Posts

Posted on

How to get out of a spiritual desert

Encourage yourself in this dry place. REMIND yourself of His love & goodness! Here’s how:
1. Be in the Word all the time. God’s word is still active & meant to be your favorite food.
2. Pray honestly. Tell Him what He already knows. You need Him to need Him!
3. Be around people you want to be like. Who do you hang with? Do you leave encouraged to go deep with Jesus or like you’ve been to a “Fuss Fest”? Sadly, some godly folks seem to thrive on complaining. Find thankful women to be around-it’ll rub off on you!
4. Speak truth to yourself! Replace lies with Scripture (Try Colossians 1-2!) Actively train yourself: the enemy tries to speak first person to you (“I’m not godly enough!”) when your faith makes him nervous! Speak the Name of Jesus.
5. Read old journals -remember when you fell for Jesus? He was your everything. Go back to this place: you don’t need to whip up some legalism to solve your intimacy problem with Christ! Realize you need Him to need Him. Ask for a fresh heart to remember your First Love!

Posted on

Know Someone in Pain? Start here.

There are people everywhere dealing with pain.   Many of us have friends fighting cancer.  Every time we help people deal with pain, we are reminded of a serious and uncomfortable truth. 

God is bigger than we are and life is not fair.

Pain, humility, sorrow, and anguish turn us outward-always good.

Not currently helping a friend in physical pain?  Here’s one more question-do you feel a little guilty that you are safe or healthy or financially blessed? Acknowledge this with Jesus. Tell Him, “I don’t know why I have am not struggling. I don’t know why I am so blessed! I don’t know how to respond, Lord.” We can “draw near to God and God will draw near to you.” (James  4:8) Humility is before service every time.

God has positioned you to be used by Him to bring LIGHT to dark tunnels in life. How?

  1. PRAY for those in pain.
  2. WEEP with those who weep. Jesus was big on this. No pep talks. No “count your blessings” mantra. Just BE with those who hurt and ask God to help you walk with them.
  3. GIVE time and money. Sacrifice much.
  4. TEACH kids that Jesus is eternal and that the world is not.
  5. LIVE differently. Relationships with people are what we are made for. 

 

Posted on

When your heart hurts

The phrase “broken-hearted” always stops me.   Broken-heartedness reflects a specific human emotional state-grief. Grief is that experience no one chooses and the pain no one is ever prepared for. “Broken-hearted” makes a whole lot of sense in this context. Grief strips you of pride, power, & (sometimes) purpose. Yet, feeling pain is indicative of heart function.  Why does God allow His people to endure heartbreak? Does He delight in our pain? No, He delights in our NEED FOR HIM. Broken-hearts need treatment from the Great Physician. Godly people walk through trials of existence -trials that seem to engulf and strangle . Our typical instant response will always be a fearful “Get me out of this!” Yet, the Father says with Authority, Comfort and Power, “Get Me in your situation!” God wants to stand next to us, whisper quiet words of truth, and comfort with the depth of His love. He says “I am joining you because I love you. You are not alone in this grief. I have felt everything.” His Unseen Presence is the best emotional salve for our broken human hearts.

Brian and I experienced this so very powerfully through years of infertility & multiple miscarriages. I’d never struggled with the “fairness of God” issue before. I learned that grief is not just sadness.  It is pain and it can almost become a garment.  YET, His Unseen Presence literally carried me. I sensed Him near me. He loved me, comforted me, and (to my surprise!) was able to handle my frustration with Him. I NEEDED HIM. No one else could comfort my heart like my Divine Cardiologist. He was near to my broken-heart.

Throughout the years, we have walked through a lot of heartbreak with many brothers and sisters.  Heart-break is brutal and many times a peppy  “Just trust the Lord!” mantra won’t comfort heartbreak.  The brokenhearted need comfort from God’s people and from the God of these people.  Believers communicating their shared pain brings peace, comfort, and maybe (eventually) healing. We help each other acknowledge our common broken-heart.

God knows all that is the unseen heart of man. He knows the ultimate life of blessing He wants to give us. It’s not just a response of “Well, I guess I needed this trial” that heals the heart. For me, I needed to turn and look at Jesus and say “I don’t get any of this. But, I trust that You do. I hurt but I will follow because you are the Author of Love. I put my heart in your healing hands. Would you put some of Your strength in it?” Then,  He did. 

Tristie Fisher