Me, Myself, and I (eBook)

Winning the War Within

LaVerne Farmer (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2024 | 1. Auflage
296 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-4141-8 (ISBN)

Spiritual Mindfulness 'Embracing God's Word: A Devotional Journey to Transform Your Thoughts and Relationships' In this heartfelt devotional, you'll embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth. With a gentle and maternal touch, we delve into the profound wisdom of the Bible, using its timeless scriptures to guide you in aligning your thoughts with God's Word. By doing so, you'll not only enhance your personal and professional relationships but also nurture a more profound and meaningful daily connection with our Heavenly Father. Divided into three enriching sections - Me, Myself, and I - each segment resonates with relatable colloquialisms that address the struggle of battling negative internal thoughts. As a seasoned woman of faith and marriage, I understand our challenges in navigating our thoughts and emotions. Through comforting and detailed insights, we will explore how to break free from these shackles and embark on a path of renewal. Together, we'll embark on a journey of self-awareness, self-compassion, and scriptural reflection. The 'Me' section will empower you to explore your thoughts and feelings, guiding you to align them with God's divine plan. The 'Myself' section delves deeper into the obstacles we face within, addressing these challenges head-on with the empowering light of scripture. Finally, in the 'I' section, we celebrate your triumphant emergence from negativity, armed with scriptural tools to sustain a joyous and fulfilled life.

Spiritual Mindfulness: Embracing God's Word, A Devotional Journey to Transform Your Thoughts and Relationships"e; is a heartfelt devotional designed to lead readers on a transformative path of self-discovery and spiritual growth. With a gentle and maternal touch, the author, drawing from her seasoned perspective as a woman of faith with 40 years of marriage, guides readers through the profound wisdom of the Bible. A 3- part organized devotional of enriching sections-Me, Myself, and I-each addressing specific aspects of the reader's journeys of processes through past guilt, self-doubt and overthinking; paralyses through over-analysis. The author employs relatable colloquialisms to connect with the reader's everyday experiences, acknowledging the actual struggle of battling negative internal thoughts. In the 'Me' section, readers are encouraged to embark on a journey of self-awareness. This part of the devotional empowers individuals to explore their own thoughts and feelings, providing guidance on aligning them with God's divine plan. The author's comforting and detailed insights offer a roadmap for breaking free from the shackles of negativity. Moving into the 'Myself' section, the devotional delves deeper into the internal obstacles individuals face. We address the challenges head-on with the empowering light of scripture, providing a source of strength and guidance. This section aims to help readers navigate their inner struggles with a focus on self-compassion and scriptural reflection. The last section, 'I,' celebrates the reader's triumphant emergence of negativity. Armed with scriptural tools gained through the devotional journey, we encouraged individuals to sustain a joyous and fulfilled life. The overarching goal is not only to enhance personal and professional relationships, but also to foster a more profound and meaningful daily connection with the Heavenly Father. Throughout the devotional, the author's maternal perspective and understanding of the challenges faced in navigating thoughts and emotions shine through. The combination of comforting insights, relatable language, and scriptural wisdom creates a guide that resonates with readers on their unique spiritual journey. This book intends to aid readers in acknowledging their role in decision making by illustrating the prevalence of these habits. It stresses that the hardest part of adopting healthier habits is the time and repletion required to undo and relearn. rephase: RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: Applying the Word of God but what does that really look like?Our day-to-day lives are well-acquainted with actions, reactions, consequences, and repercussions. We gain wisdom from reflecting on our past, but as born-again believers, we struggle to break the cycle of making poor decisions. We've become more involved in religious practices and adjusted to the church culture, but our behavior remained unchanged. Here's where we miss it. We can find the missing piece in Galatians 5:16: This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Emphasize the spiritual. Develop a spirit-led mindfulness, a spiritual practice to maintain awareness, paying deliberate attention to the influence of God in the present moment. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1, 2This spiritual mind renewal transforms us beyond our limited ability and transports us as citizens under the kingship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His kingdom endows us with privileges that supersede the limitation of facts, data, and information. Physical evidence must surrender to God as the ultimate authority. We are given the right to walk in victory, power, and authority.

TWO

#METOO!

It is virtually impossible to turn on the news and not hear about sexual allegations and misconduct involving celebrities or the influential. The #MeToo movement emboldens survivors to express their distressing accounts of molestation. On the one hand, the phrase “No means No” serves as a central theme in mandated counseling, discussions on sexuality, and education about sexual abuse. However, our society plays a role in the widespread presence of what is often termed “soft porn” across printed materials, advertisements, television, and films. To exacerbate the situation, we openly condemn men who harass women while frequently scrutinizing the decisions made by the victims. One thing is for sure—no one under any circumstances deserves to be abused mentally, physically, financially, or sexually. Nor should anyone be ignored, falsely accused, or called a liar when they are telling the truth. Each sexual harassment case warrants individual scrutiny and prosecution commensurate with its merits.

If we took a vote, we would be hard pressed to find women who haven’t been imperiled to some form of sexual harassment and/or abuse. Despite being hushed, our children, adolescents, and grown men have been victimized by various forms of sexual predation. Whether it’s a babysitter, family member, friend, employer, or stranger, all are categorized as predators targeting victims.

The Bible makes us aware to,

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a

roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

1 Peter 5:8

Though the devil brings forth this evil, we can mitigate the suffering with an antidote. Young people, especially naïve individuals, must maintain relentless communication with the Holy Ghost. He must be absolutely involved in our decision making. Down to the smallest detail of our daily activities, maintain a posture of listening for and obeying His voice.

Each sexual harassment case warrants

individual scrutiny and prosecution

commensurate with its merits.

I, unfortunately, like a host of other church girls, found myself a victim of date rape. I was in my early twenties, thinking I’m headed to a neighborhood sports center for some free tennis lessons. Boy, was I naïve. The man indicated he had to stop by his house to pick something up. All the way there, he was trying to impress me with the money he had, the house and several vehicles he owned. I surprised him when I told him I wasn’t impressed with the material things of other people. We arrived at his home; it was winter, he said he had to make a call and invited me in. I had known him for a while and he seemed to be a nice guy, so I thought he was just being a gentleman. Wrong, wrong, and then wrong. 6’3, 200 + pounds, was no match for me at 5’ 3””, 110 pounds. I kept trying to tell him I was innocent. When he understood I was a virgin, he became even more insistent. I froze. It was like I was in a twilight zone, and all I could think was, “Is this how I was going to lose my virginity?” All those “flee fornication” young people meeting services just seemed frivolous! All the romantic thoughts of lovemaking and marriage went right out the window. Of course, I thought it was my fault. I felt like maybe I did something wrong to lead him on. He forced me, but he did not hit me, so I did not want to believe that he had raped me. Hoping this was merely a misinterpretation on our parts, I had hoped to salvage the friendship. My goal was to forgive him, expecting we would develop a relationship and hopefully one day be married. I could have the testimony of only having sex with my husband. I know now that this was completely delusional!

God blessed me to get out of that relationship. I had made several typographical errors on his resume. He became verbally aggressively. I thought, “This guy is acting like he’s going to hit me.” As a young woman, I was determined to get out of any relationship immediately as soon as I saw any semblance of a violent temper. I prayed, “God, if you get me out of this vehicle, I will never again get back in!” He dropped me off at home. I later called him and told him I never want to see him again! He begged, he pleaded, he apologized, but thank God, it was over it!

I repressed the memory and disregarded it for years, until my husband’s tickling triggered it and it resurfaced. Thank you, Jesus, for a Godly husband. I became exceedingly aggressive. He simply embraced me, quieted me, and reassured me of my safety. I was unaware of the extent of my trauma and how significantly it had altered my life. For a long time, I remained a dedicated member of the church, singing in the choir and regularly attending meetings. But on the inside, I felt as though I had robbed of something precious that gave me value, and therefore, I was less valuable. Experiencing worship’s healing power revived my sense of self-worth. I had broken free from the chains of victimhood and regret.

Unfortunately, sexual predators live among us. They are in our schools, at our jobs, in our neighborhood, and even in some of our churches. They are wolves hiding in sheep’s clothing. Our assignment is to “keep a watch” and be vigilant, NOT paranoid but observant, watch as well as pray. Pray for our sons and daughters; for their safety from rape and incest. Pray that God preserves and protects them from all forms of consensual and non-consensual pre-marital sex.

Yes, we are human. Yes, we have been subjected to abuse. However, we are greater and more powerful than what we experience. God has given us the ultimate spiritual resolution for every situation. He has given us His Spirit, His truth, and His counsel to filter through all of life’s injustices. Our responsibility is to exalt God’s Word above every thought of guilt, shame, fear, and pain.

In 2 Samuel 13, Tamar, the daughter of King David, was raped and humiliated by her half-brother Amnon. Her brother Absalom found out consoled, took her in, and cared for her for the rest of her life. Her father, King David, was angered by what happened, but not as much as her brother Absalom. Absalom later planned, plotted, and killed his half-brother for the rape of his sister. Nathan the prophet prophesied violence in King David’s family because of his sins with Bathsheba and Uriah. Talk about trauma drama! We may not be privy to the punishment of our perpetrators; but we are fortunate to have the certainty that we can trust in God for our justice. He will turn our tears into laughter, replace mourning with dancing, and transform our shame into victory.

The Biblical narrative of Joseph, who was falsely accused of attempted rape by his boss’s wife, Potiphar, is an illustration of God’s supreme authority. (Genesis 39). Joseph, as a young man, had gone from being the favored son of his father to being kidnapped and sold into slavery. He surmounted his childhood trauma and achieved success as an employee, only to face unfounded rape allegations. Because he refused to be seduced by his bosses’ horny wife, he was thrown in jail. Although imprisoned, God was with him and blessed him. Joseph was eventually vindicated and promoted to the second highest position in Egypt. God has a way of working things out. Our job is to believe that He is truly the Chief Justice of the universe! We have to rest and comfort ourselves with this truth, no matter how long it may take. As governor of Egypt, Joseph was confronted with his brothers, who sold him into slavery. Instead of lashing out and taking vengeance, he forgave them and explained,

“And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of

God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant

it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people

alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little

ones. And he comforted them, and spoke kindly unto them.”

Genesis 50:19-21

The only way to receive true absolution and justice for those who caused the tormenting pain of your past is healing from God. Accepting an apology is one aspect, but authentically forgiving or even potentially caring for and supporting your wrongdoer represents a higher degree of spiritual forgiveness and miraculous restoration. Even if you continue to be plagued by memories, keep trusting God. Such commitment constitutes the essence of our faith and must be executed at the onset, during, and subsequent to every instance of our past hurtful memories. As believers, we must be preemptive. We are in a state of warfare. We are engaged in a conflict; we face an assault, and our ego is battling on the opposing front.

2 Corinthians 10:3- 5 lets us know,

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…

As a child, I used to shout “blah, blah, blah, blah” when someone tried to hurt my feelings. Use this similar method—the Word of God is a shut-off valve to every negative thought that comes to torment your mind! Shout, sing, dance, praise, or meditate on God’s promise, whatever it takes....

Erscheint lt. Verlag	21.1.2024
Sprache	englisch
Themenwelt	Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Gesundheit / Leben / Psychologie ► Lebenshilfe / Lebensführung
ISBN-13	979-8-3509-4141-8 / 9798350941418

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