GO FOR IT…. 

Joshua - 

Chapter 3v1-6&14-end—Ch 5v1

A New Venture

Have you ever found yourself in a difficult situation where you can’t turn back, but moving forward takes tremendous courage? Maybe you rather half heartedly applied for a job, and one morning you pick up a letter and to your utter dismay you find that you have got an interview. Backing out is difficult but moving forward and going to the interview demands a lot of courage. Perhaps you have decided to start a business or step out into Christian Ministry. Whatever your situation moving forward takes courage and sometimes we want to be teleported out of a course of action we have decided on. 

According to the Bible the Israelites found themselves in this position. Whilst modern readers may have difficulty with some aspects of the story there are many lessons to be learnt about moving forward.

Let’s look at the background.

They had come a long way and received many blessings from God

• Moses had lead them out of Egypt,
• They had also seen the hand of God in the parting of the Dead Sea.
• They also received the commandments of God as he met with Moses on Mount Sinai and the observance of these was meant to be what characterised them as a nation.
• They had crossed the Jordan and were ready to enter the promised land

Are you Willing to Move Forward?

Imagine the scene

I want you to imagine the scene; the Children of Israel eventually crossed over the Jordan, and entered the Promised Land. They had at last taken a step of faith, they knew that there were giants in the land  but despite that they had begun to move forward.

Persue the Vision

Maybe you are at a stage when you need to move forward in order to fulfil the vision that God has given you. When you are pushing a car the hardest part is getting it to roll. Perhaps God has been speaking to you and telling you to do something very specific.

Like the Israelites when they eventually crossed the Jordan there is a time to step out in faith and be ready to ignore the problems. There comes a point with any venture where we have to move forward and push through the difficulties. You have to make a decision that you are going to go for it – the ‘I will’ of decision.

It is interesting to note that in Joshua 3 v 16, the priests had to step in with both feet before the waters subsided. When we embark on doing something for God we need to sometimes step in with both feet. If you have a vision go for it.

A number of years ago we decided to run a business. Although we felt it was a God given vision getting into it was a real struggle. In the end I had to give up my safe job as a teacher before he would release the business to us. I am not saying that we all have to give up our jobs but there is a sense that we do have to jump in with both feet if we want to see a vision fulfilled. We have to be determined to move forward and decide that we will to do so. Believe in yourself and the fact that you have been equipped by God.

Secondly if we are to be successful in moving forward we need to be in relationship

If we are to move forward we need to remember God wants us to move forward as part of our relationship with Him.

Let’s return to our story.

The Israelites were at last in the Promised Land and ready to attack Jericho. So what do they do? Anyone who was a military strategist would see the following scene as totally wacky. Here they are about to conquer Jericho and suddenly the order comes to stop and circumcise all the males.

You see, when they refused to enter the Promised Land the Israelites had in effect turned their backs on the covenant given to Abraham that God would give them the land. They no longer were identified as the people of God. Circumcision was a symbol of that covenant, but it had not been appropriate while they were out of covenant with God, wandering round the desert. None of the males had been circumcised since they had left Egypt. If they were going to engage in battle they had to be ready and prepared. Circumcision is what identified them with God and His covenant of taking the land; and if they were going to be victorious then they needed to show that they belonged to Him. We too can only be successful in life if we are in relationship with God. This is because we can experience his help and enabling and we have the added resources of prayer and the Holy Spirit.

My third point is that if we are going to successfully move forward we need to be obedient – saying ‘I will’ no matter what.

We have seen that when the people of Israel under the leadership of Joshua had crossed the Jordan they had to wait, and prepare themselves before attacking the city of Jericho. In accordance with the laws of Moses they had to circumcise themselves. In other words they had to submit themselves to God before they could conquer the Land.

Circumcision of Heart ( Submission to God )

In the church today we are obviously not under the Old Testament Law of circumcision, but the New Testament does talk about a circumcision of the heart. This is intimated at in Deut 30 v 6

The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

“Circumcision of the heart” as Paul describes it in Romans 2 v 29, is a consecration of our lives and everything we possess into God’s service. Like the Israelites, we as Christians have to submit to God, if we are going to be successful in fulfilling the visions that God has given us. This is because he wants us to be dependent on him.

If our lives are not fully submitted to God then we are not equipped to take part in Spiritual warfare. In James 4v7 we are exhorted to submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee and it has to be in that order.

Are we in Submission to God?

When an army surrenders they wave a white flag. This is a sign that they are no longer engaged in warfare, but they are submitting themselves to the hand of the enemy.

As unbelievers the Bible tells us that we are enemies of the gospel and refuse to accept the plans and purposes that God has for us. When we become Christians we lifted the flag of surrender and submitted to the ways of God. There is a dying to our old way of life and a putting on of the new. We have now changed sides and are members of the Lord’s army.

• To find out more about what it means to be a Christian — press the link

However we are all very prone to following our selfish natures and there are times when we slip back into doing our own thing. For the Christian today this can be a continuous process as we struggle with the whole area of submission to God. That is why we need to examine ourselves from time to time to see if there are any aspects of our life that are not under the Lordship of Christ.

We need to submit to God not only in lifestyle but also in the details of how we move forward. As we do so we will experience God’s blessing.

Do we receive inspiration from God?

Ch5 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua came face to face with the commander of the Lords army and in chapter 6 v2 the Lord speaks to him and gives him the strategy for the destruction of Jericho.

Are we nurturing an ongoing experience of the living God and listening to His voice? The whisper of God is heard by those who have a circumcised heart, those who are willing to listen and obey His command. It says in John 10 v 4 that His sheep know His Voice. This applies to every aspect of life, and not just the spiritual aspects.

Obedience to the voice of God

It is also important that we are obedient to the strategy which He gives. We note in the text that Joshua was completely obedient to the commands of God.

It is true that we live in an era of grace and that God delights to give us a second chance, but if we are to experience the full blessings of God then we must follow His strategy. If the people had let out the shout before the appointed time then I believe that the walls would not have fallen down. That is a sobering thought!”!!!

But what does it mean in practice to submit to God ?

1. In one sense it means different things for different people
2. For some this may mean sacrificing our own goals and ambitions in order to participate more fully in the work of God.
3. For others it is putting the interests of God, and of other people before us. Its not that God always wants us to do things that are contrary to what we want but he does want us to put Him first in our lives.
4. Maybe you have a specific vision that you feel that you have received from God. If so go for it!!!!

 Questions

Is He Lord of My relationships?

Is he Lord of my bank account?

Is He Lord of the way I spend time my time?

Am I developing my relationship with Him?

The list is endless and each one of us has to listen to God to find out the issues He wants to highlight in our lives.

Sometimes it is good to make a new start of submission to God. Unless we wave our white flags, symbolising absolute surrender of our minds and hearts to God, we will never stand the heat of battle, and be in that place where God can specifically use us for His plans and purposes.

Conclusion

• Have you made the decision to go forward with God in any particular area he has challenged you? – I will?
• Have you committed yourself wholeheartedly to him – in the loving relationship like the marriage service? – I will
• Have you determined to hear from God, and live life his way – submitted to him,
• Following any particular instructions he has laid on your heart – I will

The Challenge

Are you totally submitted to God? Have you waved the flag of absolute surrender? If there is something that God has spoken to you about, then I believe there is a grace for a second chance. Are you listening to God, and seeking His strategy for our lives. Maybe you need to set time aside to listen to God, and hear what He has to say.

The Call of Discipleship – Mark2 v13-18

“Follow me”

Jesus always seemed to attract a crowd. There were probably those who were curious as to what was going on and wanted to see an exciting event. Then there were those who wanted to see Israel set free from Roman rule and were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah as their deliverer. Others perhaps were seeking wisdom and a spiritual approach to life. This later category consisted of those who would hang onto every word that Jesus taught in contrast to those who were looking for the spectacular.

It says in verse 13 that Jesus taught them, and in many ways Jesus was the master teacher. There are many lessons that we can learn about communicating with people from Jesus the teacher.

Imagine the scene in verse 14. Jesus had just finished teaching when he saw a man called Alpheus. Maybe Alpheus had listened to his teaching, but Jesus knew his heart and said “Follow me”. The amazing thing was that the man got up and followed Jesus. Here was a man who was prepared not only to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, but also he listened to the spirit within and he followed his inclination and put his trust in Jesus. He was prepared to follow  his inclination to the degree that he was ready to leave his old life behind and become a follower of Jesus.

Why did Jesus operate in this way? Firstly the method not was unusual for a Jewish rabbi. Discipleship in the Middle Eastern culture meant to give up all in order to follow your teacher. This was true not only in Israel but also in other cultural settings in that part of the world. The teacher is the first to set the example. Jesus left his home and family in order to devote himself to God and ministry.

I am not suggesting that God expects us to do this in our culture. It is no longer relevant to our context. We do however have to make definite choices to follow the teachings of Jesus and set ourselves apart from situations that are unhelpful to our lives and ministry. This may mean not following our peer group, family or even employers if they ask us to do something that is contrary to the love standard laid down by Jesus.

Also we do have to make some challenging decisions regarding our commitment to Christ and some may even be called to leave behind their employments and follow Jesus full time.

V15 gives us an indication of how Jesus was prepared to ignore the expectations of those around him and do what he believed the nature of God would require in a particular situation.

Many Christians would turn their noses up at going to a nightclub, but Jesus seemed to take the attitude “lets’ party, party, party”.

The religious leaders could not understand why he was eating with sinners and tax collectors – they were considered the lowest of the low. Tax Collectors are never popular, but in Roman times they had a reputation for demanding more than what was owed. Also they were working for the Roman forces of occupation.

Jesus in many ways expressed the inclusiveness of God and related to people regardless of background, disability or personality. He touched the lepers, talked with notorious sinners and scoffers and cared about people not patriotic to their country. Yes he really cared about the Jews, but he looked beyond their borders to those in other cultures and was not bound by the limitations imposed by those around. An example of this is where he spends time with a Samaritan woman who was filling her bucket at the well.

An interesting question to ask is where Jesus would be today and who he would associate with. He certainly would be looking beyond the confines of the church. Maybe he would be partying at family gatherings, associating with the disabled and those with learning difficulties, visiting people with AIDS and giving dignity to all people regardless of their colour, nationality, gender, gender orientation or religious world view.

God loves all.

There has been a lot of talk about the work of the Holy Spirit over the last few decades. The early part of the century saw the emergence of the Pentecostal movement which has now become a worldwide phenomena. There has been considerable growth in these churches in places like South America, Africa and South Korea. The Church founded by David Yonngi Cho in Seoul Korea is purported to be the largest church in the world and has well over a quarter of a million members.

In the 1960s here in the west we saw the birth of the Charismatic movement which was when many church members discovered the experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. With this came a new emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit as outlined in 1 Corinthians 14 and in particular the ability to praise the Lord and pray in tongues.  This experience often brought with it a renewed sense of the presence of God, and increased effectiveness in areas of ministry.

The 1970′s saw the birth of the ‘House Movement’ and the birth of house groups in traditional churches. These were often places where people felt free to experiment with the gifts of the Spirit and build relationships with one another. Many of these have developed into bigger and more fruitful churches.

However, have we tapped into the fullness of the Holy?

Do we experience all that the Holy Spirit has to offer? Whilst at theological colege in the mid 1990′s a number of students got upset by a song that was asking for “more love, more power”. They argued that the Holy Spirit is available to all and because he is fully God he therefore has  all love and power. They were both already available in full measure. I certainly wouldn’t argue with their statement and theological position, but I do believe that we can position ourselves to enjoy and access more of his love and power and that there are keys to releasing God’s power into a ministry situation.

Firstly I would like to comment on the issue of faith. Life coaches are saying that believing in ourselves, and our  ability to cope in life can make a difference to what we can  do and achieve. If we see ourselves as a successful person we are more likely to achieve. If this is true on a natural level how much more true is it for those of us who believe we are filled with the Holy Spirit? Do we really believe that the Holy Spirit is the power of God to help us live a full and successful life? Do we believe that the Holy Spirit is able to empower us to do his will, and do we believe that he is the power of God who indwells us?

What we believe about the  Holy Spirit will affect our level of holiness, ability to exercise the gifts and experience of his help in overcoming life’s difficulties. We can have confidence in our ability to cope because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our  lives. If we see ourselves as unsuccessful we are not putting our faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray that God will give us the insight to be  able to comprehend his power and love.

Secondly there seems to be a link between passion for God, the exercise of spiritual disciplines, and the power of the Spirit. Those countries that have experienced revival have all placed a strong emphasis on prayer and fasting. The church  in Korea even has  a prayer mountain where people go for periods of prayer and fasting. Also there is a strong emphasis on pastoral care, and in David Yonngi Cho’s church this is the job of the house group leader. It is their role to ensure that  members are strong and vibrant  and are in a position where they are able to be active  in prayer and the ministry of the church. Passion needs to be corporate and people empowered if the church is to access more of the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Thirdly we need to be committed to following the teachings of Jesus. It may be true that we are continually being filled with the Holy Spirit but it is rather like trying to fill a jar with holes in. It is a continuous process as the fluid leaks through the cracks. The more we seek to follow the teachings of Jesus and the promptings of the Holy Spirit the more we are charged with his power. To do anything else is to grieve the Holy Spirit and results in decreasing of his effect in the life of the believer.

How do you see God?

Maybe you are one of those people like me who was brought up to believe that we ought treat God with a sense of immense reverence and respect. Maybe we view the divine as a rather harsh judge who is standing over us with a big stick waiting for us to do something wrong. He sends calamity and disaster to those who ignore his will.

It is rather surprising that Jesus says to his disciples that he now sees them as friends. Most Christians believe that he perfectly expressed the nature of God, and consider him to be part of the Godhead, and yet he says to his disciples that you are my friends.

What does this say about his leadership? So often in today’s world celebrities and leaders tend to put themselves on a pedestal and distance themselves from ordinary people. This is sometimes due to the fear of loosing influence or credibility. Leaders can be very insecure people and they often fear to make themselves known to the people they serve. However when we look at the leadership style of Jesus we see a different method. We are told that Jesus gave up the privileges that he enjoyed in heaven and was born into a rather mediocre family in difficult circumstances. Jesus could have easily distanced himself from the people he came to serve and yet we see him cleaning their feet, forgiving their short comings and treating them as friends.

As we get older we know that a good friend is hard to find, and being a good friend is even harder. When Jesus died on the cross he demonstrated the nature of true friendship, after all he said that it was ‘the greatest love’ to lay down one’s life for a friend. Peter however failed the test by not standing up for his friend. After Jesus was arrested he denied knowing him three times before the cock crowed twice. Jesus  anticipated this and knew that people are not always reliable. Despite Peter’s failings, Jesus gave him a second chance when he said at the end of John’s gospel “feed my sheep”.

I am sure many of us have been let down by friends and feel disillusioned with people. The truth is that only God can fully satisfy our deepest need for friendship. He is the perfect friend. When Jesus said to his disciples that he saw them as friends, he was in fact saying that he not only liked to be with them but he would identify himself with them. The whole point of the Christmas story is that Jesus was willing to identify with rich and poor alike.

A Good Friend!

We Enjoy Life with a Good Friend.

A good friend is somebody who supports us through the good and bad times of life. Whilst our earthly friends are limited by time, geography and human limitations, God is with us  in every season of life. He is not a distant King who expects one sided obedience  but he is a king who also wants to be our friend.   He wants to share our problems, support us through difficult times and speak to us when we need encouragement. He  is committed to our needs and it is out of our response to his friendship that we seek to serve him.

In my last post I described the zeal of the desert fathers and mothers and how they went out into the desert to pray and to fast. It is certainly good to step over the threshold of comfort and develop the spiritual disciplines. However whilst this is true we need to remember that it is not all about abstinace and prayer and this needs to be part of a relationship with God. In the story of Adam and Eve it describes Adam having an intimate conversation with God in the cool of the day – they were friends. The significance of the message of the gospel is that the relationship that we should have had with God has been restored and we can relate to God as a friend.

There is a certain type of friend with whom we can share deeply some of the things that trouble us. God is the perfect example of this type of friend. Yes he does enjoy our praise and worship. He does appreciate our prayers for the needs of others but he also delights in our relationship with him. Jesus took time out to enjoy relationship with his disciples. There is a delightful story  of Jesus enjoying his food with his disciples, but the pharasees rebuked him because they thought they should have been praying and fasting.  He also wasn’t afraid to let his hair down with his friends and family as we see in the story of the wedding at Cana. The truth is that God enjoys our fun times as much  as our spiritual occasions. Brother Lawrence, a devout monk, described how he chatted to God and washed the dishes to his glory.

When I was a teenager I enjoyed walking in the countryside and talking to God.  Just sharing our everyday problems strengthens our relationship with God, and the scripture exhorts us to hand over our cares and worries. I discovered it was at times like this that we often hear God speak to us.  This sounds strange to western ears but we can  often hear God speak to us in the stillness when we invite him into our lives.

Is God your  Best Friend?

If you are a believer maybe you need to develop and nurture this relationship with God. Find out afresh that he loves you and desires to be your companion. The 23rd Psalm is a powerful song that reminds us that he is with us in every circumstance of life.

Maybe you long to discover God as your friend, but you are not sure how. Believing in Jesus opens the door to a relationship with God and the adventure of faith. Invite the Holy Spirit to come and help you do this. More thoughts on how to discover this relationship with God can be found on my web page ”How to Become a Christian”

If you want to read about the story of how I discovered this relationship with God read my story on Hub pages “Childhood Faith Revisited”.

Being on our own isn’t easy but solitude can be a blessing if we use it well. There is a close link between a period of solitude for the purpose of prayer and fasting and fulfilment in lifestyle and ministry. Jesus himself set this example when he went out into the desert, after experiencing his fathers love when he was baptised by his cousin John in the river Jordan. Traditionally this has been seen as a time of testing when he endured the temptation, but the reason he went out was to pray and fast.

In the west we live in a society where we expect to be well fed and financially prosperous. It is not that these things are wrong in themselves but we have become very shallow, and the motto of our society seems to be “I shop therefore I am”.  Having got used to the entertainment industry our attention span has become shorter and we are less able to concentrate on prayer or bible study. The result of this is often a flabby church where people go through the  motions of worshipping God but lack the power of the Spirit.

This trend is not new and has been repeated at various points in history. In the 4^th century eastern churches were linked with the Byzantine empire (an offshoot of Rome) and the church had lost much of its of its spiritual power. It became very worldly and reflected the materialistic values of empire, rather than being an expression of love and social justice. Many Christians became so disillusioned  with the infiltration of the state by its values that they went out into the desert in order to worship God and develop their spirituality. These people are often referred to as the Desert fathers  and mothers and their wisdom can be found in bookshops today. It was this strand of Christianity that gave birth to the Celtic strain of Christianity that developed in the British Isles. These charismatic Christians were known for the depth of their spirituality. Some of them spent their time as hermits whilst others discovered increased effectiveness in their particular callings.

However their desire to leave the cities and enter the desert was not just a negative reaction. They wanted to leave behind their worldly wealth and status in order to be more like Jesus. In the desert they could devote themselves to prayer, fasting and the spiritual disciplines without distraction.

How does this relate to us?

Maybe in our world today we need to discover the power of solitude. We do not need to leave house and home like the desert saints but we can set some time aside. Maybe we can set aside a day in which we watch no TV and devote our time to praise, prayer and bible study. The apostle Paul believed there was value in buffeting the body that is bringing it in to subjection so that we are not dictated to by its passions. He also teaches that we need to learn to say ‘no’ to sin and ‘yes’ to correct ways of thinking and behaving.

Fasting is a way of demonstrating to God that we are serious about our prayer and the abstention is offered up to God as a sacrifice of praise. There is something about it that sharpens our discernment and our ability to see life from a spiritual point of view.  Another point of fasting is that it also enables us to use our freed-up time to develop our relationship with God and missing TV for a period of time can do the same.

If we peruse the teaching in Isaiah 58 we see that there is more to fasting than doing without food and using the time for personal devotion. We also need to abstain from pandering to the dictates of our ambition, greed and selfishness. We need to put legs on our prayers by exercising love and charity towards others. We live in a society that encourages us to promote ourselves at the expense of others. Let us begin to shake off this practice as we begin to employ the disciplines of prayer and fasting. When we devote our prayers to the needs of others we often experience blessing in our own lives as well.

Acts of charity have also been very much a part of Christian spirituality and again it frees us from being self absorbed. Maybe as part of your time of   prayer and fasting you could make a point of thinking about the needs of somebody else. These are just some of the spiritual disciplines available to us.

Jesus gave his disciples two commandments which are to love God and one’s neighbour as oneself. The spiritual disciplines help us to practise this love and to express it in our relationship to God and others. If we are to become more like Jesus then we will seek to walk in his footsteps,making use of the spiritual disciplines.Derek Prince wrote a book called “Changing the World through Prayer and fasting”. We would all like to change the world. Perhaps we fail to see the amazing potential that we really have for making a difference!

What is the source of this potential? Could it be that it is to shed some of our spiritual flabbiness and engage in prayer and fasting? Food indeed for thought!!

The early church was a loose community of believers who were scattered throughout the Middle East. Maybe you have wondered why a small band of people had such a remarkable influence and what was it that made them successful.

Let’s look at what happened. Whilst they were praying and fasting, the apostles and the followers of Jesus experienced a divine connection with the Spirit of God. The story can be found in the second chapter of Acts. It was a strategic moment when there were Jews from all over the known world present in Jerusalem for a big celebration. We are all aware that there was a community of believers in the city of Jerusalem under the leadership of James. However many of the people who responded to Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost lived in different countries and came from afar. They then returned to their countries and established communities of believers in other countries.

The early church was a fluid movement and the disciples of Jesus went of in all directions to preach his message. This was one of its strengths. Thomas is thought to have established churches in India, Mark in Egypt, and Peter made his way to Rome. The early church spread our into many parts of the known world.

It is often thought that Paul was the person who took the gospel to the Gentiles. It is certainly true that he played his part and his letters have been included in the bible. However nowhere in scripture does it claim that all the Gentile churches were established by him. The Christian gospel had taken root in other nations long before Saul was converted and he was part of this movement that originated on the day of Pentecost.

One of the features of the early church was that it wasn’t an organisation, but was a loosely linked and fluid community of believers. True the Jewish community was lead by James and sought to establish its authority on the others. They sent out teams of missionaries into churches influenced by Paul to try and convert them back to obeying the Jewish laws. However there was no fixed expression of Christianity and they relied for their teaching on word of mouth i.e. the testimony of those who had known Jesus, and different writings, not all of which ended up in our scriptures. The only accepted canon was the Old Testament.

Being a Christian is not just about believing the correct doctrine, but is also about experiencing the power of God. The early disciples had an experience that they described as being filled with the Holy Spirit. Many churches also expected the supernatural and although we might have a less literal approach in today’s world, the belief in the intervention of God is an important aspect of Christian Belief. The gifts of the Spirit have been evident in  most revival meetings.

The early church relied on the kerygma or gospel message as the means of salvation. This was probably the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. On the day of Pentecost Peter preached a sermon in which he describes these events. The discovery of a personal relationship with God was central to the message of the early church. Also many of the early Christian believers shared their experience of Jesus and the gospel was spread by word of mouth.

The early church was also communal in nature and was based on the principles of love and justice. They shared each other’s lives and had a commitment to prayer. This was the practical outworking of the message that they preached and their sincerity is something we can emulate today.

When we go on to look at church history most phases of growth occurred by this principle. Ordinary people often going as business people into other countries and taking the gospel with them. Christianity came to Britain long before the first planned mission to these isles and Roman Britain had many Christian families. The evangelical revivals of the 19^th century were based on the same principles and the result was that Christianity went around the world.

The gospel empowered people in the early Christian church to share the good news and this, coupled with its flexible nature, lead to the expansion of the church into most of the known world.

In these days of credit crunch and unemployment,  it is easy to get distracted from enjoying our lives. Also the pressures of everyday family life can be taxing and fraught with tiredness and frustration.Whilst there are no easy answers to the necessity of coping with life’s problems, it seems to me that we waste a lot of time and effort in grumbling about the way things are.

I am sure that we have all met people who complain about everything, from their lack of finance, to the weather and the policies  of politicians. Yes we all have our opinions, but what do we actually achieve by complaining? Do the politicains take any notice? Does the weather change? I think we all know the answer to these questions – but there is an added problem. Neurology tells us when we complain and get fed up we deny the brain certain chemicals which means that we are more vulnerable to depression. The only person that it harms, is us!

How do we handle the pressures and frustrations of life?

Ithink it sounds simplistic to say that we need a positive mindset, but sometimes the simple answers are the best. If that is so, how do we transition from seeing the glass half empty to seeing it half full? Its amazing how we have the tendency to notice the difficulties of life and take for granted the things that we enjoy each day. Or as the saying goes -

The optimist and the pessimist, the difference is quite drole -

The optimist sees the peppermint, the pessimist sees the hole!

I have found it helpful to set some time aside to think of the positive aspects of life. At first this can seem naively sad, but when done over a period of time it can help us to be more positive. It helps us overcome our tendency to be negative. Psychologists tell us that positive thinking is good for our health, and suprisingly so is laughter.

There is a biblical saying that laughter is a good medicine and there is certainly nothing like a good hearty laugh to burst depression and lift our spirit.Perhaps this is something to think about as we approach winter. I worked with a colleague who used to tell the story of how her father recovered from a stress-related illness by watching a job lot of Laurel and Hardy films. Maybe they are not everybodies cup of tea, but lets find ways of having fun. Jeannette always tells me about how they always used to tell jokes in Liverpool and they would laugh till their sides ache. Lets face it Liverpool has more of its fair share of comics including the likes of professional comedians such as Ken Dodd. Perhaps we can learn from them as well as just laughing at their jokes. Despite what you might think  I am not old enough to remember the war, but I am always  impressed with the way in which we are told people had fun despite the hardships. Life today is in danger of becoming all work and no play and we all know what they say about that!!.

Maybe from time to time we need to take the time to hang out and chill out. Lets face it being positive, counting our blessings, and having a good sense of humour is free of charge, but remember don’t tell the politicians or they might tax it!lol.

I appreciate that these ideas are not rocket science but we all need to be reminded. John Lennon said ‘all we need is love’, but perhaps we also  a good dose of laughter and positive thinking. It would help us to relax and therfore be more creatively with the issues that we face.  Maybe the credit crunch won’t be solved by laughter, but it might make it a bit less painful!

Have a Break-have a laugh!It may be winter but we can still have fun.

How good is your self esteem?

Are you one of those people who think of yourself in a negative light. We live in a competitive world and those who are born winners i.e. celebrities are often held in high esteem. The media encourage this and give the impression that to be someone you have to be beautiful, sexy, successful in your career or a millionaire.

For many school has been a negative experience. The story is told that Einstein’s teacher told him that he would never amount to anything. Thank goodness he did not allow this to influence his self worth. When I was young we all had to take the 11 plus and on this basis we were categorised as to whether we could go to grammar school. I was a late developer so I had to go to secondary modern despite the fact that I had more intellectual interests. Fortunately for me my parents moved and the head recognising my potential and gave me the encouragement I needed. I was then able to go to 6^th form college, teacher training and later a degree.

For many the story is not quite as positive. I had a friend who was unemployed and saw himself as not very clever. Like me he had been to secondary modern school, but unfortunately he was bottom of the pile in most subjects. He also came from an unsupportive background and the working class culture did not value academic achievement.

I will call him John. Having been a teacher I found him anything but stupid. In fact he was quite perceptive, had a good general knowledge and was very quick with numbers. In fact he was quicker than most maths teachers I had known. The problem was that both his home background and school had encouraged him to view himself  in a negative light. He was clever but did not view himself that way.

In our celebrity culture there are many who achieve average grades and do not see themselves as special or able. There are always others we notice who have done better. However this can become a self fulfilling prophecy. If we believe that we are rubbish at maths, art or language then we will tend to be so. Psychological studies often back this up. The good news is that we have the potential to achieve anything we want if we are focused and believe that we can do it, despite the difficulties. Obviously this is a generalisation as it is probably impossible to become a nuclear scientist at 55. However I took little interest in science as a child but have discovered it to be more interesting than I thought later on in life. Instead of telling myself I cant understand it, I know tell myself that I can. I will probably never be an expert but I can be an interested amateur. I have found the same is true with computers.The worst thing we can do is put ourselves down

I have also discovered that we don’t have to be experts even in our chosen field. Its not what we do that counts but who we are. Being an average person is being successful if we do it to the best of our ability. The world needs ordinary people to do the ordinary things in life. Also we might never be in a position to change the world, but we can be an influence in the situation we are in. The important thing isn’t how talented we are but who we are and how well we live our life. We need to appreciate ourselves as we are often our hardest critics.

Jesus said that we are to love our neighbour as ourselves. We can only love others if we have a healthy self esteem. Don’t be afraid to love yourself!

Are we a product of heredity and environment and can we be truly creative beings. Scientific research would suggest that we are largely products of our neurology and that we are determined by our make up. Home and culture are also significant factors and the opportunities that we have in life. On the surface we are very much programmed to be the sort of people that we are.

We have very little control over our birth, heredity and the environment that we grow up in, but that does not mean that we are subject to be lost in a maze of a pre-determined life.  Many think that we can only reach our potential if we have good health, lots of money and plenty of opportunities. Whilst these things may be helpful, I believe there are few circumstances where we cannot draw on the creative potential that lies within us and express the unique personality with which we have been endowed. It may not always be possible to create the particular lifestyle we would desire, but it is amazing how we can discover more about ourselves, our personality and what we have to offer as we go through life.

Many Christians have felt that they have a particular calling, something particular that God wants them to do. I think that as we go through life there are various portals of opportunity that can be taken and if we miss out on one we can still live out our destiny.

The key to life is not attaining a specific destiny, but about being creative and expressing ourselves in the situation we are in. It is liberating to know that whatever we have achieved or not we do not have to beat ourselves up for missing out on Gods best or not achieving in life what we think we should have achieved. It may be helpful to repent and forgive ourselves and move on, but the important thing is what we make of life now and how we respond creatively in the present situation.

The limitations of our environment can be a spur to creativity. Sometimes it takes a negative situation to move us onto the next stage. Look at your strengths and weaknesses and see what you have got to offer or what skills you can develop in your situation in life. Don’t be afraid to appreciate your strengths and seek to do or express something that is unique to you.

I remember once seeing a picture of a plant growing through a crack in the concrete. Its situation wasn’t ideal but it was still able to bloom. Also it is amazing to think that Beethoven composed some of his best music whilst he was deaf. Passion and determination can achieve much.

If you are in a dead end job maybe it would be good to develop new skills, go self employed of possibly see it as a means of giving you the income to fund your hobby, and sometimes we just need to look at life differently. However whatever your situation be prepared to look objectively at the things you can offer now or in the future.  Remember God always want the best for us no matter where we are on life’s journey.

Be creative

As Christians I believe that we need to uphold the human rights of all people as all are made in the image of God. In the past we have not always had a good record where human rights are concerned. The Spanish Inquisition and the numerous religious wars are the tip of an iceberg. This is an aspect of Christian history that we ought to view with regret. However regret is only a small aspect of repentance which is in essence means a change of heart and conduct.

The important thing is how we act now. Jesus taught that the way we treat others should be governed by the attitude  of mind that asks “How would I like to be treated in that situation. Also we need to remember that God loves all people regardless of nationality, gender, gender orientation and even religious belief. The gospel portray Jesus as showing love and respect to all people and we need to do the same.

Tolerance is not weakness

Showing tolerance to others is not the same as being a doormat and nor does it mean that we have to agree with another’s point of view. Jesus always showed respect for others, but he did not hesitate to accuse the Pharisees of hypocrisy when he felt it was deserved. Tolerance does not equate with weakness and we do not have to agree on issues of faith and morality. There are sometimes moments when we need to stand up for what we believe, but we should always do so with humility and love. The sermon on the mount needs to be our guide.

Positive Heritage

Having mentioned the past it is often forgotten that the Christian Faith has also been a source of great good and has championed human rights in many ways. This is often forgotten by the critics of Christianity  and the record needs to be set straight.

There are numerous examples, but I just want to name a few. The barbarian invasion of Europe saw the demise of civilisation as encapsulated by the Romans. Rome was sacked and with its loss of influence much would have been lost if it had not been for the Christian Church. The monasteries became the bastions of culture, and learning and they kept alive the disciplines of philosophy and writing. They also became centres of compassion by providing beds for weary travellers and they pioneered the concept of a hospital by catering for the needs of those who are ill. Education was also a key aspect of the monasteries mission.

We can see other examples in the work of evangelicals in the 19th century. Perhaps the most famous was William Wilberforce who participated in the work for the abolition of the slave trade. The Quakers were also significant in social action and non more so than Elizabeth Fry.

Elizabeth Fry was brought up in a Quaker household and from an early age cared for those in need. Later in life she went into New gate prison and was horrified at the conditions and inhumane treatment of its inmates. Women were squashed into an unhygienic room and they often had babies in these conditions. She worked tirelessly for reform and eventually saw the fruits of her labour.

Examples from history are many and numerous and can be found in many parts of the world. As Christians we need to draw on this tradition and seek the good of all people.

Marginalisation!

In today’s secular society howeve we are seeing a trend towards the marginalizing of Christianity and in some areas we are having to defend the human rights of the individual to express their faith. In doing so it is important to give respect to those of other opinions and be sensitive in the way we express ourselves.

The key is to always do for other people what we would want for ourselves. It is important that we keep our own house in order first. Also we need to be actively concerned for the human rights of others and champion the rights of groups that are unjustly being treated unjustly or discriminated in some way. Groups such as the elderly, disabled or mentally challenged are just a few examples.

In the sermon on the mount Jesus preached non violent resistance and showing love and respect for others is part of our calling. We need to champion the case of human rights and strive to be a vehicle for the good of others. In the modern church the emphasis seems to be me and my relationship with God. Whilst there may be a place for this we also need to recover the teachings on compassion and social responsibility.

“DO WE REALLY LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR”??