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What gets in the way? Maybe what I need healing from?

Jesus came not just so we may be saved, but also to heal us, to set us captives free, to restore us, and to plant us as oaks of righteousness, plantings for His good glory.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed me [Jesus per Luke 4]
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. IS 61:1-3

Wouldn’t we all want healing, restoration, and hope? You’d think, but we can be our worst enemies, allowing the very things that imprison us to prevent our freedom.

Doubt it? Can any of these identities prevent us from opening the door God is knocking upon (Rev 3:20) that could result in healing?

  • Mr. Stoic, lives alone and aloof
  • Ms. Sarcastic, turns every serious thought into a biting rebuke
  • Mr. Know-it-all, protects his secured position at all costs
  • Ms. Controlling, nothing gets past her tight-fisted grip on the world
  • Mr. Passive, just cruise dude, healing takes an effort
  • Ms. Fortress, even love can’t penetrate her massive heart-surrounding wall
  • Mr. Womanizer, lives a tiny adventure but at least has meaningless conquest
  • Ms. Steamrolled, deserves every bad thing
  • Mr. Jokester, abuses humor to deflect accountability and nearness

God knows how we pose, hide, and control to make ways in our worlds, but He still pursues us relentlessly. It says that we are drawn to repentance by His kindness (Rom 2:4), and we will be drawn to healing by His love.

Sound risky to set aside that which has “worked” so far? Do the postures of your life feel healthy and genuine, or do you sense something just isn’t right? From hundreds of our own stories and many millions beyond, freedom is dramatically better than the imprisonment within which we’ve knowingly or unknowingly lived. Trust His heart, and learn more at our site.  You can also read Wild at Heart or Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge.

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But it “Works”

Eve had to call for Adam after she ate — He was in the garage or playing video games, or so many men think.

Scripture says they were elbow-to-elbow.

Instead of standing between his wife and evil, Adam weaseled out. He chose Eve’s dangerous decision over God’s wisdom and love.

Adam abdicated his responsibility to obey [DISOBEDIENCE] and protect [PASSIVITY & COWARDICE]. Instead he chose Eve over God [IDOL WORSHIP].

Can anyone relate? I can.

Afterwards, as he and his wife hid as God came “a lookin.”

 . . . God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid [FEAR] because I was naked [SHAME]; so I hid [POSING] myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me [BLAMING GOD], she gave me from the tree [BLAMING EVE], and I ate [ADMITTED ONLY AFTER BLAMING OTHERS].” Gen 3:9-12

In these simple acts, Adam corrupted his design. In doing so, he imprinted a pattern on all of our designs.

As you look through these verses, can you relate? Personally, this is beyond humbling as these “traits” have been part of my own story. Let’s start by focusing on just one.

“I was naked; so I hid”

Ever feel shame because you were exposed? What do you do? In keeping with our role-model Adam — we hide. Behind what? Behind that something that “works,” that allows us to keep face, or to get the validation we need. That “something” is called our pose, or in many cases, it’s our personality.

Ever met the guy who relied all too much on humor or sarcasm to prevent you from really getting to know him? What other poses “work?” Mr. Know-It-All, Mr. Hard Ass, Mr. Passive, Mr. Successful, Mr. Leader Guy, Mr. Nice Guy, Mr. Womanizer, Mr. Angry, Mr. . . .

You’re around a guy and something just doesn’t feel settled or grounded. You feel like he is almost “working the room” in his own way to stay in control and maybe to keep you far from his heart. By the way, going totally passive is a way to “stay in control,” because you prevent anyone from holding you accountable.

You sense that if the diplomas on his wall, the money in his account, the muscles on his arms, the women in his bed, the countless excuses he makes, or the jokester comebacks he always uses were all removed, he would be totally exposed. You would see his “nakedness,” to go back to Genesis 3.

Want to walk away from having to rely upon where you hide, your pose, or that part of your personality that “works” for you? Ask God to show you where you have been hiding, then accept His invitation out.

Want to learn more? Check out our website our come to one of our events.

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Insidious Assaults

Satan came to kill, steal and destroy; the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour; the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus; Satan is the father of lies; the enemy is the accuser of the brethren; and it is called the ruler of and the god of this world.

Had enough? Has it sunk in? Is this part of your reality? Do you live like it?

Let’s review the precise nature and resulting impacts of our enemy’s “assaults.” In future posts, I will expand on each item below, supported by scripture references.

  1. Men and women uniquely reflect different attributes of God.
  2. Men are designed to come through, and women desire to be pursued.
  3. This leads to core questions. For men, it is “Do I have what it takes?” For women, it is “Am I captivating?”
  4. The father of lies has strategically answered these questions with a resounding “No!”
  5. Each answer is a lie, shot with precise targeting to intentionally corrupt our God-purposed strengths and desires.
  6. Each lie implants evil messages that are engraved into our hearts.
  7. We must decide how we will handle these messages — to accept, reject, or ignore them.
  8. How we handle these messages then shapes how we see ourselves, and through that lens, how we relate to the world.
  9. We then make decisions of how we will live our lives. These decisions are called agreements.
  10. These agreements imprison us, causing us to live far from our God intended design.

Understanding this, when you meet someone, you see the “me” that he or she created to survive the lies and messages shot at their hearts.

Let’s put flesh to this.

The young woman had a stunning voice, but she was “thick” by Madison Avenue standards, so her world told her she was not lovely. She believed the message that her frame made her imperfect, so she struggled with her value, even to the point that she believed herself a disappointment to God. Her agreements? Survive in her worship music while accepting that she should be alone. She accepted the “fact” that she was unlovable, in spite of the fact that she was stunningly beautiful in so many ways.

As a young boy, he courteously addressed a teacher that did not suffer the voice of children. “You must keep quiet. You must shut up. You cannot speak to me. You do not belong here,” all said more sternly than warranted. His agreements, “I have no voice, and if I did, offering it is dangerous, so I will hide.” Meeting him as an adult, you leaned in to hear his soft voice, and he selected jobs where he hid his God given passion and gifts. Who is he now? Via his loud and clear, courageous, and gifted voice, he offers hope and love to kids in unforgiving lives.

The arrows that resulted in the agreements of “unlovable” or “hide,” were aimed EXACTLY at the desires, strengths, and passions God had placed in each of these stunning people. Do you think it was random?

On the 3rd Wednesday of each month I will discuss assaults, posing, wounding, and healing. To your freedom.