REST FOR YOUR SOUL

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

-Matthew 11:28-30(NKJV)

I find that as I write today, I am tired and weary. In fact, today I just want to go back to bed and sleep, hoping that when I wake up all will be well. The problem is the tired and the weariness that I am experiencing can not be “cured” by sleep alone. Sleep is merely an avoidance mechanism I tend to fall back on when I am tired and don’t want to deal with anything. The problem is, sleep never gives me true rest; my burdens, my struggles are all still there when I wake up. The true rest I desire can only be found in Christ. Yet, it is so much easier to just curl up and hide under the covers and try to sleep away my burdens than to surrender them to Jesus.

Jesus calls us to Him and promises to give us rest for our souls. Yet we so often fight against Him for control of our lives. We struggle under the weight of our burdens needlessly, fearful of turning over the reigns to Christ. We have become reliant on pharmaceuticals, alcohol, drugs, sleep, sex and work in hopes of finding rest for our souls where we don’t have to think about or deal with our burdens, even if only for a moment. None of these, however, can give us the rest we long for; the rest for our souls. True rest can only be found in Christ, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

If you are struggling under a heavy burden of any kind today, I encourage you to surrender that burden to Christ. Go to Him in prayer and lay it at His feet and you will find the rest that you seek, rest for your soul.

COACH'S CALL TO ACTION

This week I would like to share an exercise with you that my coach, Kathryn Bonner once gave me for homework. I share this with you today in hopes that it will bless you as it has blessed me.

• What burdens have you been carrying on your own?
  
• Write each burden down separately on a piece of paper, a stone, whatever resonates for you.
  
• Go to the Lord in prayer and surrender each burden to Him specifically and as you do, discard the piece of paper or stone that signifies that burden. Leave all of your burdens, your struggles at His feet in prayer and notice what He gives you in return.

Copyright © 2009 Radiant Sun Life Coaching. All rights reserved.

WHAT'S THAT IN YOUR EYE?

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

-Matthew 7:1-5(NKJV)

Wow, isn’t that one of the biggest things about the church that really rubs you the wrong way…all the hypocrites? I remember when I was still in college; the hypocrisy that I saw in the church was one of the instruments the enemy used to drive a wedge between myself and God. I couldn’t see how those who proclaimed to know Christ could say and do the things they did; I would hear such horrible judgments come from the mouths of Christians that it turned me away from the church. While my relationship with the Lord has since changed, I still hear those same thoughts that were once mine coming from the mouths of the lost today. The hypocrisy in the church seems to be an easy mark for the enemy to use to deceive the vulnerable and lead them astray.

This past weekend, the Lord revealed to me how I too am a hypocrite. My mother and I have always had a loving yet volatile relationship; while we love each other very much it is difficult to spend any length of time together without getting into some sort of argument. The Lord has really been working in me to honor my mother and I can honestly say that our relationship has definitely improved as a whole. However, these past few weeks I have been really struggling; everything she does seems to get under my skin and I have had little to no patience for her at all. So I sought counsel from friends and the general consensus was, “She has issues, you just need to limit your contact with her.” Not knowing what else to do, I tried to limit my exposure to my mother as a whole, however, even that did not work as I found even the smallest interaction with her was likely to ignite this anger and frustration inside of me and trigger a response that was anything but honoring to her. Then the Lord held up the mirror for me and revealed to me the plank that was in my eye. I had been so focused on the speck that was in my mother’s eye that I had failed to see or even be aware of the plank in my own. It was impossible to honor my mother because I was focused on her imperfections, her faults and failings all the while failing to notice my own sin. I am so grateful the Lord held up that mirror for me; now I can focus on getting that plank out of my own eye so that I might see clearly. In fact my vision is already improving…I now know that I must replace my judgment with love. What is going to allow me to honor my mother in all circumstances is LOVE!

We all have a tendency to make judgments about others, but how different would the church look if we as the body of Christ made a conscious effort to replace our judgments with love? How would relationships be changed? I challenge you today to take a look in the mirror and see the plank that is in your eye; to stop judging others and instead to simply love them.

COACH'S CALL TO ACTION

• If you were to look into the mirror, what is the plank in your own eye that would be revealed?
  
• What are you going to do about that plank in your eye?
  
• What does it look like to set your judgments aside and replace them with love?

Copyright © 2009 Radiant Sun Life Coaching. All rights reserved.

THE LORD IS MY SHIELD

LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah
But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around.
Arise, O LORD; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the LORD. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

-Psalm 3(NKJV)

Wow, even when surrounded by ten thousand of his enemies, David does not lose faith in the Lord. How many of us would have the faith that David has? So often when faced with adversity we condemn God, we get angry with Him, we stop speaking to Him, we stop believing in Him…but He is always faithful.

Several years ago now, I was faced with significant adversity in my life. I, like so many, turned away from God…I was angry with Him for allowing the circumstances surrounding the adversity in my life to happen. I even got angry with my own brother because in my mind he had no adversity. I was jealous of him in so many ways and coveted what he had. God never let anything happen to him, everything always seemed so perfect for him, he never had to suffer at least not like I had to suffer. Of course, none of that was true but I thought it was and it took many years for me to let go of my resentment and anger toward my brother and just as long for me to come back to God. My envy and jealous heart kept me from truly experiencing God in my life. And how did God respond, did He write me off? No, looking back now, I realize that God’s hand was present in my life in and through the adversity. He was faithful, even when I was not. And the amazing thing is that the adversity I have had in my life has molded me into the person I am today, the person God is using for His purpose and I wouldn’t change it even if I could. He is the potter and I the clay to be molded and shaped for His purpose and His glory.

While we may not understand why we are facing the adversity and troubles we have in our lives, there is comfort and assurance in knowing that God is faithful, that He is on the throne and that He is a shield for us. What would it be like to have faith like David did? Even when you are being attacked on all sides and life looks grim, to know that God is with you and He is your shield. Ask God to be your shield today and take comfort in knowing that He is faithful.

COACH'S CALL TO ACTION

• How has the Lord been your shield, how has He sustained you when you have faced adversity and troubles in the past?
  
• Who or what is rising up against you today?
  
• What would it look like to have faith like David in this adversity today?

Copyright © 2007-2009 Radiant Sun Life Coaching. All rights reserved.

WHERE IS YOUR CITIZENSHIP?

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame – who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

-Philippians 3:18-21(NKJV)

As I read these verses in Philippians today, I am reminded how short sighted I can be in my flesh and how easy it is to allow my belly to be my god. On many occasions I have found myself consumed by my appetite to serve my flesh over the true and living God; and in so doing, I have allowed my belly to become my god. I have made it more important to satisfy the immediate desires of my flesh: the fleeting taste of sweetness on my tongue, being lazy and self-absorbed, hiding out and avoiding the challenges ahead, getting my way and being right, winning, being liked and accepted. These are all earthly, temporary and fleeting by nature and yet, I have chosen each of these over my Lord and Savior in just the last week or so. I have allowed my belly, my appetites to rule over my life rather than surrendering it all to the one true God, and submitting to His will, His purpose for my life. I have voluntarily allowed myself to be in bondage to my flesh. I have set my mind on earthly things and have temporarily forgotten that my citizenship is in heaven, not here on this earth.

However, if our eyes are eagerly awaiting the return of the Lord, we are not concerned with the immediate gratification of our fleshly appetites, but instead our focus is on Him. We have a heavenly perspective, knowing that we can surrender all our appetites, our hungers, our desires, everything to Jesus and He will give us rest, He will give us peace. A heavenly, eternal perspective is one of complete surrender, trust, faith, submission and obedience; it is willingly and joyfully surrendering all, everything in our lives to Him; trusting that He will take it from us; having faith that He is on the throne and that His will is perfect; and willingly and joyfully submitting to what He calls us to in faithful obedience.

I look forward to the day when I will no longer be tempted by my flesh, but until that day, I will be eagerly awaiting the return of the Lord Jesus Christ for my citizenship is not on earth but in heaven. Where is your citizenship?

COACH'S CALL TO ACTION

• How have you allowed your belly to be your god?
  
• How would things change if you were living in a heavenly perspective, of salvation and eternity?
  
• What next? How will you apply this to your life today?

Copyright © 2009 Radiant Sun Life Coaching. All rights reserved.

CALLED TO LIBERTY

For you brethren, have been called to liberty;
only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve
one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.”

-Galatians 5:13-14

According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, liberty is the freedom from slavery, captivity, etc. Here in the United States of America, most of us would not deny our freedom. We are free to say what we want to whomever we want, no matter who we might hurt in the process. We are free to carry weapons or to bare arms; we only need a permit...if we want to do it legally. We are free to watch television, play video games, eat, drink, dance, complain, sleep, and smoke as much as we want. We are free to worship the almighty dollar, the latest and greatest talk show host, professional athletes, the “stars”, and ourselves. We are free to spend our time, our money, and our talents as we choose. Yes, many would say that we in America are free.

The truth is that this is not freedom. So many Americans are not free at all but are living in bondage, slaves to the desires of the flesh. Paul warns that we are not to use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, yet that is exactly what liberty has become in this country...an opportunity for the flesh. Paul also reminds us that through love we are to serve one another and love our neighbor as ourselves. Yet, most of us get caught up in looking out for, what we deem, “#1” (A.K.A. our self). It is totally against our human nature to love anyone as our self, to serve anyone but our self and often when we try to love others and serve others just because we think it is what we should do...leaving us unfulfilled, resentful and wondering “when is it going to be my turn.” I know I have been here, in fact most of my life was spent in this place wondering, “when will it by my turn, when will I have what I want, when will someone do for me for a change.” You see, until we turn our life over to the Lord, we cannot truly serve one another nor can we truly love one another. If the Lord is not in it, then it ultimately comes down to serving the flesh and we are still in bondage. Without God, we cannot break the chains that bind us in this world to be truly free, to experience liberty.

We, here in America, have also been given a tremendous liberty in that we can choose to turn our life over to the Lord, we can choose to openly worship Him above all else and we can choose to serve Him first and always. Then, and only then, will we truly be free. Then, and only then, will we be able to experience and share true love with our neighbor. Then, and only then, will we be able to truly serve one another as Jesus did, in love and without bitterness or resentment. Yes, we have been called to liberty; the question is...will we answer the call?

COACH'S CALL TO ACTION

• How have you allowed liberty to become an opportunity for your flesh?
  
• This Independence Day, before all the parties and celebrations, won’t you join me in taking some quiet time with the Lord?
  
  § Thank Him for the liberty only He can give.
  § Surrender that which you have been unwilling, until now, to turn over to the Lord.
  § Be still, just sitting in His presence and listen for the words He speaks to you.

Copyright © 2008-2009 Radiant Sun Life Coaching. All rights reserved.