Jesus tells us in John 8:32 that the truth will set us free. What is the truth? First of all, the truth is a Person: Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life" (John 14:6, emphasis mine). So, to know Jesus Christ is to know Truth personified.
Finding truth, therefore, begins with finding Christ. And finding Christ simply means to accept Him as the Son of God who alone can save us from sin and all of its consequences. One of the consequences of sin is a hurting heart. So when we accept Jesus Christ as the only One Who can save us, we are accepting the Truth that alone can set us free not only from sin but also from all of the consequences of sin. One such major consequence is a hurting heart.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, He gives us a new spirit, and His Holy Spirit begins to live in our new spirit. Our spirit is the core of our being, the essence of who we really are. When we accept Christ and He gives us a new spirit (called being "born again"), our new spirit is perfect and holds all that we need to overcome in life. But our souls (mind, will, and emotions) must be renewed in order to experience the benefits that now dwell inside our spirits. This renewal process involves reprogramming our thinking to align with God's thinking. God's thinking is found in the Holy Bible, also called His Word or the Word of God.
As we renew our minds by studying and applying God's Word to our lives, we will experience greater emotional health and physical well-being.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Are You Thinking Straight?
Emotional problems result from believing lies. Since we were designed to function according to truth, any deviation from truth will cause us to malfunction, whether emotionally, physically, or spiritually.
So, the big question becomes What is truth? Truth is defined as "the actual state of a matter" (Dictionary.com). But herein lies the problem: Who determines what the actual state of a matter is?
For me, the actual state of a matter may be one thing; for you, it may be another.
What this means is that my truth may not be your truth, and vice versa. This way of thinking is called relativism and is a lie.
In our culture, man has taken it upon himself to determine the actual state of a matter. For example, it is common for people to say things like, "Abortion is not an option for me, but it may be an option for you". Many have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that it is a viable option for terminating a pregnancy. Some have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that abortion at any stage is murder.
The nature of Truth is that it applies to everyone everywhere, equally and indiscriminately. This means that Truth is absolute, just as gravity is absolute. No matter who you are, if you jump off a roof, you will go down.
Most people don't like the truth that Truth is absolute. In fact, they rebel against it. But what they don't understand is that by rebelling against absolute Truth, they are hurting themselves. That hurt may not show up right away, but it will always show up eventually.
Man was designed by God to function according to the laws of Truth. When man deviates from those laws and goes his own way, he will always suffer. There's no escaping this truth.
We need to understand that emotional problems result from rebelling against Truth and insisting upon creating our own truth. Any thinking pattern that deviates from God's thinking pattern will end up hurting us.
God's thinking pattern is found in His Word, the Holy Bible. If we want to learn how God thinks, then we must read His Word. As we change our thinking to align with God's thinking, we will be moving closer to the Truth and closer to emotional health.
So, the big question becomes What is truth? Truth is defined as "the actual state of a matter" (Dictionary.com). But herein lies the problem: Who determines what the actual state of a matter is?
For me, the actual state of a matter may be one thing; for you, it may be another.
What this means is that my truth may not be your truth, and vice versa. This way of thinking is called relativism and is a lie.
In our culture, man has taken it upon himself to determine the actual state of a matter. For example, it is common for people to say things like, "Abortion is not an option for me, but it may be an option for you". Many have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that it is a viable option for terminating a pregnancy. Some have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that abortion at any stage is murder.
The nature of Truth is that it applies to everyone everywhere, equally and indiscriminately. This means that Truth is absolute, just as gravity is absolute. No matter who you are, if you jump off a roof, you will go down.
Most people don't like the truth that Truth is absolute. In fact, they rebel against it. But what they don't understand is that by rebelling against absolute Truth, they are hurting themselves. That hurt may not show up right away, but it will always show up eventually.
Man was designed by God to function according to the laws of Truth. When man deviates from those laws and goes his own way, he will always suffer. There's no escaping this truth.
We need to understand that emotional problems result from rebelling against Truth and insisting upon creating our own truth. Any thinking pattern that deviates from God's thinking pattern will end up hurting us.
God's thinking pattern is found in His Word, the Holy Bible. If we want to learn how God thinks, then we must read His Word. As we change our thinking to align with God's thinking, we will be moving closer to the Truth and closer to emotional health.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
What's Your Hang-Up?
Have you ever thought about the word "hang-up"? It is a word that usually indicates a problem in our lives.
For example, a "hang-up" is usually an emotional problem that keeps us from being free. A hang-up can be a bad habit or an addiction we can't seem to overcome.
One definition of the word "hang-up" that I found very interesting was this one: "To be attached from above with no support from below" (TheFreeDictionary.com). When we have a hang-up, we often feel that we are just "hanging" there with nothing to catch us should we fall.
Along the same lines, isn't it interesting that when people ask us how we are, we often respond, "Hanging in there"? Why do we use that expression? Because we feel that we are hanging by a thread, waiting to fall unless someone rescues us.
Well, I have great news for you today! Someone has rescued us. Someone has rescued you. And His Name is Jesus Christ!
Who is this Person called Jesus? Let me introduce Him to you.
--Jesus is Love. Yes, His very nature is Love. Everything He does is motivated by His love.
--Jesus is Compassion. He cares about your deepest hurts. He cares that you're sick or depressed or lonely. He cares that you don't have enough money to pay your rent. He cares that your husband just walked out on you.
--Jesus is Mercy. He understands your struggles with sin, and He wants to set you free from those struggles.
As you follow this blog, you'll learn that Jesus wants to set you free from all of your hang-ups. Every single one! All you have to do is believe not only in His ability to set you free, but in His intense desire to set you free.
So stay with me on this journey of faith, and watch Jesus take the ashes of your broken life and turn them into something beautiful!
For example, a "hang-up" is usually an emotional problem that keeps us from being free. A hang-up can be a bad habit or an addiction we can't seem to overcome.
One definition of the word "hang-up" that I found very interesting was this one: "To be attached from above with no support from below" (TheFreeDictionary.com). When we have a hang-up, we often feel that we are just "hanging" there with nothing to catch us should we fall.
Along the same lines, isn't it interesting that when people ask us how we are, we often respond, "Hanging in there"? Why do we use that expression? Because we feel that we are hanging by a thread, waiting to fall unless someone rescues us.
Well, I have great news for you today! Someone has rescued us. Someone has rescued you. And His Name is Jesus Christ!
Who is this Person called Jesus? Let me introduce Him to you.
--Jesus is Love. Yes, His very nature is Love. Everything He does is motivated by His love.
--Jesus is Compassion. He cares about your deepest hurts. He cares that you're sick or depressed or lonely. He cares that you don't have enough money to pay your rent. He cares that your husband just walked out on you.
--Jesus is Mercy. He understands your struggles with sin, and He wants to set you free from those struggles.
As you follow this blog, you'll learn that Jesus wants to set you free from all of your hang-ups. Every single one! All you have to do is believe not only in His ability to set you free, but in His intense desire to set you free.
So stay with me on this journey of faith, and watch Jesus take the ashes of your broken life and turn them into something beautiful!
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