Display item 22 from the Explore the BibleAdult Leader Pack.
Copy and cut apart the case studies.
Do You Trust God's Love? (Mal. 1:1-2)
Draw a large heart on the marker board, or bring to class a large heart made of
red paper. Ask learners to name things that distract us from loving God
wholeheartedly, and enlist a volunteer to write the responses given on the
heart.
Read the following article:
Restored: How I Lost My Love for God and How I
Got It Back Again
For years I have been labeled with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). You could also say I suffered from spiritual
ADHD. Unguarded from the demands of success, I was distracted from God.
We can all relate to being distracted. Different voices
and responsibilitiesvie for our attention. To find a moment when we are not
distracted by something-TV, cultural expectations, deadlines, family
demands, financial concerns-is rare. For many years I didn’t know how my own
distractions would lead to my spiritual decline. Though I was serving the
Lord in fulltime ministry, as my daily distractions grew, I moved another
step away from God.
I hadn’t noticed how bad it was. My vision for what
God had called me to do was gone. My interest in God’s Word was nonexistent.
My prayer life was empty. Serving others was a low priority. I saw church
attendance only as a chance to critique sermons and offer advice to the
young pastor.
Some of the happiest days for my wife, Norma, and me
were in our early years of ministry in Waco, Texas. I would start my day
with a jog, taking time to praise God for His blessings. I specifically
remember telling God I didn’t need money. I just wanted to love Him and
minister to people. I was making $20,000 a year with three children and
loving God to the fullest.
When God started
to bless my ministry in the late ‘80s, it came with fame and money. As I
gained both, they required good stewardship, but pride began to sneak into
my heart. I never forgot that God was the One who opened the ministry doors,
but as people started treating me more graciously wherever I went, I began
to expect compliments and accolades… I continually heard, “I bought your
video, and it changed my life!” “My marriage has been saved.” “I just wanted
to thank you.” Each time I became filled with more of myself.
Tragically, I
started to believe I was the one who changed all these lives. My swelling
ego disoriented my soul. As my successes increased, so did my expectations
and stress. I fell for the lie that a little more would make my life
fulfilling. My expectations ruled my life, spilling over into all my
relationships. I wanted others to serve me like the concierge at the Hilton
served me and recognize my success.
By the middle of
the ‘90s, my wife and I had everything we ever wanted. But I had grown cold
and dead inside. You know why? The misplaced priorities never filled me up.
I was confused and discouraged about everything I had set out to accomplish.
I had turned toward “managing the rewards of God” instead of craving the
Rewarder.
Jesus…challenged
the crowds : “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit
his soul?" (Mark 8:36). I know what it’s like to succumb to fleshly desires.
I had given in so many times I wasn’t sure if I could regain the joy and
peace I once knew.
But I got it
back. I wrote…expectations the world could give and had given me, and I laid
[the list] at the feet of Jesus…”From now on, I only want You, not any of
these worldly expectations.”
I confessed I
had gotten off track. Then, I reflected on the days of ministry when Christ
was my motivation-those days in Waco when I daily meditated on the Word…,
prayed on jogs, and served people.
Today, at age
66, I feel as though I am in my 30s and my ministry is just beginning. Each
day I take time to recognize and appreciate what God is doing in me. He has
restored me to ministry and given me far more patience with staff, friends,
and family. My stress level is at zero because my expectations of people,
money, and timelines are gone. I’ve learned it’s not about more money or
success, it’s all about more of God.
Source:
Smalley, Gary. “Restored: How I lost my love for God and how I got it back
again,” Focus on the Family (Midlife and Beyond), August 2007,
22-23.
Say: Persia was now the superpower, for they had overtaken the
Babylonians. The Persian kings allowed the exiled Jews to return home
and rebuild the temple, and they supported their efforts financially. However,
during Malachi’s ministry, funds were rerouted to support armies engaged on
multiple fronts. “Much of the priests’ livelihood was lost as outside economic
support collapsed. Although the second temple had been complete for decades,
life seemed no better than before. Judah had no monarchy, no messianic age, and
certainly no age of prosperity.” The spiritual life of the nation was at a low
ebb. (From “The Spiritual Climate at the Close of the Old Testament Era,”
Biblical Illustrator Plus CD-ROM, Summer ’07).
Enlist a volunteer to read Malachi 1:1-2 as learners listen for the word
love.
Ask:
What did the
people think about God’s love for them?
How had God
expressed His love for His people?
What might
cause you to doubt God’s love?
Why should we
not rely on disappointing circumstances to prove God doesn’t love us?
How can you
trust His love more completely?
Do You Honor God's Greatness? (Mal. 1:6-11)
Enlist another volunteer to read Malachi 1:6-11 as learners
look for how the people dishonored God. Explain that one’s name
described the essential being of that person.
Ask:
What had the
priests done? Why?
When do we
offer less than the best for the same reasons?
Why was God
offended? (Note it wasn’t just the defiled food; it was also the
attitude and motives that displeased God.)
How would you
respond if someone had wronged you and then asked you to do them a
favor?
Shutting the
doors of the temple would have been a rather drastic action; why might
God express such a tough-love stance?
How would
things be different in the future (v. 11)?
Read the following article:
America’s Best Hospitals
2007 Honor Roll
U.S. News put 5,462 medical centers through
progressively finer screens to create the 16 specialties rankings in the
2007 edition of America's Best Hospitals. Just 173 hospitals made it into
the rankings, and of those, a mere 18 displayed the marked breadth of
expertise, with high scores in at least six specialties that qualified them
for the Honor Roll. They are ordered by total points—a hospital got 2 points
if it ranked at or close to the top in a specialties and 1 point if it
ranked slightly lower.
Johns Hopkins
Hospital, Baltimore, 30 points in 15 specialties
Mayo Clinic,
Rochester, Minn., 29 points in 15 specialties
UCLA Medical Center,
Los Angeles, 25 points in 15 specialties
Cleveland Clinic, 25
points in 13 specialties
Massachusetts
General Hospital, Boston, 23 points in 12 specialties
New
York-Presbyterian Univ. Hosp. of Columbia and Cornell, 21 points in
11 specialties
Duke University
Medical Center, Durham, N.C., 18 points in 10 specialties
University of
California, San Francisco Medical Center, 18 points in 10
specialties
Barnes-Jewish
Hospital/Washington University, St. Louis, 17 points in 11
specialties
Brigham and Women's
Hospital, Boston, 16 points in 10 specialties
University of
Washington Medical Center, Seattle, 15 points in 9 specialties
Hospital of the
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 11 points in 8 specialties
University of
Pittsburgh Medical Center, 10 points in 7 specialties
University of
Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, Ann Arbor, 9 points in 7
specialties
Stanford Hospital
and Clinics, Stanford, Calif., 8 points in 6 specialties
Yale-New Haven
Hospital, New Haven, Conn., 8 points in 6 specialties
Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center, Los Angeles, 7 points in 6 specialties
University of
Chicago Medical Center, 7 points in 6 specialties
How did these
hospitals make the honor roll? (By being and doing their best.)
How do we honor
God?
What does it
mean to offer God our best?
Ask learners to quietly reflect on the following questions:
Are you giving
God your best?
What is His
attitude when you don’t give your best?
Do You Love God Wholeheartedly? (Mal. 1:12-14)
Enlist someone to read Malachi 1:12-14.
Ask:
Why do you
think these people were going through the motions? (Some answers may
include that they no longer cared, they couldn’t afford any better, they
didn’t think the Lord would be so picky, they were lazy, or they tried
to fool Him covertly.)
Are God’s
requirements a burden to us? Explain your answer.
Should God
require our best? Explain your answer.
Read this story about the Autism Treatment Center of America.
(Tell learners to notice what is said about loving wholeheartedly.)
Our Intensive Program Facilitators Share
Working with any child is a blessing and a great honor—no
matter what their challenges may be. A child facilitator shares below her
experience of working and playing with the children that come to the
Son-Rise Program® Intensive:
"Slightly out of breath, I am standing with my right foot
forward holding a serving spoon in my right hand, watching 2 small feet out
of the corner of my eye. Anticipating his next step, I am poised and ready
to fly with this sweet boy to the other side of the playroom. The moment his
feet move, mine do, too—right, then left, then right, then left. Side by
side we hold our spoons in front of us blowing air through our slightly open
lips, until our hands touch the opposite wall. Continuing to move in
synchronicity, we both turn to face the wall we just came from. I am bent
down low in case he looks my way, because I want this boy to see me loving
him. His eyes move past me, and he focuses on some mysterious spot across
the room. I also look to the opposite wall, smiling as I notice the silence
and stillness in the room, and I await his next move.
"I am honored that this little guy let me into his unique
world of spoons, sounds, rhythm and movement. In those moments, nothing in
my world mattered except my desire to be close to him. I felt deeply
connected to this boy as I filled myself with a passionate love for him, and
for what it is that he loves. I believe his life will forever be different
because of the time we spent together.
"This is just one description of the magic I experience
every day. I change children's lives by opening my heart to them and diving
into their worlds. Each time I emerge from the playroom, I am inspired and
awed by the wonder of how good it feels to be loving—wholeheartedly, without
expecting anything in return.
"In order to open my heart in this way, I have
dramatically changed who I am and how I move in the world. Soon after I
began my training at The Option Institute, I realized that to help the
children I wanted to help, I first had to profoundly help myself as a way to
more fully open my heart to the children…
"When I walk through the door to the playroom, I enter a
paradise in which I believe in my capacity to open my heart in a deep and
meaningful way. Spinning in circles; reciting lines from Thomas the Tank;
flipping through the pages of a book; watching bubbles fall through the air;
lining up blocks; dancing in front of the mirror; giving tickles, squeezes
and rides on my back; singing; laughing hysterically; celebrating wildly;
wanting passionately; listening curiously; joining intensely; seeing an
entire universe in one moment, with one child."
Who would know
if this facilitator didn’t give her all in loving wholeheartedly?
What motivates
her to want to give her best?
Distribute these case studies to learners and guide them to respond:
The church is
having a canned food collection. Shari uses it as an opportunity to
clean out her pantry of unwanted foods like canned spinach and carrots.
If people are really hungry, she reasons, they’ll be glad for anything.
Do you agree?
David is not
paying attention during the sermon because he is reading a magazine he
just picked up from the hall table. After all, it is a Christian
magazine. So what’s wrong with that?
Amy feels
overwhelmed with the week ahead. She had better get organized. What
better time than when she’s sitting quietly during worship?
Payday doesn’t
come for awhile, and there are so many expenses right now. Jeff doesn’t
think God will mind if he postpones giving his tithe. God will
understand, right?
There’s a
service project this Saturday that Jill signed up for. (She thought she
should have her name on the list as an example to others.) However, she
has other plans for Saturday, so she has decided to show up but then
quietly leave when no one is looking. She doesn’t have a problem with
this, so why should God?
Conclude with this story:
Amid pain, words began flowing
Nine years ago this month, Paul Lanier was a successful
doctor. He was a weightlifter, avid hunter and licensed pilot. He had
married his high school sweetheart, Dee Ann, and was raising three
daughters. He imagined a long life, early retirement and grandchildren. But,
Mr. Lanier says, God had other ideas for his personal flight plan.
In July 1998, Mr. Lanier, a Carrollton resident, found
out he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's
disease. Mr. Lanier turned to the Bible for comfort and started writing
papers to organize his thoughts about his illness and his faith.
Those papers became his self-published book, A Change in
the Flight Plan. Paul Lanier, who is paralyzed, used laser-controlled
computer software to write his book, A Change in the Flight Plan. “Intense
suffering draws you closer to God or drives you away,” he said. “This book
is about my relationship with God and things I discovered in the Bible.”
Dave Turtletaub, Mr. Lanier's collaborator, said readers
gain perspective on their own lives by reading about his friend's
experiences. "The things we generally consider to be problems pale in
comparison to what Paul … and his family have endured," he said.
Most ALS patients die within five years of diagnosis. The
affliction attacks the nerves that control voluntary muscle movement,
causing muscles to weaken and shrink. Late-stage sufferers are paralyzed but
retain feeling. Mr. Lanier's mind remains sharp. He lost the ability to walk
5 ½ years ago, and his voice gave out 18 months later. He has a feeding
tube. Mrs. Lanier is his primary caregiver.
But he never surrendered to despair… "Some people get
angry. All it's done for Paul is deepen his faith."
Mr. Lanier writes that before his diagnosis he attended
church, studied the Bible and enjoyed fellowship with other believers. "All
that sounds pretty good, right?" he wrote. “… but from a spiritual
standpoint, I'm far better off having ALS than I would otherwise have been
without it. “I know and love God the Father, Son and Spirit much
more deeply as a result of his change in my flight plan."
Mr. Lanier writes and communicates with special computer
equipment. Using slight head movements, he points a light beam at a letter
grid on the screen. He selects characters by clicking a "mouse" between his
knees. He used this technique to write his 168-page book. His computer can
also speak what he writes. The slow process can quickly zap Mr. Lanier of
his declining energy. Yet he still constructs full sentences, using no
verbal shortcuts or abbreviations.
The first printing of his book was 2,000 copies. Friends
and family helped pay the costs, and the two men gave the books away. When
they had requests for more, copies from a second print run were sold at
cost. So far, no publisher has accepted the book, although Mr. Lanier
believes others who are suffering could benefit.
He admits feeling pity and depression sometimes. But he
continues to seek guidance from God. He rereads his book. He and friends,
including Mr. Turtletaub, attend Steve Farrar's men's Bible study at
Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, [Texas].
Said Mr. Farrar: "Paul Lanier, although weak in body, is
one of the strongest men I have ever met. He is a warrior who daily faces
overwhelming difficulties that would crush most men."
Source: Langton, Elizabeth. “Amid pain,
words began flowing,” Dallas Morning News, July 14, 2007. Full
article available at www.dallasnews.com.
Re-read the bolded sentence above. Challenge
adults to demonstrate their wholehearted love for God regularly. From
Explore the Bible Adult Leader Pack, Summer 2007, refer to the picture
poster (item 22) to summarize this session. Pray that all will be able to answer
“yes” to the questions.
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EXTRA! Weekly Supplemental Teaching Plans
Adult
Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life EXTRA
August 12, 2007
When You're Discouraged
Ashley Linne
1 Kings 19:1-13a,15-18
Before the Session
Spend time praying for yourself and members of the group before this week’s
session. You may want to have group members who are comfortable to share about
personal experiences with discouragement. You may also find that a member of
your group is suffering from more than discouragement. If this is the case and
if such people in the group are not already being helped, you may want to
encourage them privately to speak with your pastor or another person who can
help.
1 Kings 19:1-3a [KJV, 19:1-3]
Enlist a volunteer to read 1 Kings 19:1-3a. You may want
to summarize for learners what happened in chapter 18 to increase understanding
of these selected verses.
Say: Elijah has just seen God’s incredible victory over the
prophets and servants of Baal. You might say he’d had a “mountaintop
experience.” Before he knows it, Jezebel (whose name means Baal exalts, Baal is
husband to, or unchaste) has sworn to kill him just as she has had killed so
many other servants of God before him. Elijah does what most of us would
probably do: he ran for his life. Once we see a powerful act of God, it can be
difficult to come down from the summit of the experience into the valleys of
everyday life. Satan gets angry when God gets glory, so it also stands to reason
that he would take particular interest in attacking us after we’ve had a
life-altering experience with the Lord.
Ask:
When was a time
that you experienced significant discouragement?
What do you
think contributed to it?
Is it ever
tempting to think that certain believers are immune to discouragement,
such as pastors, missionaries, or other spiritual leaders?
How might their
discouragement compare to the discouragement of those who are not in
spiritual leadership positions?
1 Kings 19:3b-9a [KJV, 19:4-9a]
Read 1 Kings 19:3b-9a.
Say: There are times in our lives when we feel that we
absolutely cannot go on. It was no small thing for Elijah to ask God to take his
life (v. 4). God did not allow Elijah to die, but instead provided him much
needed rest, food, and water. We are wise to pay attention to our physical needs
as we endeavor in the work God gives us. It it easy to become so caught up in
serving others or working that we forget to attend to our own needs or even feel
guilty for taking time for ourselves. But if we are to avoid burnout and
illness, we need to remember that when we serve others it can only come from an
overflow of what we already have within us. Note also that Elijah’s time of rest
was preparing him for the next part of his journey—otherwise the journey would
have been too much for him.
Ask:
When was the
last time you had a restful, rejuvenating vacation or weekend? What did
you do and for how long?
How do you
personally know when it is time for you to take a break?
Read the following article:
Do You Have Compassion Fatigue?
Imagine
walking down a wooded path. You come upon a man pinned under a huge boulder.
He writhes in pain and cries out to you for help. You find a strong limb and
with great effort pry the rock off the man.
This is
a picture of burden-bearing, which the apostle Paul encourages in Galatians
6:2. But in this passage, the word burden denotes a “crushing weight.”
That’s a warning flare that burden-bearing is fraught with danger and
requires extreme caution.
Return
to the woods for a moment. You are leveraging the boulder and your strength
gives way. The huge rock rolls back onto you and the person you’re trying to
rescue. Rather than lifting a burden, you, too, are now pinned by its
weight.
Clearly, you’re to help those crushed by life’s problems. Yet imbalanced
burden-bearing makes Christians vulnerable to a serious condition known as
compassion fatigue (CF) — that’s when the pain, hurt, and suffering of
others crushes you. It’s the stress of caring too much.
Vicarious Pain
Grief and trauma specialist C. F. Figley points out
that caring for traumatized people can exhaust your physical, emotional, and
spiritual resources. Frequently, this depletion leaves you in deep emotional
pain because you experience the trauma of others vicariously.
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians
(AAFP), warning signs of CF can include lingering anger, chronic lateness, a
diminished sense of personal accomplishment, exhaustion (physical and
emotional), frequent headaches, gastrointestinal complaints, an inability to
maintain balance of empathy and objectivity, increased irritability, and
less ability to feel joy.
Who are potential CF victims? Anyone who regularly
cares for others is suceptible, and trained professionals are especially
vulnerable: emergency care workers, counselors, mental health professionals,
medical professionals, advocate volunteers, human service workers, and
clergy.
According to the American Continuing Education
Network, “Professionals who listen to the stories of fear, pain, and
suffering of others may feel similar fear, pain, and suffering simply
because they care.”
Steps to Recovery
Fortunately, there’s a proven recovery path for those who care too much.
Spiritual
Strategy. A time for solitude with God is a must to battle
CF. Mark 6:31-32 says the disciples by-passed meals to do the
demanding work of caring for others. They were worn to a frazzle, so
Jesus took them into solitude. Solitude, stillness, and silence are
major sources of spiritual replenishment. Begin with short periods
of time; try 30 minutes. In the stillness, open your heart and mind
to God. Don’t be surprised when every fiber of your being rebels
against being still. Persevere. Listen for His voice. Invite Him to
conquer and rule you. Make this practice a regular part of your
life.
Physical
Strategies. Exercise will do wonders for the discouragement
and hopelessness brought on by CF. Fitness specialists recommend
aerobic exercise three to five times a week for 30 minutes to get
those healthy (and hopeful) chemical compounds known as endorphins
flowing throughout your brain and body. Another important physical
strategy is adequate rest. Societal pressures to work more have
reduced sleep time over the past century by about 20 percent. People
are driven to have and to do it all — work, family, sports, hobbies
— and there’s little time left for rest. Begin to set a regular
bedtime to glean a minimum of seven hours sleep each night. If
that’s not possible, add a 20-minute power nap to your day.
Mental
Strategy. Remember, mental work is much more exhausting
than physical work. Give your mind a break from other people’s
problems. Force your mind to focus on the goodness of God, the
blessings of God, or the beauty of creation. In Phillipians 4:8,
Paul encourages us to think on things that are good, things that
deserve praise, that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and
honorable.
Emotional
Strategy. Learn to draw healthy boundaries to avoid
relational and emotional overload. Dr. Don Brady, a psychologist who
specializes in trauma, is clinical director of Diakanos Counseling
Center in Independence, Mo. He continually reminds himself God is
Jehovah Rapha, “the God who heals.” He believes this allows him to
avoid being over-responsible for others.
Remember, you are called to care; God is called to cure. Rest your cares in
the hands of “Jehovah Rapha.” Don’t try to assume His role in caregiving. To
stimulate this distinction, pray a prayer similar to this one daily:
Lord,
teach me to care for others as You do. Grant me the wisdom to know when I
have exhausted my limits and need to replenish. Teach me to entrust those
You have called me to care for into Your compassionate and capable hands.
Although symptoms vary, the following red flags may indicate you have CF.
Lingering anger
A tendency to
cast blame
Chronic lateness
Diminished sense
of accomplishment
Exhaustion
(physical and emotional)
Frequent
headaches
Gastrointestinal
complaints
High
self-expectations
Hopelessness
Hypertension
Inability to
maintain balance of empathy and objectivity
Increased
irritability
Less ability to
feel joy
Low self-esteem
Sleep
disturbances
Workaholism
Source: Carlisle, Paul. Do You Have Compassion Fatigue?
Full article available at www.lifeway.com.
Ask:
In your opinion, had
Elijah become a victim of compassion fatigue?
What is God saying to
you through this article?
Are you overcome by
discouragement and/or compassion fatigue? What will you do to overcome
it?
1 Kings 19:9b-13a
Read 1 Kings 19:9b-13a.
Say: Elijah goes to Mount Horeb, where God historically had
revealed Himself (you might remember that this is the place where God gave the
law to Moses). Elijah made quite a trek to get there—imagine walking for forty
days! Perhaps Elijah wanted to be near to a place where he knew God had been so
that he would hear from Him. God honors our faith when we come to Him in need.
God always works in miraculous ways, but sometimes this work looks a little
different than we might expect or desire. Elijah might have expected God to
appear in something like the wind, earthquake, or fire. But God’s voice is what
grabs Elijah’s attention. God’s quiet whisper is what moves him to cover his
face in humility and gives him courage to leave the cave.
Ask:
Can you recall
a time when God spoke to you through something ordinary or something
that might have been easily overlooked?
How would you
describe the way God normally speaks to you?
1 Kings 19:15-18
Ask a volunteer to read 1 Kings 19:15-18.
Say: Elijah was convinced that he was the only God-fearing
person alive, but God encourages him and lets him know that there are 7,000
others in Israel who had remained faithful to Him. God didn’t rebuke Elijah’s
discouragement, and we also can be assured that God listens to us and responds
when we come to Him. God picked Elijah up, brushed him off, and showed him that
He still had confidence in him—He still had a purpose for his life and work for
him to do. The same holds true for us. No matter how we feel we’ve failed or
what our circumstances are, God loves us and wants to use us for His glory!
Satan would love nothing more than for us to be conquered by our fear or guilt,
but we must allow God’s truth and love to overcome the discouragement and other
tricks of the enemy.
Ask:
Have you ever
felt like you were the only person you knew that was following in the
ways of God?
What did you
do?
How did God
encourage you?
How might God
want you to encourage others?
Read the following article:
Keep On Keepin' On
“Why
aren’t you married?”
I’ve
answered that question so many times, I’m beginning to run out of creative
answers.
A few
weeks ago, I was speaking at a church. Before the service, the pastor
introduced me to one of the members. “This is Dave. He’s our speaker this
morning, and he’s single,” he announced. The lady reached out to shake my
hand while covering her mouth with her other hand. She whispered a moan as
if she had just received news that someone had passed away. I told her,
“It’s OK. Being single isn’t terminal.”
But the
truth is, when you’re single, sometimes it is hard not to lose heart.
As a
matter of fact, my greatest battle is discouragement. Some days it’s easy to
deal with; on other days, it seems to smack me square in the face. On those
days, I just want to pack it up and walk away from it all.
My
temptation to quit typically involves either my ministry or the
relationships in my life. In my mind, I’ve done everything I can possibly
do; but when these discouraging times come, that just doesn’t seem to be
enough. It seems no matter how much I do, things still fall apart.
I know
that if I don’t deal with the discouragement head-on, it will get the upper
hand. So to combat the problem, I try to apply the truths I know from
Scripture. This doesn’t work like a magic formula, instantly erasing all
traces of discouragement, though. This difficult emotion continues to pop up
in my life from time to time.
It
seems that I’m continually flipping the pages to 2 Corinthians 4:1 for what
I need: “Therefore, since we have this ministry … we do not give up.” It’s
ironic that the thing that I get most discouraged about is the very reason
Paul tells me not to lose heart.
The
ministry God has given me is as much a part of my identity as my name, my
personality, and my love for people. I can no more give it up than I could
any of those other parts of myself.
So when
discouragement rears its ugly head, I have to face the problem. I remember
that the enemy wants to erode my identity in Christ. The way I remember who
I am is found in the words in Christ. When Jesus was raised from the dead
and walked out of the tomb, I believe I walked out with Him. Discouragement
centers around who I am, and who I am is wrapped up in Christ.
I’m
continually reminding myself that faith is not a feeling I have at a
particular moment. My faith is in the unfailing person of Jesus. When I see
discouragement, I have to look into the face of Christ. It’s in Him that I
find the power I need to overcome any obstacle.
The
expectations of others have a tendency to discourage me too, but I know that
people are frail. I’m frail for that matter. So I must remember that I
cannot allow the opinions and attitudes of people around me keep me from
following His will.
Once I
get to this point, I do something I’ve done thousands of times before. I
sell out to God’s plans. I accept the fact that I don’t have to understand
why everything happens the way it does. Instead, I try to willfully and
humbly admit that God is supreme over everything in my life. I abandon my
own plans and desires for His plans and desires.
God
always reminds me that it’s never too late to come back from discouragement.
No distance is too far to return. I find peace in Jesus. That’s the way I
keep from losing heart.
Source: Edwards, Dave. Keep On Keepin’
On, originally published in Christian Single magazine. Full article
available at www.lifeway.com.
Ask:
Is there
anything in your life right now that has you discouraged?
How can we as a
group support you through this time?
Close the session by praying specifically for those who have shared about
current discouraging situations. Encourage your group to listen for God’s quiet
whispers throughout the next week.
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