by Lucy | Jul 3, 2019 | emotions, identity in Christ, People Who Hurt, thoughts
My funk came out of nowhere and I forgot to thank God. Not for the funk. That would be insane, right? But in the craziness of normal life.
Example 1: I sent my water bill payment to the electricity company, and the water company threatened to turn off my H2O.
Example 2: My cat tossed his cookies. And she boot-scooted, drawing criss-cross lines on the carpet. I’ll spare you a visual.
Example 3: Okay, this next one isn’t crazy but super stressful.
My college-age son, who lives 1,200 miles away, had to find a new place to stay fast. So I worried, and when I worry, I wake up a million times during the night, covers off, covers on, covers off. Not only that, my back tightens and my feet go all numb-y. Then I dwell on The Injury. And I fear a repeat.
Don’t Do What I Did
In the middle of my funk I focused on me. I failed to think about the all-powerful God who has my back. And I forgot to thank God.
But thanking God is his will!
Many times when I counsel hurting women they ask about God’s will for their lives, and we have rich conversations. I listen to their life story in the light of God’s redemptive plan for them. And it becomes clearer — God’s will.
Annie’s husband just lost his job. And she’s concerned but hopeful. Her husband’s a good guy, a harder worker, an amazing dad to their three kiddos. But now they don’t have health insurance. And the youngest needs physical therapy. And so she worried.
We opened to this snippet of Scripture:
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 2 Thessalonians 5:18
There it is. Thank God.
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Instead, Thank God
Often I give a “thank God” assignment to counselees. For 20 minutes, they list everything going on in life: the vacation to Hawaii, a costly car repair, a kid’s high school graduation, a husband’s lost job, and so on. You’ll note “good” and “bad” stuff on the list.
Then we give thanks.
Lucy, are you nuts? How could anyone possibly thank God for the bad stuff, right?
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But God says give thanks in all circumstances. In is not for. Really, who thanks God for cat barf and boot scoots? As we thank God in all circumstances, we recognize he’s is in control and knows exactly what we face. He is with us, in us. Thanking God becomes worship.
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When Annie made her list and thanked God in her circumstances, her focus shifted from self to God and her worry disappeared.
My 7 Things (plus one)
Now let’s give it a go. List everything happening in life. I’ll share the first 7 that come to mind.
- The pistachios I ate for lunch.
- My messy desk.
- Birds tweeting.
- My daughter’s MS (yes, that).
- Books!!!
- Wednesday nights studying Revelation with 20 others.
- Friends all over America but none near me in my new town.
- BONUS: My husband — I really don’t deserve him.
As expected, when I wrote my list, my spirit lifted. Remembering God for the little things, even the hard things, helped put my circumstances in perspective, and thank him. I entered into worship.
May I encourage you to set your timer to 20 minutes and list everything going on in your life? You’ll probably get stuck 5 minutes in. This is normal. Don’t give up. Keep going. Then thank God in all circumstances.
Let me know how it goes.
by Lucy | May 22, 2018 | biblical counseling, identity in Christ, thoughts
New heart, new desire, new life — every believer has this now. Crazy good truth, right? But sometimes we “forget,” don’t we? This article by guest writer Deborah Smith, which appeared first here on Reviving Your Heart, tells a story of we all need to heart: you are not what you were. Best of all, your hope is Christ. Her story is used with permission. Part 1 in a 3-part series.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17).
On January 22, 1999, the Lord delivered me from drug addiction. He removed the desire for drugs and alcohol and replaced it with a deep desire for Him. He began a good work in me—one that He promises to complete until the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:5). My deliverance was so immediate and drastic, it was obvious to everyone who knew me that the Lord had done something miraculous!
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Yes, my new life is a bonafide miracle. And if you are in Christ, so is yours!
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As a Christian, the Lord says that we are “new creations,” equipped with new hearts that will desire new things and will live a new life.
When is the last time you really thought about that? When you do reflect on it, what do you think? Do you walk in that truth or do you think things like, I’m definitely better, but I’m not sure about new?
While it’s difficult for some of us to believe this amazing truth because we still see sin in our lives, I want to encourage you to change your thinking. Yes, we still struggle with sin, but we are new, not perfect. Because of the very fact that you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, you’re not the same person.
Consider these three beautiful truths:
- Christians have new hearts.
- Christians have new desires.
- And Christians have new life!
A New Heart
“I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26).
The first thing God does when He saves us is to give us a heart that’s sensitive to His Spirit and able to be shaped by His Word. Considering that we are told to guard our heart, for out of it flows the issues of life (Prov. 4:23), it makes sense that the Lord begins His work there. Maybe you think things like,
I’ve got so much growing to do . . . or my heart still ain’t right! . . . or I don’t feel new.
Well, beloved, feelings are real, but they are not facts . . . and the fact is that the moment you and I confessed with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believed in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we were saved. From that day forward, we are being made new. Pretty astounding, right?
Oh, this was good news to me, because nineteen years ago, I desperately needed to be made new! And truth is I’m still in need, and I’m still being made new. Our justification is instantaneous, but our sanctification is a process, so press toward the mark and be patient with yourself. He is taking us from one degree of glory to the next (2 Cor. 3:18).
With a New Heart Comes Freedom
Before the Lord called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9), we were slaves to sin. Sin was our master, and it was a taskmaster! Consider the number of times you said, I’m not going to do that again or I’m not going to respond like that again, but found yourself unable to exercise any control.
For some reading this, you may remember indulging in sexual sin and even being soul-sick over it, but yet you had no power to resist. Or some of us were so completely self-centered in our thinking that we had no regard for others. Or perhaps you were consumed with jealousy and covetousness or anger and unforgiveness.
I remember wanting to be free from drugs and its accompanying sin years before I stopped. And when the Lord delivered me from those most obvious signs of my total depravity, I still struggled with heart issues: resentment, lying, greed, lust. Before the Lord’s grace in my life, I had no choice but to “be that person.” My friends, that’s bondage.
Here’s the good news: The Lord died to set us free! His Word says that those whom the Son sets free will be free indeed (John 8:36). Do you believe God’s Word? We will not be perfect this side of glory, but we are being perfected (Heb. 10:14). We aren’t yet what we’re going to be, but we aren’t what we used to be either. God says we have actually been reborn. My prayer is that we would believe God and embrace our new life, live free from regret of our sinful past, and walk boldly as children full of His Spirit.
Stay posted, friends: Part 2 covers new desires. You want new desires from what God has for you, don’t you?
Counseling Hearts to Hope,
by Lucy | Oct 17, 2017 | biblical counseling, book reviews, emotions, identity in Christ
Peace is a hot commodity today. We all want it in our anger-infused, Twitter-bombed world. But how?Biblical counselor and psychologist
Ed Welch offers hope for change for people who struggle with irritation and want peace. Really, who likes anger? And as
Welch sound-bites: To be angry is to destroy. Big Problem
Yes, anger pours out testy words.
Eye rolls and sighs reveal the simmer. Slammed doors shake homes and relationships. Anger may whisper or shout, but is almost always destructive. And Jesus had much to say about anger and its antitode:
God-honoring peace.Welch fills the pages with scripture passages and with instruction to overcome anger. His target:
the heart. His method: letting you see the yuck of anger and inviting you to want treasure in heaven most of all. It’s a self-versus-God attitude and choice, isn’t it?.
Hello, Peace!
On the path to peace, you’ll meet afresh the Prince of Peace: Jesus. You’ll also discover your need
to forgive. And pray. And bless an enemy. Welch suggests you read the meditations a day at a time. This way your mind and heart absorb all that is anger and hate it. You also learn to love peace and seek the Peace-Giver.
So if you’re sick of anger and want peace, read this little-big book–all 50 days.
Meet the Author
Edward T. Welch, M.Div., Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He earned a Ph.D. in counseling (neuropsychology) from the University of Utah and has a Master of Divinity degree from Biblical Theological Seminary. Ed has been counseling for over thirty years and has written extensively on the topics of depression, fear, and addictions.
by Lucy | Jul 4, 2017 | biblical counseling, emotions, identity in Christ
NEW IDENTITY: Today’s guest writer is pastor-teacher Stephen J. Moll, my husband and a Sunday morning radio show host. You can read his original post here. Steve has preached extensively on the believer’s new identity in Christ, including these 7 truths you need to know. Free download below.
If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, you’ve received an amazing new identity.You’re a new person! The moment you were saved you became a radically different person from the one you were before you were saved! In his writings, the Apostle Paul details the wonderful new identity all believers have in Christ.
Our new identity in Christ is designed by God to empower us, lead us, encourage us, and motivate us to live fruitful and victorious Christian lives. Therefore, it is vital that we know what the Word of God tells us about who we really are in Christ.
Here are the amazing truths about our new identity in Christ.
1. Totally Forgiven!
In Christ you are totally forgiven of ALL your sins (Eph. 1:7, 4:32; Col. 1:13-14, 2:13, 3:13; Heb. 9:26-28, 10:13-14). As believers, all of our sins–past, present, and future–have been forgiven through Christ’s death at the cross. We don’t need to ask him to forgive us over and over again.
Tragically, some Christians continually ask God to forgive them for the sins they commit when he’s already done that for them at the cross. Be assured that God completely dealt with the sin issue once and for all. All of believers’ sins have been totally forgiven and our fellowship with God is secure because we are in Christ.
2. Perfectly Righteous!
In Christ you have the perfect righteousness of the Son of God (Rom. 3:21-24). All of our good works will not make us any more righteous than we became at the moment we were saved, when God gave us the perfect righteousness of his Son. We were declared totally righteous by God, the act of God the Bible calls “our justification” (Rom. 4:25).
Because we are in Christ, God sees us as just as perfectly righteous as his Son! We need to accept and embrace what God says is true about our perfect standing before Him and not base our standing on how we may feel from moment to moment and day to day.
3. Child of God!
In Christ you are a child of God (John 1:12-13). This is the wonderful reality of our intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The great news is that God wants us to grow close to him in a warm and loving personal relationship (Rom 8:15-16). As God’s children we can approach him freely and confidently.
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Eph. 3:12)
God wants you to rest in and enjoy a close personal relationship with him. He wants you to know that you can turn to him and talk to Him anytime. He’s with you all the time as he’s loving you perfectly all the time. In addition, you are unconditionally accepted by God (Rom. 15:7). Many believers struggle with this truth. It’s difficult to believe, isn’t it? Despite your faults and failures, God still accepts you.
4. Blessed!
You have every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3). You don’t have to pray for more spiritual blessings! The truth is that believers already possess every spiritual blessing in Christ, and we received them all at the moment we were saved.
5. Complete!
You are complete in Christ (Col. 2:9-10). When God says that you’re complete in His Son, then you are complete! God has given us everything we need in order to enjoy a close and growing relationship with Him. At the moment of salvation, we received everything we need in order to live a victorious Christian life.
6. Free!
Jesus Christ has set you free (John 8:36). He has freed believers from sin and the law (Gal. 5:1). In our freedom we are now free to live as the Holy Spirit guides and leads us.
The Bible teaches that as a child of God you are not to live your Christian life by following the Mosaic Law, which God gave to the nation Israel, or any other works-based systems devised by men. Living that way does not produce victory over sin. It only produces confusion, frustration, bondage, and defeat as a believer eventually realizes, often painfully, that that way doesn’t work. God’s Word is clear:
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. (Rom. 6:14)
Tragically, legalism has been a primary problem in Christ’s church ever since it started nearly 2000 years ago. Legalism mixes law and grace (or all law and no grace!), resulting in all kinds of errors and false teaching. We thank God that He has given us the Bible, our sole source book of truth. It teaches us His way for us to live as his children.
7. Eternally Secure!
You are eternally secure in Christ.
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Believers cannot lose salvation (Rom. 8:31-39). Once we’ve been born again of the Spirit we can’t become unborn! The Bible says that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39). We are eternally secure in his perfect love!
You see, Jesus Christ has done it all for us! That’s the beauty of grace. It makes it all about him, not about us. So, He now invites us to rest in him (Matt. 11:28-30) and the work He has done for us.
DOWNLOAD: Would you like a free download on more new identity truths? Ask Lucy for the New Identity download today.
by Lucy | Apr 4, 2017 | biblical counseling, identity in Christ, Tuesday tool
“A-to-Z Identity List” is this month’s Tuesday tool.
When you tell yourself the truth of who you are in Christ, your life undergoes a beautiful transformation.
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“I am Chosen by God”…”I am Made to worship”…”I am Victorious over sin” — these A-to-Z truths and others come from the Word of God. And they will encourage you to stop false beliefs and start seeing through the lens of scripture. Then as you embrace them, your mind is renewed (Romans 12:2), and healing follows.
Get the Most from the A-to-Z List
Here are two excellent ways to delve into your God-given identity and get the most out of the A-to-Z list.
- Read the entire list of words, and note 3 to 5 that are meaningful to you.
- In a journal, personalize each verse. EXAMPLE: For Lamentations 3:22-23, you might personalize it by jotting down,
God loves me and has great compassion for me.
I don’t have to let trials rock me because God is always faithful to me.
Journaling God’s truth is among the best helps for my counselees to reduce their anxiety, calm their anger, and turn their feelings of despair into real hope.
A-to-Z List
Accepted–John 15:15; Ephesians 1:6
Born Again–John 3:5-7
Chosen, confident–Ephesians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 3:3-4
Direct Access to God–Ephesians 2:18, 3:12; Hebrews 4:16; 1 Peter 2:5
Established by God--Genesis 1:27; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
Forgiven—Ephesians 1:7; Psalm 32:1; Isaiah 43:25-26!
God’s child—John 1:12; 1 John 3:1
Heir with Christ–Romans 8:17, Galatians 3:29
Immersed in Jesus Christ–Acts 2:38; Romans 6:4
Justified—1 Corinthians 6:11; Titus 3:5-8
Kept for eternity--John 10:28, 29; Philippians 1:6
Loved–John 3:16, 15:13; Ephesians 5:2, Colossians 3:12
Made to worship–Ecclesiastes 3:10-11; John 4:24
New creation in Christ–2 Corinthians 5:17
Optimistic--Joshua 1:9; Romans 8:28-29
Peace—John 14:27; Philippians 4:7, 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Quietness of Soul–Psalm 46:10, 62:5, 131:2
Rescued from Satan’s domain–Colossians 1:13
Secure, sealed – 1 Peter 1:5; Ephesians 1:13-14, 2:8-9
Temple of God–1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:1
Unique--Matthew 10:30; Psalm 139:14
Victorious over sin–1 Corinthians 15:57; 1 John 5:4
Whole, no longer incomplete–James 1:2-4, 1 John 4:12
Xtra valued by God–Psalm 17:8, Deuteronomy 32:10
Yoked with Jesus–Matthew 11:28-29
Zealous for the things of God–Revelation 3:19; Titus 2:14
by Lucy | Mar 30, 2017 | biblical counseling, identity in Christ |
Here’s beautiful truth: You are who God says you are!
And God says you’re worth it and you’re lovely.
Pretty amazing, isn’t it? God cares about you and me and everyone. But isn’t it tough to believe that something so wonderful is true? That he protects you? That he cares?
In fact, you may have struggled with believing you matter and that God has a good plan for your life. Have you ever asked yourself questions like,
- Do I make a difference in anyone’s life?
- Does God smile when he thinks of me?
- How can God love me?
The truth is, Jesus is with you. He loves you. He cares.
Two Encouraging Stories
Corrie Ten Boom: God’s Protection
Chances are, you’ve heard parts of Corrie Ten Boom’s WWII story. Her family hid Jews in a secret place in their home above their watch shop. When the Nazis discovered their secret in 1944, they arrested the Ten Boom family and sent them to a concentration camp.
Upon arrival at the camp, Corrie and her sister, Betsie, waited in line to be searched. And guess what Corried did? She prayed.
With a bible hidden in her clothing, she prayed that the Nazis would not find it. She prayed, “Dear God, you have given me this precious Book. You have kept it hidden through checkpoints and inspections.” The Nazis searched the woman in front of Corrie, and they searched Betsie.
But Corrie? They left her alone. The bible stayed with her in the camp, and God’s word kept hatred from her heart.
Like Corrie, you are secure because you are hidden in Christ.
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble. Psalm 32:7
Sandi: Small Acts of Kindness
Years ago I counseled “Sandi,” whose parents were addicts and abused her every which way imaginable. As the eldest, she would stand between her parents and her little brothers and sisters, sparing them and taking the punishment. And she was a child too!
The authorities caught up with Sandi’s parents, who were convicted of child abuse and distributing child pornography, and served time in prison. Sandi and her siblings ended up in foster care. Yet God blessed her and gave her a desire to be kind to others.
Among her stories I love is the time she noticed a homeless woman taking food from a dumpster behind a fast food joint, She offered her her own uneaten lunch. The woman declined at first. Then Sandi began regularly buying two lunches a few times a week–one for herself, one for the woman–and the woman ate hers.
Sandi’s small acts of kindness demonstrated the truth that God treasures all people–Sandi, you, me. And the homeless.
Like Sandi, you are significant because you are precious in God’s eyes.
You are precious and honored in my sight…because I love you. Isaiah 43:4
Scriptures About You
Read through this short list of the truth of who you are. May I encourage you to look up the bible verses too? They are hope for your heart.
I have a long list too. If you want the long list, please send me a message with the words “Who I Am in Christ” in the subject line and I’ll send it to you.
You are precious to God. (Isaiah 43:4)
You are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
You are complete. (Colossians 2:9,10)
You are secure. (Romans 8:31-39)
You are God’s workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)
You are God’s treasure. (1 Peter 2:9,10)
Father, thank you for reminding us who we are in Christ. Thank you that when you look at us you see true beauty that comes from your Son, our Savior. Amen.
Counseling Hope to Your Heart,
