Uproot and Plant Something

The thing I decided to uproot was holding back and letting someone else make the first move. Covid has done a lot to separate me from my neighbors. I’m going to uproot the thought that they don’t want to be bothered and start planting seeds of kindness to restore the loving and caring relationship we once had. Pulling up the weeds of indifference and sowing seeds of making a difference in the lives of people around me.

Pride is something I need to let go of as it can keep me from relying on others and seeing what God has in store for me. It is a mindset and habit that I am letting go of. On a recent hiking trip I carried a backpack full of supplies and when asked if I needed help carrying it my “old self” would have said no, I’m fine but this was the first time I gladly took that offer of help. I don’t have anything to prove and being stubborn doesn’t do any good and gets in the way of seeing the true vision. The hike went on and I was able to enjoy Gods glory in the woods without the additional burden both physically and metaphorically.

To me looking at my motives is one way to paddle down stream. If what I’m about to say is to get a reaction that is not a good motive. I like to play the conversation out, check my heart, and then decide wether to proceed or not. Hurt people, hurt people. Using the wrong motive is usually trying to one up somebody. Praying for God‘s discernment.

the habit which I want to uproot is having negative thoughts of impending doom in my personal life....I would like to turn it into planting positive thoughts and know that all things work for the glory of God....Romans 3:23

One of the devil’s favorite strategies is to tell us that our Heavenly Father doesn’t love us and that we are a disappointment to him. We know, theologically, that God loves us, but we don't really believe it deep down sometimes. We think he's disappointed. We think he's frowning. We look at heaven and think we live under his disappointment. When the enemy can get you to believe that that your Father doesn't love you, you'll go down so many broken roads and try so many things to just find some relief. At the end of the day, the best defense is a good offense. The best defense against your temptations is a good offense where you know your Father loves you and he cares for you. We want to enjoy the love of our Father because James says out of God’s will and desire, he brought you to life and he loves you. And when you understand that, the pleasure of your Father will help you fight the pressure of the desert, just like Jesus experienced when tempted by the devil in the wilderness.  When we put our faith in Christ, we choose to run in a different direction from our temptations and chase after Jesus. In comparison to what you find in your relationship with Christ, you begin to realize how satisfying it can be to lose those earthly joys that you once took so much delight in. And the greatest defense against the chaos of the world is to run into the kingdom purchased for you by Jesus Christ to knit you together with your Father, God, forever and ever. DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTION: Recall a time in your life when you struggled to believe that God still loved you after what you had done. What are some ways that you can remind yourself that God’s love is never dependent on your actions or circumstances?

In James 1:15, we read, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” It is interesting to note that the Greek language that James would have written in has masculine and feminine words. “Desire” is a feminine word. So James is telling us that when you unite with your desire, she conceives and has a baby. She brings forth sin; a step away from intimacy with God that you were created for. But “sin” also a feminine word. This verse says that sin gets pregnant and she has a baby called death, the opposite of life.  James uses this imagery to shock us, because the birth of a child is one of the most exciting moments in a human life. It's meant to surprise the reader and break the allure of sin, because sin always looks attractive, but it doesn't look the same when you turn the lights on and reveal it for what it is. The enemy will always present a destructive way to fill your cup when you don’t fill it with something positive and restorative. So, before you start to entertain something or enjoy it in an unhealthy way, just look downstream and see where it leads. It can look attractive or nice now, but you can see that the outcome isn’t what you desire for your life. If you don't like that outcome, you change it now before you get farther downstream. It’s better to fight a temptation when it's small, then run with it downstream.   DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTION: Can you think of a time when you let a desire get too far downstream? How would things have been different if you had looked ahead to the outcome sooner?

We read in 2 Timothy that Paul instructs Timothy to flee from youthful lust and pursue righteousness, joy, and peace. These instructions were two-fold with the being to dispose of and kill the things that don't belong in your life. But there's other ways of thinking and ways of living that we want to vivify or stimulate the growth of. Gardening is a good way for us to illustrate this process. First in gardening, you pull the weeds up. There are things in your life that you used to think, things you used to believe, and ways you used to behave, that don't belong in the soil of your soul. And there's other ways of thinking and others, ways of living that you want to plant like flowers or trees. We want to see them bear fruit and bring life into our souls. But the enemy does not want you to bear fruit or have a close intimacy with the Father that comes through pursuing or cultivating the things of the Lord. The enemy’s goal is to get you to take a willful step away from the intimacy with God you were made for.  Each one of us is tempted and enticed by our own desires, and lured by our heart’s affections. The enemy wants to lure and entice us with our desires, because what you think about and care about is what you will chase. If you don’t know your enemy or yourself, you will lose in every battle. But if you know your enemy, his tactics, and yourself, you can be victorious over his schemes. DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTION: What is shaping your thinking? If it doesn't promote intimacy with God, how do you eliminate that moment? 

  We're in a fight each day, but it's one in which our King has the decisive victory. We are similar to the nation of Israel when the Philistines attacked. Initially, they pulled back in fear until David came forward and said that he will be the representative to fight the terrifying Goliath. David looked weak and small, but he defeated their great enemy, Goliath. When the Israelites saw Goliath fall, what happened? They shouted the war cry and they drove the Philistines out.  When they saw their king fights for them, it gave them the courage to drive the Philistines out. And it's the same with us. When you watch the son of David, Jesus Christ, fight for you, when you watch him step into this world, take part of your flesh and blood, step into our sin, shame, and condemnation, it gives your courage. We can have this courage because we know that Jesus fighting this for you. The thing that scares you, condemnation in the grave, he’s beaten and broken it. We've not been freed from the fight, but we've been freed for it. Before you were just a victim, now we can be victorious. While you might still be struggling with certain temptations and addictions and think maybe God didn't really change you, please know that he hasn't just freed you from the fight, he's freed you for it.  DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTION: In what areas of your life do you find it difficult to believe that Jesus has already been victorious over? Why do you think that is?