Question:

Why Do We Resist God's Spirit?

Answer:

To resist the Holy Spirit is a sin of the deepest guilt.  It's the basis of Ingratitude against Godl because it's resisting the very means which God in His Infinite Mercy freely offers for Recovering our Souls from sin and bringing us to Christ, our only Savior.

Too often we as Christians ignore the power of the Hoy Spirit given to us throuhg Jesus Christ.  Remember -- this is the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead!We do not lack a guide for the parts of life that leaves us lost.

Isaiah 11:2; describes the Spirit that rested on Jesus, like a "Dove", the Spirit that is also given to us, to live withing us and guide us. "The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD."

When we have such wisdom and understanding available to us, such power and might, why do we resist the Leading of the Holy Spirit? Most of the time it is because our flesh sings sinister lullabies in attempts to lull us from the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  The enemy [Satan] mutters lies that we are missing out on life and being foolish in our obedience to God, and we begin to allow our thoughts to return to the ways of man  and away from the ways of God [our Heavenly Father].  The quest for Instant Gratification is one with our flesh and become part of us daily, and it seeks to bring us along as its faithful companion.  The Good News is that we can choose instead to walk by the Holy Spirit, because though the flesh is deceptive and persistent, the Holy Spirit will forever be more powerful.  The flesh will one day find its end, but the Spirit is Eternal.

Each day we must look for the ways that we tend to resist the promptings of the Holy Spirit, because rarely are we in a place of perfect obedience.  Do take note that the following signs of resisting the Holy Spirit can be brought on by other things (biological, sleep disturbance, environmental, or loss) but these things can also be strong indicators that we should examine our lives and let our hearts be searched for any resistance to the holy Spirit.

1. Burnout: If we push the Boundaries that God has given us  the strength to live in, we will find an end to our own capabilities.  Things we loved wil hold no pleasure.  What was once done with ease will feel like a chore, and soon burnout will meet us at the doorstep.  We may have hopes and dreams, but we should never deem ourselves to know betterhow to achieve them than God.  We ask for His leading, and we listen  for and to His Voice or else our dreams and ministry can quickly turn into idols that will ask that we sacrifice the riches of what God has called us to i service of our own slaughter.  If we chase after acclaim, power, or love that God has not given the grace or favor for, we will only wear our own spirit down to the point that there will be nothing left.  When we ignore the Holy Spirit's direction, we will find a charred path behind us, and ultimately find ourselves exhausted in the ashes of what once was a life devoted to God.
2. Anxiety: When we move away  from the leading of the Holy Spirit, anxiety will increase, because if we are true followers of Jesus, our deepest desire is to be near Him.  When we begin to move outside of His Plans, even when we are not conscious of it, we will sense that we are distancing porselves from peace.  Look at the rise of fret in Peter when he denied Jesus in [Matthew 26:70-75]: We can see the nerves of Peter being ever tightened with each denial of Christ.  His "Fight or Flight" impulse is on High alert as he insists on resisting the truth.  We can see the panic beginning to control him until finally, he remembers the words of Jessu, he faces the truth, and the tension breaks into tears.  When we deny the Spirit of Jesus we deny Jesus Himself, and this naturally causes us to experience more fear, this naturally causes us to experience more fear, and that will mount into a foreboding dread.
3. Sense Of Dread: This is a sign that we we have moved past anxiety and now outright expect something bad is on the horizon.  The disheartening thing is that when this sense of dread is present in our lives because we refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit, the dread is Self-Imposed. We might be experiencing it because we know we are walking outside of God's Will for our lives, or this sense of dread could be a warnig from the Holy Spirit--the last plea for us to change direction before we experience the consequences that will befall our disobedience.  We cannot dare to treat the Holy Spirit like the Israelites treated Jeremiah and the prophets.  Jeremiah 25:4-7; "And though the LORD has sent all His servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid attention.  They said, 'Turn now, each one of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the LORd gave to you and your ancestors forever and ever.  Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do noy arose My ager with what your hands have made.  Then I will not harm you.  But you did not listen to Me;' "declares the LORD, " and you have arosed My anger with what your hands have made, and you ahve brought harm to yourselves."
4. Depression: Maybe it isn't a fear that plagues us, but a deep sadness that slowly chips away at your will to even move towards God.  This is the torment of depression.  You may be able to identify waht is wrong, but be convinced of the lie that you don't have the will to do anything about it.  The great news is that, even if you don't have the 'Will" to move, the Holy Spirit within you, even if you've been resisting Him, He He can give the Will to move.  If you give full reign over to the Holy Spirit, He will show you the way in which you should walk to once again find hope and life abundantly. 

What a great hope there is in the Presence of our Savior Jesus Christ.  The Psalmists rightly remind themselves of this when they preached to their own souls.  Look at this passage from Psalm 42:3-6; "My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long.  'Where is your God?' These things I remember as i pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.  Why, my soul, are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.  My soul is downcast within me, therefore, I will remember you...."

Here the psalmist even during his feast of tears, finds a way to remember God.  A slight shift of the mind, a directing of the thinking patterns is all that happens here, but it is enough to move him from despair to hope.  When we remember what God has said to us, and begin to hope that we can repent and return to His Will, we will begin to experience the supernatural energy that comes from obedience to the Spirit of God.

Remember, Romans 8:11; "If the Spirit of Him who raise Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to yoru bodies because of HIs Spirit who lives in you."  2 Corinthians 3:17-18; " Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

The Holy Spirit of the Lord is a gift to us.  Jesus Himself said, in John 16:7; "But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I amgoing away.  Unless I go away, the advocate [the Holy Spirit] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you."  It is a dire situation indeed to be resisting the Spirit.  Not only will most likely lead to destruction, but disobedience takes us captive and stunts our growth as people who bear the image of God.  we fight for Frededom when we choose to surrender ti the Holy Spirit and the Spirit leads us towards ever-increasing glory in Christ Jesus.      

Being Strong and Courageous in the Midst of Spiritual Battles:

Right When I Thought Things Wre falling Into Place:

We all know that many times in our life that things don't always go as we planned.  Not everything works out exactly the way as we hope.  There are many resons for this, and usually what seems like a aweful turn of events will make perfect sense in the future.  This has happened to me quite a few times, and I am sure it's happened to you as well.  Applying for jobs and then being passed over for someone less experienced and younger, passed up on opportunities with regret, and made more than a few (not so wise choices in life), aligning myself with someone in business that I later found out, was not as honest as I thought they were, and stopped to realize that I wouldn't be where I am now if things had worked out the way that they were actually supposed to work out, everyone was as honest and trustworthy as they claimed to be.   

We all make choices in out life and choose a path that we think and hope that God is leading us down, even if ir feels like we didn't make the right choice.  So, what do we do when we are confronted with a Crossroads in ilfe?  How do we figure out which way to go from here to the next level? 

First Off -- Just Stop Overthinking It:

Our thoughts can sometimies be the problem, especially if we are feeling a little 'Blind-Sided' by life.  Those thoghts are often wither reminding us of the past, or worrying about the future.  Look around you -- at your surroundings.  Focus on the sky, a flower, a tree, or a bird gliding in the air, for about 1 to 2 minutes.  This might help you to stop your overthinking in its tracks.

Break Down Your Issues Into Smaller Groups:

Commit to dealing with only present issues at the current time.  Everything else can wait.  it can seem to so unmanageable when everything appears to be crashing down on you all at once.  In reality, when you break down what actually needs to be dealt with at the present time, you will find that there is actually not that big of a problem after all. 

Chech-In With Your Inner Voice:

We have an Inner Voice, or Inner Wisdom that knows better than our minds.  If we can quiet down our thoughts, we can tap into this wisdom easier and often times, the answers will be waiting for us.  One day you will look back and realize that it was the most appropriate outcome at the time.  God has a Plan for us, but we don't always stop to see if we are actually trusting Him to get us there.

Try To Detatch Yourself From The Overthinking Phase:

One of the biggest problems when issues arise, is that we are attached to the outcome.  We really want something good to happen, or for something to turn out exactly as we hope, but holding on to the idea doesn't serve us at all.  Move forward with your choice, one way or another, and let go of what you had planned or envisioned. 

If You Have A Goal and It's Something That God Is Leading You To Pursue.  Then Be Relentless in Your Pursuit:

On of the moct Rock Solid things that I have learned over the past 65-years of my life, is that if you don't like the direction  that your life is going and it may be spinning out of control or leading you down the wrong road, then you have the power to change it.    You ahve a choice.  That choice is yours to make, no one else has that right or authority.  And remember this one thing:

DON'T LEAVE GOD OUT OF THE EQUATION---PTU HIM FIRST and THEN REALLY LISTEN TO WHAT GOD IS TELLING YOU!

In Solitude There Is Healling:

"In Solitude there is healing --- speak to your soul.  Listen to yoru heart.   The answer is often found in the absence of noise."  ---Dodinsky---

Solitude is such  a potenet healer, yet wiht all the confusion and chaos that we allow to crowd our lives, we rarely take the time that we really need to allow ourselves to find a little solitude, even if for just an hour or so.  Men will tend to gravitate towards solitude and process our losses as we do, sometimes not allowing too many people around us, except for the adventure of the wilderness.  Women seek solitude as they try to figure out why things are happening the way they are, they try  to process their losses and find a little peace, in allowing one or two friends in to help them through the healing process. 

It's amazing to me that even though so many of us seek solitude on a regular basis, it's not seen or recommended as a way of healing, by the so-called professionals.  Jesus found solitude daily, He would wake early and go off by Himself to seek God's healing of HIs soul, and God's direction. 

There is obviously something there is helpful in seeking solitude and yet in today's chaotic world, we rarely hear it suggested as a mode of healing.  In fact, when you see or hear of men moving towards solitude these days, the reation of those who are either close to them or think that know them is usually, that they are avoiding something and not wanting to deal with their feeling the way that we want them to.  But, when women move towards solitude, the reaction from those who are close to them is, well, she's just trying to figure things out, just give her some space.  Go Figure!  In other words; men are just to stupid or incapable or trying to figure things out by seeking some solitube, but women are far superior in dealing with their problems.  When the hard truth is, it doesn't matter whether you're a man or a woman, only God knows what we can and cannot handle when we seek solitude, and that's why He allows us to find solitude to heal.

I'm in my mid-60's now, and I often seek solitude, so that I can hear what God wants me to hear in my heart.  I take walks in the park, ride my bike, go for kies up in the mountains, or just go somewhere just to get away from the chaos and let my soul heal.  If I feel like I need someone else to help with the healing process, God usually places someone in my life to helpp me walk through it.

find yourself a quiet place, a quiet creek, or a small pond with no one else around for a mile or so, just sit and watch the creek's movements or watch the ducks on the pond and just listen to nature.  There's no time limit, sometimes all you need is 30-minutes or an hour, and sometimes it's a day or three. That's it; just sit or walk, but be aware of your surroundings and your thoughts as you sit or walk by the creek or around the pond, and just let them go by just as the water is going by in the creek.  If you have a secluded back yard and you don't have a creek close by, and if you ahve a dog, take your favorite lounge chair, one big enough for your dog to climb up in your lap.  Dogs know exactly what to do with solitude and they are more than happy to jusy lay there and enjoy it with you, and even help you to learn a bit about solitude.

Sometimes, grief tends to need a place for some quiet and calm in oder to surface and be processed.  By finding some solitude, we are moving are learning to move in a direction of healing.  Keep in mind that Jesus, like Moses and david, when they needed to solitude, they went off to the desert of tot the mountain side and spent long periods of time there by Himself.  I don't ever remember reading that Mary, Martha or any of the women who followed and supported Jesus' Ministry, every telling Him that He needed to join their support group and talk about things in order to help Him heal.  They just let Him be and honored hIs intuitive wisdom.  And trustme on this; I have tried several support groups and they weren't what I needed, I just neede some peaceful solitude!  When supporting other men these days, we need to a lesson from Jesus' disciples and honor them by giving them the space to use solitude if that's what they need. remember, it's their choice, not everyone else's.

Solitude--Where Your Healing Begins and Where Life Is WaitingFor You: 

Solitude provides an opportunity for us to rediscover our lives.  By electing to intentionally withdraw from human contact for a period of time, we are able to Re-center our hearts and minds on our Deepest Values.  We are able to evaluate the assumptions, the claims and messgaes of our culture.  And sometimes, we are able to realize that these shaping forces have been incorrect all along.  And we have lost our lives because of them. 

Consider That When You Embrace Solitude:

• You Intentionally remove the influences of others for a period of time:
• You Intentionally remove the expectations of others:
• You are able to hear your own heart speak:
• You are able to find and refreshment:
• You discover that others can live without us for a period of time.
• You find that the cares of the world do not rest on your shoulders at all:
• You can adequately reflect on your past and chart your future:
• You break the cycle of busyness in your life:
• You become better equipped to show patience with others:
• You feel your own soul:

While anyone can pracice solitude at any given time by just finding a quiet place to sit for a while, I have found these tips to be and still finding them to be particularly helpful in developing a discipline of Concentrated Solitude.  And there are times that you may need to seek solitude daily or even weekly just to Recharge and Refocus.

If things are normally chaotic in your life, try to apply these things to seeking solitude:

• Give yourself enough time, the longer time you give to yourself, the deeper you will be able to go:
• Fnid a calm place and make it your personal space if you can, and make sure to keep your space uncluttered, this can and make your solitude more fulfilling:
• Take as little as possible with you; maybe enough to last a few days:
• Don't quit just because you don't like what you find:
• Don't worry if you should fall asleep or not:
• Pray--certainly use this time to connect with God.  Because God often speaks with a small soft voice that is usually drowned out by the world's noise, we can't hear it until we intentionally listen for it:
• Give Solitude a chance; you have nothing to lose, and your life to gain back:    

How Do We Find True Balance In Our Life?

In Today's Fast Paced -- Chaotic Life Tempo, the question of "How to Find Balance" has never been more important.  This is a Topic that is usually talked about int he context of Achieving Wor--Life Balance, as this is a common challenge for the Modern Generation.  Overworking ourselves compromising the time that we set aside for ourselves, self-care, and spending time witht he people that we love, sometimes leads to "Burn-Out" and from that point on, it can quickly snowball into a "Total Crash and Burn" both Physically and Mentally.  The negative effects of stress further impact productivity, which stresses us out even more, and so on.  It's a Vicious Cycle!

External vs Internal Bakance:

First, let's Introduce some tools for thinking about balance more Analytically.  There are Two Types of Balance:  Internal Balance and External Balance; I mean everything that refers to us as Human Beings Alone:

• Our Mind (thought process, cognition).
• Our Health (mental and physial).
• Our Emotion (control, expression).

External Balance, on the other hand; refers to our interactions with the Outside World and the people around us:

• Work (professioinal goals, the level enjoyment at work, relationships with colleagues and coworkers).
• Freindships (nurturing our relationshipswitht he people that we like and satisfying our needs for socialization).
• Family (fulfilling our responsibilities towards our family members, as well as enjoying spending time with with them, plus setting healthy boundaries in our relationships and friendships).
• Fun and Hobbies (me time, participating in activities that are exciting to us and have nothing to do with pleasing anyone else, just taking time for ourselves).

Leading a Balanced Life means finding time to satisfy our needs in each of these areas: [hobbies, family life, work tasks, healthy habits, leisure time, recreation, etc.  The First Step here, is learnign how to balance our Inner World, which will later help us to balance our External Needs.

Here's Some Tips On How To Find Balance In Your Life:

Depending on you feel and where you are in your Life's Journey right now, think of these tips as a Framework for addrssing the aspects of your life that tend to overwhelm you the most.

Differetiate between the Process of the Goal:

• Achieving Balance isn't just a one time thing, but a Never Ending Life Process:
• Finding Balance is also a Life-Long Journey (note a project to be accomplished), a new way of thinking, socializing working and enjoying leisure time:
• It requires Re-Assessing your Values, Changing your Mindset, and Focusing on Personal Growth:

 Build A Personal Growth Mindset:

What Differentiates a Personal Growth Mindset from a Fixed Mindset is, the certainty that you can Improve as a Person, an Individual.  Building a Personal Growth Mindset, means valuing your personal and private life equally, learning from your mistakes, and learning how to glory the journey instead of obsessing over the end results.

Set Goals and Plans Ahead:

How can you Acieve Balance in yoru Life if you don't know where you are headed?  People thathave Clear Goals in life tend to be (More Resilient) to stressful events in their environment and less inclined to waste time focusing on negativity.  They aim towards achieving their true goals, preserving a positive way of thinking.

3-Important Lessons on Finding Balance in Life:

Over the many years  in my life, I have learned and re-learned a lot about Finding Balance in my Life.  It turns out that going into the military, fatherhood, a professional fitness career, and medical--sports medicine career, as well as self-employment, along with many great teachers and mentors.  With all of this over the past 63-years of my own life, all come with seemingly endless demands to maintain  some balance in my life, and times, it seemed to be almost impossible to keep with.  There never seemed to be enough time, energy. or resources to maintain that balance in my life.  I don't really think that True Balance can ever be achieved.  The older I get, the more I believe that we can make time for the things that matter.  We can Create the Balance that we need in our lives--but, the problem is that most of us are going about the wrong way.

Here Are Three-Lessons That Might Help You to Find Balance In Your Life:

Lesson--#1:

Accept That Balance Doesn't Always Look Like "Balance" As You Know It: When we were younger, we were lead to believe that finding balance meant, being able to devote ourselves to all things that were important to us, in somewhat Equat Measure each and every day.  And we had a list (usually a list of Chores) that had to be done every day, while going to school, playing sports, being involved iin whatever group  we were involved in--in school, doing homework, home life and hanging out with friends.  And we thought that if we could somehow fit all that together and get a ggod nights sleep, we could do it all again the next day; and that was what was meant by balance.  But, that was our first mistake!  No Two days Ever Turn Out Quite The Same In Any Given Week!

The Framework with which we have judged ourselves, really made no sense at all, it was too Short-Sighted.  I mean Really!  Wasn't our goal to just live a balanced life?  So, why were we so focused on what we counly accomplish in a mere 24-hour period?

Now thta I am olderand facing the reality of an Unwanted or Unexpected Early Retirement, I have really had to STOP, take a Step Back and look at the Big Picture.  Something that I have come to realize is that, in order to balance my life, sometimes the things that I think are so important just need to sit on the Back Burner for a while.It's okay to put some of them down for a while.  Prctically speaking, this means that as I moved into a new season of my life, there are things that just aren't all that important and it's okay for me to put some things off until later and maybe just sit and enjoy talking with a friend, take a walk, or just take a nap.

On a daily level, life might look chaotic and messy--but when you step-back and reflect on the 'Big Picture', you might find that the balance you are searching for is already there, right in front of you.  You just need to be a little knider to yourself and give yourself a break.

Lesson--#2:

Realize That Balance Is A State Of Mind: A lot of people think that balance is all about finding a way of "doing it all" and they approach life a (Giant Jigsaw Puzzle).  If you just keep moving the pieces around, you'll eventually find the right comination of "Productivity Hacks" and "Time Management Tips" and everything will just fall into place.  But the reality is; Life just Doesn't Work That Way!

We all have limited (time, money, and energy) and at the end of the day, there is only so much that we can do in a 24-hour period.  No Productivity Hack is going to save you if you're trying to do more than you are physically capable of doing.  That's really the cold hard truth of it all.  Balance Is What happens When You Accept Reality!  It's not about how much you do.  Instead, it's more about how you "Feel" about what you are doing.  You must make peace with your limits if you want to truly have any hope of finding Balance in your life.   In a sense, it's about making a decision.  You need to give yourself permission to make some tough choces.

Lesson--#3:

Realize That Balance Comes from Being True To Yourself: Deep down, on some level, you know what you need most right now; because really there is no one else besides God Himself, who knows what we truly need to balance our lives.  If you are able and willing to align your life with the priorities of putting God First and being true to yourself, then you can start to find true balance in your life.

The prblem is that your true priorities (the ones that come from deep within) are probably competing with a lot of noise.  I can almost gurantee you that right now, you're feeling guilty or stressed about something that you think that you should be doing, and not because it's important to you, but because someone else thinks that you should be doing something for them because they are too lazy to do it themselves.  And it has made you feel pressure to give all of your energy to their wants and needs.  When you give in to satisfying everyone else's needs and not taking time for yourself, you are juggling things that don't really belong to you.

If you're trying to find space in your life for what matters most to you, and trying to please everyone else, then you will never be able to find true balance in your own life.  If you're married and have children, you're a single parent, then finding that balance will be a little harder, but it is possible; and if you're single or single again due to losing your life-mate, you really and trulyhave to set and maintain those healthy boundaries for your life. 

In order ti find balance in your life, your need to learn how to just tune out the noise.  I genuinely believe that there will always be time for the things that matter most, but you need to be honest about whatis truly important and what isn't.  As the old saying goes; "You can do anything that you put your mind to, but you can't do everything."

Final Thoughts On Finding Balance In Life: To be clear about things, I think that Productivity Hacks and Good Time Management are important for living a balanced life -- but they are tools that can only help you if you start with yhe right mindset.

You First need To:

• Make sure that you're looking at the "Big Picture"!  Don't judge yourself by what you accomplish in a day.  Instead, Scale-Up; Look at how you spend your weeks or even months.
• Set Realistic Expectations!  We all have limits and the sooner you accept yours, the easier it will be to find balance in oyur life.
• Learn To Tune Out The Noise!  Stop trying to please everyone else.  Instead, focus on what you need most from your life right now.

All These Steps will help you to get clear clear about what a "Balanced Life" means to you and then, once you have a clear vision of what you're trying to achieve, you can do the work to make it happen.      

Making Your Life On This earth Count:

NOne of us knows how many years that we have on this earth, in this life.  And the older I get, the clearer it becomes to me that I can't afford to waste any time worrying about things that truly have (No Control Over)!

Psalm 146:2; "I will praise the Lord while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I still have my being."

The meaning of the verse, is the psalmist's desire to lift up the Lord's praise throughout his whole life--while he has breath.

'No Matter What I Face In Life--I will Praise God For Each New Day, For As Long I Draw Breath!

True Confession: After serving in the U.S. Air force as a Security Police Force Elite Officer/SSgt. and being a member of Special Operations for 14-years, i still agter being out of the military look at most things from a Cops Perspective.  And as I watch what is going on around me every day, with people dying in their 20's, 30's, 40's, and 50's.  It has caused me to think a great deal about how fortunate I have been to make it to my 60's, and even though I have no idea of the number of days or years that I ahve left, I think and believe that I should live each day with this in mind: "Life Is Short", too short to waste it on things that don't really matter.  

No matter what I face in this life, I will still praise God for each New day. No matter what's going on, I will still sing praises to God.  I have found over the years of my life that, Praise is more powerful than we could ever imagine.  God is worthy of that praise and He loves to hear it--to smell the fragrant offering. 

Because Life is Short, we can always find joy if we just start the day Psalm 63:4; "So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up ym hands in Your Name."  Psalm 104:33; tells us this; "I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being." 

I want my life to matter.  Romans 12:1 says to "Offer our bodies as a living sacrifice as worship."  My desire each day is to give my all to God.  How about you?

We don't know aout tomorrow, we aren't even sure that there will be a tomorrow.  So, I wat my life to be a fragrant offering today, because life is shortand my life belongs to God.  He bought me with the Precious Blood of His Son and my Lord Jesus Christ.   

The fact that life is short and our end is unpredictable is 'underscored' multiple times in the Bible.  (1 Peter 1:24-25); "All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord remains forever."

I want to encourage you to make your life count 'now--today' don't wait until tomorrow, and don't keep trying to relive the past.  And definitely don't say that you will work on making your life mean something some day down the road, because none of us knows what tomorrow will bring.  God has given each of us desires, passions, gifts, talents, burdens, convictions, and a Great Commision.  These are not for nothing!  They are not meant for yoru sixties or seventies, when you are "Freed Up" to serve the Lord and make disciples.  What would it look like for you to start making your life count Today?  LIVE FOR TODAY!

What if we shifted our mindsets form working hard to build our own little kingdoms so that we can enjoy them one day down the road, to instead, Displaying God's Kingdom by acting on our convictions and faith, and pouring our lives out for His Glory?  How would that change how your life currenty looks?  I know mine would look much differently. 

Now I'm not in any way saying that planning for retirement is all negative.  I definitely believe that there is some wisdom in it, but I also believe that even with all our planning, things can still go wrong, even if we planned things out to make sure that we could survive being retired, especially if you are forced into Early Retirement due to illness, injury or other health concerns.  I can say from personal experience, that Our Plans Are Not Always God's Plans--Life Happens!  And the enemy is always there to try and derail you any way that he can.  You still get to choose how you will make your life mean something and I have found that continuing to allow God to take care of my needs just like He always has, even if it means shifting  into a lower gear for a season, is still the best way to make my life count. 

Life is fragile.  Our Long-Term Plans can be cut short at any time.  Remember, our lives are like mists taht are here and then gone.  We can't be so focused on Future Plans that we miss what is right in front of us!

The truth is, I don't know what your life is supposed to be like or what its supposed to look like, however, that it is meaningful and was created with purpose.

What Has God called You To Do?

What Are You Passioinate About?

Do You Have Certain Convictions That Never Seem To Fade?

Go and Make Your Life Count Today -- Life Is Short!

Don't Wait Until The Timing Seems Perfect, That Tiime May Never Come!

Today Is Here -- Use It While You Still have Breath!             

How Do We Forgive And Forget?  Forgiving Is No Forgetting What Someone Has Done To Hurt You.  It's Remembering Without Anger!

LETTING GO OF PAST HURTS AND MENDING BROKEN HEARTS AND RELATIONSHIPS ISN'T EASY!

But It Is Possible Through Jesus, and It Does Take Time!

Don't Get Hung Up On The Why!

You can forgive someone without understanding why they hurt you, or even trying to figure out what motivated them to do or say what they did.  I have learned over the years that demanding an explination can sometimes be pointless, because they may not even know why or even have a clue as to why they behaved the way they did towards you to begin with.  But, it's still okay to confront the person or persons that hurt you and ask them why.  However, 'Do Not' engage them about the matter when you're still angry about it, all that will do, is cause them to get angry as well, ans then give you some 'Fake Apology' just to get things back on track or to get you to do things their way.  Think of it as a crucial platform for futher communication.  Once they know that you can accept their apology if it's truly genuine, so that you both can start to rebuild the relationship, if that is an option.  If not, then just walk away and leave it all in God's hands.

Try To Just Let Go Of The Blame: Forgiveness is by no means about the people that hurt you feeling better or letting the off the hook, it's about your heart being able to heal an move on.  Forgiveness is a Contract between you and the Holy Spirit to let go of the anger and bitterness that ahs been stealing your joy and peace of mind, and to just leave it in the past where it belongs. 

If you have been hurt or betrayed by someone that yoy truly trusted as a friend, a family member or business partner, or coworker, there will always be trigger points that remind you of that pain.  God the Father and Jesus both know that we have to work through it, and that forgiveness is a way for us to move forward without referring back to their mistake.

The hardest part of forgiving someone can be exposing yourself to future betrayal, especially if that person has never shown any sign of truly changing.  That kind of Vulnerability can really make you feel weak.  And that gives the enemy a doorway in--to make you feel the bitterness all over again.  But, it can also be the key to intimacy, that provides a feeling of safety in rebuilding relationships. 

I know from experience that closing yourself off from people after being hurt and betrayed by people that you trust, just to protect yourself from being hurt again, only keeps the people who truly want to build a relationship with you, at arms distance and no one will ever be able to get close to you.  So, I say to you, "Don't Do That", try not to put up barriers when you've hurt, like I did.  Because the longer you allow those barriers to stay in place, the harder it is to take them down.  Ask the Holy Spirit to surround you with those True-Loyal and Trusted people who will stand beside you and be there for you [No Matter What]!

Wheneveryou've been hurt by someone, it's not always easy to just let it go and move on, especially when you live with the person that has hurt you and refuses to admit their fault and refuses to change, because they are so arrogant self-centered.  But, holding on to grudges will only make you feel worse -- and not just emotionslly, physically, and mentally.  Resentment can cause your blood pressure to spike, and trigger the release of chemicals that can make physically and mentally sick.  I know this from personal experience in my own life as well, the truth is, it doesn't really do any goodanyway.  As the saying goes: "Not forgiving someone, is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."

The Paradox is, when you have been wronged, forgiveness is the only thing that can heal your heart from the bitterness, and is the only thing that truly provides relief from the pain.  Sounds like a 'Bitter Sweet' pill to swallow doesn't it? 

Read on to learn how forgiving yourself and others, can help you to release the heavy burden of resentment and to truly experience more freedom, I mean true freedom and joy.

Letting It Go: 11-Ways To Forgive -- Heal and Then Move On:

1. Understanding Forgiveness and What It Means: Before you attempt to force forgiveness on your most tender hurts, consider what it is you're asking yourself.  Forgiveing doesn't mean that you condone what happened to you or that the person who hurt you is blameless.  It's making the conscious choice to release yourself from the burdens, pain, and sress of holding on to resentment.
2. Feel Your Pain: Hurts and Betrayal can both run deep, even if at first glance they don't seem to mamke a big impact.  It's important to give yourself permission to acknowledge and honor the pain that's very real to you.  Notice where you feel it in your body and ask yourself.  "What do I really need right now?"  Maybe you need to feel supported by those you have allowed into your Inner-Circle, take more time or do something kind for yourself.  Allowing space for the pain in this way can help you know whether or not you are ready to release it from your heart. 
3. Name It -- Name The Hurt That You Have Been Dealt:  Whether you have dine something to cause hurt to yourself or have been hurt by someone else, allow yourself to be honest and simple name the feelings that are there.  They might include guilt, grief, shame, sorrow, confusion, or anger.  As you consider the act of forgiveness, any of these feelings can arise.  And the best advice I can give is this; call on your Inner-Circle and ask them to pray with you about the matter, and then do whatever the Holy Spirit guides you to do in handling it.  By naming the feelings that you are having, you can created a space and not get overwhelmed.
4. Let It Out -- Don't Keep It Bottled-Up Inside: This is something that I know all too well in my own life.  Keeping hurt feelings bottled-up inside you, only causes additional stress to your mind and body.  Even if the memory of what someone has done to you is too difficult to confront, see about sharing it with your trusted Inner-Circle about how you're feeling.
5. Flip Your Focus: If possible, see if you can flip your focus from being the victim to putting yourself inthe othr person's shoes.  For example, consider the life that person lived that led them to hurting you.  I can tell you that tis is ifficult to do, but remember, you're not condoning their actions by any means.  This is about trying to see that, as humans, we are deeply impacted by our own traumas and life experiences , which greatly informs us of how we show up and act in the world.  If you are able to do this, compassion naturally tends to flow from this more through understanding another perpective.
6. Take Action -- (Start Small): Whether you are forgiving yourself or another person, taking action can help to facilitate healing and make you feelmore empowered to get through the pain.  It's best to start with smaller misdeeds to get into practice and feel what's possible.  Writing in your jounal, writing a letter or having an uncompfortable conversation can be difficult and even scary, but often a sense of empowerment emerges from the self-compassioinate action of listening to yourself and doing something that supports you.
7. Remember, You're Not The First or The Last One To Be Hurt or Betrayed By Someone: When you've been hurt, it's common to feel like you're the only one who has ever been wrong in this way.  In fact, it's likely that this transgression (or something similar to it) has happened oto many others throughout history.  Making mistakes is part of our shared human experience.  Remember that you are not alone in experiencing this kind of plan and it can help you to loosen up your grip on your resentment and bitterness.
8. Have Patience; Foregiveness Is A Practice: Forgiveness isn't a quick-fix soluton -- it's a process, so be patient with yourself.  With smaller transgression, forgeveness can happen pretty quickly for some and for some, it takes a litttle time.   As you begin with the smaller misdeeds and then move onto the harder ones, be kind to yourself, take deep breaths, and then ask the Holy Spirit to help you continue on.
9. Stop Blaming: We all know it can feel good for a little while and then a gain complain to a friend -- misery loves company, right?  Well, not really!  Blaming is really just a way to discharge pain and discomfort.  It gives us a false sense of control, but inevitably it keeps the negativity kicking around in our minds, increasing our stress level, and eroding our relationships with others.
10. Practice More Mindfulness: Becoming more aware of where you are and what you're doingm without becoming overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's going on around you.  Mindfulness is a natural quality that we all have.  It's available to us every moment if we take the time to appreciate it.  When we practice mindfulness, we're practicng the art of creating space for ourselves---space to think, space to breathe, space between ourselves and our reactions. 
11. Find Meaning and Strength Through Your Pain: As you practice working with the pain that's there, you grow key strengths of self-compassion, courage, and empathy that inevitably makes you stronger in every way.  It's all about returning your attention again and again to the present moment.  It seems like ourare wired to get carried away in thought.  That's why mindfulness is the practice of returning, again and again, to the breath.  We use the sensation of the breath as an anchor to the present moment.  And every time we return to the breath, we reinforce our ability to do it again.  Call it a repedative movement of weight training for the brain.

AFRAID---NOT AFRAID:  How To Overcome The Fear Of The Enemy--Satan:

These days it seems that the Government and Media and a few arrogant very rich elitists who have deemed themselves as more important than everyone else in this country, are trying their best to impose all their "Worthless" Anti-Constitutional, Anti-Christian and Anti-Culture views on as many people as they can to bow down to their will.  Setting themselves as our Lords and Masters.  Creating Fear over a simple (man made flu virus) and then imposing all these 'FAKE & ILLEGAL' Ordinances and Mandates in an attempt to control how we live, and how we relate to others, how we socialize with neighbors, our families, our friends, or how we provide for our families, how we are educated, and whether we are allowed to attent church or not; through their Threats and Fear Tactics. 

If You Are Reading This Post, and You Are A True Christ Folower; Then "I CHALLENGE YOU TO START LIVING LIKE ONE" and "STOP" Acting Like A Little Mamby-Pamby Individual Who Really Doesn't Have Much Backbone At All!

If you're a Pastor, then "STOP" acting like a Scared Little Rabbit, Hiding in the Shadows and hoping that your church that you are supposed to be the "Strong Shepherd Of" will understand why you have decided to bow down to someone who has  "ABSOLUTELY NO AUTHORITY" over any Church and get back to doing what GOD has called you to do, or [STEP DOWN AND GET OUT OF THE WAY]!

Now---I know that we all experience many different fears in our lives, some of these fears may be 'External', we may fear people and illness, our government or other world governments trying to dominate our country.  Or maybe these fears are 'Internal' like being afraid of failure or loss.  While it's purely natural to experience fear, God doesn't want us to Live in Fear!  He wants us to live 'Courageous Lives, and Trust Him to take care of us No Matter What!  But, it's easier said than done, Right?  Pastor's need to remember, they are the Shepherds of their Church Family, if they are running and hiding in fear of what the Government is trying to do, by making threats and thinking that they can Force Churches and Christians to Comply with their Illegal Will, and whining every time True Christ Followers Stand Up and Challenge them when they are wrong.  Then how can we and how can they expect anynoe to to listen to what they have to say and continue to trust that Pastor or the Church Staff to lead them?  We all have fears, but we don't really want to be afraid.  Society usually looks down on the weak or the fearful, and exalts the brave and hateful, or strong wealthy, in order to inflict as much False Power over them with Idle Treats!

WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF RIGHT NOW?

WHY DO YOU THINK OR BELIEVE YOU ARE AFRAID?

DO YOU GENERALLY CONSIDER YOURSELF AS A FEARFUL PERSON?

Over and over again, God reminds us in His Word "to not be afraid" because there are scary things, even down-right painful or utterly terrifying at times, that things happen in this life.  But, it's essential to remember that God is in Control, and He is always with us.

Here Are Some Scriptures About Overcoming Fear:

1. Psalm 23:4; "Even though Iwalk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."
2. John 14:27; [Jesus Said]; "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
3. Romans 8:28; "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
4. Hebrews 13:5-6; "...For God has said, I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you.  So we have confidence, The Lord is my Helper, so I will have no fear.  What can mere people do to me."
5. Philippians 4:6-7; "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I don't know about you, but sometimes when the troubles and the chaos going around me and the ungodly garbage going on around the world, and the deception in our churches.  I find myself running to God and asking; What does all this mean and why is all this happening?  And then at the same time knowing that bad things will happen in this life, and if I trusted in God to take care of things then, then there's no reason that I can't trust Him now? 

That's when I remember that when my eyes are focused on God, I will never need to question His Goodness.  We know that God is for us and not against us, because of what Jesus did on the cross.  God has proven time and tme again, that He cares for us, and He is totally trustworthy, and He will not let anything happen to us."                 

5--Biblical Strategies For When Life Is Hard:

Let Me Be Brutaly Honest: When the (Stuff) hit the fan , trusting God naturally becomes really hard, I don't care how strong you think you are in your faith, everyone has a breaking point!

If you're like me, you start to run all kinds of, "What If?" senario's and calculations in your head.  What if I can't pay the bill's?  What if my kids don't follow the Lord?  What if these symptoms don't go away?  What if I have to deal with and live with this fractured relationship for the rest of my life?  You get the point right!  Instead of trusting God, Who has promised to be faithful to you, you trust in your own ability to navigate through the circumstances that you are facing.  Of course, thisnever ends well.  You usually end up feeling really anxious, burdened and like your own "Personal Apocalypes" is sure to happen.  So, how can we learn to trust in God, even when Life is really hard and confusing? 

Here Are Five Biblical Strategies: Each One of these strategies be in Your "Trusting God Arsenal" ready to be deployed at a moment's notice!

TRUSTING GOD STRATEGY--#1: Lean Not On Your Own Understanding: (Proverbs 3:5-6) says; "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own uderstanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths."  Whatever you're  overwhelmed, burdened, and battered by life's circumstances, you're tempted to trust in yourself rather than the Lord, then remember all the times that He was there to help you through the hard times.  The unfortunate reality is that, Sinful Self-Sufficiency is Hardwired into us:

• If oyu're anything like me, I an sure you are tempted to believe that if you can devise teh right Strategy and make the Smart Moves, we can get through life's hardships on our own.  Have you ever felt that way?  I'll bet that you have!  We all do at some time in our life.  Of course, this is pure nosense.  None of us reall that strong to navigate the Dangerous Shoals of Life on our own Strength and Wisdom.  That's why God's Word tells us that two or more together are stronger than one.  I know that I don't have the strength or the wisdom to successfully weave through the mindfields that I might encounter in my life.  But, I know like most men I will find the strength to struggle my way through life even if I can't get anyone to stand beside as a True and Loyal friend.  I know that God calls us to trust in Him with all our heart, and lean on our own understanding.  Whenever you are tempted to fear or doubt, and worry, God callsyou to "Jettison" your own understanding of the situation and to trust Him entirely.  The simple reality is that you will know all the glorious thinkgs God is doing in and through your life. 
• John Piper put it so very well when he said; "God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may only be aware of three of them....Not only may you see a tiny fraction of what God is doing in your life; but the part you do see may not even make any sense to you."  Things might not make sense to you right now, but God knows exactly what He's doing!  trusting God, starts with not leaning on your own understanding and trusting God with All Your Heart!

TRUSTING GOD STRATEGY--#2: Run to the Throne of Grace: (Hebrews 4:16); " Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in times of need."  What a sweet promisethis is.  I love how honest the Bible is, ebcause it shows God's True Heart.  It acknowledges that there will be times of need in our lives.  There will be times when we will be brought low in our lives.

Are you Brokenhearted---In Tears---Feeling Absolutely Bewildered by everything going on around you?  Scripture never makes it seem like life is all Roses and Peanu Butter Cups.  The Bible (God's Written Word) fully acknowledges that there are times when life just plain stinks.  And it also tells us exactly what to do in those times.  When life is hard and circumstances are bewildering  and trusting God seems impossible, I am going to run straight to the Throne Of Grace.  There we will find Jesu, ready to give us exactly what we need.  He too endured hardship and heartbreak, and suffering, and because of this, He can give us grace whenever we experience the same thing in our life.  When we are struggling with Trusting God in the Hard Time, He invites us to run to Him for His Sustaining Grace.

TRUSTING GOD STRATEGY--#3: (Lamentations 3:21-23) says; "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love the Lord, never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning great is Your Faithfulness."

How Do We Grow In Trusting God?  By actively calling to mind, God's Faithful and Steadfast Character.  This passage in particular encourages us to call three specific things to mind on a regular basis.

• The Steadfast Love of the Lord never ceases:
• The Mercies of the Lord never come to an end and are new every morning:
• Great Is God's faithfulness: 

The glorious Alchemy of God's Steadfastness, Faithfulness and Constant Mercy compel us to Trust God.  How could we not trust God whose love for us is never Fluctuating and Always Steadfast.  How could we doubt a god who has fresh mercies for us every morning?  How could we question a God who is Unfailingly, Unflaggingly, and Relentlessly Faithful?  But here's the thing; If we are to succeed in trusting God, we must axtively and consistently call these Truths about God to mind.  We must engage our minds with these truths.  When we call to mind God's Character, we're able to Trust God even when thinkgs don't make sense.  As Charles Spurgeon said: "Let us lean on God with all our weight.  Let us throw ourselves on His Faithfulness as well as we do on our beds, bringing all our weariness to His dear rest."

TRUSTING GOD STRATEGY--#4: (Hebrews 13:8) says; "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."  This verse is a glorious reminder that God is absolutely Unchangeable.  From everything to everlasting, He Is God.  He never changes, and never fluctuates.  Now, what does that have to do with trusting God you ask?  Simply this; if God never changes and He has been faithful to men in the past, then we can be absolutely sure that He will be faithful to us in the future. 

He has sustained us through heartbreak, crippling anxiety, insufferable depression, overwhelming doubts, broken relationships, and thousands of other trilal and hardships in  our lives.  From the very moment we were born into this world, God has been faithful to us.  Because God never changes, His past faithfulness is a guarantee of fuure faithfulness.  We can be sure taht God will continue to sustain us, and continue to sheperd us to green pastures.

When we fear that our faith will fail, we can hold onto the fact that Christ will uphold us; when it seems that the enemy (Satan) is winning.  God's Steadfast Love and Strength upholds us.  I know that God has always held close and has neevr let me go too far, and for this reason, trusting God in the middle of all these trilas and chaos in my life, is truly possible. 

TRUSTING GOD STRATEGY--#5: (Philiooians 4:5-6) says; "the Lord is at hand; do not anxious about anyhting, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made  known to God."  Ultimately, trusting God is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Even if you know all the truths above, the Holy Spirit must empower us to take hold of them by faith.  To believe them them even when circu,stance would say otherwise.  To not lean on our own understanding, we need the Holy Spirit tp move these glorious truths from our head to our heart.  If tht doesn't happen, trusting God will be next to impossible for us.  And so we must consistently pray that God would enable us to trust Him even when life doesn't make sense.  Then He would help us to wait patiently for Him.  The simple, yet profound truth is that we can't do anything (including trusting God) apart from God.  As Jesus said in (John 15:5); "I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."  We are called to actively put our trust in God.  We must work at trusting God, at the same time, God must empower us to obey.  And so we pray and then obey.  Trusting God even when we don't understand.  God's plans are frequently beyond our ability to fathom and undererstand.  We must learn to trust God even when we don't understand why God is doing something in our life.  God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken.  And when we cannot trace His hand, we can trust His Heart.    

Walk Away--From people who put you down:

Walk Away--From fights that will never be resolved:

Walk Away--From trying to please people who will never see your worth:

The more you walk away from things that poisons your soul, you spirit, and your character, the healthier yiu will be!

1. Anger Has Three Faces---It expresses itself primarily in three different ways: (1): Explosive and Blowing Up;  (2): Stewing abd Rewinig or Silent Indignation; (3): Irritability, exaspiration and embitterment:  I can relate to all three of these, because some very Disrespectful, Greedy and Selfish Housemates and Coworkers, as well as some so-called friends, and even some family members. But, I don't always say anything about how disrespectful and selfish each of these people were, because it wouldn't even phase them at all.  So, most of the time I jsut keep my mouth shut.  And that's not good either, because silent anger is just offensive  to God, the Holy Spirit and it steals our joy and peace, and explosive anger can get you into more trouble if you totally lose your composure and hurt someone.  How are you prone to express your anger?  Uncontrolled Anger Hurts Relationships---You choose who is on the receiving end of your anger, because anger is a perceived threat to something that you hold valuable. 
2. The Problem Is---That you can wake up in a really positive mood, go a whole day being nice and kind and all it takes sometimes is one or two things to set you off.  And you may tend to take it out on those that you are called to love the love the most, or you Rant and Rave about something to yourself with no one else around, until you exhaust your energy, and for what?  Who Has Been On The Receiving End Of Your Anger Lately?  And how has that affected your relationship with that person?
3. Anger Is In The Bible---God's Word has a lot to say about anger.  From the beginning in the Garden all the way to the presnt; man's anger is expressed by rejecting God's Ways and pursuing his own way.  Anger in itself is not a sin, but how we react can be.  Jesus got angry, but never sinned, God shows His anger when HIs people refused to Follow His Ways, Jesus tells us that we should be "Slow to Anger", but we know that is not always what happens.  Here's a few scriptures to ponder about anger: (Romans 3:10-18; James 1:19-20; Psalm 7:11; John 3:36; Romans 1:18; Exodus 34:6; and Psalm 103:8).  Does your anger accomplish God's purpose or does it totally destroy your character?
4. Uncontrolled Rage of Anger Put Jesus On The---The anger of man and God's wrath for all our sins were dumped onto Jesus when He went to the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. (Acts 2:22-24).  Jesus satisfied God's Wrath  and allowed men to express their anger towards Him at the same time --- they rejected God, rejected Jesus, and we all have shaken our fists at God in our anger throughout history.  Truthfull, how often do you reject God in your anger by not doing what He calls you to do?
5. Our Anger Is Covered By Christ's Blood--The Blood of Christ is sufficient to cover your sinful anger.  No matter what wrath has protruded out of your mouth or what you've done emotionally or physically in a non-violent way to act out your anger, if you just stop confess it to Our Heavenly Father, you can be forgiven and walk in the Newness of Life through Jesus.  But that doesn't mean that you can get angry whenever you feel like it, just your feelings were hurt.  Anger in itself is not a sin, it's an emotion, (a God-Given Emotion) but how we react in our anger can lead to sin.  But the Death and Resurrection of Christ Jesus is payment enough to cover our emotions.  If you have died to your old life and have been raised in the Newness of Christ, you can become a different person, but it doesn't take a lifetime to live out your faith. (Romans 6:5-11).  Do you believe and live as if your anger is covered by the blood and  grace of Jesus Christ or do you act like His Blood and Mercy aren't enough and carry around the guilt?  Why or Why Not?
6. Uncontrolled Anger Can Be A Life Dominating Sin---just like any other addiction, we become enslaved to anger, and it becomes the first response when things don't go the way we expect them to.  It temporarilty satisfies our sinful desire and flesh, yet we feel guilty and ashamed whem we give into it and give full vent to it.  It can grow into a vicious Cycle of Self-Destruction.  And possibly destroy relationships and friendships.  Are you stuck in a vicious cycle of emotional anger responses?  If so, you can be set free from it all, just ask the Holy Spirit to help you in this area of your life. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
7. Even Though Anger Is An Emotion---Itis an Expression of False Worship--just like all other addictions, Anger [I mean uncontrolled --ungodly anger] has false worship at its core.  Whenever you express your anger with rage and wrath; ask yourself--"why am I getting so angry over this and is my getting angry going to solve anything, Reall?"  Trust me on this, this is an issue that I am dealing with and struggling with in my own life.  Your answer will reveal how you truly feel about the situation and maybe even the person that you are angry with, depending on how you react.  When we react in a negative way, then something else has captured our heart more than God, and we're seeking a false refuge; and that's idolatry!  What has captured your heart more than God? 
8. Anger Is Often Just An Emotional Fruit---It usually has fear at the root of it and more specifically, it is the fear of man.  While anger may be all we can see at times, at the heart of it is a fearful, insecure, unsafe  and untrusting heart looking for something from people that only God can give or satisfy.  Learn to trust and love God more with reverent awe and fear because then you will learn to need people less.  Of course, some people will take offense tot he fact that you won't need them for everything like they want you to or expect you to.  Remember that perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18).  And that we are perfectly and deeply love by our Heavenly Father, God.  What are you really afraid of deep down inside thw innermost being of you aheart?
9. Anger Can Be Righteous--Godly Anger---(Ephesians 4:26) says; "Be angry and do not sin."  We express Righteous Anger by becoming angry about angers God.  Jesus died not only to free us from sinful anger, but to enable us tio be angry with God and not at God.  Is your anger expressed righteously or selfishly?  How can you tell?  If you have an Accountability Partner or Inner-Circle, that you completely trust---with no boundaries, ask them if others would say how they see your reactions to anger.  Is your Character a Godly --Christ like Characte, or like anyone else in the world?
10. Anger Must Be Surrendered To Jesus---The only way is to surrender your anger to God.  Do not try to control or manage it on your own.  Let the Holy Spirit move you to action or bring you to brokenness.  God is the God, not you or me. (James 4:11-12).  Are you ready to step down from the throne of your mini judgment seat and allow GOD to be GOD?  Remember, "Vengence Is Mine, says the LOrd." (Romans 12:18-21).  Are you ready to humble tourself in your  broken state and surrender your emotonoal anger to God?  Know that He will give you grace in your time of need.  So, if you are ready, repent, ask God and those you have offended to forgive you, and walk in victory over this emotional anger that has helded you captive for so long.                       

Letting Go of Grudges and Bitterness---Isn't as Hard or as Simple as you might think!

When someone you care about, or someone that you have gone out of your way not to offend, will go out of their way to hurt you and betray your trust; you can either hold on to anger, resentment and thoughts of revenge--or embrace forgiveness and move forward. 

Who hasn't been hurt by the actioins or words of another person?  maybe a family member is constantly critizingn you, or maybe a roommate that is going out of their way to irritate you at every opportunity, or maybe your life partner had an affair and betrayed your trust.  Or maybe you've had a traumatic experience, such as being physically abused by someone, either close to you or someone you thought you could trust.  These wounds can leave you with lasting feelings of anger and bitterness--even vengeance.  But if you don't practice forgiveness, you might be the one who pays most dearly. I know this all too well; and it can cause you to experience health problems as well.  By embracing forgiveness, you can also embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy.  Consider how forgiveness can lead you down the path of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. 

Forgiveness means different things to different people.  Generally, however, it involves making a decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge.The act of words that hurt or offend you might always be with you, but forgiveness can lessen the grip on you and help free you from the person that hurt you.  Forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting or excusing the harm done to you or making up with the person who caused the hurt.  Forgiveness brings a kind of peace that helps you to go on wiht your life and let the person or persons who hurt you, be left to wonder why they no longer have any control over your happiness.

Here are some of the Benefits of forgiving someone who has hurt you:

• Healthier Relationships:
• Improve Emotional and Mental Health:
• Less Anxiety, Stress and Hostility:
• Lower Blood Pressure:
• Fewer ymptoms of Depression:
• A Stronger Immune System:
• Improved Heart Health:
• Improved Self-Esteem:

In Conclusion; Letting go Grudges and Bitterness can make way for you to start living the Life that God intended for you to live through Christ Jesus!           

WHY IS IT SO EASY TO HOLD A GRUDGE?

Being hurt by someone, particularly someone you love and trust, can cause anger, sadness, mistrust, and confusion.  If you dwell on hurtful events or situations, grudges filled with resentment, vengence and hostility can set in and take root.  If you allow negative feelings to crowd out positive feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice.  Some people are naturally more forgiving than others.  But, even if you're a grudge holder, almost anyone can learn to be more forgiving.

What Are The Effects of Holding Onto a Grudge?

If You Are Unforgiving You Might:

• Bring Anger and Bitterness into every Relationship and New Experience:
• Become so wrapped up in the wrong done to you, that you can't enjoy the present:
• Become Depressed or Angry quite a bit:
• Feel that your Life Lacks Meaning or Purpose, or that you're at odds with your Spiritual Beliefs:
• Lose Valuable and Enriching Connectedness with Others:

How Do You Reach a State of Forgiveness?

Forgivenessis a Commitment to a Personalized Process of Change in One's Character, Heart and Spirit:

To move from Suffering to Forgiveness, You Might:

• Recognize the Value of Forgiveness and how it can improve your life:
• Identify what needs Healing and Who needs to be Forgiven and for what:
• Consider Joining a Support Group or Seeing a Counselor:
• Acknowledge your Emotions about the harm done to you, and how they affect your behavior, and work to release them to God:
• Choose to Forgive the Person who's Offended You:
• Move away from your role as a Victim adn Release the Control and Power the Offending Person and Situation have had in oyur life:

As you let go of grudges, you'll no longer Define your Life by how you've beem hurt.  You might find Compassion and Understanding.

What Happens If You Can't or Find It Hard to Forgive Someone Who Keeps Doing the Same Thing Over and Over?

Forgiveness can be Challenging, especially if the person or person's who has hurt you doesn't admot what they have done was wrong and won't do anything to correct their attitude or behavior.  If you find yourself stuck, and find it hard to forgive some like that, remember this one thing: (forgiveness is not about letting the other person off the hook, or making them feel better, or even forgetting).  It's about letting go of the grip that bitterness might have on you.  When you forgive someone, you certainly release them from your judgment.  Forgiveness in no way requires you to trust the one that have forgiven especially if that person has betrayed your trust.  And it doesn't excuse what they did to hurt you.  You are not doing it for them, or to make them feel good, you're doing this for you! 

Here's Some Other Things To Remember:

• Practice Empathy---Try seeing things froom their eyes if you can, why did they hurt you in the way they did?
• Ask yourself why he or she would behave in such a way:
• Reflect on times that you may have hurt others and on those who have forgiven you:
• Write in a journal, pray or use guided prayer--scripture meditation, or talk with a person you have found to be wise and compassonate, such as a Spiritoal Leader, a Mental Health Provider, or an impartial friend loved one:
• Be Aware that Forgiveness is a Process, and even small hurts may need to be revisited and forgiven over and over, but if that person is doing things repeadedly, maybe it's time to just sepparate yourself permanetly from them:

Does Forgiveness Guarantee Reconciliation?

If the hurtful event involves someone whose relationship you truly value, forgiveness can lead to reconciliation.  This isn't always the case however.  Reconciliation might just be  impossibile if the offender has died or is unwilling to communicate with you and admot their wrong attitude.  If they won't change their attitude or behavior toward you then, Reconciliation may impossible or may not even be appropriate, still, forgiveness is possible--even if reconciliation is not.

What If The Person You're Forgiving Doesn't Change?

Getting another person to change his or her actions and behavior, or words, isn't the point of forgiveness, nor anything that you are in control of.  Think of forgiveness more about how it can change your life--by bringing you peace, happiness and emotional and spiritual healing.  Forgiveness can take away the power that the other person continues to weild at your life.

Here's The Hardest Question of Them All: What If I Am The One That Needs Forgiveness?

The First Thing to this question is---to honestly Assess and Acknowledge the worng that you have daoen to smeone else and how they have affected others.  Avoid judging yourself too harshly.  If you are truly sorry for something that you have said or doene to hurt someone else, consider admitting it to those you may have hurt.  Offer your sincere sorrow or regret, and ask for forgiveness--without making excuses.  Remember however, you can't force someone to forgive you and more than they  can force you to forgive them or force them to change.  Everyone needs to move toward forgiveness in their own way and time.  Whatever happens, commit to trreating others with compassion, empathy and respect.