Jesus said, "I told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world."
(MSG John 16:32-33)
I've been exploring MINDSETs of late. Particularly my own. How I see things. What I believe about reality. My mindset shapes everything that flows in and out of my life. Our lives. One such mindset that I have found distasteful in my life is a survivor mentality.
Since before the fall my heart was made to be poured out to you
Scenario:
Life has a way of beating up on all of us. Though people appear to be outside the reality of tragedy, loss, brokenness, and disruption, and disappointment, (this is a key tactic of our arch enemy. To make it look like we are the only ones with issues, struggling, experiencing trouble. He stands up "moments" and "image" to bring to life his empty story of perfect people in a perfect world.) The reality is we all have to learn to walk beyond failure, tragedy, accidents and hate. Or we decide to survive. Which may be a mindset with a key thought holding it up - "this world cannot be changed and our lives are helpless in its wake." We all encounter the world as a rough place at some point in time. And with those days, months, years we can develop a lifestyle of survival. In the midst of these kind of life changing experiences we adapt and let go of things that actually make our lives rich and meaningful. The worst thing to let go is our relationship with Abba Father.
Some of us survive on the bear minimum of relationships, letting all the rest go except as a back door on surviving. Others end up in a perpetual state of want and need financially. We take surviving to an extreme and wrestle with the desire and anger for a more peaceful life in finances with binge and feed spending to curb the cycle of survival. Or at least give us some moment of being like the perfect people.
Whole countries life in a survival mentality. It is a tragedy.
Surviving is a dream killer. Dreams make life move. When they are dead we start dying inside. Alive to survive but dead inside. This sounds more like slavery and captivity to me. Something inside me, that quiet and distant part of me in "HIS IMAGE" screams out for me to not surrender to survival.
Call to love - Followers of Jesus cannot live this way. Kingdom minded followers of Jesus cannot simply survive. We are the salt of the world.
Survivors learn to "Ride It Out", have no expectations or dreams and exist daily in the fear that something even worse will happen.
The next level of survival is to "discover" that something bad is happening in the world every day and to join that as somehow part of your experience. Here comes the reinforcement to go deeper in survival and hunker down. "Nothing good ever comes" is the mantra of this level.
Jesus was good. Jesus came into the world and conquered it.
Fear is a big part of our survival mindset. I know. I had a good run in with fear. I spent most of my life enjoying easy success and lots of fun. My family did not experience death or significant loss. Then in 2 years, after the crash mind you, my brother died and my Dad died. Then the crash of 2008 wiped out millions in real estate holding and projects and I got a heavy dose of how tough things can get for a long time. When things go wrong and life falls down on us the world tries to rob us of the joy for all the things that actually bring us joy. Granted, sometimes we are fighting so hard and so long the temptation is to throw in the towel and simply survive. But the truth about surviving is it SUCKS. It is a lousy way to live. The rewards are zero. I don't remember one person ever getting up in church and giving a testimony about surviving and how amazing it is to stay a survivor. "Making bricks in Egypt was where we were at. Surviving every day. Hey, you got to live anyway you can." We get up and tell about God's deliverance. this is who God says he is.....
Psa 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
We testify about what He has done to show us the way to a whole new mindset and reality. The Kingdom Jesus is bringing that is taking over the world and all it's brokenness every day, is so amazing to be part of. Knowing Jesus puts a whole new twist on what life is about. When you get around Jesus something deep inside starts stirring and every dream rises to the top of our hearts. Shame and condemnation start running away as fast as they can. Love and mercy and grace start living in our day to day lives. Jesus was nothing close to a survivor. He was a conqueror.
The Kingdom Minded ADD and Multiply
Most everyone admires people who add to this life. People who give of time, energy, love for the benefit of others. Jesus gave up everything to overcome the world and make a new way for us. As part of his family his generosity, love and grace are part of our DNA. We were made to add to the world not survive it. Then when we learn the ways of addition we can explore how God multiplies his goodness in everything we do.
We are invited into a life that challenges the status quo and changes the things that tear the life and heart out of the people we know and love. God's Kingdom is coming into the world. Jesus overcame the world. Conquered it with LOVE. Indelibly marked it with worship and opened up a way of life that is far beyond survival.
We always have enough to add.
as it is written, "HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER." 10Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.…
Why? Because of the perfect and finished work of Jesus Christ.
2that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Col 2:3)
The Heart of the Father is full of generosity and endless abundance.
The Culture of Love pours out of Jesus' heart - the baseline of the Kingdom -ever flows with energy and sacrifice for the world.
Jesus our Victor King gave his life and today the power of everything he has done is loose in the world through the Spirit and in us.
Healing is the pathway out of survival
Healing deep inside sets us free from fear. It changes our need to control and protect. It opens up whole new understanding of relationship and love. Let the Father heal you. Surrender to some ministry that is clothed in the Spirit's encouragement and see some of those survival chains fall away.
Leave Survival behind for the generosity of God the Father.
There is so much noise out there. But there is only ONE Son of God.
Dial out the noise. Focus the frequency and fall headlong into the deepest wells of your life in HIM.
Other posts that seek to help us run after him
Deep Intimacy / Seeing Jesus - Hearts Who Have Shaken Loose All Affections and Believe http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2014/03/deep-intimacy-seeing-jesus-first-those.html
You Fascinate Me Jesus, So Why Are You Thought To Be So Irrelevant?http://jeffreynoldsonedesire.blogspot.com/2014/04/you-fascinate-me-jesus-so-why-are-you.html
Comments? Ideas? Are you on the journey?
What does it look like for you?
Love and grace in Jesus
Brother Jeff
Jeff Reynolds. Sr. Leader
Capstone Christian Fellowship
jreynolds@mycapstone.org
www.mycapstone.org
www.jeffreynoldsministries.com
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