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So We Do Not Lose Heart

A meditation on 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore.

That’s how Paul begins this part of the sentence. “Therefore.”
A hinge. A pivot. A breath before revelation.
It’s as if he’s saying, In light of everything…the affliction, the confusion, the groaning of creation and the groaning within…let me tell you how we survive the ache.
How we don’t quit. How we don’t crack under the weight of a world that keeps coming at us.

“Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

And you know what?
That’s true.

The mirror doesn’t lie…
Crow’s feet deepening.
Hairline retreating.
Joints muttering complaints with each stair.
Bodies breaking down, and sometimes spirits too.

But then… there’s this inner place.
A sanctuary the world can’t touch.
Where, in the quiet,
when you stop scrolling,
stop spinning,
stop pretending…

You hear the whisper:
You are being renewed.

Not once.
Not on some mountaintop high.
But day by day.
Like manna.
Like breath.
Like mercy that’s new in the morning.

And then Paul has the audacity to say this:

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

Light and momentary?

Paul, you were beaten, shipwrecked, jailed, hunted, stoned, abandoned.
And you call that light?

Only someone who’s seen beyond the veil can talk like that.
Only someone who’s had the curtain pulled back and caught a glimpse of the coming glory.
Not the fluffy, escapist kind.
But weighty glory. Substance. Kavod.

Something that makes the ache worth it.
Not because the ache vanishes,
but because it transforms.
Because it births something eternal in us.
Resilience. Compassion. Hope.

Which is why…

“We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.”

Because what is seen is always changing.
Always decaying.
Always slipping through your fingers.

But what is unseen…
That’s the real.
The eternal.
The kingdom breaking in.
The Christ in you.
The Spirit groaning with you.
The glory waiting within you.

So we do not lose heart.

Not because life is easy.
Not because the pain isn’t real.
But because renewal is deeper than decay.
Because glory is heavier than suffering.
Because the unseen is more solid than the seen.

Therefore.

Don’t lose heart, beloved.

Even when the world says you should.
Even when your body betrays you.
Even when all you see is fog…

Fix your eyes.
There’s more going on than you can see.
More being formed in you than you yet understand.

You’re being renewed.
Day. By. Day.

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Mining Out Your Limiting Thoughts

shutterstock_422678236It’s a new year and many people are gearing up to forge a new “me.”

Goals are set, promises made, club memberships purchased and the god of best intentions is beckoned.

Unknown, unearthed, subconscious, limiting beliefs are perhaps the biggest destroyer of good intentions and goals. You also might call them life commandments, or subconscious beliefs, either way, there are limiting beliefs within that tend to sabotage’ our best efforts.

Often these negative beliefs are formed through pain, disappointment, unmet expectations or even betrayal. For example, if you have ever experienced marriage betrayal, you might have declared in your soul “I will never allow myself to be hurt like that again.” This internal statement become a subconscious life commandment that can keep that person from entering into a new relationship out of fear of being hurt once again.

You will have greater success moving towards your goals and desires when you first invest the time discovering the limiting beliefs that you have. This will give you the opportunity to identify and then “Flip the Script” as you transform limiting beliefs into positive and dynamic beliefs.

Here are some key questions to ask yourself to mine out the limiting beliefs that potentially dwell within your soul:

  • When under pressure I ……………………….……………………….
  • I often feel guilty about ……………………………………………………….
  • When …………. happens I stress out and feel like …………….
  • My Achilles’ heel (greatest weakness) is ……………………….
  • I am always trying to stop …………………………. from happening.
  • When the unexpected happens I ……………………………………
  • I always try to ………………………………………………………..
  • The biggest obstacle that stops me loving and approving of myself is …………………
  • What drives most of my behavior is ……………………………………….
  • I am afraid of ………………………………………………………..
  • I seek my ……………’s approval (always / mostly / usually / occasionally)
  • My most frequent negative / uncomfortable emotion is feeling ……………………….
  • The feeling I dislike the most is ……………………….
  • I need to learn to ………………………………………………………..

As you honestly and ruthlessly answer questions like these, you will become aware of which beliefs are really driving your choices and behaviors.

Once the beliefs have been identified, it’s time to flip the script, rewording these life destroyers into positive, life creating beliefs, for example:

  • I’m just not wired that way…can be flipped to -I can do all things through Christ!
  • I don’t have time to make the changes…can be flipped to – I will maximize the time God gives me
  • I don’t think that way…can be flipped to – I will change the way I think
  • I’m just not smart enough I guess…can be flipped to – I will have the mind of Christ
  • I never get any breaks…can be flipped to – God will deliver anything that I require
  • God has it out for me…can be flipped to – God loves me unconditionally
  • I’m just not gifted enough…can be flipped to – I am fearfully and wonderfully made

As you become more aware of the beliefs within that betray you, you are not a hostage to those limiting life commandments! In 2017 choose to flip the script and change your limiting beliefs into unlimited potential!

 

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Try It For 30 Days

Real change is doable. Too often we choose not to change or attempt something new because it seems too daunting, too big, too impossible. But the reality is, you can make major shifts in your life if you would simply make a 30 commitment and take action. What you try may not be earth-shaking, but you will definitely be better for having stepped out and attempted something new. The following Ted talk is a great example and inspiration to simply try something new for 30 days, check it out.

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The Great King: Christmas Meditation

It’s Christmas day…here’s my look at the “story of the magi.” I hope you find a peaceful space, grab some java, and enjoy my ruminations about the “Great King.”

Merry Christmas,
Monty