“He took her by the hand and said to her, Talitha Koum!” Mark 5:41
When thinking about training camp and wondering how in the world I was going to try and condense it all into one blog I couldn’t help but think it was impossible. Then I was reminded of one verse that explains it all. The biggest most important thing God had taught me this week and that is Mark 5:41.
“He took her by the hand and said to her ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’”
Camp was what I needed, It was the Lord taking me by the had and telling me to get up, to wake up.
Expectations
Expectations – Don’t have them, God has control and will throw a curve ball when you least expect!
-God works in many ways most times we won’t ever understand.
-Expectations are one thing that hold us back from living life as God wants us to. All kinds of expectations hold us back. (Social expectations, family expectations, and even religious expectations)
-Expecting God to do things and give us things because we did “what is morally right”, because we are better than the person next to us is not okay. God has a better plan than I have for myself, expectations change the way we view life around us and living life through the spirit makes for the fullest life to live.
-In letting go of my expectations of God and letting go of who God is according to how religion has raised me has taught me that God does not work within the box the religion often puts him in. God is so much bigger than what we are taught. God is still active in our lives as long as we let him in and don’t let the limits of what we know and what we are used to get in the way. Learned the power of the Holy Spirit from experience and it has led me to let God lead.
Grieving, Forgiving = Healing
- These three things were taught as individual aspects in ones life that one must learn to do. I think that they end up working together for the final conclusion of being healed of things we hold in and let simmer until it begins to negatively influence plenty of aspects of our lives, usually leading to unhappiness.
Grieving the seasons of our lives.
~We must grieve the painful losses of the past seasons of our life before we can effectively embrace the present and the future.~
Not grieving leaves us:
-Hiding
-In denial
-Rationalization (What right do I have?) Your problems/issues are still issues no matter how big or small.
-Anger & bitterness
-Addictions of all sorts
~In order to grieve your past you must get in touch with your heart and your pain~
After these things are dealt with we open the door to better love others as God wants us to.
Forgiveness
~ Forgiveness is a matter of obedience not a matter of faith~
Practical Tips on Forgiving
- Remember Gods grace to you. (meditate on scripture, songs, journal)
- Pray blessings on those who sin against you. (Luke 6: 27-28)
Some days you will obey God and your heart will follow. You obey God and he will do
what you alone can not.
3)You have to see yourself as more like than unlike your offender.
4)Offer forgiveness according to the level of the offense. Fully forgive, don’t just say it.
- Forgiveness is an act of the will. It is a gift offered by the offering party; it is never earned or deserved. Just because they don’t ask for forgiveness doesn’t mean you do not give it.
- Time doesn’t heal all wounds. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.(Eph4:26-27)
- Forgiveness can feel like a process. Forgiving once doesn’t always work, we have to keep forgiving. Keep affirming the decision you have made.
- Remember God is redemptive (Romans 8:28-39). God can use the most painful things in our lives to make us more like Jesus.
- Let God heal your wounds. You must choose to consciously walk through these steps of forgiveness. Denial will not lead to freedom.
LIVE LIKE THIS
- I will not die to enemies. Therefore will bless everyone who curses me.
- Hold no grudges, nurture no wounds.
*We don’t know what we get robbed of when we live a life not as God wants us.
*Not forgiving can lead to closing a door God may have opened for you in your future.
This is Part 1 of my Training Camp blogs. So much learned Part 2 to come!
My teammate Marie did a wonderful job in explaining exactly how all this stuff applied to us at camp. These things happened within all of us!
http://marieolson.theworldrace.org/?filename=jesus-wept-part-1
