God. It took me years to incorporate his spirtual discipline of morning prayer or even to realize its benefits. There are things I wish I had done with my father growing up like, teach me baseball, teach me driving, show me how to play football, these would have been really nice, but my father left me a rich inheritance that I cherish beyond all of these. He showed me God.

He LIVES the gospel, he LIVES a life that exemplifies Christ and still to this day I see God through his life. HE is an example of God’s grace and demonstrates it all the time.
When he was insulted by people, he trusted and served well, he remained humble and only prayed for those who hurt him, when he suffered a family loss one after the other after the other, he prayed to God for strenth, peace and even performed the funerals himself. Never blaming God but honoring and worshiping God through the pain.
His legacy, my inheritance from him  is…God deserves all the glory, no matter what we endure here on earth. I have learned, Got a problem? Pray about it. Got an opportunity? Pray about it. Feeling angry or hurt? Pray about it. In and through all things, pray about it. My father left me an inheritance that is eternal, a life that points to Christ, what else could have more value? Nothing. I realize this has been the greatest gift I can leave my kids, I am working hard to help them in their future, sure, who wouldn’t want that? If I can demonstrate that Christ is alive and he lives in me, they too can inherit and share eternal life with others.

What inheritance has a family or friend left for you?

Change your perspective

Sometimes, we are simply too close to the opportunity or problem to see the bigger picture. I try and remind myself of this every time things aren’t clear yet. God doesn’t require my understanding, he just requires my trust. If you are facing something, a problem, pain, tragedy, a big decision, pull yourself back a bit. I know this is hard because it’s not natural, to be honest we are too attached to how we “feel’ sometimes and our senses, our feelings, emotions can make things unclear.

One thing I try to keep in front of me is God is sovereign. I mean, God is never unaware of the things I go through in life, he knew I’d face them, he is with me when I am facing them and he’ll help me through what ever I am facing. As I read stories of biblical figures, great people of the faith, they all, always trusted God. Think of Joseph in Genesis, that guy was called by God but went through a lot of things, we would defer to as, bad luck. He was betrayed by his brothers, thrown in a pit after almost getting killed, he was sold into slavery, he was promoted, thrown into Jail, accused of rape before finally putting it all together. The bible says something quick to over look…

The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did” (Genesis 39-2,3)

Did you catch it? The LORD was with Joseph! Imagine being thrown in Jail but understanding, the LORD is with you. Imagine getting laid off but understanding, the LORD is with you. Imagine tragedy, pain, trials…but understanding, the LORD is with you. Yyu see, it’s not what we go through that qualifies God, God is God regardless of our circumstances and what’s even better is that he PROMISES to always be with us. This positive perspective, this positive and powerful way of viewing life, this simple change in perspective makes all the difference.

Please join me

 

These days church Online has grown and grown in almost every church I have visited.

I have the honor of returning to Rock Church San Diego to be a part of their worship services.

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Sunday, January -22nd-2012

East Coast times:

11am, 1pm, 3pm…then again 8pm & 10pm

West Coast Times:

8am,10am,12pm…then again 5pm, 8pm

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