I want to live my life, so that at the end, to feel that I did something important in life... something that helps the others...
miercuri, 23 iulie 2008
Do You Feel Rejected?
by Joyce Meyer
(and I dedicate this to my friend, with all my love, for S. - a brave and wise person. She is so special to me.)
The Lord gave this Word to me as I was preparing for one of my conferences, and I believe He wants me to share it with you. He said:
“So many are in prison because they won't accept themselves. So many are so gifted and talented, but they won't express themselves because they fear rejection. They fear man. They fear what people will think. I want to love My people, but they hold Me at arms length and won't let Me really love them because they have been hurt by others. They fear I will reject them because of their weaknesses—like people have—but I will never reject them. Tell them I love them. Ask them to stop trying so hard to be acceptable to Me and to realize I accept them where they are. Tell them I don't want perfect performance from them. I want them to love Me and to let Me love them."
The Lord’s been having me minister to the body of believers concerning how He looks for a perfect heart and not perfect performance. We won’t impress God with our works unless our heart is pure. A lot of people think God won't use them until every area of their life is perfected. That type of thinking keeps people from allowing God to use them. He uses us in spite of us, not because of us. This doesn't mean that we should have a loose attitude and not desire to live a holy life. A person whose heart is perfect toward God is always going to earnestly and zealously desire to please God in all things. But we must also remember that Hebrews 4:15 teaches us that …we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. Verse 16 encourages us, in light of verse 15, to draw near to God's throne and receive mercy for our failures and to go ahead and get grace to help us in our time of need. This is one of God's ways of saying He won't reject you because of your weaknesses or mistakes.
Most of us have grown up on a "merry-go-round" of trying to please people so they won't reject us. We all have an inbred need to be loved. People usually love you based on your performance. If you do what they want you to do, they accept you; but if you don't, they reject you. This is the operation of human love, and none of us know how to do anything else until we taste God's agape love that’s not based on man's performance but is based only on God. He loves you and accepts you because He decided to, not because of what you do or don’t do. Once again let me say, this doesn't mean you shouldn't desire holiness; but you'll never arrive at new levels of holiness if you think God rejects you and withholds His love every time you fail. Remember Hebrews 4:15,16. He knows you're weak, so admit that you are and let Him help you anyway.
2 Chronicles 16:9 says, ...the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to [show] himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…(KJV).
1 Corinthians 1:27-29 says that God purposely chooses the weak and foolish things of the world to confound the wise.
I would, in my natural thinking, think that He would look for a perfect specimen—someone who has it all together, a strong person who’d never fail Him or let Him down. But instead He looks for a person whose heart is perfect toward Him.
God desires to heal His people from past hurts caused by rejection. He wants you to know He will never reject you. He says in Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (NKJV). This is referring to those who are laboring at trying to be perfect and then beating themselves with guilty feelings when they fail.
Jesus was talking to the people who were trying to live under the laws of the Pharisees. It takes a lot to please a Pharisee, and they’re still around today. I'm sure you know one—someone who conveys to you the message, "I'll accept you if you perform perfectly and please me. I'll reject you and withhold my love if you don't."
Jesus isn’t a Pharisee. He says in John 3:18 that he who believes in Him will never be rejected. Believe in Him, love Him and desire His will. You'll be off to a good start. He’ll bring you across the finish line. And remember, you may not be performing perfectly, but if you have a perfect heart toward Him, He counts you as perfect while you’re making the trip. Oh yes, one main thing I need to say: Be sure you are not a Pharisee. God has placed people all around you who need love and acceptance. Give it to them, and you'll help them become the best person they can be.
(and I dedicate this to my friend, with all my love, for S. - a brave and wise person. She is so special to me.)
The Lord gave this Word to me as I was preparing for one of my conferences, and I believe He wants me to share it with you. He said:
“So many are in prison because they won't accept themselves. So many are so gifted and talented, but they won't express themselves because they fear rejection. They fear man. They fear what people will think. I want to love My people, but they hold Me at arms length and won't let Me really love them because they have been hurt by others. They fear I will reject them because of their weaknesses—like people have—but I will never reject them. Tell them I love them. Ask them to stop trying so hard to be acceptable to Me and to realize I accept them where they are. Tell them I don't want perfect performance from them. I want them to love Me and to let Me love them."
The Lord’s been having me minister to the body of believers concerning how He looks for a perfect heart and not perfect performance. We won’t impress God with our works unless our heart is pure. A lot of people think God won't use them until every area of their life is perfected. That type of thinking keeps people from allowing God to use them. He uses us in spite of us, not because of us. This doesn't mean that we should have a loose attitude and not desire to live a holy life. A person whose heart is perfect toward God is always going to earnestly and zealously desire to please God in all things. But we must also remember that Hebrews 4:15 teaches us that …we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. Verse 16 encourages us, in light of verse 15, to draw near to God's throne and receive mercy for our failures and to go ahead and get grace to help us in our time of need. This is one of God's ways of saying He won't reject you because of your weaknesses or mistakes.
Most of us have grown up on a "merry-go-round" of trying to please people so they won't reject us. We all have an inbred need to be loved. People usually love you based on your performance. If you do what they want you to do, they accept you; but if you don't, they reject you. This is the operation of human love, and none of us know how to do anything else until we taste God's agape love that’s not based on man's performance but is based only on God. He loves you and accepts you because He decided to, not because of what you do or don’t do. Once again let me say, this doesn't mean you shouldn't desire holiness; but you'll never arrive at new levels of holiness if you think God rejects you and withholds His love every time you fail. Remember Hebrews 4:15,16. He knows you're weak, so admit that you are and let Him help you anyway.
2 Chronicles 16:9 says, ...the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to [show] himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…(KJV).
1 Corinthians 1:27-29 says that God purposely chooses the weak and foolish things of the world to confound the wise.
I would, in my natural thinking, think that He would look for a perfect specimen—someone who has it all together, a strong person who’d never fail Him or let Him down. But instead He looks for a person whose heart is perfect toward Him.
God desires to heal His people from past hurts caused by rejection. He wants you to know He will never reject you. He says in Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (NKJV). This is referring to those who are laboring at trying to be perfect and then beating themselves with guilty feelings when they fail.
Jesus was talking to the people who were trying to live under the laws of the Pharisees. It takes a lot to please a Pharisee, and they’re still around today. I'm sure you know one—someone who conveys to you the message, "I'll accept you if you perform perfectly and please me. I'll reject you and withhold my love if you don't."
Jesus isn’t a Pharisee. He says in John 3:18 that he who believes in Him will never be rejected. Believe in Him, love Him and desire His will. You'll be off to a good start. He’ll bring you across the finish line. And remember, you may not be performing perfectly, but if you have a perfect heart toward Him, He counts you as perfect while you’re making the trip. Oh yes, one main thing I need to say: Be sure you are not a Pharisee. God has placed people all around you who need love and acceptance. Give it to them, and you'll help them become the best person they can be.
Good Morning, Lord! or Good Lord, It's Morning!
by Joyce Meyer
Which of these phrases do you utter to yourself most mornings? Do you greet each day with an expectant, positive attitude about what the day holds, or do you feel like pulling the blankets over your head, dreading what awaits you outside your front door?
We must combat the dread that tempts us to stay in bed by keeping a positive attitude and mindset. Our attitude is so important to how we feel each day. The kind of day we have is, to a great degree, determined by our thoughts and actions. If we dwell on negative thoughts, expecting the worst, our actions will reflect those thoughts.
It’s impossible to reach your God-given destiny if you allow negative thoughts to fill your mind. Dread is a close relative of fear, and allowing it to remain in your mind, sets you up for misery and robs you of joy.
Once, I experienced a feeling of dread as we were planning our trip to speak in India. I was excited about the wonderful opportunity there, but all I could focus on was the long flight and poor conditions that exist in that country. I’m grateful that I knew how to dispel those negative feelings with positive thoughts about what could be accomplished during our time there. If I had allowed myself to dwell on the negative aspects of the trip, it would’ve taken away the joy and excitement God wanted me to experience. Dread is a trap, and you must be determined not to fall into it. If not being sure of the future or facing new things causes you to feel dread or fear, remember Philippians 4:13 says, ...I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me....
There’ll always be roadblocks to keep us from enjoying the wonderful life God has provided for us. With all the stress and pressures of everyday life, we must make a decision that we’re going to enjoy life regardless of our circumstances.
Every single day is filled with all kinds of situations that could upset you—like losing your car keys or getting caught in a traffic jam. But when you know what's going on, you can choose to be in control.
You must take responsibility for your happiness. You’re the one person you're never going to get away from, so you’d better learn to like yourself. It’s impossible to enjoy life if you don't enjoy yourself. We have a well of wonderful things on the inside of us, and no matter what's going on around us, we can drink from that well within. We can find strength right there inside of us to do what we need to do.
I’ve learned that life is so much better when we don't have unrealistic expectations—for ourselves or other people. There was a time when I got upset and felt sorry for myself for days when my husband, Dave, wanted to play golf. But God helped me to see that each of us has different ways of relaxing and unwinding. For Dave, it's golf. For me, it's shopping or watching a good old classic movie. As long as we keep things in balance, we can enjoy the freedom of doing what we like best. Understanding this has brought about a wonderful freedom that allows both Dave and me to do the things we enjoy.
You can enjoy this same freedom in your own life. Living in freedom—and allowing others to do the same—is a healthy and positive approach to life that pleases God.
We must also learn that we can be extraordinarily happy while living an ordinary, everyday life. Expecting life to be one long series of exciting events is setting yourself up for disappointment—and that’ll steal your joy! So learn to be content with life as it is.
With God's help and your determination, you can learn to be happy and enjoy every single day of your God-given life. Start your days by saying, "This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Good morning, Lord!"
http://www.joycemeyer.org
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