Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Feeling a little Crazy?

Crazy ... I'm crazy for feelin' so lonely
I'm crazy ... crazy for feelin' so blue
.

Have you ever found yourself feeling just a tad like Patsy Cline?
Just a little crazy?
I know this post is a little longer than most...but I pray that those who stick it out find that their mind has been renewed and they have a stick of dynamite to use the next time fear rears its ugly head.
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Before I start I want to let everyone know that these are bits and pieces if the notes that I took while at the taping of the Life Today show featuring Beth Moore.
I don't want to take credit for the words given to her by God so if I write my own thoughts I will try and let you know.
This is the second session that we attended. The title was---A Sound Mind.
Here are the scriptures she used.
2 Timothy 1:37
3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

I want to let you know that I did think twice about posting this info. Simply because I did not want to mess up the words that were so simple and straight forward. Also, I do believe that we hear in a message what God intends for us to take away.....so, someone else may have come away with a whole different focus. That is a pretty cool thought in itself....isn't the Holy Spirit something else? What other teacher could get up and teach the material and make sure it sinks in to each person just the way it needs to......we serve a MIGHTY Powerful God.

So, Beth's main concentration was on the last verse for this session. She talked about what our minds can do to us...under the influence of our enemy. How about this-- How many of us have had conversations with others who were not even there? Conversations about what we would like to say and then went ahead and filled in what we thought they would say? And then walked away from that mental conversation all mad at the person for something that did not even take place? I just had to laugh. I have been here so often.

She also talked about having conversations with yourself. How your mind often gets going and sometimes the other half of yourself just has to tell it to "SHUT UP". Been there done that...especially at night when my body says go to sleep but my mind says....we have unfinished business. I am learning more and more how to turn it off.

Beth talked about how the fear issue is usually the thing that sends us off into the crazy mode. We begin to fear what has happened and how it will ruin our future. We fear what will happen and how it will ruin our future. For every person there is a new group of fears. Fears that we will never be loved. Fears about what the ones who love us will expect from us. Fear that we will not have the things we need. Fear that we will not be able to pay for the things we have gotten to fill the empty void. Everybody has their own list of fears.

Theses fears take on a life of their own and begin to lead us around like a dog on a leash. And then how many of us can remember in the heat of the moment standing at the edge of the point of no return thinking.........If I take one more step forward
It will be all over and I will loose my mind.

Now this is me. I have been here. These past few years gave me quite a few situations that drove me to the edge. I can remember standing in my room in the rental thinking......I've had enough-more than enough. I will just let go and go ahead and go "there" and it will be all over. I was tired, stressed, and at the point where there seemed no hope. And then something would happen and I would seem to be able to hold on for one more day. How thankful I am for The Rock who lets me stand on Him to keep my head above the waters that so want my death.

Beth talked about how God orchestrates the events of our lives. How nothing would be allowed if when turned over to the hands of our creator they would not be for our benefit and His greatest glory. You can put both Joyce Meyers and Beth into that equation as women who were molested at a young age. Look what God has done in and through them.

I don't want this to become a book so I will try and wrap it up here. Bottom line...satan would like to use circumstances or vain imaginations to drive us crazy. So manic that we think our only choice is to disappear into a world run by fear. Fear that leads to a lack of self-control, fear the drives us to hysteria, fear that leads to jealousy, and fear that just makes us do stupid things. And we all know that fear is the opposite of faith and without faith it is impossible to please God.

We have a right to the things that God says He gave us.

Me talking here.
Do we want to believe the lies of satan that says if we really were to sit back and look at our lives and our past we would loose our minds? I have been here. We can not keep running from the ghosts of our past. The things that crept in while we were not looking. And because many of us have not taken our past before the throne.......it looms just beyond the shadows ever waiting we think to turn our world upside down. Let's take the ammunition out of our enemies hands. For years I feared some things from my past being found out. Every time it became a topic of conversation I could feel fear begin to rise like yuck in my throat. Finally, I decided to be done with it. I sat down with the person I needed to sit down with and placed it all on the table. It was not like I thought it would be. Now I will admit that when I decided I would do this that I fasted and prayed and then basically I felt like I laid my head on the block.

God kept my head on my shoulders....why.......BECAUSE HE HAD GIVEN ME A SOUND MIND and when I went to Him......He set me free from that fear.

I wanted to look satan in the face and say...NOW TAKE THAT!

Next time fear rises to the surface......if it is based on something real or just your imagination you open your mouth and tell your fear and your enemy......

I have not been given a spirit of fear--but of POWER and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND!

And then stand on the ROCK!

10 comments:

MelanieJoy said...

Thanks for sharing this. I've been there several times this week. I have been standing in sheer fear of the pit being only a few more steps away. At one point satan had me convienced and ready to jump back in. I refuse to go back there.
You know what? When I was in college I put that scripture on a sticky note and posted it on my rearview mirror. That was four and a half years ago and as hot as it gets here that sticky note has never fallen of that mirror. It's still there right now. I think of that often...God is always going to be there.

Anonymous said...

Well, I'm full now! Thanks, that was delicious!

luvmy4sons said...

Yep! Amen! Oh yes! I hate it when I don't recognize that fear is what had driven me! AND I love it when God opens my eyes and stops the whole ugly process in its steps! "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!" Great post sweet sister! Thank you!

ThreeGirlyGirls said...

Oh my goodness, did I need to read this!! This week, has been crazy. I have written about all that has been happening because I'm still waiting for God to finish the story! But He has turned my world UPSIDE DOWN since Monday and I have trusted, trusted, trusted. But the "sound mind" part is what I loved with this. Crazy, scattered, fearful thoughts...they don't come from Him!!

Standing on the rock with you!

Denise said...

Woo Hoo, amen to this sweet sis.

concerned parent said...

Yes I am guilty of being fear driven at times and I too have this scripture written down in my home and I cherish each word often to keep my mind sound.
Thanks for sharing I like the long post it lays it out so beautifully.

SunnySusan said...

I had the opportunity to do one of Beth's studies...what a blessing indeed....glad you got so much out of this one.
I struggle with fear also..more like if I do this what else will be expected of me.....don't I know God will give me the grace and the words I need in any given situation?? Duh....oh my lack of faith sometimes....ya know...

Anonymous said...

Every night when I tuck my children in I will speak God's Word over them and one that I thank Him for nightly is for giving my children a sound mind, a spirit of love and power. God is so good!!

Denise said...

I could have sworn that I left a comment here....... Where is my mind going?

Oh my yes...... we need to move away from the fear and allow the Holy Spirit to do a work in our minds..... I have on too many occasions moved into the arena of fear and the longer that I played there the deeper my depression and obession became.... It was several years ago that the Lord just told me not to go there.. Not to retrace the steps of my past.... We so need Him to wash our minds daily to keep us from fear... the scripture that talks about perfect love casting out all fear has always been a favorite of mine even though I may not have yet understood exactly what it means..

Love ya Gal and this is an awesome post!

Tiffany said...

I so needed this right now! I feel like the Lord had a word for me here, and I have so needed to hear His sweet voice. Thank you~Bless you!