*Key points taken from “Life’s Healing Choices” by John Baker
“Blessed are the poor in spirit…”- Matthew 5:3
Many today are captive to hurts, hang-ups, and habits.
God wants us to be free!
Causes
Our Tendency to Do Wrong.
- “I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong… but I can’t help myself….”- Apostle Paul
Our Attempt to Control.
- We try to control our image.
- We try to control other people.
- We try to control our problems.
- We try to control our pain.
Consequences
Fear
- “We are afraid somebody will find out who we really are- that we’re fakes and phonies, that we really don’t have it all together, that we’re not perfect. We don’t let anybody get close to us because they’ll find out that we’re scared inside, and so we fake it. We live in fear, afraid someone will reject us, not love us, or not like us when they know what we are really like. We believe they will only like the image we work to present. We are afraid.”- Baker
Frustration
- Like the game where you try to knock down all the gophers at one time, life can be frustrating. When we try to control all our problems, conflicts, image, and others, there’s always one or two little head popping up.
Fatigue
- Trying to control the uncontrollable, and hiding or denying our brokenness is absolutely tiring.
- “Denial requires enormous amounts of emotional energy- energy that could be used in problem solving is actually diverted into problem denying, problem hiding, and problem avoiding.”- Baker
Cure
Admitting Poverty
- “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”- Matthew 5:3
- I admit that I am powerless to change my past.
- I admit that I am powerless to control other people.
- I admit that I am powerless to cope with my harmful habits.
True Humility
- Humility is acknowledging our humanity, and calling out to God’s divinity.
Application
Write about it
- Take time to honestly reflect on your life and write about it.
- Are there hurts, hang-ups, and habits that you are denying?
- In what areas are you trying to control the uncontrollable?
- What consequences have you been experiencing?
- How do you really feel about the cure? What are you going to do about it?
Share about it
- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12- “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!.. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
- Share your reflections from “Write about it” with a nonjudgmental, trustworthy person.
Pray about it
- Serenity Prayer
- Psalm 23
- “Dear God, I’ve often tried to control my problems, my pain, my image, and even other people. I’m sorry. I’ve tried to deny my problems by staying busy and keeping myself distracted. I admit that I am helpless to control this tendency to do things I know are unhealthy for me. Today I am asking for Your help. I humbly ask You to take all the pieces of my unmanageable life and begin the process of healing. Please heal me. Please give me the strength to choose health and freedom. In Your loving and able name, I pray. Amen.”
“Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God- through Jesus Christ our Lord!”- Romans 7:24-25
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