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Weakness in the Christian (Going Deeper with God, Part 1)

Intentional God-Focused Living

BACKSTORY: I wrote these lessons and then taught them to an adult class in my church. The material was burning in me. I wanted to share these concepts with my church family as a way to help recharge their spiritual engines with a secondary motive to blaze a new trail, to help them take a look at the bigger picture of what it means to live “in Christ.”  Today I share with you, Lesson 1.

GOING DEEPER WITH GOD, LESSON 1

PREMISE: God has made us for relationship.

There is a need for us to go deeper with God, a need that is met through a process of active seeking. The need stems from a realization of a God-placed inner desire resident within us, a desire which creates a longing in our lives for something more fulfilling.

This “more” is found in the context of relationship, within the framework of close fellowship with God, the triune God Who genuinely and constantly cares for us, His people, created in His image and redeemed through His Son. Where and why have we missed this relationship piece, this integral element of Christian living?

Spiritual growth is indicative of a person’s closeness to God. Much of what may seem spiritual because of its theology and study, may be an academic exercise and in response to the need to know what we believe, which is important and essential, but will remain neutral to some degree if it fails to change the heart and the life. It is not enough to fill a mind with concepts about God, and it is not enough when Christians become routine in their faith-based living.

One must also let the truths of God penetrate below the surface of the mind to funnel down to the heart and then absorb into its very tissues. This will have everything to do with the functions of a healthy heart, mind, and soul, one that loves well and loves without expectation, self- promotion or self-protection.

To begin this process of growing closer to God, it works best to take a look inside our interior self. We must be honest with ourselves, completely and truly open with ourselves. This is a good time to ask God for some wisdom as we peer into His looking glass to look at our souls whereby He will reveal to us what is living, halting, or shaping us inside our hearts.

Question 1: Does love for God make a difference in your life?

Answer the question before going to the next post.

Next post: Spiritual Weakness continued: (Going Deeper with God Part 2)

A weakness found in our Christian Life.
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Conversations with Emily (2)

“I’ve been walking this path alone all of my life. It is just me and God wrestling this one out. I’m just tired. Defeated. Losing hope.” Those were her words, and I took them to heart.

Scared and Alone

September 17, 20**

9/17, 7:05am
Me:
GM my friend, Were you able to sleep better? I hope so. Still praying that God will uphold you. Blessings …

9/17, 7:06am
Emily:
It was alright
Thx…feel like I’m fighting this battle alone and I’m not doing it very well at all.

9/17, 7:33am
Emily:
Basically I’m a hot mess over here

9/17, 7:35am
Me:
Even if you are alone w/o friend support, you are not alone. It may be that it’s one of those things you have to face on your own. That means you need to get off by yourself, if you can, and give it all to God. Gotta take my daughter to sch. Be back soon.

9/17, 7:42am
Emily:
I’ve been walking this path alone all of my life. It is just me and God wrestling this one out. I’m just tired. Defeated. Losing hope.

9/17, 8:14am
Me:
I have an assignment for you. (!) Ask God to give you a verse or a song that will help you today. He knows your heart and He will give you something you can anchor yourself with today. When life is too much and I’m in the middle of something and don’t know what to do, I will send up a prayer like this. He usually will give me a thought later in the day. Then I meditate on it all day, or many days, dissecting each word and what it means.

I feel bad that you don’t have support.  My friend, God is enough even when the world crashes in around you. He will get you through this, someway somehow. I will pray hope for you today. When hope is dim, life becomes hard. I’ve experienced loss of hope and its painful reality. Please know, this sister cares and will follow through in praying strength and endurance for you. Joy comes in the morning. You and God. Maybe this is a healing time. Hold onto Him for dear life. Nothing wrong in that.

May God bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you. Norma

9/17, 10:02pm
Me:
Let me know what else I can pray for you, if there’s anything different. God’s best, Norma

She was locked in her pain and needed someone to care.
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JUST PLAIN SCARED

Her struggle was one that many of us feel on our bad days or during the difficult times. People don’t always understand us. But they try. So much I wanted to help her, but I felt inadequate to the task. To be silent would have been the wrong move. I did what anyone would do, I shared out of what I know and have experienced. Then I trusted God for the rest.

This was delicate, though. I’d learned to be careful, to not preach or overstep, but this time there was uncertainty. One never knows how the other person will receive what we have to say or if they are ready for frank truth-talk.

Online communications are tricky. They make it much harder to perceive the other person’s intent than in live communications. The words can be misread and misunderstood. I knew she needed a life-line and some action steps. I was careful, very careful.

The conversation continues.

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>next post:  An unlikely friendship:  Conversations with Emily (3)

<previous post:  A Woman at Risk:  Conversations with Emily (1)

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