In Search Of A Better Tomorrow

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Anxiety and Worry subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

 

Anxiety And Worry Bible Verses

 

 

Deuteronomy 31:6

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid

and do not panic before them. For the LORD your

God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither

fail you nor abandon you.

 

 

Psalm 86:7

I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,

and you will answer me.

 

 

Psalm 139:23-24 

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

 

 

Proverbs 15:15

For the despondent, every day brings trouble;

for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.

 

 

Matthew 6:27

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

 

 

Matthew 6:31-33

So don’t worry about these things, saying,

‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What

will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts

of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows

all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above

all else, and live righteously, and he

will give you everything you need.

 

 

Matthew 6:34

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow

will bring its own worries.

Today’s trouble is enough for today.

 

 

Mark 4:18-19

The seed that fell among the thorns represents

others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly

the message is crowded out by the worries of this

life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other

things, so no fruit is produced.

 

 

Philippians 4:6-7

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray

about everything. Tell God what you need,

and thank him for all he has done.  Then

you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds

anything we can understand. His peace will guard

your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

 

 

1 Peter 5:7

Give all your worries and cares to God,

for he cares about you.

Below are Bible Verses on the Contentment subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

Contentment Bible Verses

Psalm 16:6

The land you have given me is a pleasant land.

What a wonderful inheritance!

Psalm 17:15 

Because I am righteous, I will see you.

When I awake, I will see you face to

face and be satisfied.

Psalm 84:10 

A single day in your courts

is better than a thousand anywhere else!

I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God

than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.

Psalm 92:4-5

You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me!

I sing for joy because of what you have done.

 O LORD, what great works you do!

And how deep are your thoughts.

Psalm 107:8-9

Let them praise the LORD for his great love

and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

 For he satisfies the thirsty

and fills the hungry with good things.

Proverbs 14:30

A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body;

jealousy is like cancer in the bones.

John 6:35 

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes

to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes

in me will never be thirsty.

Philippians 4:10-11 

How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about

me again. I know you have always been concerned

for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me.

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned

how to be content with whatever I have.

Philippians 4:19

And this same God who takes care of me will supply

all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been

given to us in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 6:6-8

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 

After all, we brought nothing with us when we came

into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when

we leave it.  So if we have enough food and

clothing, let us be content.

Hebrews 13:5-6

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what

you have. For God has said,

“I will never fail you.

I will never abandon you.”

So we can say with confidence,

“The LORD is my helper,

so I will have no fear.

What can mere people do to me?”

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Depression subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

 

Depression Bible Verses

 

Deuteronomy 31:8 

Do not be afraid or discouraged,

for the LORD will personally go ahead of you.

He will be with you; he will neither

fail you nor abandon you.

 

Psalm 3:3 

But you, O LORD, are a shield around me;

you are my glory, the one

who holds my head high.

 

Psalm 34:15-17

The eyes of the LORD watch over

those who do right;

his ears are open to their cries for help.

But the LORD turns his face

against those who do evil;

he will erase their memory from the earth.

The LORD hears his people when they

call to him for help.

He rescues them from all their troubles.

 

Psalm 40:1-3 

I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,

and he turned to me and heard my cry.

 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,

out of the mud and the mire.

He set my feet on solid ground

and steadied me as I walked along.

He has given me a new song to sing,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see what he has done and be amazed.

They will put their trust in the LORD.

 

Psalm 42:5

Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and

 

Psalm 42:6-11 

my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,

but I will remember you—

even from distant Mount Hermon,

the source of the Jordan,

from the land of Mount Mizar.

I hear the tumult of the raging seas

as your waves and surging

tides sweep over me.

But each day the LORD pours

his unfailing love upon me,

and through each night I sing his songs,

praying to God who gives me life.

 “O God my rock,” I cry,

“Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I wander around in grief,

oppressed by my enemies?”

 Their taunts break my bones.

They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”

 Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God!

 

Psalm 77:1-2

I cry out to God; yes, I shout.

Oh, that God would listen to me!

 When I was in deep trouble,

I searched for the Lord.

All night long I prayed, with

hands lifted toward heaven,

but my soul was not comforted.

 

Psalm 91:14-16

The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me.

I will protect those who trust in my name.

When they call on me, I will answer;

I will be with them in trouble.

I will rescue and honor them.

 I will reward them with a long life

and give them my salvation.”

 

Isaiah 54:4 

Fear not; you will no longer live in shame.

Don’t be afraid; there is

no more disgrace for you.

You will no longer remember

the shame of your youth

and the sorrows of widowhood.

 

Isaiah 60:1

Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light

shine for all to see.

For the glory of the LORD

rises to shine on you.

 

2 Corinthians 7:6 

But God, who encourages those who

are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.

 

1 Peter 5:6-7 

So humble yourselves under the mighty

power of God, and at the right time he will

lift you up in honor.  Give all your worries and

cares to God, for he cares about you.

 

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Determination subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

 

Determination Bible Verses

 

Isaiah 40:31

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

 

 

1 Corinthians 2:2 

For I decided that while I was with you I would

forget everything except Jesus Christ,

the one who was crucified.

 

 

Colossians 3:2

Think about the things of heaven,

not the things of earth.

 

 

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 

Make it your goal to live a quiet life,

minding your own business and working with

your hands, just as we instructed you before.

 Then people who are not believers will

respect the way you live, and you will

not need to depend on others.

 

 

1 Timothy 6:11-14 

But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from

all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly

life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly

to the eternal life to which God has called you,

which you have declared so well before many

witnesses. And I charge you before God, who

gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave

a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 

that you obey this command without wavering.

Then no one can find fault with you from now

until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

 

 

1 Peter 5:9

Stand firm against him, and be strong in your

faith. Remember that your family of believers

all over the world is going through the

same kind of suffering you are.

 

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Loneliness subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

 

Loneliness Bible Verses

 

Genesis 28:15

I am with you and will watch over you wherever

you go, and I will bring you back to this land.

I will not leave you until I have done what

I have promised you.

 

 

 

1 Samuel 12:22 

For the sake of his great name the LORD will not

reject his people, because the LORD was pleased

to make you his own.

 

 

 

 

Psalm 25:16

Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

 

 

 

 

Psalm 27:10

Even if my father and mother abandon me,

the LORD will hold me close.

 

 

 

 

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength,

always ready to help in times of trouble.

 

 

 

 

Isaiah 41:10 

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.

Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

 

 

 

 

Matthew 28:20

Teach these new disciples to obey all the

commands I have given you. And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

 

 

 

 

John 14:18

No, I will not abandon you as

orphans—I will come to you.

 

 

 

 

2 Corinthians 6:18

And I will be your Father,

and you will be my sons and daughters,

says the LORD Almighty.

 

 

 

 

Hebrews 13:5

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you

have. For God has said,

“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Peace subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

 

Peace Bible Verses

 

Job 22:21

Submit to God, and you will have peace;

then things will go well for you.

 

 

 

Psalm 85:8-11

I listen carefully to what God the

LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to

his faithful people. But let them not return

to their foolish ways. Surely his salvation is

near to those who fear him, so our land will

be filled with his glory.  Unfailing love and

truth have met together. Righteousness and

peace have kissed! Truth springs up from

the earth, and righteousness smiles

down from heaven.

 

 

 

Proverbs 16:7

When people’s lives please the LORD,

even their enemies are at peace with them.

 

 

 

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep in perfect peace

all who trust in you,

all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

 

 

 

Isaiah 54:10

For the mountains may move

and the hills disappear,

but even then my faithful love for you will

remain. My covenant of blessing will

never be broken,” says the LORD,

who has mercy on you.

 

 

 

Isaiah 58:8

Then your salvation will come like the dawn,

and your wounds will quickly heal.

Your godliness will lead you forward,

and the glory of the LORD will protect you

from behind.

 

 

 

John 14:27

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind

and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world

cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

 

 

 

Philippians 4:7

Then you will experience God’s peace,

which exceeds anything we can understand. His

peace will guard your hearts and minds

as you live in Christ Jesus.

 

 

 

2 Thessalonians 3:16

\Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his

peace at all times and in every situation.

The Lord be with you all.

 

 

 

Hebrews 12:14

Work at living in peace with everyone,

and work at living a holy life, for those who are

not holy will not see the Lord.

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Power subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT).

Power Bible Verses

 

Isaiah 40:29

He gives power to the weak

and strength to the powerless.

 

 

 

Luke 10:19

Look, I have given you authority over all the

power of the enemy, and you can walk among

snakes and scorpions and crush them.

Nothing will injure you.

 

 

 

Acts 1:8 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit

comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses,

telling people about me everywhere—in

Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria,

and to the ends of the earth.

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 15:57 

But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and

death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

It is God who enables us, along with you,

to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us,

 and he has identified us as his own by placing

the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment

that guarantees everything he has promised us.

 

 

 

2 Corinthians 12:9

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need.

My power works best in weakness.”

So now I am glad to boast about my

weaknesses, so that the power of

Christ can work through me.

 

 

 

Ephesians 1:17-19

asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight

so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so

that you can understand the confident hope he has

given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich

and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will

understand the incredible greatness of God’s power

for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power.

 

 

 

Ephesians 3:16

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources

he will empower you with inner strength

through his Spirit.

 

 

 

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and

timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

 

 

Below are Bible Verses on the Prayer subject, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT).

 

Prayer Bible Verses

 

Job 22:27 

You will pray to him, and he will hear you,

and you will fulfill your vows to him.

 

Psalm 34:4 

I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me.

He freed me from all my fears.

 

Psalm 34:15 

The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right;

his ears are open to their cries for help.

 

Psalm 38:15

For I am waiting for you, O LORD.

You must answer for me, O Lord my God.

 

Psalm 145:18-19 

The LORD is close to all who call on him,

yes, to all who call on him in truth.

 He grants the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cries for help and rescues them.

 

Proverbs 15:29

The LORD is far from the wicked,

but he hears the prayers of the righteous.

 

Isaiah 55:6

Seek the LORD while you can find him.

Call on him now while he is near.

 

Matthew 7:7-8 

“Keep on asking, and you will receive

what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find.

Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 

For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks,

finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door

will be opened.

 

Matthew 18:19

I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on

earth concerning anything you ask, my

Father in heaven will do it for you.

 

John 16:24 

You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my

name, and you will receive, and you

will have abundant joy.

 

Romans 8:26

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.

For example, we don’t know what God wants

us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us

with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 

Never stop praying.

 

Hebrews 4:16

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious

God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will

find grace to help us when we need it most.

Below are Bible Verses on the Prosperity, Finances, & Giving subject, translated in the New Living Translation (NLT) format.

Prosperity, Finances, & Giving Bible Verses

 

Deuteronomy 8:18

Remember the LORD your God. He is the

one who gives you power to be successful,

in order to fulfill the covenant he

confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

 

Deuteronomy 28:8-11 

“The LORD will guarantee a blessing on

everything you do and will fill your storehouses

with grain. The LORD your God will bless

you in the land he is giving you.

“If you obey the commands of the LORD

 your God and walk in his ways, the LORD

will establish you as his holy people

as he swore he would do. Then all the

nations of the world will see that you are a

people claimed by the LORD, and they

will stand in awe of you.

 “The LORD will give you prosperity in the

land he swore to your ancestors to give you,

blessing you with many children,

numerous livestock, and abundant crops.

 

 

Psalm 1:3

They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

and they prosper in all they do.

 

 

Psalm 34:10 

Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,

but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.

 

Malachi 3:10

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there

will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,”

says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I

will open the windows of heaven for you.

I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have

enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

 

 

Matthew 6:3-4

But when you give to someone in need,

don’t let your left hand know what your

right hand is doing.  Give your gifts in

private, and your Father, who sees

everything, will reward you.

 

 

Matthew 6:19-21

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth,

where moths eat them and rust destroys

them, and where thieves break in and steal.

Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and

rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires

of your heart will also be.

 

Luke 6:38 

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will

return to you in full—pressed down,

shaken together to make room for more,

running over, and poured into your lap.

The amount you give will determine the

amount you get back.

 

Acts 10:5

Now send some men to Joppa, and

summon a man named Simon Peter.

 

 

Romans 13:8

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation

to love one another. If you love your neighbor,

you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.

 

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a

few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who

plants generously will get a generous crop.

You must each decide in your heart how much to give.

And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.

“For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

 

 

Philippians 4:19

And this same God who takes care of me will

supply all your needs from his glorious riches,

which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

 

 

3 John 2

Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and

that you are as healthy in body as you

are strong in spirit.

 

 

Psalm 1:3

They are like trees planted along

the riverbank,

bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

and they prosper in all they do.

 

 

 

Psalm 34:10

Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,

but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.

 

 

Malachi 3:10 

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so

there will be enough food in my Temple.

If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,

“I will open the windows of heaven for you.

I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have

enough room to take it in!

Try it! Put me to the test!

 

 

Matthew 6:3-4 

But when you give to someone in need,

don’t let your left hand know what your right

hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and

your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

 

 

Matthew 6:19-21 

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth,

where moths eat them and rust destroys them,

and where thieves break in and steal. 

Store your treasures in heaven, where

moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves

do not break in and steal. Wherever your

treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

 

 

Luke 6:38 

Give, and you will receive. Your gift

will return to you in full—pressed down,

shaken together to make room for more,

running over, and poured into your lap.

The amount you give will determine

the amount you get back.

 

 

Acts 10:5 

Now send some men to Joppa, and

summon a man named Simon Peter.

 

 

 

Romans 13:8 

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your

obligation to love one another. If you

love your neighbor, you will fulfill the

requirements of God’s law.

 

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few

seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants

generously will get a generous crop. You must

each decide in your heart how much to give.

And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.

“For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below are Bible verses on the Stress topic, formatted in the New Living Translation (NLT).

Stress Bible Verses

Psalm 37:5 
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
    Trust him, and he will help you.
 

Psalm 39:6 
We are merely moving shadows,
    and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
    not knowing who will spend it.
 

Psalm 127:2 
It is useless for you to work so hard
    from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
    for God gives rest to his loved ones.
 

Isaiah 40:29 
He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless.
 

Matthew 6:25-33 
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life

—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough

clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body

more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or

harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father

feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than

they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the

field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their

clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as

beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for

wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire

tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you

have so little faith?

^“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will

we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These

things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your

heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the

Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and

he will give you everything you need.

Mark 4:19 
but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the

worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire

for other things, so no fruit is produced.

Luke 12:27 
“Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or

make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory

was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

Luke 21:34 
“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing

and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life.

Don’t let that day catch you unaware,

1 Corinthians 7:32 
 I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An

unmarried man can spend his time doing the

Lord’s work and thinking how to please him.

Philippians 1:10 
 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that

you may live pure and blameless lives

until the day of Christ’s return

Philippians 4:6 
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Philippians 4:8-9 
 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and

right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about

things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting

into practice all you learned and received from me—everything

you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God

of peace will be with you.

1 Peter 5:7 
Give all your worries and cares to

God, for he cares about you.

Miscellaneous Christian site, with links related to dealing with addictions; ten lies the world would like to beleve, and sermons by a Nazarene preacher, Phil Stout,

 

http://livingontheedge.org/christian-living/how-can-i-overcome-an-addiction

http://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/10-lies-of-the-world-you-should-watch-out-for.html

http://www.jaxnazchurch.com/sermons/

Time Alone With God daily devotional

Matthew  7:1-5

Judging Others
7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Consider: Christians often get uneasy with Jesus’ command, “Do not judge” (7:2). They fear the wrong kind of tolerance. They’re afraid that we will abandon the call to live a holy life if we don’t clearly label some acts as sinful. After all, how can we live, raise Christian children and grow in grace if we don’t judge what is right and what is wrong? So we need to understand what Jesus meant by the word “judge.”

In the original language of the New Testament, the word for “judge” here is the same word that Jesus used in John 3:17, which is usually translated “condemn”—“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” That gives us some insight into what Jesus meant when he commanded, “Do not judge.” Of course we will judge some actions to be right and some to be wrong. But Jesus is pretty clear that we are not to stand as condemners of any person.

Now, at this point, many Christians fall back on the old aphorism, “We hate the sin, but love the sinner.” I think we need to be careful with that one. While it is literally true, to most people that does not feel like a loving embrace. It still feels judgmental.

So, how are we to approach this whole issue of discerning and judging what is right and what is wrong? Jesus made it very clear. We spend more time on our own sins than on the sins of others. As Christians, we should be more concerned with how we can be more loving than how we can straighten out some other person.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (7:3-5)

When I am fully aware of my need for grace, I am empowered to give grace to others. When I realize my lack of love, I pray for help rather than focusing on your lack in some other area. This humility empowers me to love like Jesus, who did not come “into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world” (John 3:17).

Pray: Ask the Lord to help you with any planks that may be blocking your vision and your love. Praise him that he lovingly purifies us if we humbly come to him. Then ask him to help you plant the grace he’s given you in the lives of others.

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IN SEARCH OF A BETTER TOMORROW

Mental Illness Recovery Story, Chapter 6

“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”

Robert Green Ingersoll

Great Lakes

 

As the plane headed toward Chicago, I felt both excited and fearful about the idea of training to become a machinist mate / electrical mechanical Navy worker. “Am I going to finally succeed in life, or will I find another way to screw things up again?” Like a fool, I again set myself for defeat in the school, as I put enormous pressure on my abilities to learn the material. Fearing rejection from another potential abuser, like a teeter-totter, my confidence wildly fluctuated, as I experienced the ups and downs of manic-depression as well as obsessive-compulsive behaviors, including getting bogged down in details, when studying. Believing in the lie “Self-worth equals performance plus what other people think of me” seemed to trigger my unstable emotions and behaviors, as I obsessed daily of freedom. I wrongly thought if I proved myself competent, I would be loved – not just by others, but also, myself.

 

Even though getting good grades was extremely difficult and immensely draining for me, I started off okay. Unfortunately, as the training approached the point where the majority of  students fail, I became even more intensely anxious and unconfident. “If I just tried harder and harder, I will succeed. And if I succeed, I will be great. And If I am great, I would be loved, and then I would be happy”, was my daily thought pattern. So I placed enormous pressure on my efforts to succeed, which only intensified my mental illness.

 

After a while, the fear of failure made life become real overwhelming to me as I started feel emotionally sick and weak.  One day, I got so frail and scared that I decided to approach my instructor. Petty Officer 1^st class Davis, for support.  Unfortunately, before I started talking with Davis, Petty Officer 1^st class Konkol reprimanded for leaning my back against the wall. Agitated and frustrated, I told Konkol I didn’t do it. Being physically weary, I unintentionally leaned against the wall as I started talking to Davis. The next thing I know, Konkol charged me with insubordination, and I was getting chewed out by him and then sent to a senior chief for discipline.

 

As I was being questioned by the senior chief officer, Konkol, who was also present, told the officer “I deliberately chose to be insubordinate and lean against the wall.” I denied it and the next thing I know, “I was charged for lying to a senior chief officer”, which I denied also. In my mind, I didn’t anything wrong.  But Konkol and senior chief did as the senior officer threatened to “send me to captain’s mast”, a serious Navy punishment.

 

Exiting the senior chief’s office, I walked the hallway in hopelessness and confusion as Konkol started berating me again. I remember him telling me “I was a piece of crap (expletive) and the type to get an entire Navy crew killed”. He also told me “he was going to do whatever it took to get me out of the military before it happens.” As he continued to chew me out for a short time, shame, pain, frustration, and mania ran wild in my mind, as I was being verbally and emotionally abused by “a new stepdad abuser”.  Listening to those damning words, I had to work hard to resist the emotional breakdown that was erupting inside of me.

.

 

After he left me alone, I immediately went to the bathroom to heavily release the negative emotions I felt. I was crying so hard, that when I looked into the mirror, I saw my face red and in tears. “Why God, why? . . . I didn’t do anything wrong!  . . . .Why do I have to go through this, all the time! . . . . Why doesn’t anyone love me?  . . . Don’t you love me, God?” Those were the main thoughts of my crying to God.

 

In anger and in frustration, I screamed out loud: “I am going to kill him”, as I felt the pains of all who rejected and abused me, as well as the incident of Kelly Cook.  Even though my mind was losing control, I had no intention to hurt anyone. Unfortunately, an officer, walking by, heard me say the words, and then next thing I know, I was being charged for “threatening to kill an officer.

 

I remember answering questions to some sort of military psychologist, and waiting for a couple of days to see what will happen to me next. They gave me a choice: “Stay in the Navy and appeal my disciplinary consequence and live an entire military career doing crappy job” or “sign a paper for me to be released out of the military with honorable discharge, and be disallowed to join any military branch my entire life.” So I chose to “get out of the Navy”.

 

Even though I was now free from the Navy, I wasn’t free from the emotional baggage it gave me. The shame, guilt, anger, and frustrations involved with again being rejected for making a mistake I didn’t mean to commit, hurt me considerably. The Navy was just another participant who didn’t want me around. This only worsened my obsessions of “don’t make a mistake”. In spite of all this, God never did let go of me.

 

I guess Konkol was right when he said “he was going to do whatever it took for me to get out of the Navy”. Imagine the destruction someone with a mental illness may have on a nuclear reactor of a submarine, etc. Back then, I was just a nineteen year old, mentally-unstable kid still unaware of his disability; in spite of the fact my discharge papers stated “other personality / psychological disorders” for reason of discharge. To me, though, it was just another cruel joke by an unsympathetic military branch.

 

My Recovery Story

 

Prologue 1:  Climbing Life Mountains

Prologue 2: The Devil Says: “Jesus Doesn’t Care”

Prologue 3: “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

Chapter 1:  “When fear is excessive, it can make a man despair”. 

Chapter 2: “Life is to be entered upon with courage.”

Chapter 3: “The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one moment to the next.”

Chapter 4:  “Courage is the fear that said its prayers.”

Chapter 5:  “How very little can be done under the spirit of fear”.

Chapter 6:  “The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”

Chapter 7:  “Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.”

Chapter 8:  “Often the test of courage is not to die but to live”.

Chapter 9:  “We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.”

Chapter 10:  “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

Chapter 11:  “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”.

 

Chapter 12:  “In the time of darkest defeat, victory may be nearest”.

Chapter 13:  “Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.”

Chapter 14: “Goodwill & Allied Chucker”

Chapter 15:  “Camping Trip”

Chapter 16:  “Celibacy Struggles”

Chapter 17:  “Hospital Visits”

Chapter 18: “Visits With Dad”

Chapter 19: “Courage is to confront what can be imagined.”

Chapter 20: “My Projects”

Chapter 21: “Life in Recovery”

Chapter 22: “More Stories Of Mine”

Chapter 23: “Spiritual Warfare”

Chapter 24: “We Can All Be Heroes”

Chapter 25: “Closing Thoughts”

 

 

Hyperlinks

Spiritual Warfare Article

Thoughts create emotions which influence our perceptions of future thoughts. These perceptions, thoughts, and emotions influence our decisions, actions, and behaviors – which often either imprison or set us free. Thoughts don’t destroy us – it’s how we label and acts upon what we think. Thus, to be free, we must know the difference between truth and falsehoods.

For example, one summer night, driving home from a Rhett Walker Band concert, at Spring Arbor University, my mind was being bombard by “intrusive thoughts” telling me “I am no good and unloved”, triggered by my associating college students at SAU with my past experiences of being rejected at Tris-State University. As the spiritual battle between believing I was good based upon the opionons of past people to I am special creation of God, anxiety incited. Past hurts got recalled, and the emotional responses and perceptions incited. As you play the game, the devil (just like Jesus being tempted in wilderness) waited for my weakness, frailities, and vulnerabilities to get attacked, and all of a sudden, when nearing a time where it is critical for you to drive under control and car, you experience intrusive thoughts, of killing self through reckless driving.

In life, we all face troubles, fears, unworthiness, frailties, and temptations to give up. We are human and imperfect, which makes us vulnerable and weak. However, there is hope, if we can only know the difference between truth and lies:
Truth # 1: We have an enemy to face.

Especially, in the midst of our troubles, we are constantly in a spiritual battle versus the devil, “a roaring lion” who uses lies and fear in hopes of devouring people (1 Peter 5:8). To destroy us, Satan tries to create strongholds in us by exerting pressure upon our fears, frailties, sufferings, and painful memories. His deceit works to impair our decision making by influencing what perceptions we “label” of situations and of circumstances. He also likes to make potential misfortune seem more threatening and more likely to occur than in reality, hopes to arouse negative emotions to intolerable levels, lie about what threshold of suffering we can endure and that there is no escape route through the struggle, and finally, make us believe God is not in control. “If you feel so overwhelmed, engulfed, and inundated by your problems and difficulties that you want to give up, stop, and think. It may be the Enemy at work.” (Pedro Okoro, see above).

“Spiritual warfare is very real. There is a furious, fierce, and ferocious battle raging in the realm of the spirit between the forces of God and the forces of evil.”
― Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ

Truth # 2: Satan knows our weaknesses: fear, low self-esteem, and our tendencies to sin.

In the garden of Eden, man learned to sin, which had separated every man from God, until the cross (for believers). Feelings and fears of inadequacy and shame, false perceptions that our Father in Heaven will not always love and accept us, hatred and selfishness, and life trials and sufferings have since then tyrannized man, as we are controlled by our tendencies to do evil. The devil knows all this. So he implants thoughts that incite fear, self-rejection, and low self-esteems as he tempts us to make bad, often sinful decisions. Please read the follow quotes:

“Many Christians… find themselves defeated by the most psychological weapon that Satan uses against them. This weapon has the effectiveness of a deadly missile. Its name? Low self-esteem. Satan’s greatest psychological weapon is a gut level feeling of inferiority, inadequacy, and low self-worth This feeling shackles many Christians, in spite of wonderful spiritual experiences and knowledge of God’s Word. Although they understand their position as sons and daughters of God, they are tied up in knots, bound by a terrible feeling inferiority, and chained to a deep sense of worthlessness.”
― David A. Seamands, Healing For Damaged Emotions

“Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection. Success, popularity, and power can indeed present a great temptation, but their seductive quality often comes from the way they are part of the much larger temptation to self-rejection. When we have come to believe in the voices that call us worthless and unlovable, then success, popularity, and power are easily perceived as attractive solutions. The real trap, however, is self-rejection. As soon as someone accuses me or criticizes me, as soon as I am rejected, left alone, or abandoned, I find myself thinking, “Well, that proves once again that I am a nobody.” … [My dark side says,] I am no good… I deserve to be pushed aside, forgotten, rejected, and abandoned. Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the “Beloved.” Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen

Worthlessness, self-rejection, and fear – Satan knows our weaknesses and frailties. When we sin, we feel these experiences as Satan the Accuser and Father of lies, likes to “rub salt into our wounds.” Or, he may use the rejecting and hurtful words / actions of those around us, to do the same. He may put trials in our lives to deceitfully make us “believe God doesn’t love us”, or that “God won’t deliver us through the trial”, which could also lead us to doubt God’s unconditional love of us. The point is, Satan knows we are powerless when we feel discouraged, unconfident, and separated from God. Bob Sorge, author of Glory: When Heaven Invades Earth, reinforces these points: “The nature of the enemy’s warfare in your life is to cause you to become discouraged and to cast away your confidence. Not that you would necessarily discard your salvation, but you could give up your hope of God’s deliverance. The enemy wants to numb you into a coping kind of Christianity that has given up hope of seeing God’s resurrection power.”

Satan will continue to attack our vulnerabilities until we prove to him they are no longer a weakness. Pedro Okoro said, in Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ: “The devil doesn’t really have any new schemes, ideas, or initiatives. He keeps on recycling and reusing the same temptations, adorning them in different attires.” So how we defeat the enemy?

Truth #3: Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Pedro Okoro, same book, says “To effectively combat the devil, you need to pray”. Unfortunately, he also writes, “If you do not pray, you easily become a prey.” Faith in prayer is the secret to unleashing God’s power in our times of need, as we ask the Creator of the heavens and earth in trust to help win the victory over the Enemy. 1 John 5:14-15 says, “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.” “ John 14:13, John 15:7, and John 16:24 also reinforce that bible truth:

“And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son (John 14:13).
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. “ (John 15:7)
“Until now you have asked nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full” (John 16:24).
“As a believer, you have the authority to tell the devil what to do in the name of Jesus”
― (Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ). However, when we sin, we lose fellowship to Christ and His power source until we repent. Thus, many times, in life, we are often weak because of our sins. Thus, Satan tries to lead us away from Christ through temptations to sins, and once he does, he tries to make us doubt God’s love and willingness to help us in our times of need. Deceptions, temptations to sin, and accusations are the tricks of the devil.

Faith and prayer frees us, doubt and fear imprisons. As Pedro Okoro says, “Knowledge comes by revelation through the study of the Scriptures.” This means, in order to have faith, which requires believing in the truth of God’s scriptures, we must daily study God’s Word, so we will have the “knowledge” background to know the difference between God’s Word and Satanic lies. (For example, by studying the Bible, you can learn truths like Romans 8:38-41, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”)

When facing life struggles, know the difference between Satan’s lies and Biblical Truths, as well as fact from truth. Pedro Okoro expounds on this statement:

“There is a difference between the fact and the truth. The fact is what you may be experiencing at any particular point in time in your life, the day-to-day reality of life, the struggles, the challenges, the issues and the problems that you face on a daily basis. On the other hand, the truth is what God’s Word says about the particular situation you are going through or the challenges you currently face…God expects you to confess and proclaim the truth of His Word, not the fact of your daily struggles!”
― Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ
tags: inspirational-quotes, spiritual-warfare

”Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.” (See Ephesians 6).

“In this battle, there is no room for turning back. You have to be on the offensive. You have to keep attacking the Enemy; and on account of this, your back is left bare. You cannot afford to turn back once you have put your hand to the plow and agreed to follow Jesus! To do otherwise is to leave yourself open to the Enemy’s attack.”
― Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ

“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world”, Jesus said in John 16:33. People need something and someone to believe in; what they need, is to see Christ in us. God has a giant-sized purpose for both you and me. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.”(Norman Vincent Peale).

Every human is faced with a personal Goliath which only the Trinity can conquer. When life giants, storms, and mountains get into our path, we must realize that, even though seemingly equipped with “five stones and a sling”, we will always have God on our side, who will never leave nor forsake us. If you let Him, He will make you into a spiritual giant that dwarfs your troubles. And the whole world will know that there “is a God in this world.”

“Spiritual giants are only willing, available and thirsty spiritual babies who paid the price for the prize, who waged a war for the victims to become victors, just like the courageous Davids that kill the big Goliaths” ( Ikechukwu Joseph, Strategic Spiritual Warfare). Are you willing to surrender your life to God’s dream for you, not matter the cost, and trust Him daily as He delivers you through one trial after another? Freedom happens when we place our lives into His hands!

“Battles are won, not with weapons, but with God. They are won where the way leads to the cross.”
― Megan McKenna, The New Stations of the Cross: The Way of the Cross According to Scripture

“In spiritual warfare, faith is the currency that releases your prayer. It is the instrument (or weapon, if you like) that activates and sets loose the answers to your prayers.”
― Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ

“Just as you cannot stop a bird from flying over your head, in the same way you cannot stop the devil from dropping ideas into your mind. However, in the same way that you can stop a bird from building a nest on your head, you can stop the Enemy’s suggestions from wandering without restriction and taking root in your mind.”
― Pedro Okoro, Crushing the Devil: Your Guide to Spiritual Warfare and Victory in Christ