Friday, January 29, 2010

Touching Base! Part 72

Hot Topics Part 4 – Strength In Depression
(This article can also we found on our website at
http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called “Blog”)

This touching base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God’s Word needs to be discussed in community.

On Sunday January 31st I was invited to share my story at Bethel. I focused on the unique opportunity we are given as Christians to exchange our weakness for His strength. We all have weaknesses. The real issue is that too often we silently attempt to muscle our way through the challenges of life as weaklings. It is so ironic! Jesus is in us, around us, over us and under us and right beside us and yet we so easily default to a kind of “me, myself and I” mentality that blocks the strength Jesus longs to exchange for our weakness. What is it with us? Will we ever learn?

How can depression be a hot topic? Why are depression and related emotional challenges such a common issue in a town filled with intellects and upwardly mobile people? What does it mean for you to exchange your weakness for His strength? What would it look like if you did exchange your weakness for His strength? How can you help someone that trusts you sojourn through a season of depression?

There were twelve lessons I shared with you from my personal journey. Which of the following did you connect with the most and why? What specific paradigm shift do you desire and intend to switch from and to?

Grace

Grace is to rest in His arms.
Grace is to let God initiate.
Grace is to hear the voice of God.
Grace says “God will handle it.”
Grace is God guiding the journey.
Grace says God uses anyone.
Grace is unpredictable.
Grace is without agenda.
Grace is the fear of God.
Grace is relationship.
Grace is God’s type.
Grace comes from God.

Performance

Performance is to work my arms.
Performance is to self start.
Performance is to control/manipulate.
Performance says “I can do it.”
Performance says “Go and get it.”
Performance says “We are the team.”
Performance is strategic.
Performance is agenda-driven.
Performance is the fear of man.
Performance is production.
Performance is type A.
Performance comes from me.

If you were to add your own lesson that moved you from performance to grace, what would it be?

What words would you substitute for grace and performance to make the exercise of exchange more personalized?

Do you really want the strength of God? How much weakness must you endure before you are driven to your knees begging for the strength of Jesus?

God bless you in your journey toward emotional wholeness and spiritual health.

Warren Reeve

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You wrote: "God bless you in your journey toward emotional wholeness and spiritual health."

I read this line twice.

Very powerful message there and in your story. Thanks for sharing.