Humans were not created to die. They were created to live forever. Death is not a normal part of the human psychological make-up. So anyone who wants to die or to kill himself is acting contrary to his God-given human nature.
Death entered the world through sin. When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them dominion over the earth. They were to control every creature and every plant on the earth. They were not, however, to control their fellow human beings.
But Adam and Eve disobeyed God and, in so doing, gave up their control over the earth to Satan. This is the reason the world is full of tragedy, suffering, and death. Satan is now in control of this world. He is evil in his essence, and whenever he controls anything or anyone, evil is the only result.
Scripture calls Satan a "thief" and says that he comes for one purpose only: "to steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10). It is no wonder, then, that Satan will prey on vulnerable people to get them to commit suicide. Satan knows that God has a great destiny for each person, and Satan will do whatever he can to thwart that destiny.
Suicide has become an epidemic. Young people by the thousands are killing themselves. Increasing numbers of older people are killing themselves. Why? Because they have lost all hope. And why have they lost all hope? Because they have believed Satan's lie.
Satan speaks to the human mind in the form of thoughts. This is the reason that Jesus warns us to monitor our thoughts to see if they agree with His thoughts about us as found in His Word. If our thoughts do not agree with God's thoughts about us, then we must renounce our thoughts and choose to align our thinking with God's thinking.
For example, God says this about you in Jeremiah 29:11: "My plans for you are for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Satan whispers this thought: "You have no future. You are hopeless. Nothing will work out for you. You are a loser. No one will ever love you. You may as well kill yourself."
Satan's words are the exact opposite of God's words. Whom will you believe? Will you believe Satan whom the Bible calls "the father of lies" (John 8:44)? Or will you believe God Whom the Bible describes as the only one "who cannot lie"(Titus 1:2)?
Logic demands that we believe the One Who cannot lie.
Is Satan lying to you today? Is he tempting you to kill yourself? Please do not listen to his lies. Please believe that God loves you and that He created you for a very important purpose in this earth. You are not here by accident. You are here intentionally. You have a song to sing that no one else can sing. You have a job to do that no one else can do. You were created with a unique destiny that only you can fulfill.
Awaken to this truth and be set free. Embrace God's love for you. Run to His open arms and let Him heal you of the hurt that has driven you to the edge of suicide. Turn around and behold your Savior and Lord, Jesus the Christ.
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Copyright 2014 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, DMin, MFA. All Rights Reserved.
Showing posts with label hurt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hurt. Show all posts
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
Hurting People Hurt People
It is a psychological truism that hurting people hurt people. Knowing this helps us to understand others when they hurt us. To understand, however, is not to condone. Wrong behavior must never be accepted.
In order to forgive those who hurt us, it helps to understand why they hurt us. Usually, the hurt inflicted upon us has nothing to do with us but everything to do with the person who hurt us. The one who hurts others usually acts out of his own pain and takes out his pain on someone else.
Of course, this is sick behavior. But understanding motives is essential in the forgiveness process.
As Jesus hung on the Cross, He prayed, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they are doing." The same is true of us. We can forgive those who hurt us by realizing that they really did not know what they were doing. If they did, they would never have hurt us.
If one who hurts another truly understood that he was hurting himself far more, he would never hurt anyone. In his warped thinking, he believes he is gaining a benefit from hurting another person. But this is a lie that will one day backfire on the one who hurts someone else. As Scripture promises, we will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).
If you have been deeply hurt by someone--and all of us have--choose today to forgive that person. Forgiving the one who hurt you will set you free. Remember this: you are a prisoner to the extent that you do not forgive others. As long as you do not forgive, you remain chained to the one who hurt you. But when you forgive the one who hurt you, you are set free.
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Copyright 2014 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, DMin, MFA. All rights reserved.
In order to forgive those who hurt us, it helps to understand why they hurt us. Usually, the hurt inflicted upon us has nothing to do with us but everything to do with the person who hurt us. The one who hurts others usually acts out of his own pain and takes out his pain on someone else.
Of course, this is sick behavior. But understanding motives is essential in the forgiveness process.
As Jesus hung on the Cross, He prayed, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they are doing." The same is true of us. We can forgive those who hurt us by realizing that they really did not know what they were doing. If they did, they would never have hurt us.
If one who hurts another truly understood that he was hurting himself far more, he would never hurt anyone. In his warped thinking, he believes he is gaining a benefit from hurting another person. But this is a lie that will one day backfire on the one who hurts someone else. As Scripture promises, we will reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).
If you have been deeply hurt by someone--and all of us have--choose today to forgive that person. Forgiving the one who hurt you will set you free. Remember this: you are a prisoner to the extent that you do not forgive others. As long as you do not forgive, you remain chained to the one who hurt you. But when you forgive the one who hurt you, you are set free.
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Copyright 2014 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, DMin, MFA. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Do You Want to Get Well?
Do you want to get well? This may seem like a silly question, but it is the question Jesus asked the paralytic (John 5:6). Why would Jesus ask such a question? Surely, everyone wants to be well.
The truth is that not everyone wants to be well. The desire to be well precedes all healing. If you do not want to be well, then you will not get well. But if you want to get well, you will get well as you seek God's wisdom and pray for His direction. You will get well as you believe that you will get well.
How can you tell if you want to be healed? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
1) Am I using my physical sickness or my emotional illness as a means of getting attention? If so, am I willing to give up that desire for attention in exchange for wholeness?
2) Am I willing to renounce the doctrines of men and the doctrines of devils in exchange for the truth of God's Word? Much false teaching is out there regarding healing. This false teaching comes from people and from demons. You may have been the recipient of this false teaching in your church or elsewhere. False teaching will keep you from wanting to be healed. If, for example, you have been falsely taught that God makes people sick to teach them something, then you will feel conflicted about wanting to be healed because you will think that you are violating God's will. But, if it is true that God makes you sick to teach you something, then you are violating God's will by going to a doctor.
3) Am I willing to concede that, while I may not be responsible for what happens to me, I am totally responsible for how I respond to what happens to me? It is far easier emotionally and psychologically to blame others for our troubles than to assume the responsibility ourselves. But the truth is that we cause many of our own problems.
4) Am I willing to concede that while God is in control of the universe, He has given me dominion over the earth, a free will, and, therefore, dominion over my choices? It is far easier to blame our negative life situations on God's sovereignty than on our responsibility. Saying that everything happens because God is in control is a cop-out. Some things happen because of our poor choices. God never intended for them to happen.
5) Am I willing to give up all of my excuses to pursue emotional health? Am I willing to go through the pain in order to discover the freedom that is on the other side of the pain? Emotional health requires a price on our part. That price is the laying down of our own solutions to our problems and the embracing of God's solutions as found in His Word.
So, do you want to be healed? I hope you'll shout a resounding YES! :)
The truth is that not everyone wants to be well. The desire to be well precedes all healing. If you do not want to be well, then you will not get well. But if you want to get well, you will get well as you seek God's wisdom and pray for His direction. You will get well as you believe that you will get well.
How can you tell if you want to be healed? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
1) Am I using my physical sickness or my emotional illness as a means of getting attention? If so, am I willing to give up that desire for attention in exchange for wholeness?
2) Am I willing to renounce the doctrines of men and the doctrines of devils in exchange for the truth of God's Word? Much false teaching is out there regarding healing. This false teaching comes from people and from demons. You may have been the recipient of this false teaching in your church or elsewhere. False teaching will keep you from wanting to be healed. If, for example, you have been falsely taught that God makes people sick to teach them something, then you will feel conflicted about wanting to be healed because you will think that you are violating God's will. But, if it is true that God makes you sick to teach you something, then you are violating God's will by going to a doctor.
3) Am I willing to concede that, while I may not be responsible for what happens to me, I am totally responsible for how I respond to what happens to me? It is far easier emotionally and psychologically to blame others for our troubles than to assume the responsibility ourselves. But the truth is that we cause many of our own problems.
4) Am I willing to concede that while God is in control of the universe, He has given me dominion over the earth, a free will, and, therefore, dominion over my choices? It is far easier to blame our negative life situations on God's sovereignty than on our responsibility. Saying that everything happens because God is in control is a cop-out. Some things happen because of our poor choices. God never intended for them to happen.
5) Am I willing to give up all of my excuses to pursue emotional health? Am I willing to go through the pain in order to discover the freedom that is on the other side of the pain? Emotional health requires a price on our part. That price is the laying down of our own solutions to our problems and the embracing of God's solutions as found in His Word.
So, do you want to be healed? I hope you'll shout a resounding YES! :)
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
How to Identify the Lies You Are Believing
In this week's post, I am assuming that you have already accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord and that you are a believer. If you have not yet accepted Christ, I urge you to read last week's post entitled "Lies and How They Hinder You".
Today we're going to discuss how to identify the lies that you are believing and that are keeping you in bondage. Here is a basic rule of thumb in identifying lies: Any thought you have that contradicts what God says about you is a lie.
So how can you know what thoughts contradict what God says about you? Great question! A question to which there is an easy answer. But first let me tell you a story.
When a person trains to become a bank teller, she has to learn to recognize counterfeit money. But, amazingly, she never handles counterfeit money to learn what it feels like. She handles only real money. And she handles real money so often and so well that if a counterfeit bill should pass through her fingers, she would instantly recognize it as counterfeit. Why? Because she knows what real money feels like, and she can immediately recognize when false money is in her hands.
The same is true with us. If we handle God's Word (the Truth) often enough and well enough, we will instantly recognize the counterfeit (the Lie) that Satan sends our way.
So the first step in identifying the lies you are believing is to study the Bible. Read it. Memorize verses. Meditate on the Word. Saturate yourself with it as much as you can so that when Satan throws a lie at you, you will instantly recognize it as a counterfeit.
If you have not formed the habit of reading the Bible every day, start today. Begin with the Gospel of John in the New Testament. Read slowly and apply what you read to your personal life. As you do, you will be handling the Truth and you will be getting to know it well.
Next week, we'll explore what it means to want to get well.
Today we're going to discuss how to identify the lies that you are believing and that are keeping you in bondage. Here is a basic rule of thumb in identifying lies: Any thought you have that contradicts what God says about you is a lie.
So how can you know what thoughts contradict what God says about you? Great question! A question to which there is an easy answer. But first let me tell you a story.
When a person trains to become a bank teller, she has to learn to recognize counterfeit money. But, amazingly, she never handles counterfeit money to learn what it feels like. She handles only real money. And she handles real money so often and so well that if a counterfeit bill should pass through her fingers, she would instantly recognize it as counterfeit. Why? Because she knows what real money feels like, and she can immediately recognize when false money is in her hands.
The same is true with us. If we handle God's Word (the Truth) often enough and well enough, we will instantly recognize the counterfeit (the Lie) that Satan sends our way.
So the first step in identifying the lies you are believing is to study the Bible. Read it. Memorize verses. Meditate on the Word. Saturate yourself with it as much as you can so that when Satan throws a lie at you, you will instantly recognize it as a counterfeit.
If you have not formed the habit of reading the Bible every day, start today. Begin with the Gospel of John in the New Testament. Read slowly and apply what you read to your personal life. As you do, you will be handling the Truth and you will be getting to know it well.
Next week, we'll explore what it means to want to get well.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Lies and How They Hinder Us
If you're like a lot of people, you are walking around with deep emotional pain but you are keeping it to yourself. You may feel as though you're the only one going through what you're going through. Sometimes, you may even feel as though you're losing your mind. If this describes you, take heart. There is a reason for your dilemma, and there is a way out of it.
Please bear with me as I build a foundation for you. This foundation is important to your understanding of what follows and to getting free of your emotional pain.
You are a three-part being. You have a spirit, a soul, and a body. How do I know this? This information is found in the Holy Bible in the First Book of Thessalonians, chapter 5, verse 23. I believe that the Bible is God's manual for man and explains who we are, how we function, and how we should live to create a successful life for ourselves.
When you were born into this world, your spirit was dead. In other words, it was separated from God by what is called original sin. Original sin is the state of separation from God that resulted when Adam and Eve sinned against God by disobeying Him. Their disobedience separated them from God and severed their relationship with Him. Because Adam and Eve could pass on to their children only what they were, we inherited their sin nature and are also born into this world separated from God.
But God the Father loved you so much that He sent Jesus Christ, His Son, to give you a new spirit so that you could be reconnected to God. That is the message of the Gospel, also called the Good News!
Now before you decide that all of this is nonsense, please hear me out.
Adam and Eve sinned because they believed a lie that Satan told them, the lie that God was holding out on them by commanding them not to eat the fruit of a certain tree in the Garden of Eden. In reality, God was protecting them. In disobeying God's command, Adam and Eve essentially called God a liar. The truth was that Satan was the liar.
And he still is. Satan is still whispering lies into people's minds, including yours. But you may not recognize them as Satan's lies. You probably think they are your own thoughts, and sometimes those thoughts drive you nuts.
If you are in bondage in any way to harassing thoughts, bad habits, or tormenting emotions, you can be sure that Satan has whispered lies into your mind and that you are believing those lies. The only way to get rid of the harassing thoughts, bad habits, or tormenting emotions is to identify the lies you are believing, renounce those lies, and replace them with the truth.
The first step in doing this is to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. If you have never done this, I urge you to do so now. None of what I will be talking about will make sense nor will it work unless you have accepted Christ. The reason is that Jesus Christ alone is the Truth. You will never be free without Jesus Christ because He is the Truth Who sets you free. He Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). So pray this simple prayer with me now:
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I believe that You are the Son of God, that You died on a Cross for me, and that You rose from the dead. I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. Set me free by Your power, by Your Spirit, and by Your Love. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, please let me know so that I can send you some follow-up information. You may reach me at drmaryann@healingthehurtingheart.com.
In future blog posts, we will talk about some of the most common lies that keep people bound. And we will talk about how to identify those lies, renounce them, and replace them with the truth of God's Word.
If this post has helped you, please let me know. And please tell others about Healing the Hurting Heart.
Please bear with me as I build a foundation for you. This foundation is important to your understanding of what follows and to getting free of your emotional pain.
You are a three-part being. You have a spirit, a soul, and a body. How do I know this? This information is found in the Holy Bible in the First Book of Thessalonians, chapter 5, verse 23. I believe that the Bible is God's manual for man and explains who we are, how we function, and how we should live to create a successful life for ourselves.
When you were born into this world, your spirit was dead. In other words, it was separated from God by what is called original sin. Original sin is the state of separation from God that resulted when Adam and Eve sinned against God by disobeying Him. Their disobedience separated them from God and severed their relationship with Him. Because Adam and Eve could pass on to their children only what they were, we inherited their sin nature and are also born into this world separated from God.
But God the Father loved you so much that He sent Jesus Christ, His Son, to give you a new spirit so that you could be reconnected to God. That is the message of the Gospel, also called the Good News!
Now before you decide that all of this is nonsense, please hear me out.
Adam and Eve sinned because they believed a lie that Satan told them, the lie that God was holding out on them by commanding them not to eat the fruit of a certain tree in the Garden of Eden. In reality, God was protecting them. In disobeying God's command, Adam and Eve essentially called God a liar. The truth was that Satan was the liar.
And he still is. Satan is still whispering lies into people's minds, including yours. But you may not recognize them as Satan's lies. You probably think they are your own thoughts, and sometimes those thoughts drive you nuts.
If you are in bondage in any way to harassing thoughts, bad habits, or tormenting emotions, you can be sure that Satan has whispered lies into your mind and that you are believing those lies. The only way to get rid of the harassing thoughts, bad habits, or tormenting emotions is to identify the lies you are believing, renounce those lies, and replace them with the truth.
The first step in doing this is to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. If you have never done this, I urge you to do so now. None of what I will be talking about will make sense nor will it work unless you have accepted Christ. The reason is that Jesus Christ alone is the Truth. You will never be free without Jesus Christ because He is the Truth Who sets you free. He Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). So pray this simple prayer with me now:
Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I believe that You are the Son of God, that You died on a Cross for me, and that You rose from the dead. I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. Set me free by Your power, by Your Spirit, and by Your Love. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, please let me know so that I can send you some follow-up information. You may reach me at drmaryann@healingthehurtingheart.com.
In future blog posts, we will talk about some of the most common lies that keep people bound. And we will talk about how to identify those lies, renounce them, and replace them with the truth of God's Word.
If this post has helped you, please let me know. And please tell others about Healing the Hurting Heart.
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