Cracks in the Public World

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You are a private individual.  That’s how God made you.  We are all private individuals.

But social structures can’t be “private”, since they are designed to represent and serve many different private individuals.  So society is “public”.

You then live your private life and you likely interact with the public society around you as well.

Private Business

If you loan me $10, that is a private arrangement.  The deal is between you and me, privately.

Your family is private.  Your marriage is private.  And your group of friends is private too.  You can enjoy a whole bunch of group activities, with many other private individuals, without being in the “public world”.

All of those interactions are your private business.  You don’t have to report on it or give account for it.  Your family, friends and private arrangements are your own business.

The Public World

When people group together to create a social entity, such as a government, legal system or business enterprise, that entity is “public”, as part of the “public world”.

So our public world includes our governments, courts, police, corporations, social structures and all things that have to be regulated or reported in the public world.

A driver’s licence and car registration are part of the “public” world.  So too is citizenship, a birth certificate, property title, company incorporation document, death certificate, tax return and public notice.

If it needs to be registered or recorded somewhere in the public system it is part of the public world.

Invasion by the Public

Once bureaucratic systems are set up they tend to self perpetuate and to spread their influence beyond the original boundaries.  This tendency to control and regulate things means the public world tends to invade the private world.

By invading the private world the public world can impose controls over private processes and private individuals that it should not have.

For example, marriage was given to mankind back at the beginning of human history.  It is not something created by societies, but something private individuals have entered into for millennia.

Today, however, we are all expected to register our marriage.  In some countries you even need to have a permit to marry.  The “public” world of government regulation has invaded the private world of marriage relationships and imposed controls over that private process.

At the end of the 1800’s most births, deaths and marriages were recorded by local churches.  Anyone who has searched their family history in England or America knows that they have to go back to church records to get the information they seek.  Yet in the early 1900’s governments took over collection and collation of that information.  Births, deaths and marriages were brought into the “public” world and now the public world exercises increasing control over private individuals.

Remaining Private

Without going more deeply into the distinction, suffice it to say that a growing number of people recognise the dangers of being controlled by the public world and are intent on remaining as private individuals.  They want to enjoy their private existence without interference and control by institutions.

Remaining “private” is becoming increasingly more difficult as the centralised public systems seem more intent on extending control over our private lives.

To help those who want to tackle the public world and challenge its legitimacy I point out that that the modern public world does not recognise or respect your privacy.  So demanding your privacy may not be the best way to remain private.

A better way may be to challenge the gaping cracks that beset the public world.

Creating a Public World

A public world needs several elements to operate successfully.  It must have sufficient authority to be established and maintained, such as a conquering king imposing his authority over the people.

The public world must also have order and process.  There will be delegated authorities who have to perform certain tasks and report to their superiors.  There will be rules and processes that maintain the order of the public world.  Courts need consistent laws.  Records need consistent form.  Delegated authorities need verification of the scope and limits of their jurisdiction.

The Commonwealth of Australia, for example, takes its authority from the will of the people, who voted to adopt a specific set of governing rules, called the Australian Constitution.  The people declared, through their constitution what they would rely on, who they operate under and what processes will manage the public world of the Commonwealth.

Australians chose to acknowledge their reliance on Almighty God for blessing and their reliance on the Crown of the United Kingdom for a legal and political heritage.

However, even with the care taken to create the Australian Constitution, many of the public processes taking place in Australia today are out of order.  There are gaping cracks in the public world.

Authority Needed

The ultimate authority for any society is Almighty God, who created all, who sustains life and who will judge the living and the dead at the end of the world.  All other authorities are subordinate to the authority of Almighty God.

Humans, however, have a lust for power.  Those with delegated authority or with the power to grab control that they are not authorised to have, often compromise the authority under which they act.  Many of the cracks in the public world result from failure to establish correct authority to hold office or to impose restrictions on the private world.

Clarifying the authority relied upon by a public official or for a public process often exposes the cracks in the public world.

Due Process

Authority must work through authorised processes and those processes must be correctly followed according to policy.  However, the weaknesses in human nature mean that people often abuse due process or seek to shortcut the system in some way.  Such actions create cracks in the public world.

Often various related parties conspire to circumvent due process, so they can get more power, more money, or some other gain.  Lawyers and courts may agree to abandon lawful constraints, in order to expedite the outcome they both seek.

Whenever due process is abused, and it often is, the public world develops serious cracks.

Hold the Public World to Account

If your rights and freedoms are being invaded or abused by the public world call the public world to account for its actions.

Don’t allow any public official or public process to operate outside authority.  Don’t allow any public office or public process to abuse due process.

In a democratic society, the public world is accountable to the people.  So it is up to the people to keep an eye on their public servants and keep them in line with the limits of their authority and the lawful processes they are to follow.

Find the Cracks

Your best defence against abusive public officials or intrusive public process is to challenge the cracks in the public world.  You will probably find that the public world is on pretty shaky ground.  It is easy for the public world to get out of step with its authority and the due process of its system.

All such failure of the public system invalidates its actions and the officials who are out of authority or abusive of due process.

This is not a cheap way of cheating the system.  It is an absolute must that you keep the public world to its own limits.  Otherwise it is the system that is cheating.  And the system will be abusing you.

Heaven in Your Sights

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The ultimate impact of Christianity cannot be experienced on earth.  There are heavenly realities that are beyond our comprehension.

Yet most Western Christians have learned to be very earthly in their view of things.  They think about things of this natural life, instead of having Heaven in their sights.

I am prompting you here to take stock of the Heavenly realities and to get your perspective back on track.

Impact on Eternity

Your human existence is incredibly short.  We have about 70 years to live on planet earth.  And even if you lived double that, to 140 years that is not even a blink in terms of eternity.

Your eternal existence is SO amazing and SO extensive, that your experiences on earth don’t rate a mention.  Even a whole life of fine meals, comfortable furnishings, fast cars, impressive views, memorable holidays, wonderful friends, fun moments, and the like, will be long forgotten within moments of seeing the glories of heaven, or facing the horrors of hell.

Eternity is hard for us to grasp, but its reality and its impact should not be ignored.

Eternal Riches

The absolute blessedness of being God’s child, in the Heavenly family, surrounded and immersed in blessings that make human treats seem worthless, is SO profound and SO glorious that no amount of wealth, fame, fun, excitement, power, glory, significance or indulgence on earth has any value compared to those eternal riches.

Yet so many Christians are totally distracted by their urge to gain more of that which is of no value.  We get caught up in the same quest for money, success, promotion, importance, love, satisfaction, possessions, fulfilment and such, as those whose eternal destiny is shockingly tragic and horrible.

It is time to refocus our attention on the eternal riches.

Biblical Instruction

In view of the endemic addiction to the world that seems to hold the western church spellbound some Bible instructions stand in glaring contrast to that worldly culture.

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world the love of the Father is not in him.” 1John 2:15

“If you have risen with Christ seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Col 3:1,2

“For they that live by fleshly natural values think about things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:5,6

The Instruction if Jesus

Add to those previous verses given to us by the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John the clear statement of Jesus about not laying up treasures on earth.

“Do not store for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust corrupts things and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupts and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

Heavenly Treasure

Do you have anything stored up in heaven yet?  How much is in your heavenly account?

How would you know how much you had?  What are you looking forward to in eternity?

Or are you distracted by your store of earthly wealth?  Are you much more aware of you earthly bank account than your heavenly treasure?

How do you add to your heavenly riches?

Persecution Dividend

Jesus taught that you get a heavenly reward when you are persecuted for your faith here on earth.  It’s not a pleasant thought in terms of our human experience, but it pays really good dividends.  Persecution is a pretty good eternal investment.

“Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Matthew 5:11,12

All those times you avoided being in a spot where you might be teased or mocked for your faith you missed out on adding to your heavenly reward.  Your concern about things “below” cost you greater blessings “above”.

Losing What You Try to Save

Another danger with being preoccupied with this life is that we might be tempted to try to “save” it, and end up losing much more.

Jesus warned that if we try to save this life, protecting yourself, your reputation, or whatever, you will lose your life.

“For whoever saves his life will lose it: and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:25

If you are anxious to save your skin, protect your reputation, preserve your opportunities for comfort and pleasure, or similarly “save” your life, Jesus warns that you will lose it.  But if you abandon those things for Christ’s sake you will find real purpose and pleasure in your life, and great blessing in Heaven.

Angels Food

A great analogy for our life is given in the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites after coming out of Egypt.  They were supernaturally sustained in the wilderness by food that was on the ground fresh every morning.  This manna kept them alive for forty years.

But the people loathed what they referred to as “light bread”.  It just didn’t satisfy their hankering for the kind of food their appetites wanted.

“And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or any water; and our soul loathes this light bread. ” Numbers 21:5

Yet the food the people loathed was very special.  It was “angels’ food”, the “corn of heaven”.  That means it nourished the spirit of man, but did not pander to the human appetites.  And remember, that food kept the people alive for 40 years.

“And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.  Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.” Psalm 78:24,25

Flesh Rejecting Spiritual Things

The “angels’ food” situation reveals something that is patently obvious from many points of view.  Natural man despises spiritual things.  Man rejects spiritual things and wants to pursue that which indulges and satisfies their fleshly nature.

Spiritual things are awesome and wonderful, such as we see in the wilderness where the manna sustained human life for 40 years.  But spiritual things don’t pander to our lusts and pride.

Note that the key qualities of this world, which our natural man hankers after, are matters of pride and lust.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever.” 1John 2:15-17

Spiritual things do not cater for our pride, but will call us to be humble.  Spiritual things will not feed our lusts, but will call on us to die to our flesh.

Tricking it Up

The modern western church caters for fleshly interests.  Rather than promoting what is strictly spiritual, churches try to “trick up” their services, music, presentation and message, so they can attract people.

But to attract people means we are pandering to their flesh.  Remember that spiritual things are not inherently attractive to natural man.  Angels’ food is loathed by people, unless God is calling them and doing a work in their hearts.

So we now have thousands of churches with all the tricky bits to pander to human pride and human lust.  Good looking people up front and state of the art design and deco, with upbeat populist messages, promises of more fun and more fulfilment, ego stroking affirmations and similar accoutrements are packaged together to create an appealing context to attract the public.

The gospel is morphed from “you need to be saved from your sin” to “God loves you and wants you to have a good time”.  Joining the club is more the model than laying down your life.

So it is not surprising that the fleshly “What’s in it for me?” theme should underlie much of what we call modern western Christianity.

Look to Heaven

Turn your eyes heavenward.  Stop being distracted or even addicted to this world and its glitzy seductions.  There is no dividend from investing in your flesh.  There are FAR more wonderful things to experience than those things that appease your pride and lust.

If you pander to your flesh you die.  If you, through the Spirit of God, do put to death the impulses of your natural man you will live.

“For if you live after the flesh, you will die: but if you through the Spirit do put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13

I call you to so live this life that you will be more than ready for the mansion Christ has prepared for you in His Father’s house, and for the great reward waiting for you in Heaven.  There are riches and blessings for us to enjoy that are beyond our comprehension and they are ours for ever, world without end, in Heaven, not on earth.

Toxic People and what they need, by Ps Chris Field

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Some animals excrete poison.  And some people pour toxins on those around them.

Yet many toxic people think they have a right to attack and poison others with their words and attitudes.  But that is far from the truth.

Pussy Sore

An infected sore is very tender.  When bumped or touched it can ooze puss and goo.  That’s how it is for some toxic people.  They are sore on the inside and unhealed.  When others come near them, or when they are under pressure, ugly stuff comes out.

When a sore is healed there is no goo to squeeze out.  The infection is gone and so is the icky stuff.

But an untreated sore can remain inflamed and infected over the long term.

Hair Trigger

Some people are like a gun with a hair trigger.  Instead of needing real pressure to pull the trigger they fire off at the slightest bump.

We might use the word “touchy” or “hypersensitive” to describe this kind of toxic person.  They are a danger to be around.  People have to walk on egg-shells (so to speak) not to set them off and become the target of their next outburst, accusation, irritation, frustration or the like.

Disapproval

One toxin sprayed by toxic people is disapproval.  Those around them are often the target of annoyance, frustration, irritation and other expressions of disapproval.

And toxic people are very hard to please, so if you try to help them or meet their needs you are likely to come under their disapproval.

I jokingly describe these people as having the “Ministry of Disapproval”.  It is as if they are gifted in finding fault and are able to share the sense of disapproval with all around them.

Grand Accusers

Toxic people can be very good at accusing others.  Instead of recognising that they are toxic, they blame others for annoying them, putting them under pressure or bringing the irritation to the surface.

Thus they are grand accusers, ready to condemn, rebuke, find fault and so on.  They cause pain and hurt to those around them because they blame and accuse people for things the people are not really guilty of.

Such accusations as, “You upset me”, sound as if the accused has done the wrong thing.  However a toxic person takes offence and gets upset with people who have done no wrong except to inadvertently upset their selfish expectations or inner frustrations.

An Internal Problem

While toxic people think they are simply reacting to the actions and attitudes of others, this is not true.  The toxins are coming from within them.  And this shows that they are infected.

They might react to what someone else has done, but that does not mean the other person has done anything wrong at all.  Being able to accuse someone else does not make accused guilty.  The idea of a trial by jury is to ascertain whether there is any merit in the charges made against someone.  Simply charging someone is not enough.

The real issue is the inability of the toxic person to show grace, control their attitudes, forgive, humble themself and become healed of whatever is itching on the inside of them.

It is an INTERNAL problem, not a response to external stimuli.

Much Troubled About Many Things

A classic event of history that exposes what I am sharing here is Martha’s accusation of her sister, Mary.

Two thousand years ago Martha, Mary and Lazarus became good friends of Jesus Christ.  Jesus visited them, dined with them, used their home as a base and was concerned for their wellbeing.

On one occasion Jesus visited and as He taught a group of people Mary sat at His feet listening to what He said.  Meanwhile Martha was busy serving.  Burdened by her sense of duty Martha finally burst in on Jesus and demanded that Jesus instruct Mary to help her.

“But Martha was distracted with much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me.” Luke 10:40

Martha was upset with Mary and had toxic thoughts about her sister.  We are not told the details but it seems that Martha resented Mary for not helping.  Maybe Martha thought Mary was less than responsible and did not seem to care about meeting the needs of the visitors.

Jesus’ response to Martha is very interesting.  He did not agree with her.  Instead, Jesus challenged Martha that she was much troubled about many things.

“And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen something good, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41,42

Get the Picture

Martha entered a room and expressed her upset feelings toward her sister.  In just one sentence Martha managed to accuse both Mary and Jesus.  “Do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?”

From Martha’s perspective Mary had abandoned her, and Jesus didn’t care.  So here is the loaded gun firing at two people in one shot.  Here is the “Ministry of disapproval” striking out at both family and friend.  Here is a toxic person attacking what others are doing because it doesn’t suit her.

Some Justification

If you were on Martha’s side you could sympathise with her.  There is some justification for her claims.  Mary did nothing to help.  Jesus did nothing to prompt Mary to help.

And this is a major problem for toxic people.  They can “justify” their attitudes and actions.  They can point an angry finger and make ready claim that someone else is to blame, NOT THEM!

But the justification is based on Martha’s own internal view of things.  Martha stopped seeing clearly and evaluated everything based on her own perspective.  Martha saw some need to serve.  Martha saw that her burden was not being shared by Mary.  This may have been a pattern that occurred before.  Martha became increasingly upset with her sister.  Then Martha turned her feelings of anger and frustration toward Jesus.

With that in place Martha disturbed what others were doing, interrupting the session where Jesus was teaching.  She blurted out her double-edged accusation, against Mary and against Jesus.  And Martha felt completely justified for her selfish and toxic attitudes.

The Bigger Picture

Jesus did not rebuke Martha for what she did, even though she was insensitive, demanding, accusatory and toxic.  But Jesus revealed the bigger picture.

First Jesus revealed the inner burden behind Martha’s intrusion and selfish outburst.  “You are anxious and troubled”.  Jesus pointed out to Martha that the problem was not what Mary did nor was it what Jesus did, but the problem came from inside Martha.

The real problem was on the inside of Martha, not in the room where Jesus taught, nor in the kitchen where Martha worked.  It was an internal problem.  Toxic people have failed to deal with things going on INSIDE them.  The issues are not what others are doing, but how the toxic person chooses to respond.

A Matter of Choice

Once Jesus pointed out to Martha that the real problem was what was going on inside her, making her anxious and troubled, He addressed the matter of choice.  Martha was where she was because of the choices of her will.

Jesus told Martha “Mary has chosen something good”.  Mary made a choice, Martha!  And Martha, SO DID YOU!  And Mary’s choice is a good one.  Martha, doesn’t that challenge you about the choices YOU have made?

Mary chose to respect the fact that a remarkable and rare opportunity presented itself.  Jesus, the Master, was teaching.  Nothing could be more important than to listen to Him and absorb what He said.

Martha chose to be slave to her sense of responsibility.  She may have found comfort and meaning in her sense of duty and in serving people well.  But that led her to make a choice that was not as good as Mary’s choice.  Mary was free to respond to the moment.  Martha was enslaved to anxieties and troubling thoughts on the inside that kept her from that precious moment.

Toxic people are often enslaved to their ideas about what should be done and how it should be done and when it should be done.  They tend to be enslaved and to resent others who are free of those anxious and troubling internal motivations.

Request Denied

Note too that Jesus said “No” to Martha’s demands.

It is a dangerous thing to give in to demanding people, because that may lead them to think they are right and that their selfish and toxic attacks on others are justified and not out of place.

Jesus told Martha He would not take from Mary the blessing she had chosen.  Jesus was going to keep on teaching and Mary was going to keep on sitting in the crowd of listeners.  Martha’s demands would be unmet.

Jesus did not make any demands of Martha.  He did not tell her to stop serving or to sit at His feet.  Martha had to make her own choice about those things.  But Jesus did reveal her true condition, and He did show that it is a matter of choice, and He did refuse to give in to her demands.

Internal Issues

And here is a final word for those toxic people.  Your real issues are not all those people who upset you and annoy you by what they say or do.  Your real issues are internal, the unresolved attitudes, thoughts, fears, pressures and so on that are on the inside of you.

Jesus pointed this out by saying it is what comes out of you that defiles you.

“And he said, What comes out of the man, that defiles the man.”  Mark 7:20

When the toxic person expresses their upset, anger, frustration, accusation, contempt, intolerance, demands, resentments, and so on, that reveals what is defiling them.  Their mouth reveals what is going on in their heart.

“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”  Matthew 12:34

That verbal attack fired out by the toxic person exposes that on the inside of them they are anxious and troubled.  The person upsetting them may or may not have done something wrong.  But the real problem is not that person, but the heart response pouring out like puss from the toxic responder.

God Heals the Toxic Heart

God heals the broken heart and He restores our soul.  He teaches us to forgive those who have offended us and to give to others the same grace God gives to us.

If we don’t do that we end up with a root of bitterness that not only defiles us, but causes us to be toxic to those around us.

We have no excuse for being toxic, even though most of us at some time or other will express some form of frustration, intolerance, anger or the like toward others.

We are to bring our problems to God’s throne and become healed, so there is no more puss to come out and no internal pressure causing hair-trigger reactions from within us.

So listen to what comes out of your mouth.  If you are a frequent accuser, or if you often express disapproval or frustration, or if you regularly demand that others fit in with your plans, to meet the internal choices you have made, then you are a toxic person.  You need help from the only one who can truly set you free.

Cast your cares onto God, because He cares for you.  Let Him heal your damaged heart and restore your soul.  Learn to apply His grace to others, in forgiveness.  And break the power of those things that enslave you on the inside and make you want to enslave others to your demands.

I Will I Will I Will

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How tough is your faith?  Your faith is only as strong as your will to believe.

I have discussed in other articles the connection between believing and the will.  Because belief is an act of the will our ability to choose to believe and to hold to that choice is a key component of our faith.

Easy Believing

Most of us adopt the beliefs we grow up with.  If we grow up in a Moslem, Buddhist or Christian family, we will naturally embrace those family and society beliefs.

If our family keeps us in a closed community of like-minded people those easy beliefs will stick with us until they are challenged at some point in time.

Voices from outside our family, such as our teachers, the media and people who invade our world, can challenge the beliefs we grew up with.  When that happens we may discover that the beliefs are not really “believed” but simply adopted and accepted.

Advocates of evolution, for example, have been able to destroy the faith of children from Christian homes, by pretending that their theory is indisputable fact.  If the children and youth have not really chosen to believe in Christ, but simply adopted Christianity as the easy believing of their early life, they are easy targets for those who want to destroy their unanchored faith.

Deliberate Belief

If, however, you have been challenged about your beliefs and then made up your mind to believe, you will not be as easy a target for those who want you to doubt.

Making a choice to believe consolidates and solidifies your faith, because faith is a choice.  When you employ an ‘act of your will’ your faith has immediately become more real and more solid within you.

The more often your faith is challenged and the more often you make up your mind to maintain your faith in the face of challenges, the more powerful your faith stand becomes.

That is called the “trial of your faith”, and it’s what happened to Joseph when he was told by God he would become great, but ended up in an Egyptian prison for years.

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” 1Peter 1:7

“Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.” Psalm 105:19 (Joseph in an Egyptian prison)

Trial of Your Will

A “trial of your faith” is actually a “trial of your will”.  Thinking of it in those terms may help you handle the challenges better.

A trial of your faith is basically a set of challenges that test your level of commitment to keep trusting God.  The challenges are graded, so you are tested to a harder degree as time goes by.

For example, you might have a health challenge and decide to believe that God will heal you.  Your faith journey has begun by a choice to believe in God.

The first challenge might be that nothing happens in response to your faith and prayers you receive from others.  So the thought comes to your head that faith does not work and that, while others may get healed, you will not be.

Once you battle through that and decide to believe God and His word even though nothing has happened for you yet, the next challenge might be the doctor advising that your condition is more serious than first thought.  Instead of getting better you are getting worse.

Piling on the Pressure

While you are reeling with the news that faith is not helping, you might then be told that your condition is incurable and is not responding to treatment.  You might even be told it is terminal and you have a limited life expectancy.

By that point you are under a great deal of pressure.  Will you continue to believe God or will you give up?  The matter of your “faith”, then, comes back to your “will”.  WILL you hold on and keep believing, or WILL you lose heart and give up.  That could be said as “Is it your WILL to hold on?”

Believing in Prison

Consider Joseph as he worked through his trial of faith.  As a lad God gave him dreams that promised him greatness.  He saw dreams about his brothers bowing down to him.  He knew God had something amazing in store for him.  He had the “word of the Lord” through those dreams.

But his brothers despised him, threw him in a pit and sold him as a slave.  That would have challenged his faith, don’t you think?

In Egypt he managed to get a good job as a slave to Potiphar, a powerful military leader.  But disaster struck when Potiphar’s wife lied about Joseph.  The young dreamer was thrown into prison for more than a decade of his life.

We are told that Joseph was tested by the word of God, as he saw how far he was from it ever being fulfilled.

“Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.” Psalm 105:19

Joseph kept on believing.  It was tough, but he did it.  He knew the word would come to pass, but he had no control over making it happen.

Then in one day he was promoted to second in command of the whole nation.  The word came to pass, and he was glad to have held on to it.

Depth of Soil

Faith is linked with your personal depth and strength.  That’s what Jesus revealed in his Parable of the Sower.  Some seed fell among shallow, stony ground, without any depth of soil.

Just as a tiny plant with no depth of soil is easily dried up by the scorching sun, so a shallow person shrivels in the face of challenges and opposition.

Jesus advised that the shallow soil person gives up in the face of persecution.

“And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so only endure for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.” Mark 4:16,17

Shallow people are easily led, but unable to take a stand.  They cannot endure trial and testing.  Yet God is looking for faith and faith is a choice to believe; an act of the will.  If your will is like jelly your faith will be weak.

Reaffirming Your Faith

The will is like a muscle.  You can develop and strengthen it, by using it.  So the “trial of your faith” is not unlike a workout for your faith.

Each time you reaffirm your faith, especially under increased load, your faith muscle, or should we call it the “will” muscle, will be strengthened, ready for the heavy challenge as the workout is upgraded.

I named this article “I Will I Will I Will” because what you need to do is keep making that choice, over and over again.  “I will believe God.”  “I will keep on believing.” “I will trust God when things aren’t working out.”

That’s the continued process of reaffirming your faith.  And you’ll watch your faith grow as you do.

Make the Choice

Your faith journey starts when you decide “I will believe God”.  That decision will impact who and what you are.  But it is not the end of the journey.

In time various challenges will block your path.  You might be mocked, or tempted to doubt, or face pseudo-intellectual opposition and so on.  Each time you decide to continue to believe God despite the challenges, your faith is strengthened.

You may even face life and death situations where your faith stand will be sorely tested.  If you continue to make the right choice, the choice to believe, your faith will win out.

It’s as simple, and as difficult as that.

Testing Your Troubles and where they came from

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Are you troubled by anxieties, doubts, despair, being offended with others and similar inner struggles?

Many people fight with such things and do not stop to test those troubles using the standard that Jesus taught them.

As I assist people working through faith challenges I notice in them, and in myself as well, that trials stretch us and show up our inner vulnerabilities.  Under pressure we are all much more likely to be troubled, titchy, touchy and trantrummy (I made that word up so I’d have another ‘t’ word).

So, under pressure we are able to test our troubles and get insights into what is going on inside us.

Inner Struggle

When you step out in faith in God two things will be tested inside you.  Your faith will be tested, to see if it is genuine or just a sentimental notion or some attempt to manipulate God.  And your “flesh” will also be tested.

Your flesh is your natural self that existed before God brought salvation to your heart and life.  When you become a Christian your spirit man comes alive, eager and willing to love and trust God and to relate with God as God’s child.

However, your natural “flesh” self is also still alive within you, with all its selfishness, jealousies, pride, lust and self-reliance.  And the inner struggle within you is your ‘natural flesh self’ resisting the spirit man within you.

This is not some psychological notion, but a truth revealed in the Holy Bible, by the great Christian leader Paul, writing to the Christians in Galatia, in Asia Minor, nearly 2,000 years ago.

“The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you choose.” Galatians 5:17

Rebellious Flesh

Your natural man is a real stinker.  I don’t say to offend, since we all have natural flesh inside us.  But the Bible tells us that our natural man is rebellious against God and is a barrier to our walking with God.  Note these words of Paul written to the Christians at Rome, nearly 2,000 years ago.

“They that are fleshly pay attention to the things of the flesh; but they that focus on the Spirit attend to the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded (following our natural fleshly ideas) is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal (natural) mind is hostile against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So those that live out of their natural flesh perspective cannot please God.” Romans 8:5-8

When Paul said the natural mind is hostile to God and can’t submit to God’s law the original Greek wording suggests a soldier who simply refuses to follow orders.  When he is told to wheel right he wheels left.  When he is told to run he stands still.  That’s the picture of your rebellious, stroppy flesh man inside you, intent on resisting God.

That Voice in Your Head

When you move to step out in faith you will likely find your head filling with voices and thoughts that tell you not to do it, or to be careful, and so on.  Those thoughts are likely the rebellious voice of your flesh.

The thoughts are your own thoughts, coming from a part of you that refuses to submit to God.

Your mind will come up with a million excuses, doubts, insecurities, sound reasons for not rushing ahead, reminders of past failures, feelings of offence toward God or others, and so on.

You may even be tempted to think you are hearing the voice of wisdom and wise caution.  You may well feel great relief when you decide not to step out in faith.  But that could still be the voice of your rebellious flesh in your head.

Testing the Voice

So, if your head is full of doubts, concerns, aroused feelings, disquiet, despair or whatever, you need a mechanism to test the voice to see if it is God giving you caution and protection or whether it is just the voice of your flesh rebelling against what God wants you to do and what your spirit man on the inside wants to do in faith toward God.

Would you like to have a ready test on hand for those times?

I can give you a test that comes from the highest authority. This is a test that was given to us by Jesus Christ Himself.

Check the Fruit

The test is to check the “fruit” of the voice inside you.  Jesus told us that we will know what we are dealing with when we look at the fruit.

“You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits you will know them.”  Matthew 7:16-20

What is the fruit of the voices inside your head that try to stop you stepping out in faith?  Is it the fruit of the Spirit of God?  We are told what that fruit is and it is good fruit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22-23

Practical Example

To give you a practical application think of someone prompted to forgive a relative.  The relative had offended them and they now feel impressed to forgive and show that forgiveness by giving the relative some needed financial assistance.

At first the Christian is excited by the idea.  It is a bold and daring thing to do and consistent with some Bible verse or message they heard preached.

A while later, however, they are filled with concerns.  An inner battle is going on.

The range of cautioning thoughts could include: “They don’t deserve it”; “They may completely misunderstand what I am doing”; “This could stir up strife between us”; “I really don’t have the money spare at the moment”; “When I think about what they did to me they will never deserve my forgiveness”; “Other people don’t have to do something like this”; “God is so unfair to expect me to do something this ridiculous”; “My family won’t approve”; “Doing this will make me look so arrogant and I don’t want to be rejected”; “I’ve had thoughts like this before but how do I know this is really God leading me?”; “I always get caught in this kind of anxiety. Why doesn’t God speak more clearly to me? Being a Christian is just too hard”; “I’m just a lousy Christian because I shouldn’t be having this inner struggle”.

It is not uncommon for people to end up in some kind of mental tangle with doubts, misgivings, anxiety and so on.

Applying the Test

So let’s apply Jesus’ ‘Fruit’ Test to this situation.

The person first felt prompted to do something daring; in line with a Bible truth.  Their faith was stirred and their heart responded.

But then they became caught up in a quagmire of cautioning thoughts.  How can they know which thoughts deserve their attention?

We already know that those thoughts can come from their spirit man or from their flesh.  And we also know that the natural flesh thinking is antagonistic to faith in God.  And we know that listening to the Spirit will bring the “fruit of the Spirit” which includes love, joy, peace and faith.

Armed with that information we can then ask, “What is the fruit that comes from the thoughts swirling in your head?”

Do those thoughts prompt doubt, fear, offence, condemnation, insecurity, misgiving, uncertainty, agitation, anxiety, or similar fruit?  If so, then we know it is not the voice of the Spirit, but the voice of the flesh.

If those thoughts prompt joy and peace and arouse faith, then we know it is the voice of the Spirit, not the flesh.

I Will Believe

My encouragement to you is to “choose to believe”.  If you sense a prompting to be bold in faith realise it is your spirit man that produces the fruit of faith.

If your heart and mind then fill with misgivings, doubts, anxieties, fears and the like, take note of the fruit.

Some thoughts keep invading your mind, but they always produce bad fruit.  So why do you keep entertaining them?  Every time you give room to those thoughts you end up in fear, insecurity, doubt, anxiety, offence, shame, misgivings, etc.  There is no joy and peace and no faith.

If a robber steals money out of your hand, would you offer him more?  If you invest money in a fund that crashes would you invest more in that fund?  If you give in to your flesh and your flesh robs you of joy, peace and faith, why would you give in to your flesh again?

The Apostle Paul put in the terms of “You don’t owe anything to your flesh, because your flesh never paid out on any investment you made to it!  Giving in to your flesh kills you!”

“Therefore, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if you live after the flesh, you will die: but if you through the Spirit do kill the deeds of the body, you will live.”  Romans 8:12,13

Only Believe

“Only Believe.”  “Why do you doubt?”  “Do not give in to unbelief.”  “Hold on to your confidence.”

The counsel of Christ and the Bible is to choose to believe.  It may be a tough decision to make while so many stormy thoughts are raging in your head.  But check out the fruit of those thoughts.

Those thoughts rob you or joy, peace and faith.  They are thoughts that do not come from God.  They are thoughts from your flesh, which is at war with God.

So choose to believe and to destroy doubt.  Hold on to your confidence in God.  When you do that you will triumph over your own flesh and you will please God, because only faith can please Him.

It’s not about whether you win or not, but whether you stood in faith.  Faith pleases God.  Whether you get the victory you believe for or end up in the fiery furnace or the lion’s den, God is pleased.  And your spirit man has won out over your flesh.

And your inner troubles have been conquered.

So test your troubles and give them what they deserve.