Taking Thoughts Captive

I am constantly reminded of God's principles. I believe His teachings are meant to bless me and certainly His Word gives me direction I can trust to keep me on the right path. The Scriptures hold the keys to not only spiritual health but emotional fitness as well.
When 2 Corinthians 10:5b (NKJV) states: "...bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" it gives us a plan to move forward when we can barely move. When our past paralyzes us, when we can't seem to get a grip on forgiveness or bitterness, He gives us the answer.
So how do we move forward? How do we allow ourselves to move on when pain haunts us? The mandate seems simple, but anyone who needs to move on, knows its not. The key is that we can't do it alone.
A couple of posts back I discussed how my daughter was kidnapped during a carjacking. For days I couldn't close my eyes without seeing the van drive away with my helpless daughter inside. Other times I could hear myself screaming as loud as I possibly could "He has my baby! Please help me! He took my baby!!" The panic would set in and sleep eluded me. After being home for one night, dealing with a virus and being offered sleeping pills at the immediate care, I knew I had to seek another answer.
I called a friend who reminded me to take my thoughts captive. In pursuing the  "how to" in the past I was given a great picture. Light and dark cannot dwell in the same place. To entertain the darkness and allow it to stay was inviting the consequences of those thoughts. Depression, fear, anger and unforgiveness are just a few of the emotions that can take over our lives and steal our peace. To allow the to take up residence is detrimental to our spiritual lives as well. The only recourse is to bring in the light. Allow it to penetrate our thoughts and minds.
At these times of distress, the Lord would bring back to me the familiar verses I had memorized in my younger years. One of Mom's favorite passages brings great wisdom and strength: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8, New King James Version) The New American Standard Version tells us to "dwell on these things".
This one concept has brought me more freedom over the years than I can adequately express. In the areas of forgiveness,  grief and overcoming traumatic events. After working three years in the emergency room, there were a lifetime of memories that no one wants to keep. Don't get me wrong, the way our minds works, thoughts will pass through, images will still flash in my mind, but they no longer linger. They are sent into captivity to be replaced with the peace of a loving Savior who suffered more on the day He gave His life for me than I will ever experience on this earth.
Do you have dark places in your life that need to be removed? Do you seek to be healed of the past? Have you been seeking the healer of all hurts?

Always,

Hope

Two Bibles and Two Women

A year ago today, the body of my mother was laid to rest in a cemetery outside of Los Angeles. We know she wasn't there but the arms that held me as a little girl, the warm eyes that greeted me as a confused teen and the smile that stayed with me as a joyous bride won't be seen again. They all belonged to a body that had done its job here on earth. The sweet soul that was once among us, is now peacefully worshiping at the feet of our loving Saviour. There is significant pain that is soothed by hope and a peace that truly passes understanding.
My recent routine in the morning involves sitting by the fireplace with my hands clasped around a steaming cup of creamer doused coffee. On my coffee table, side by side are two bibles that both hold deep meaning. Both are in need of new covers, both have highlighted pages and occasional notes in the margins. One I have had for almost 25 years, the other only one very short year.
The red one, a New King James Version of the Open Bible, with my maiden name engraved on the front. Never one to be like everyone else, I wanted to spell it Kaye with an "e" (long before I was ever introduced to Anne of Green Gables, I was sure that adding an "e" to my middle name would somehow make it more interesting). So when my parents bought me the new bible, Mom had the printers add the extra letter.
It was a beautiful Christmas gift, given at a time in my life that I am frankly surprised I didn't reject it. This was one of the darkest periods of my life filled with insecurities, doubt, discouragement and deep depression. I had strayed away from the beliefs I had at one time held dearly, creating a chasm between myself and my family but even worse, between myself and my God. The beauty of the timing is that when I was ready to return, my Lord was waiting and so was this treasured Christmas gift.
The mauve colored bible on my table is a thick study bible and as I have mentioned before, it is highlighted with the sweet verses that were so meaningful to Mom. There were words that she memorized and kept in her heart in order to comfort herself in those later days when she could no longer find the pages. She used them to comfort herself when confusion would overwhelm her. As her mind was slowly drifting away, the one thing that never did was the peace and calm she found in resting in her Lord and Saviour.
Both are precious to me. I like hopping back and forth between the two different versions to gain clarity. Its delightful to read what was precious to Mom and what she thought about certain passages. When I pick up the one that guided me through so many years, I see old notes. Some mark the times that I was struggling and others when I was experiencing triumphs or learning key principles for my life.
The past year has emphasized even more for me that I don't have time to take anything for granted.  My relationships, my faith and whatever time I might have left on this earth are priceless. Those two beautiful leather bound books hold within them the heart of my Heavenly Father and the love of an incredible mother. A mother who never stopped praying to or praising her God. A woman who never stopped believing that the love of her God could deliver a confused and helpless soul, entrusted to her to raise into a grateful and blessed woman.

,

Always,

Hope

Forgive who?

My Mom's bible is a treasure to me. It is well used and when I find passages underlined I am drawn in. Yesterday, while reading Luke 6 my eyes caught three highlighted paragraphs. Knowing that I was following the previous post this couldn't be an accident. I was exactly where I needed to be.

The passage begins at verse 27   “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you." (Luke 6:27-28, New King James Version) The NIV says "mistreat you".

I honestly believe that many of us resist forgiveness because we would be required to do the above. He tells us to do it any way. He doesn't single out Christ followers but clearly, those of us who are truly following Him are going to live by His teachings.

So what about this thing we call forgiveness? Why are we afraid to forgive? Its my experience that we don't completely understand what it means to forgive. Many think it means that the offender is no longer held accountable. Others think it means to forget. That's not true. What it means to forgive someone is making the decision not to serve up the offense again to  myself or to that person. To no longer hold something in my heart against them doesn't mean it won't cross my mind. It means I won't spend time dwelling on it or thinking of ways to get revenge. I'm certainly not going to spend time discussing it with others if I have forgiven.

Do I have to forgive? Further into the same passage (and yes, its highlighted)  ³⁶ "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. ³⁷ “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:36-38, New King James Version)

Nine years ago this month, while visiting my cousin, The Princess was taken during a carjacking. I was knocked down by the van door and watched helplessly as my cousin was ran over twice. The sight of her laying motionless on the ground, seeing the van drive off with the back hatch and both side doors open, knowing the entire time that Alli's carseat was unbuckled was nothing less than torture. The trauma brought on by the unthinkable is still part of me. Certain things can still trigger a physical response inside that I can't always explain. So, no, I won't forget what happened that day.

The dilemma to forgive brought me to this question, does forgiving mean he shouldn't be held responsible? It doesn't mean that at all. He broke the law (many actually) and had to pay for his heinous actions. But if I didn't release it in my heart, I would have been the one who actually ended up in my own personal prison. I wasn't willing to do that. If I held onto it, it wouldn't have punished him. It would have only served to torture myself and those around me. There is no benefit to that.

Do you have someone or something you still need to forgive? Are you willing to give it over to the God who has forgiven you?

Always,

Hope

Are You Being Poisoned?

There are a few members of my family that enjoy a good crime drama. True life crime stories are just as fascinating. What amazes me is the lengths that some will go to in order to trap their victims. Poison can be one of the most difficult methods to detect. Did you know that poison can be sweet? It can be hidden in everyday food so its not detected by the target or those observing.

I'm finding that bitterness can permeate our everyday life in the same way. Sometimes through speech, our thought life and interactions with others.  Its often not obvious but can be slowly interjected into everyday conversation. We relay stories involving perceived hurts we have endured at the hands of others or we listen to such tales. The next thing we know we have picked up an offense against another. That is when the bitterness starts to take root. It doesn't take much to make it grow.

Bitterness is much easier to detect when an obvious fault has been perpetrated but it is no less poisonous in those cases. It destroys just as much and makes it easier for us to justify. So what is the antidote? How do we  keep from being contaminated?

In Exodus 15:23-25, the only source of water for the Israelites is in a place called Marah which is literally translated "bitter". The Lord showed Moses a tree to cast into the water which became not only drinkable but sweet.

What a fantastic picture! When we are presented with pools of bitterness, we are to call out to the giver of life. Some would even say that the wood represents the cross being placed in the midst of the bitter pool to make it sweet. Even better, Jesus heals the hurts and offers sweet living water.

When the negative comments or thoughts come in a trickle, when they are disguised as sharing concerns or getting support for the hurts someone has endured, we still have to call on the one who can make bitter things sweet. He can heal the hurtful words and keep them from killing off relationships. He can keep us from poisoning ourselves as well as keep us from injuring others.

There are at least two keys that will keep a root of bitterness from growing, one is forgiveness, the second is taking thoughts captive.
Forgiveness is addressed in Ephesians. Verses 4:31,32 admonish us "³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." When we think of all that Christ has forgiven us for,  its sobering to think of the petty things (in contrast) that we hold onto.
Do you have little things that have sprouted up in your life? Do you have unforgiveness that needs to be addressed? Is today the day to search your heart for those things that only God can turn sweet?

Always,

Hope

Up next: Forgiveness and taking thoughts captive.