Stop. Wait a Minute. Hold on.

Nick Horton 2 Comments

Do you have joy?

Are you struggling today with depression, guilt, feelings of defeat or failure, and an otherwise downcast spirit?

If you are in Christ, rest in Him. We look to things we can do to make us feel better. We read books, which can be helpful, to make us feel better. One such recommendation is David Murray’s “The Happy Christian.” David is a great writer and has good things to say because they are grounded in scripture. We try to do things that make us feel better.

I am not suggesting that the Gospel will cure your depression, anxiety, etc. It may well be that you need medication to help regulate your brain chemistry. This is not a failing of the Gospel. The fall affected our bodies and our minds and sin ravages to this day. However, what I do want to assert, is true joy is found in the forgiveness offered only in Jesus Christ.

Did you just mentally say “Yeah, Yeah, I know that” as though there must be something more? Friends we do not graduate past the Gospel, ever. The monumental truth that God, of his own volition, made atonement for your sins in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and offers that gift freely should stagger us. It should comfort us day by day. It should renew our spirits minute by minute that Christ has paid in full the due penalty for your sin and declared His work finished. (John 19:30)

Robert Murray McCheyne famously said: “For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.” We are prone to consider ourselves, and introspection and honest self-assessment is good. However, do not dwell there. Look to Christ!

Your single greatest need in life is to be reconciled to God. Once you are reconciled to him through repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ your greatest need is to obey, honor, and glorify God. Stop crushing yourself under guilt and shame for sins you’ve confessed. Stop refusing to forgive yourself for what God has forgiven you for. Consider God, who He is, what He’s done. Wait a minute, and dwell on Him. Hold on to Him.

Delight yourself in the glory of God the Father. Marvel and weep with joy over the grace of God the Son. Serve in gladness by the empowerment of God the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 71:17–21

17  O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

18  So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.

19  Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?

20  You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.

21  You will increase my greatness
and comfort me again.

Today in Blogworld 06.23.16

Mike Leake

20 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Pastor

This is true.

4 Reasons Your Kids Should Sit with You on Sunday

It’s all part of reaching a generation that you may never see.

My Husband Doesn’t Put the Kids to Bed, and It’s Really Okay

I appreciate what Melissa is saying here. The article is not about who puts the kids to bed, it’s core is really sound marriage advice.

6 Ways a Fictional Church May Wreck Your Ministry

This is such an easy trap for us book nerds to fall into.

I Forbid You To Say These Things at My Funeral

I love and agree with what Tim says here. And don’t see these at my funeral either, please.

Wow. Lecrae is so talent, I love seeing him in places like this sharing the truth of Jesus:

(Brief NSFW language at the beginning–not from Lecrae)

What The Failure of #NeverTrump Can Teach Us About Counseling

Mike Leake 1 Comment

This political season is absolutely crazy. I think I jokingly tweeted something back in September about how terrible it would be if we had Clinton v. Trump this November. Well we do, and this in spite of a pretty big #NeverTrump and even #NeverHilary movement. And I’m still convinced that the number of those who were initially #NeverTrump outweighs those who are Yes for Trump.

My guess is that a host of those who were initially #NeverTrump will hold their nose and pull the lever because they are more strongly #NeverHilary.

But politics isn’t my concern today. Instead I want to think about the failure of this #NeverTrump movement and what it has to say to us as biblical counselors. Perhaps, I should qualify that a bit. I’m not speaking just to those who are formally called biblical counselors but all those who are believers in Jesus whom God gives opportunity to speak truth into the life of another.

If there were so many people who were #NeverTrump why in the world did Trump win the Republican nomination? I believe the main reason is because you cannot vote for Not Donald on your ballot. You have to positively choose someone. And those who constituted the #NeverTrump movement never could rally around one candidate.

Negative movements seldom create lasting change. In other words, just being against something doesn’t get you very far. There is a reason why we are called a pro-life movement and not simply #NeverAbortion. If you really want to create lasting change you can’t just oppose something you have to replace it with a positive. And this is where we can learn something in the way we counsel folks.

When people come into your office for counseling they seldom are there because things are going pretty well but they just want to know how they can edify their family a bit better. No they come because things are starting to come apart. Their focus in those first sessions is usually to stop the bad stuff from happening. They want to stop drinking, stop yelling at their family, stop being depressed, etc. They have their own version of #NeverTrump. They see something bad and they want it opposed.

That’s a good start but we never can leave people here. Our goal in helping people grow more like Jesus isn’t simply to put off bad behaviors. If we do this then our people are going to fall flat just like #NeverTrump did. We must instead help them put on the graces of the Christian life. Our goal isn’t to just keep people from stealing it is to create glad-hearted worshippers who freely give. You get the picture.

So let us learn from this movement that just being against stuff and just putting off the old is never enough. Let us be diligent in pursuing the positive attributes of holiness as well.

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Photo source: here