This focuses on a huge prayer need in our world. As it gets more crowded, there is much less sense of community. People are seeking answers because it has become much harder for them to be resilient - to overcome difficulties. However connected people are to each other through technology, there seems to be much less valuing of life.
Sadly, a number of things cause one to value life less and be less resilient. These can include: 1. A lack of a caring community; 2. The apparent lack of opportunity to overcome a difficult environment; 3. The extreme attack nature of society; and numerous other factors.
So, this will discuss the problem of not valuing life and how to be resilient and help others to be, too.(Why not the news about Cruz dropping out and Trump causing distress even in his own party? Second Chronicles 7:14 says "If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves..." not a leader. There is no hierarchy to revival there or in Jeremiah 18:5-10. Praying for revival and acting on it must start with each of us; it's not a leadership or laws issue but a heart issue, which only God can solve.)
As with a few others, parts of this will be similar to a post on a ministry blog I do.(The blog is here if interested) It's a more ministry-specific post, but both have something important in common. How can people feel that sense of worth and community to overcome obstacles?
"Known By Our Love" - Valuing Life as God Does
I've stated a number of times, such as here, that revival must begin with repentance - turning our own hearts away from sin and toward God, letting Him work in them. Psalm 139:14 says in part "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" - a constant reminder of how God sees us; we are always special to someone, especially God, so we should value life and build others up since they, too, are always special to God. However, at the end of that Psalm, David asks God to search him and point out ways he needs to become more Godly in his thoughts, words, and actions. We must be known by our love.(John 13:35)
One way our nation has failed - and we must repent for - is a lack of respect for life. Part of the problem is that people think that they have little or no hope. Therefore, quite a few places - like New Orleans with the recent murder of former NFL star Will Smith - see awful violence. Very close to some huge tourist spots are areas where people much poorer need reasons to avoid sinking into a cycle of violence. They may have acquaintances, but the sense of community isn't based on deeply rooted things like family like it is more often in villages.
Some will say there has always been violence. True, Albert Einstein, speaking in the late 1940s about the massive destructive power of the atomic bomb, said, "I know not what weapons we will fight World War 3 with, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones." However, with parts of entire inner cities like war zones, many people lose hope - some even go astray and join gangs because they feel a need for community, but that just adds to the violence.
God is personal, though, and loves us unconditionally - hence we should also be known by our love. God will guide those who know Him to be more Christlike so they can know they have hope. I blogged an entire free book here on how even young people can do this; free because I know many can't afford it, so they can jsut print it out and copy and share, as I've mentioned numerous other times. God wants a relationship with us - He values us and wants us to value others' lives just as much.
We are separated from Him by our sin - our choices to do, say, or think things that go against God's perfect standard. However, He made a way for us to have a relationship with Him despite our sin when He came to Earth in the flesh (Jesus Christ) and died to take the punishment for our sins before rising from the dead.
All a person needs to do is accept they're a sinner and call on Him to forgive and save them, believing He died to take the punishment for their sins personally and then rose from the dead. This site gives a bit more detail, and you can e-mail someone, too, and ask questions.You can do that right here if you haven't.
Once you know Him as your personal Saviour, you can talk with God in prayer anytime, anywhere about anything. This post discusses the greatness of that personal relationship with Jesus and how we have constant contact with Him and it'll help us as believers to be more loving, compassionate, etc.. And, if we fall into sin, we just have to confess and forsake it and know He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9)
So, it's easy to see why we should value life - Jesus gave His life willingly for us; nbody had to take it from HIm. He saw each of us as important; each of us was on His mind when He went to the cross. And yet, in America - and other countries - people aren't valuing others' lives, and that doesn't just mean physical life but emotional and spiritual as well. We must be known by our love. As we pray for revival wherever we are, we must also step out in faith and be good role models for others. It's not a chore, we should look at it as something we get to do; it's a blessing to be able to encourage others. That's part of valuing life, after all.
Stepping Out in Faith
Share His love. Of course, there's more, but it's a nice summary. :-)
Seriously, we can't just them part of a community and say, "Good luck in your walk." People need fellowship and encouragement, but some need it a lot more than others. People lack resilience for the reasons stated above because they often haven't had the examples of Godly or even well-adjusted people around them. James 1:2-5, 1 Peter 1:6-9, and other passages help a lot, but when a person has been torn down so much by mean stuff around them such as bullying, it can be hard to even find a starting point.
Of course, everyone has a slightly different mentality and way of coping that fits them, but those ways must still line up with Scripture as far as gentleness, love, tenderheartedness, etc.. Everyone has different levels because we're all built differently - not everyone has the resilience to survive the mission field, for instance, and some who can handle one field couldn't handle another. However, we are all called to our own personal field of our family, community, etc..And yet, people often don't realize how much they can do unless they step out in faith.
Others, of course, learn the wrong lessons from life because of what they see around them - they think they have to react in a very unhelpful way to things. Instead of not trying, they try too hard in their own strength when that just leads to more problems.
That's part of why it's vital to follow God's plan for our lives. He knows us better than we do ourselves. If David had never stepped out and killed the lion and bear attacking the sheep, he never would have developed the courage and faith to slay Goliath. And yet, some people wouldn't have been able to even kill a lion or bear. It's not a bad thing if a person can't, they are just different parts of the body of Christ, just as the nose is important but you wouldn't use it to lift things.
(To type if need be, yes - that is not it's normal use, but the notion is part of resilience. Little kids who try may just seem silly, but God is using such fun to help build resilience, because they learn how to improvise, that just because they might lack something doesn't mean God can't use them.)
For those who can, or at least haven't yet tried, it's important to encourge them that if they were mistreated or other bad things happened that they did nothing wrong, nothing to deserve such abuse, but that they can overcome. David didn't just give up because his brothers taunted him when he brought the food. And, let's not be too hard on his brothers, either - they may have been trying to protect David by keeping him away, not realizing what God had planned for him.
Sadly, a number of things cause one to value life less and be less resilient. These can include: 1. A lack of a caring community; 2. The apparent lack of opportunity to overcome a difficult environment; 3. The extreme attack nature of society; and numerous other factors.
So, this will discuss the problem of not valuing life and how to be resilient and help others to be, too.(Why not the news about Cruz dropping out and Trump causing distress even in his own party? Second Chronicles 7:14 says "If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves..." not a leader. There is no hierarchy to revival there or in Jeremiah 18:5-10. Praying for revival and acting on it must start with each of us; it's not a leadership or laws issue but a heart issue, which only God can solve.)
As with a few others, parts of this will be similar to a post on a ministry blog I do.(The blog is here if interested) It's a more ministry-specific post, but both have something important in common. How can people feel that sense of worth and community to overcome obstacles?
"Known By Our Love" - Valuing Life as God Does
I've stated a number of times, such as here, that revival must begin with repentance - turning our own hearts away from sin and toward God, letting Him work in them. Psalm 139:14 says in part "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" - a constant reminder of how God sees us; we are always special to someone, especially God, so we should value life and build others up since they, too, are always special to God. However, at the end of that Psalm, David asks God to search him and point out ways he needs to become more Godly in his thoughts, words, and actions. We must be known by our love.(John 13:35)
One way our nation has failed - and we must repent for - is a lack of respect for life. Part of the problem is that people think that they have little or no hope. Therefore, quite a few places - like New Orleans with the recent murder of former NFL star Will Smith - see awful violence. Very close to some huge tourist spots are areas where people much poorer need reasons to avoid sinking into a cycle of violence. They may have acquaintances, but the sense of community isn't based on deeply rooted things like family like it is more often in villages.
Some will say there has always been violence. True, Albert Einstein, speaking in the late 1940s about the massive destructive power of the atomic bomb, said, "I know not what weapons we will fight World War 3 with, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones." However, with parts of entire inner cities like war zones, many people lose hope - some even go astray and join gangs because they feel a need for community, but that just adds to the violence.
God is personal, though, and loves us unconditionally - hence we should also be known by our love. God will guide those who know Him to be more Christlike so they can know they have hope. I blogged an entire free book here on how even young people can do this; free because I know many can't afford it, so they can jsut print it out and copy and share, as I've mentioned numerous other times. God wants a relationship with us - He values us and wants us to value others' lives just as much.
We are separated from Him by our sin - our choices to do, say, or think things that go against God's perfect standard. However, He made a way for us to have a relationship with Him despite our sin when He came to Earth in the flesh (Jesus Christ) and died to take the punishment for our sins before rising from the dead.
All a person needs to do is accept they're a sinner and call on Him to forgive and save them, believing He died to take the punishment for their sins personally and then rose from the dead. This site gives a bit more detail, and you can e-mail someone, too, and ask questions.You can do that right here if you haven't.
Once you know Him as your personal Saviour, you can talk with God in prayer anytime, anywhere about anything. This post discusses the greatness of that personal relationship with Jesus and how we have constant contact with Him and it'll help us as believers to be more loving, compassionate, etc.. And, if we fall into sin, we just have to confess and forsake it and know He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9)
So, it's easy to see why we should value life - Jesus gave His life willingly for us; nbody had to take it from HIm. He saw each of us as important; each of us was on His mind when He went to the cross. And yet, in America - and other countries - people aren't valuing others' lives, and that doesn't just mean physical life but emotional and spiritual as well. We must be known by our love. As we pray for revival wherever we are, we must also step out in faith and be good role models for others. It's not a chore, we should look at it as something we get to do; it's a blessing to be able to encourage others. That's part of valuing life, after all.
Stepping Out in Faith
Share His love. Of course, there's more, but it's a nice summary. :-)
Seriously, we can't just them part of a community and say, "Good luck in your walk." People need fellowship and encouragement, but some need it a lot more than others. People lack resilience for the reasons stated above because they often haven't had the examples of Godly or even well-adjusted people around them. James 1:2-5, 1 Peter 1:6-9, and other passages help a lot, but when a person has been torn down so much by mean stuff around them such as bullying, it can be hard to even find a starting point.
Of course, everyone has a slightly different mentality and way of coping that fits them, but those ways must still line up with Scripture as far as gentleness, love, tenderheartedness, etc.. Everyone has different levels because we're all built differently - not everyone has the resilience to survive the mission field, for instance, and some who can handle one field couldn't handle another. However, we are all called to our own personal field of our family, community, etc..And yet, people often don't realize how much they can do unless they step out in faith.
Others, of course, learn the wrong lessons from life because of what they see around them - they think they have to react in a very unhelpful way to things. Instead of not trying, they try too hard in their own strength when that just leads to more problems.
That's part of why it's vital to follow God's plan for our lives. He knows us better than we do ourselves. If David had never stepped out and killed the lion and bear attacking the sheep, he never would have developed the courage and faith to slay Goliath. And yet, some people wouldn't have been able to even kill a lion or bear. It's not a bad thing if a person can't, they are just different parts of the body of Christ, just as the nose is important but you wouldn't use it to lift things.
(To type if need be, yes - that is not it's normal use, but the notion is part of resilience. Little kids who try may just seem silly, but God is using such fun to help build resilience, because they learn how to improvise, that just because they might lack something doesn't mean God can't use them.)
For those who can, or at least haven't yet tried, it's important to encourge them that if they were mistreated or other bad things happened that they did nothing wrong, nothing to deserve such abuse, but that they can overcome. David didn't just give up because his brothers taunted him when he brought the food. And, let's not be too hard on his brothers, either - they may have been trying to protect David by keeping him away, not realizing what God had planned for him.
In fact, let me run with that a second. Suppose that David was, in fact, very shy as a child, someone who his family felt would be a great shepherd, marry someday and be a Godly farmer, but they never expected him to be able to accomplish what he did. God allowed him to build resilience by killing the lion and the bear attacking the sheep, but part of that was also because he had the background to know that one had to stand up for what was right and know God would support him. There are lots of people who - to continue this analogy - lack the tools needed to be resilient enough to even kill the lion and bear, let alone march up to the battle and say "Is there not a cause?" David is, in fact, more likely to have been that shy, timid boy because of how God chooses the less capable sometimes, knowing that they will have to rely completely on Him and not their own skills.
Knowing one is part of that great body of Christ - and an important one in some way, even if a small one - is crucial to help them learn to love others. God is the God of all comfort so we can comfort others who are going through tough times, so that is one thing we can all do. We might not be able to slay Goliath ina great battle, but we can slay the giants in our own lives by letting God do the work and following where He calls and when.
That's what Ephesians 6:11-18 and spiritual warfare is all about, after all - "having done all, to stand." Some, unfortunately, have fallen and can't get up on their own.
Help Others Be More Resilient
So, we've seen there is a severe lack of resilience in some, especially in underprivileged areas but sometimes in very upscale areas, too, and we must work extra hard to build it in people from there if we are to fulfill God's calling to reach and minister to others. It won't work to just tell them they are fearfully and wonderfully mde, although examples like David above do help us as well as potentially help them. And, it creates a template for us to love others more.
The big question is, how do we actually help them to be more resilient - help to stand, as that passage says a few times in Ephesians 6:11-13?
First, of course, is by sharing the Gospel with them. Getting someone interested int he thigns of God can take a while at times. But, that longsuffering is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Sometimes it can hard to know where to start, but an excellent blueprint is that of Discovery Bible Studies. It allows you to use the questions and then just use the Bible from the original Antiochan texts (KJV) - I share here about the virtues and importance of it.
We need to come alongside others and help and guide them so they see the love of God and realize how much He cares. We need to be that caring parent that they never had. We need to have those Bible studies with them. We need to do all those little things with them sometimes so they can ee God in our lives and not only want to follow Him but want to serve Him.
Sometimes, there is such a lack of trust that the person may find it hard to trust the Lord, even when we share about how just because someone else claimed to be a Christian doesn't mean he was one. I know of a fellow who it took over a decade - and even then he finds it hard to use them labels others use for himself; as I told him, though, you can call yourself a hot fudge sundae if you want, if by that you mean someone who has called on Jesus Christ by faith to forgive and save them from their sins, believing that Jesus died and took their punishment for their sins and rose again.
For those in high crime or other troubled areas, that free blogged book I mentioned earlier provides some clues, but so does simply starting with helping them to develop positive attitudes and actions. Kids often learn by role playing - especially if the person is much more visually oriented, you can easily help them that way with how they might respond in a Godly manner rather than react to various situations. And, don't worry if the acting is really corny - it'll probably lighten the mood anyway. :-)
Just being there and showing you care by listening to them can help a lot, too, hence the comment about not just putting them in a church without anyone to mentor them. Sometimes that can be a ministry in the church, but many times, it can be a member who just steps out in faith an is a Godly example whom that person knows they can call on anytime with any questions. (Here is a great show, #114 where it's mentioned some; part 2 wil be up 5/12 or 5/13 as #117.)
Sometimes, in fact, one needs to go further and be that family a kid doesn't hve, that safe haven where they feel comfortable and loved and accepted no matter what, thus valuing life because they have seen how others value them and learned how they should value others. We are, after all, sometimes the only example of Jesus Christ someone will ever see.
So, as we pray for our country, let us be committed to not just pray for someone to help all those who lack resilience to value life and to overcome with God's help - so those passages in James and 1 Peter mentinoed earlier make sense to them and they can slowly learn to do that. Because, it's something we all need. When we are told, in places like Ephesians 6:10 and 2 Timothy 2:1, to be strong in the Lord, it is a Greek word meaning a continual strengthening from outside. A strengthening that can only come frm the Lord.
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