Conflict Resolution

What do you do with the contradictions?

It is a wonderful anchor to have the Bible as the inerrant (without error) word of God in a world that is as agitated as the Atlantic Sea in hurricane season.

But, this did pose a problem for me.

An “irreconcilable difference,” if you will.

In the Old Testament, the Father created this wonderful world. Shortly after, it seemed, judgments, rules, quite a lot of trauma, and what sounded like extreme punishments started.

Fast forward to the New Testament and Jesus enters. Now, He is approachable, kind, and gentle. He stands up for the social outcasts, equips and protects his students, meets needs be they physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual. He’s such a great friend that His presence is eagerly sought at parties. He’s a man’s man–and gracious to women and children in a culture that wasn’t. Then, He faces injustice of the worst kind not for any fault of His own, on the contrary, for all the faults of all of us for all time (John 3:16).

I could not reconcile–make peace with the seeming disharmony–between Father of the Old Testament and Jesus of the New Testament.

It seemed, to me, that the holy standards of the Father were met by Jesus, but was it emotionally safe to approach the One who lives in inapproachable light even then?

One day, many years later, the Holy Spirit solved the “irreconcilable differences” for me.

“The Son. . .is the exact representation of His being.” Hebrews 1:3

What?!

The Son (Jesus) is THE EXACT representation of His being (The Father)!
In other words, the Father is EXACTLY represented in Jesus.

The Father was The One working His work through Jesus the Son, touching the outcasts, loving the sinners, rebuking those who thought they had it all together, blessing the children, multiplying the bread, and paying the cost of our sin IN ORDER to bring His family back together.

What about all the extreme measures of the Old Testament?

The Missing Link

Light was dawning. Neuropaths were connecting (nerves that fire together, wire together; neuroscience confirms Jesus’ words “as a man thinks, so is he”). Still, there was something more. . .

Aha! The missing link, the Holy Spirit filled in the blank for me, is found in parenting.

There is a language barrier between parents and children.

Sometimes, children just want to do what they want to do. They want to run in the street because they are curious about the movements they see there. They want to touch the stove because the light is shiny. They want to run in a different direction from their parents because finally! their legs can take them in directions they wanted to investigate when they were immobile and had to be carried.

All this is good. It’s the nature of growth and development which involves God-given curiosity and exploration–but it’s not always safe or best.

The Father is speaking spirit and truth–the language of Heaven. Jesus came to learn and speak the language of man and of earth so He could translate between us (that’s the job of High Priest, to “translate” or “mediate” between God and man).

Love and War

Add to this mix love and war.

Father loves the world He created, and most of all, He loves the people He created.

Scrolling through my mental files, the Holy Spirit reminded me of a continuous theme in movie screenplays. When the hero–or top spy–is invincible . . .he or she has ONLY one area that can be touched by the bad guys.

It is their love.

The same happened to the Father. He knew it would when He created what He loved–us and the earth. He was prepared for, not surprised by, His ancient enemy turning His family against Him.

“God [the Father] was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19).

Father knew who His ancient enemy was. . .and who He loved. . .you and I. . .and He sent Jesus to translate and to settle accounts for us. Through Jesus, the EXACT representation, the EXACT picture of Himself, He, the Father, reconciled the world to Himself.

Whatever is true. . .think about it. (Philippians 4:8)

Even in our own internal “irreconcilable differences,” the Father is working to reconcile us–spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Whatever is true, think about it. Philippians 4:8

Think. Breathe. Repeat.

Chipmunk of Truth

Prayer Response

Father, thank You for Your amazing love, perseverance, goodness and grace. I recognize many thoughts and emotions that prevented me from coming closer to You were not true. Give me grace to understand Your language–as You demonstrated Your love by learning my language. I yield to Your love, truth, and grace which are perfectly in harmony through Jesus Christ. Please grant me grace to trust You more. Thank You for not counting my sins against You as I draw closer through the Blood of Jesus that speaks mercy between us so that we can have the relationship You intended. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

copyright by Crystal Wade, 2016

Posted on June 1, 2016 by thelivinghopeblog | Leave a comment

Whatever is True

Posted on May 31, 2016 by thelivinghopeblog

True Thoughts

Babies, in many ways, are born fresh and clean, like a blank slate. Until they learn otherwise (which is not our Father’s design), they inherently trust.

So, they are expecting that what their parents (caregivers, teachers, adults) tell them is true. They expect that what they are feeling is true.

Words are said from the negatives (lack of knowledge, teasing, anger, frustration, etc.) that are not “true” according to our Father’s eternal truth of love for each person.

Our Father’s ancient enemy manipulates words, even words that are true, and uses them to create negative feelings in children that feel true (shame, guilt, unloved, rejected, embarrassment, fear).

Those early perceptions create neuropath connections in the child’s organic brain as well as imprints in their spirit and soul. These affect their bodies (and form weak places where sickness can attach).

So, they learn and grow with many “untrue” negative wirings running the software in their lives. And without an interruption of this negative flow, this “colors” and arrests their subsequent development.

This is the process with each person.

Though we may be many years away from childhood ourselves. (It’s what’s interrupting the positive flow in our children, too.)

Until the Holy Spirit helps us see, deal, and heal from those connections we made, as children, with the negatives (untruths), then they continue to interrupt the positive flow of life He designed us to have.

Crises are one major way the Lord Jesus Christ interrupts the “natural flow” of our life, to clean out the negatives and to restore us to His positive flow in the Father.

There are some crises we just have to embrace and move through. . .

But, there is an easier way, if we’ll give the Lord our full attention!

Easier way to flip the switch to “true” thoughts:

1. Realize–there are negatives I’ve “bonded” with as a result of being a human in a fallen world. BECAUSE I am loved and my Father has an enemy.
2. Recognize–the Holy Spirit is at work in my life to bring me to a place of positive flow, and it will go faster if I work with Him, not against Him as HE IS ON MY SIDE.
3. Refocus–on truth which is, with the Father, always connected to His love for me.

Whatever is true. . .think about it (Philippians 4:8).

TRUE Thoughts. . .
to FLIP ON the Light Switch (positive side)

When our Father created the world, He created it all good, with no bad. No bad. None.

We think of the word “good” = kind of okay.

Not so with the Father. It was best of the best! Premium! Excellent! Truly amazing! Good to the core! His whole creation = world. And His unique creation = you and I.

That brings me to wood. . good to the core.

My husband Stephen works with wood. He appreciates real wood as opposed to what passes for furniture today-veneer encrusting pressed saw-dust. (Is there an emoticon for smiling while shaking your head?!)

The featured picture showcases some of his hand-crafted pieces.

Wood True

He enjoys the difference between each kind of wood, and each cut of wood’s unique designs. He works with the wood’s natural beauty (instead of against its grain) as he shapes it into a pen, a bowl, a desk, a bookshelf, etc.

After his work with the real wood, beautiful creations emerge.

He had the vision when he found the wood in the forest or in the store in its natural form. In his presentation, others can now see the beauty and strength.

This is true.

This is the process our Lord Jesus Christ is working in us through His Spirit.

We are the pure wood.
Real. Not fake or defective as negatives spoke in childhood.

Good to the core.

Our Lord has vision for the beauty and strength He is forming in us. BEFORE anyone else can “see” it. This is His process in us–He enjoys us, shapes us, and brings out our beauty.

He is NOT condemning, judging, or criticizing us for our mistakes (as we held to negative thoughts we thought were true but were not).

He actually enjoys working in us. And with us. Amazing! (How far away from “sinners in the hands of an angry God” is this?)

When He’s finished with creative and restorative processes, He plans to show us off–with pride and joy!

These thoughts are true. Breathe. Think. Repeat.

Prayer Response

“Father, thank You for creating me REALLY good. Please shine Your light inside so I can see and release what I bonded to that was not true. I give You permission to remove the roots and fruits from the negatives You did not plant in my life. I give You permission to restore the good roots and fruits that were hindered in growth by the things I bonded to which I thought were true, but were not. Please give me grace to be who You created me to be, and who I want to be. Thank You in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.”

copyright by Crystal Wade, 2016

 

Posted in Connected Parenting, Whatever Is. . . | Leave a comment