I love this time of year (more when it doesn't rain quite so much). The trees are just so magnificent as they are coming into bloom. It never ceases to amaze me that God has not only created such beauty, but that He blesses us with the ability to appreciate it. He could have created such beauty but made us dull to it.
Several years ago at a staff retreat, Pastor Tim Shorey shared the thought that God did not create us because He needed us, or that He was somehow lacking. Rather, God so delighted in Himself, His glory, His perfection, His happiness that He has lived eternally in perfect bliss. He created us to share that bliss with Him. Now I know what you're thinking. Bliss? I don't get it. Bliss? I don't see it. Bliss? You have got to be kidding because my life is anything but bliss. I hear you. Let me encourage you. Pastor Shorey also made this statement which encapsulates my philosophy of ministry: "Perhaps the single greatest means of gaining victory over sin, of breaking the grip of addictions, of escaping the pit of depression, of shattering the chains of lust, envy and anger, is a practiced, sustained, holy and expanding contemplation of the being of God."
Healing, your healing and mine, is rooted deeply and firmly in the very person of Jesus Christ. Victory over addiction, or any other sin, will come only when we love Jesus more than we love ourselves, more than peace and calm, more than being in control, more than power, more than status, more than acceptance, more than drugs, drink, porn, or gambling.
How do we love Jesus more? Get to know Him personally. Does that mean beginning a new, personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Yes, if you have not already done so!! For those of you who are already not just believers but followers of Jesus, getting to know Jesus goes way beyond the salvation experience. It goes beyond asking for things. It goes beyond praising God for all the things He has done, for His works. It goes beyond memorizing Scripture. All of these disciplines are excellent. Learning to love Jesus more requires that we contemplate, meditate, and set our minds upon the very person of God, upon His character. It is a fruitful, mind stretching experience.
Diane
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