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He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Psalm 23:2-3
There are times in our lives when we can become completely overwhelmed by all that is around us. We can be pulled by finances, family issues, relational struggles, health concerns and many other things. In fact, these things of life are just the tip of the iceberg.
While it isn’t mentioned in mental health circles as an official ‘diagnosis’, each of us can be affected by the ‘Messiah Complex’. The Messiah Complex can be described as that thought process that says we are to become the savior of our world. In other words, all that goes on around us is our responsibility to correct, redeem and improve.
The messiah complex is rarely intentional. Usually it sneaks up on us. We take on one more responsibility. Our hearts open up to one more problem. Our compassion is directed towards one more individual’s crisis. Soon, without our knowing it, our minds are filled with concerns that really don’t involve us or that we have no control over. The result is frustration, fatigue and perhaps anger. We become so overwhelmed by all we ‘should do’ that we don’t do anything well.
That’s when Jesus says “Come. Rest in my arms. Take time apart to relax.” In fact, the Psalmist implies that our Good Shepherd demands us to rest in His Rest. The Rest that Jesus promises us is complete rest. It comforts the soul, nourishes the spirit and feeds the physical parts of our being.
When we become distracted and overwhelmed by the cares of this world it gives the enemy opportunity to pull us away from the important things that build our relationship with Jesus. When our relationship with Jesus is weakened our relationships with others will falter as well.
Take some time to evaluate your priorities. The world should not rest on your shoulders. Prayerfully consider what things need to be given over to the power of Christ’s righteousness. When we learn to rest in the Rest that only Christ can give. Take another look at Psalm 23:2-3.
“He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Who is the dominant one in our lives? Who is the one who gives rest, strength, comfort and peace? It’s Jesus! We are the receivers. He is the giver of all that we need.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. I’m tired. I thank You for the fact that you know everything that is on my mind right now. All the stress. All the frustration. All the things that are making me angry. I confess to You that I am taking far more responsibility for things than I can handle. I ask that with the help of Your Holy Spirit you would empower me to rest in your arms. I hand over to you all the things that are troubling me today. In Your powerful name I pray, Amen.
I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Revelation 3:8
There are many times in the Bible when God closes doors. These are times when He shows His great strength and power. He ‘closed’ the gate to the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned. And with that closing it was never to be entered again.
God closed the door on the Ark as the Great Flood began. It was a show of power, protection (for Noah and the animals) and finality. Life would never be the same again on planet earth.
There are other times when doors were closed symbolically to show that God’s timing was not yet complete. The Israelites were delayed from entering the Promised Land due to doubt. David was prevented from building the temple because the time was not yet right.
God closes doors for a reason. In each of our lives there are times when we pray, we plead, we earnestly seek God’s working in particular areas of our lives. It’s frustrating for us when the doors close in front of us. It can cause us to doubt, to become angry, or give up all together.
God also opens doors. When He opens a door there is no shutting it. The Pharisees tried to shut the door of the tomb where Jesus lay. But God opened that door with a thunderous earthquake and NO ONE could close it. Man can try to hold back God’s power but He will never be thwarted by man. God’s open doors are no match for man’s power. Ever.
In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John delivers a message to the churches around him. In each letter the message is basically the same. Clean up your act…or else. There’s one exception to that pattern and it’s seen in the letter to the church in Philadelphia. The church in Philadelphia is described by John as being a weak church. John says, in verse 8, “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”
The church in Philadelphia was given many opportunities that the other churches around her were not, yet, it appears she was the weakest of all the churches. There was one redeeming quality that brought blessing to the church in Philadelphia. In spite of her weakness she had remained true to her faith in Jesus Christ.
The same is true for each of us as we travel this journey called life. There are times when we feel weak. We look at where we are and where we’ve been and can feel like total failures. Hopelessness and despair can attack us and try to keep us from experiencing the joy of Jesus in our lives.
It’s during these times that each of us needs to look to the open door! In spite of our weakness, God has a multitude of opportunities and blessings for us to enjoy. And when God opens a door for us, there isn’t anyone who can slam it shut.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. Thank you for the message to the church of Philadelphia. Thank you that even in my weakness you have placed an open door of blessing and opportunity before me. Empower me with your Spirit to refuse to listen to the voices that tell me I’m a failure. Forgive me for the times I have failed and help me to walk boldly through the open doors you have set before me. Amen.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
We are free because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who are Christ-followers hold this truth as the foundation of our faith and the motivation for all that we say and do. Our faith is based solely on Jesus Christ.
The entire book of Galatians can be summed up in one word. Freedom. Grace gives us the freedom we need to face the sometimes seemingly insurmountable obstacles in our way on this journey we call life.
Along with those obstacles come intentional or unintentional attempts by the enemy to rip the freedom we have in Jesus from our hands. He is a cunning enemy. He uses circumstances, people and even religion to try to enslave us. When it works we can find ourselves in more bondage than we were in before we came to Jesus.
Paul gives us a two word battle plan to protect our freedom. He tells the Galatian Church, and us, to STAND FIRM! That’s it. Stand. And while you are standing, stand firm. Immovable. Resolute. Unwavering.
Normally we think of defending our freedom in terms of warfare. It’s either fight or flight. We fight like a cornered animal if need be and run like a scared rabbit if necessary. As Christ followers all we need to do is stand. Jesus fought the battle on the cross and in the grave. He won! It’s over. Signed, sealed and delivered. Done. Period.
Standing isn’t normally considered a position of warfare. But standing in the face of adversity takes courage, strength and trust. A story is told of a neighborhood bully known to pick on dogs in the area. The ‘bully’ was a big old tomcat. In his wisdom he’d learned that dogs could only go as far as their chain or fence would allow them to come. He would walk just outside the perimeter of the chain or fence and stand. The dogs would come running until they reached the ‘end of their rope’ and come to a sudden, painful stop. The tomcat simply stood because he knew he was in no danger.
As Christ-followers we can stand in the face of adversity because we know we are free. We stand outside the perimeter of the enemy. He can’t hurt us any longer. We can trust our Savior to see us through and protect us.
Ask the Father to help you stand firm in the battle before you. Develop the faith-muscle you need to be unwavering using the PAS method.
P – Pray. The single most formidable weapon we have as Christ-followers is to pray. God is there and wants to hear your heart.
A– Accountability. Surround yourselves with people who are truly interested in encouraging your gifts, building you up and guiding you according to God’s word. Religion enslaves you. Relationship with Jesus frees you.
S – Scripture. God’s word is His letter to you. In it he holds the keys to how you can stand firm in Him. Read it daily. Study it with your accountability group. Take it with you into battle as you would a shield and weapon. It is not outdated. It is relevant for today.
PRAYER: Holy Father, I thank you for the freedom I have in Jesus Christ. I pray that you would remove the guilt and shame of past mistakes. I invite your Holy Spirit to enter into my life and guide, protect and strengthen me to stand in the midst of the obstacles that are before me. Empower me to stand firm in You. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 