you are GOD & i am NOT

As I mentioned in the last post, our church has started a new sermon series at church called Life's Healing Choices. They are starting a full campaign complete with small group devotional materials including a DVD & a workbook. At first I was a little skeptical because for the most part everything going on in Hubby & I's life is great! Sure, we have our moments of uncertainity or those days when it seems like the whole world is against us; but otherwise we have an incredibly happy & blessed life. However, after being at church on Sunday morning my thoughts have changed. This is an 8-week study and my hope is that I will be able to post a summary each & every week. I heard some incredible teaching & while I'm posting it here to share with you, I'm also writing it all down in hopes that one of these days I'll be able to look back on these posts & remember how God heals us in our incredible times of need.

Truth is, we are all incredibly broken--whether it's finances, diet, need to control, perfectionism, relationships, etc., etc., etc. we all have hurts in our life that we cannot heal by ourselves. The problem is that so many times we try to "play God." I think that we would be hardpressed to find anyone who does not have some desire to always be in control. Lack of control is scary & unpredictable, but when you think about it...what do we really have control over anyway? So why do we try so hard to stay in control when we should be just giving it all to God?

This week the Healing Choice is the Reality Choice. The choice that we make each & every day to recognize that He is God & I am Not. The understanding that we are competely spiritually helpless and can do NOTHING without Him. The entire series is based on the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount (Jesus' first public teachings). The first beatitude is this: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3) I've read the beatitudes dozens of times but I don't think I ever really grasped the meaning of this verse. In other translations poor in spirit is basically translated to say "those who are spiritually helpless" or those who realize they do not have the spiritual ability to accomplish anything without help from God. This is me, this is everyone--we are all without this ability; however, we never admit that we might need help. T he true translation of the word "blessed" in the beatitudes is not just happy, it's supremely happy, euphoric almost. So why would I not want to experience this kind of happiness in my life? Why? because that would mean relinquishing our control & giving everything over to God.

"I don't understand what I do. For what I want to do I don't do, but what I hate to do, I do!...I know that nothing good lives in my sinful nature. I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." (Romans 7:15, 18)

God has given us fellow believers & good Christian friends to help us along in our healing process. I would say that one of the most profound quotes I got out of this week was "If you want to be forgiven tell God, if you want to be healed tell someone else." This doesn't mean to run and tell everyone your problems; but every Christian needs someone trustworthy & reliable that they can turn to when life has them down in the dumps. God will use others to heal you & in turn will most likely do some healing in that person who's helping you as well.

In the end, it all comes down to us recognizing and realizing that we are not God & only He has the ability to help us through this crazy world.

(p.s. if you have any desire to listen to the sermons, go to http://www.mynorthbridge.org & click on the Broadcast link--there is live streaming from each Sunday sermon)