I read the passage below and had to explain my desire for peace.
It all began several weeks ago. I got into a car accident. All I wanted was a quick bite to eat during lunch and ended up not eating until LATE that night. I was at a red light and someone hit me from behind causing me to hit a truck in front of me. After hours in the hospital and still battling pain from the injury to my lower back....I lost my peace. I kept thinking that if only I waited a few minutes or if this person would've paid attention. I lost my vehicle..going on 3 weeks now. It's been hard to find my PEACE.
A few days later....my son that works 65 hours a week! Hard working young man.....was on his way to work at 5 am and 5 minutes after he left...he called freaking out. A girl ran a stop sign and he couldn't stop fast enough. He totaled his truck and her car. It wasn't his fault just like my accident wasn't my fault but that didn't make us feel any better. His body is still injured and so is his heart. He LOVED his truck. He worked hard for it and wanted to keep it for 10 years. In a moment...he lost it forever. He lost his PEACE. As a mother...I was beyond devastated for my son but so thankful he was alive. In a few days we lost both vehicles. It's been 3 weeks at this point and we are both still injured and we are both still wishing we had our vehicles but we're grateful to be alive!
Our peace was gone...but only temporarily. We see the blessings that came from this terrible time...we are alive and things can be replaced. Peace was taken but not for long. When you are in the valley...remember the Mountain is ahead. When you are in the darkness...remember that joy comes in the morning. I don't always feel peace...honestly I struggle with it but when we know that God is for us, who can be against us?
I want your mind fixed on Me, My beloved. But I want even more from you. I desire great things for you, so I want you to guard your mind by making an "aware list"-all the things you watch, listen to, and read. Let Me show you the things that can carry you away from your calling and destroy your dedication to Me. Even your thoughts can be held captive by the ways of the world.
I want to protect you, but I will never force you to listen to My Spirit or make your mind dwell on what is true, pure, and right. The choice is yours, My love. You can have an abundant life, a blessed life-a life of influence for others to follow; or you can join the way of the world. I, your God, am asking you today to let your mind dwell on Me, and you will discover the kind of life you long to enjoy not only now, but forever.
Love,
Your King and your Peace of Mind
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Emotionally healthy Christian seeks the same :-)
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“The righteous choose their friends carefully.” (Proverbs 12:26a NIV)
If you wait for the perfect wife or the perfect husband, it isn’t going to just happen. Let me tell you why: We’re all broken. That’s OK, because God still loves you. But you need to understand that anybody you marry will be broken.
Everybody’s broken, but some people are a lot more broken than others. And you need to avoid them no matter how good-looking, rich, or nice they are. You have to figure out the emotional health of your potential partner before you enter into a long-term relationship.
Why am I saying this? Study after study has shown that 80 percent of all separations and divorce happen because one or both of the partners are emotionally unhealthy. I’m going to give you a partial checklist of emotional health factors. These aren’t my opinion; this is what God says you need to avoid. Whoever you marry must not be nursing any uncontrolled anger. Proverbs 22:24 says, “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person; do not associate with one easily angered” (NIV). Do you know why? Because uncontrolled anger reveals deep insecurity and low self-worth.
Whoever you marry must not be stuck in an addiction. Proverbs 23:20 says, “Don’t associate with people who drink too much wine or stuff themselves with food” (TEV). Only two things are mentioned here, food and alcohol, but there are a thousand ways to get addicted.
Whoever you marry must not be harboring bitterness. Bitterness is like a poison — it eats you alive. Whatever you resent, you begin to resemble. To stop resenting; you’ve got to release it. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:15 “Guard against turning back from the grace of God. Let no one become like a bitter plant that grows up and causes many troubles with its poison” (GNT).
Whoever you marry must not be selfish. Why? Proverbs 28:25 says, “Selfishness only causes trouble.” When it comes down to it, the number one cause of conflict in marriage is simple: selfishness.
Whoever you marry must not be greedy. Proverbs 15:27 says, “Greed brings grief to the whole family” (NLT). If you marry a greedy spouse, you will be in debt your entire life. Whoever you marry must be generous and kind. The Bible says, “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25 NIV). And, “Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves” (Proverbs 11:17).
Whoever you marry must tell the truth. Proverbs 20:7 says this: “A righteous person lives on the basis of his integrity. Blessed are his children after he is gone” (GWT). Love is based on trust, and trust is based on truth. If you don’t tell me the truth, I can’t trust you. And if I can’t trust you, how can I love you?
You might be thinking, “This sure is a long list, Rick. I’m not sure if I’ll ever find anybody who fits this.” Oh, really? I did. And you can, too.
When Kay and I got married, Leonard Ravenhill, who was a great preacher of the previous generation, sent us a wedding card. I’ve never forgotten what it said: “God always gives his best to those who leave the choice to him.” I wanted God’s best in my life, and I got it.
Talk It Over
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