Checked out
This morning, I awoke to the voice of God. You must be thinking, How wonderful! Not really. It was more of a rebuke, a warning. Here’s what I heard: “Son, you’ve checked out.” And, I knew exactly what he was referring to.
You see, there’s this little area of my soul that I am still struggling to get ahold of. I say “little” because lots of Christians today wouldn’t even classify it as sin. Yet, the Lord, in his rebuke this morning reminded me, “it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:17). Ouch. But, he’s right. Have you ever noticed that he’s always right?
The words he used “checked out” have such deep meaning to me. I’m driven by destiny, by purpose. I get so excited living out my destiny and moving towards a goal and purpose. I love that kind of stuff. I would call myself a visionary. I can see what the future holds to those who are living out their calling.
So, the words this morning “checked out” were remarkably scary for me. I know that I am running this incredible race called “the human life”. And, it is a race. Paul often referred to this life of faith as a race:
- “Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
I love this scripture! Just love it! I must run in such a way that I will win. And, I must run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. This is all very powerful to me. So, when I heard, “Son, you’ve checked out,” it hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized that this little dark area of my soul that I haven’t completely surrendered to God could easily disqualify me from the race. It’s true! I have checked out, and I need to get back in.
If I’m not running towards the goal with purpose in every step, then why run at all?
This morning, I declare this over my life, “I’m checking in. I’m ready to run. I will focus on the goal at hand, and I will surrender to the Lord this little dark area of my soul.”
I’m reminded of a story I read in John’s Edredge’s book, “Waking the Dead”. He writes:
- When Spillane (The Perfect Storm) treats injured seamen offshore, one of the first things he evaluates is their degree of consciousness. The higher the level, known as ‘alert and oriented times four,’ describes almost everyone in an everyday situation. They know who they are, where they are, what time it is, and what’s just happened. If someone suffers a blow to the head, the first thing they lose is recent events–’alert times three’–and the last thing they lose is their identity. A person who has lost all levels of consciousness, right down to their identity, is said to be ‘alert and oriented times zero.’ When John Spillane wakes up in the water, he is alert and oriented times zero. His understanding of the world is reduced to the fact that he exists, nothing more. Almost simultaneously, he understands that he is in excruciating pain. For a long time, that is all he knows.
John Spillane is a para-rescue jumper sent into the North Atlantic, into the worst storm of the twentieth century, the perfect storm, as the book and film called it, to rescue a fisherman lost at sea. When his helicopter goes down, he is forced to jump into pitch blackness from an unknown height, and when he hits the water, he’s going so fast it’s like hitting the pavement from eighty feet above. He is dazed and confused–just as we are when it comes to the story of our lives. It’s the perfect analogy. We have no idea who we really are, why we’re here, what’s supposed to happen to us, or why. Honestly, most days we are alert and oriented times zero.”
When I awoke, I was “alert and oriented times zero”. But, it’s time to start running the race again with purpose in every step. Today, I am “alert and oriented times four”. Today, I’m back in the race!
Mind war
When I take the time to dig deep into the areas of my life that are struggling, it always comes back to my thoughts, my mind. I am growing more convinced that our spiritual battle is waged in our minds.
If the enemy can convince you of something, and you believe it, then he’s got you. Belief is the tool God uses to release his power on the earth. And the devil knows that, so he also uses our belief in a counterfeit way to release his hellish power into our lives.
Jesus said, “Have faith in God. I assure you that you can say to this mountain, ‘May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and your command will be obeyed. All that’s required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart. Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it.” (Mark 11:22-24).
When Jesus said, “Have faith in God”, he was simply saying, “Believe.” He didn’t say go and do something. He said to believe. That starts in our mind.
The key to victory in any area of your life starts with your thoughts. What you think about leads to action. What you believe about yourself, about your situation, about others will come to pass. And, it’s not those one-time random thoughts that will come to pass—it’s those constant, pounding, never-ending thoughts that you focus on and believe that will come to pass.
- I’ll never beat this depression.
- I’ll always be a failure.
- My marriage won’t last.
- My grandpa died from cancer, so I’ll probably die from cancer.
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).
We’ve got to stop accepting these thoughts like they are our own! We must “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). We must hunker down and wage this mental war as fiercely as it’s being waged against us by the devil.
To overcome any issue in your life, you must change the way you think and believe. This is what God commands us to do throughout scripture:
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is” (Romans 12:2).
We must let God change the way we think about things, then we’ll really know what his will is for our lives.
As I wrote and finished this post, I thought, It sure would be good to share a real-life, practical example of this in my own life.
So, here it goes. When I was a kid, I had these episodes of fear that were incredibly intense. Terrifying. They would often manifest themselves in panic attacks, agoraphobia and sheer terror. This went on for years. In college, I was officially diagnosed with “Chronic Anxiety and Panic Disorder”. At this time, I wasn’t really a Christian. I pretty much believed every thought that came into my mind.
In 1991, I became a Christian, but it wasn’t until years later that I learned this principal of faith and thoughts. I started a website ministry called Season of Peace for Christians battling anxiety and panic attacks.
Throughout this condition, I constantly battled negative thoughts. I will never get free from this. These kinds of things run in the family. There’s no hope for me. I guess I’ll just have to live with this. I’ll probably need medication the rest of my life.
Any of that sound familiar? But, in 2000, I experienced this mind change. God showed me that I can change things by changing the way I think about them. I don’t have to live like this. God whispered into my heart, “You can be free.” And, here’s the key: I believed him.
Shortly after that revelation, I started believing in freedom. I started to believe that I don’t have to live my life in fear, or fear of the fear. I don’t have to rely on medication the rest of my life, like my doctor said. I can believe God.
Today, it has been more than eight years since that revelation, and life is awesome! No more panic attacks. No more crippling anxiety. No more fear.
God spoke to my heart, and I believed him. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10).
Thank you, Lord, for my freedom in Christ.
Words of Peace
“Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.”
This morning, I’m sitting in favorite coffee shop getting ready for a video shoot. As I’m sitting here, sipping on my Hazlenut latte, I’m thinking through some of the personal struggles going on in my life right now. They’re a little discouraging.
Then, I come across these words of Jesus in Mark 5:36. So simple, but so powerful.
I just start weeping. I can trust Jesus. I don’t need to be afraid.
A Conceived Thought
The biggest battle we face as humans is this war of the mind. Thoughts lead to action. So if the enemy can direct our thoughts, then he’s won.
Think about it for a moment. Where does temptation start?
- Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death (James 1:14, 15).
It starts in our thoughts, our evil desires. And when “desire has conceived”, the result is sin. A conceived thought. Using pregnancy as the obvious analogy, our mind is like the egg, fertile and ready to receive the seed. But, what are these seeds?
Here’s what the Bible says in Luke 8:11, “The seed is the word of God.” We are to plant God’s word into our minds so that we are impregnated with seeds of life. If we let the enemy plant his seeds, then it will give birth to sin and sin brings for death.
(Remember the parable of the wheat and the tares? There were two seed sowers. “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” Matthew 13:24, 25.)
I’ve really been thinking about this a lot lately. Are there any sins that are fully active in your life right now, habitual sins like lust, pride, lying, fornication, drinking, anger or something you know is not right?
I am becoming more and more convinced that even as a Christian, habitual sins will lead to death. Not a spiritual death, because your spirit is new in Christ. But, if you do not take steps to overcome your habitual sins, they will destroy your soul, which will in turn destroy your body. Sin has consequences.
When we start entertaining thoughts in our head, eventually the thought will take root in our mind. And, the conceived thought will continue to grow in our mind, maybe in a matter of minutes. Maybe years. But, once conceived, it’ll grow until it gives birth to action. Sin. Or, until you uproot that thought.
Is there hope? Can we overcome these “evil desires” and “conceived thoughts”? I think so. But, it takes discipline. Read this promise carefully. The key is here:
- For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).
We must train and discipline our mind to “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”. We must learn to “cast down arguments” and everything that tries to position itself higher than Christ in our thoughts. If you don’t fight this, then “you are a slave to whatever we choose to obey” (Romans 6:16).
Financial Anxiety
When you think of money or finances, is your stomach in knots? Is the upcoming holiday season starting to stress you out? What about the current financial crisis? Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Are you constantly fretting layoffs or “restructuring”?
Finances can be a very anxious experience for many, even those who are well off. Managing money can be very stressful. Many couples that divorce in the US do so because of problems with money. It’s an incredibly serious issue in people’s lives.
Can you find peace in stressful financial situations? Can finances really become a place of peace and rest, or must they always be feared and anxiety-provoking?
When it comes to our financial economy, our country is in serious trouble. Consumer debt is at an all time high. Credit companies have made it so easy to “buy now and pay later”. For one small monthly fee, you can have whatever you want. How many of those “small monthly fees” do you have?
This credit-driven lifestyle has made it too easy to spend more than we make. I recently read a statistic on consumer spending in America. Through most of the 1900’s, people spent on average about 30% less than what they made. That means people were saving money. Today, the average American spends more than they earn. That means nothing is being saved. Nothing is put away for unforeseen circumstances.
I can see why financial anxiety is rampant these days. The loss of a job, an emergency house repair, the car breaks down, again–all can be terribly stressful when it comes finances.
So, is there hope? Can you be free from financial anxiety? I shout a hearty YES. You can be free. But, it may take time and serious discipline. It probably took you years to get where you are now. For many, it’ll take years to dig yourself out of the financial pit. But, here’s the beautiful thing–God is faithful and he cares for you, even your finances.
Today, my wife and I live in financial freedom. And it’s not because we have lots of money. On the contrary, we live very modestly. As a freelance producer, our finances ebb and flow depending on projects. Our financial freedom is a result of solid money management skills and the discipline to live by those skills.
We live on a budget, we no longer use credit cards, we only buy used cars, and at the end of each month, we have money left over. Amazingly, we don’t feel at all constricted by this lifestyle. Quite the opposite. This lifestyle has given us incredible freedom.
“But you don’t know where we are. We’ve maxed out our credit cards? My husband lost his job. These medical bills keep getting higher and higher. We can barely get by.”
Here’s the most important message I learned about finances: it’s not a matter of how much or how little you make; it’s a matter of your heart. Financial freedom starts in your heart. Listen to what Jesus said, “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be” (Matthew 6:21).
Where is your treasure? A new car, a big house, a pair of jeans, your 401K? Or, is your treasure in your family, your peace, or God? You see, where you put your money is where your heart is. Your money always follows your heart. So, make sure your heart is right when it comes to finances.
When my wife and I first got married, we were in debt. I was into new cars, new stereo equipment, new things. So when I prayed for financial freedom, I expected God to deposit a big sum of money into my account. What he did, though, was deposit incredible financial wisdom into my heart. You see, financial freedom starts in your heart.
If you’re struggling with finances, I want to encourage you that you can be free from financial anxiety. God desires to help you, first with your heart and then with your finances. I have seen God move in amazing ways when it comes to finances, both in my life and in the lives of those we have counseled. There are great resources to help you in this journey towards financial freedom. Dave Ramsey and Crown Financial are two great resources to get started.
Prayer: Father, I need your help with finances. Financial anxiety is consuming me. I’ve made some bad money decisions in the past, and the financial consequences are overwhelming. First, change my heart. Then, give me a strategy to get my finances under control. Help me start down the road to financial freedom.
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