Soulfit "Train yourself…"

So, this website got hacked over a month ago and after trying to figure it out in frustration, connecting with web dev people, asking a lot of questions, getting better security, and of course paying some $, we’re back on line.

Made me think about our souls. (Are you surprised?!)

How insidious are our enemy’s ploys to gain unauthorized access to our souls when we hardly know it. We open our souls up to malware by giving in to sin, by holding onto bitterness, un-forgiveness, pride or you name it. We have no idea how far-reaching our sin is, even when it is forgiven.  “God is forgiving, but sin is not” John Mark Comer

There’s a schemer who is intent on our destruction, so any way he can find to get in, he’ll take.

“…so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” 2 Corinthians 2:11, NASB

The scheme Paul mentions in this verse is one of finding where there is un-forgiveness that somehow opens the door, allowing “malware” in to mess with the soul. No wonder God is so adamant, so often, about staying away from sin. It’s just bad for us, bad for those we live among, bad for our future. That’s why turning from sin is such a strategic move toward wholeness.

What area of your life is ripe for a soul hack? Maybe some extra security is in order.

We can’t “end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to,” but we can take up arms against the hacker and scan our souls for malware and close the holes he’s getting through.

Take a serious walk with the Spirit through these passages to check yourselves for malware and get some extra security against the enemy!

Soul scan: Galatians 5:16-26

Soul security Ephesians 6:10-18

“The story of your life is the story of a long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it.”

Waking the Dead, John Eldredge

We were privileged and awed to visit Rome for our 36^th wedding anniversary.  There were too many fascinating relics to take in!  I had studied a bit about layers of ruins in Rome but there was one that captured my interest and intrigued me most.

This monument was constructed in 82 AD by the Roman emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to deify him and commemorate his victories, including the siege of Jerusalem in 70AD, which marked a major turning point in Jewish history.  The Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, carrying away all the temple treasure. This scene is depicted on the inner arch of the monument in a haunting, gloating image. There you see the triumphant march of the victors carrying the precious gold and silver furnishings that were used in the service of the God of Israel, paraded out in enemies’ hands! 

How do you explain that?  Where is God?

The first century Roman empire was a rough place to live for Jews and even rougher for Jewish Christians.  Not only did the Romans oppress them, their own Jewish families and friends couldn’t understand them. They would have taunted, “Give up this cult and come back to your tradition. Fight with us against the Romans!” 

Talk about deconstruction of faith!  This was only a few decades after Jesus rose from the dead, inaugurating the new covenant.  He had predicted this very event. (Matthew 24:1,2) Along with the holy things carried away were thousands of Jewish slaves who were used to build the Colosseum in Rome about the same time the arch was constructed.  In the Colosseum many early Christians were martyred or crucified as entertainment. The Jews, for years after this, had to pay homage to Rome at the arch of Titus.  Can you imagine?  Your worst defeat and devastation being smeared in your face by your enemies?!

What they had hoped in outwardly, like a good luck charm, was entirely dashed.  They had lost the heart connection and forsaken God himself, while keeping the outward appearances of worship.  God’s New Way (Hebrews 10:20) had come and they didn’t recognize or want it.  How disillusioning for the Jewish people and confusing for the new followers of Jesus.

So, imagine your hope, the thing you counted on, the stable factor of your life is wiped out.  How do you handle that?

Most of us have disillusionment in our lives.  We can look back on something we hoped in, counted on and deeply believed.  Then saw it fail, thrown away, trampled or dismissed.  And just like the Jews in the time of this historical event when the Emperor took over, we feel abandoned and violated. 

Do you have an arch of Titus in your life? Where disillusionment, deconstruction wants to thrust you away from the One who’s trying to get your attention?  While the Roman world-power gloated at the deconstruction of Judaism, God had much greater things in mind for His people.  An entirely new way that was much superior to the old way.

What greater things might He have in mind for you?

At the monuments of defeat or disillusionment in our lives, can we turn our affections back to God himself and not what we thought He was or thought He said?  Can we lift our eyes above the rubble and hear a still, small voice inviting us to something more? 

Connecting with God, the One who created us!

We know we need it!  He knows us inside and out and has resources beyond what we can imagine, yet at times it’s hard to take time to tap into that; to receive from Him and listen to what He says.  Christianity is the only faith that acknowledges that we cannot, on our own make ourselves good enough for God.  Because of our desperate need for His forgiveness and strength to live well, He came to us in Jesus.  He comes to us still.  And gives us Truth that sets us free!  We have so many voices in our heads, from living in a fallen world, that we need to replace with God’s words; to hear, meditate on and take to our hearts His incredible grace, forgiveness, help and warnings to us.  He so longs for good for us, that He instructs and guides us with His eye upon us! (Psalm 32:8) Working toward a daily habit of time with Him is key to growth and resilience.

In my years as a young mom it was very hard to find time alone to do this.  With 4 small kids I hardly found time to keep myself rested and energized.  I remember putting some verses by the sink where I washed dishes to use some of that time to turn my thoughts Godward.  Or playing music while doing laundry to lift my mind and heart to combat my negative self-talk.  Using daily tasks to remind us to pray, can help turn a mundane routine chore into a place of reconnecting with a heart-felt prayer or a plea for strength to face what’s ahead of us. 

We all deal with condemning thoughts about how we don’t pray enough.  One thing we can do when that happens is turn it into praise.  Thank God that even though your prayer life is not what you want it to be, you can praise Him now, that He is there for you, accessible and ready to listen and be with you. Acknowledge the negative thoughts and turn them into a moment of praise and thanks.

What is one task you do each day, even if it’s for a few minutes, that you could use as a trigger for prayer?  Each time I fill my water filter pitcher I take those moments to lift something that is on my heart.  A good way to reconnect with God during my day because I drink a lot of water!  🙂

After a knee replacement, our friend, Mary, was in for her one-month appointment with her surgeon, Dr. V, where he brings her physical therapist, Chase, in to see how she’s been in therapy, and they line up the next month. Everything she does, (exercise, weights, ranges of motion) is documented on an I-Pad. Chase shares the data with Dr. V and together they give a full evaluation.

During the appointment Dr. V told Mary how great everything looked. He showed the X-ray of how tight and straight everything inside is, no more swelling, and complimented her on her work with Chase. 

Then Dr. V turned to her wish list and said, “Well Mary, we’re 1/3 through our process — And the first third was the hardest third: major surgery and lots of pain.  But we’re done with that.   Your knee is fixed.  But the next two-thirds are longer, and hence, mentally harder.  Honestly, this is where a lot of people say, “enough”.  But here’s the key Mary. The work you do in these next two-thirds will determine the quality of your life moving forward. You can simply start walking around to the extent that you want to walk the rest of your life or

you can build up strength for a totally different rest of your life.”

“So, when I look at your wish list, you look like you want a lot of life past this surgery, correct?”  

She interrupted him and said, “I got an email from our friends who are planning a trip to Italy in October, what do you think about that?” He smiled and said, ‘October?  Heck! Not a problem. You could handle that easily.”  She smiled…

But her husband Kelly said yesterday she didn’t want to go to therapy. “She was fighting it, crying… I dropped her off, praying that the Lord would meet her. Two hours later I picked her up and she had the biggest smile on her face.  She was totally energized. I said, “Well how was it?  She said, “Oh Kelly. It was great.  We had the best session.” 

We were going through our exercises and we got about half way and Chase said, “Ok. get up. Off the table, let’s go!” I said, “Where are we going?”   

He said, “We’re going to do some stairs!”   I said, “STAIRS?!”   

He said, “Yep, stairs”.  I was freaking out; I wasn’t ready for that. I told him, “I don’t know, Chase.”  

He said. “I do.  And if you want to meet up with your friends in Italy, we’re going to be ready. Let’s go!”  He held my hand and we did the first flight – four times. Forty stairs!” 

Turning point!

Pushing through physical therapy and finding the motivation to persevere has taken everything in Mary and more.  And wouldn’t you know it, our spiritual growth (soul therapy) has striking parallels: turning points that determine the quality of our spiritual life moving forward. Some people call it the “wall” where doubts, testing, questions and new paradigms arise and it’s easy to give in, stagnate, float or get bitter.  Finding our way can be like intense wrestling and disillusionment, but if we endure with our Soul Therapist, we’ll see refreshing and deep transformation and a “totally different rest of our life”.

I think we’ll be seeing our friends in Italy! 

“One way to define spiritual life is getting so tired and fed up with yourself you go on to something better, which is following Jesus.” Eugene Peterson

In a group I’m coaching, we decided to write a personal psalm to help us pause,
notice and respond to God’s movement in our lives. I offered 2 Samuel 22:4-20
as a template or example to spring from.  This came from that:

A Psalm of Lauren

“From before I was born Lord, you marked me as your own; you had plans for me, plans to call me your precious daughter, plans to walk with me. I didn’t know your Presence during some hard times in my life, but you were near all along.

When I was at my lowest, you were there with a gentle word and comforting presence. You didn’t walk away, even during the times when I turned and drifted away from you.

The voices of others grew louder, telling me I do not belong, that I don’t measure up, I’m not wanted and I should try harder to be better. I struggled to meet the expectations of those around me and my own expectations that created walls of shame and guilt.

I couldn’t see the value in me apart from the things I could accomplish, should accomplish. But the victories were shallow and short-lived. I felt alone and outcast.

I didn’t know who to trust and how to trust you, and I’m still working through all of the voices to hear yours more often and clearly. Would you continue to quiet the voices in my mind and those that seek to tear me down?

But Your voice was there all along. I am untouchable in your hands of protection; in the midst of the storms of life; I am safe, I am seen, I am heard and I am loved.

Trying harder doesn’t bring me the peace and joy that come from me surrendering to you. I want to hear your voice saying, “Well done, my child.”  Though I am not enough on my own, you declare me enough for your purpose. So, Lord, I seek not my own on my own, but I seek what you have planned through your strength and kindness.

You have a purpose for me. You desire me to draw near to you and to be content and filled with joy. You desire good for me. Turn my heart from the things I’ve known to the things you want me to know. Turn my heart from the worries of this world to see your eternal perspective.

People stumble and fail, I stumble and fail. But Lord, that’s not the end. You don’t cast me aside and withdraw from me. Because of your great love and patience, I can rise again and push forward; not to attain perfection on my own, but to catch a glimpse of Your perfection. Transform me from within, in the uttermost deepest parts. Shine light into my soul that I may repent and be strengthened.

You have declared me worthy, you have declared me as beloved, and you lead me every moment. My confidence is in you. Teach me to trust in you alone.”

An exercise for your soul: Give God some space and time and write a psalm to
capture some of what He’s doing in and for you! 

(disruptive, subverting an established system)

Our subversive Savior used a brilliant weapon against the status quo: 

Love.

On Holy Thursday (or Maundy Thursday, maundy – Latin for mandate = commandment) the night before his death, Jesus gave a new commandment. (John 13:34,35) Following that command to love one another would become what distinguished His people from others.  The next day Love cut piercingly through the spit-filled mockery and wrenching injustice.  It threw His enemies off.  They never saw that coming.  Love is subversive at times.

Up is down.  Giving is receiving. Life is death. Being is becoming.

So many paradoxes in this life of faith!  So, we too have to be subversive.  The established system we seek to subvert is our propensity to self-centeredness; the idea that, life is about us, all about how I think it should be. When full life really comes from the One who designed us.  So, subverting that mindset means looking honestly at me and my status quo.

I think we’d all agree that sin is a problem for us.  And more so when we think it’s not.  We’ve seen way too many leaders living as if they were above the ways of God and losing their way.  How easily we can lose our way.  In the book of Hebrews it’s referred to as hardness of heart, or dullness of ears, immature, untrained and unaccustomed to God’s Word.

“The moment we formulate our doctrines, draw up our moral codes and throw ourselves into a life of ministry apart from a continuous re-immersion in the [gospel] story itself, we walk right out of the presence and activity of God and set up our own shop.” E Peterson Subversive Spirituality

We’re talking about inner work here, matters of the invisible. Often, we’re too content with just the outward things in our lives:

“…we must draw boundaries where they will help us. But it’s dangerous to imagine they will reform us, protect us from moral decay, or eradicate the true source of sin. We can’t let down our guard. Sin begins in our own hearts and minds, and the most effective protections are the ministry of the Holy Spirit and equal, open relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ.”  Amy Simpson 

What in your soul needs that subversive love? 

RH Barton speaking of R Mulholland’s Invitation to a Journey says the soul’s “journey toward Christlikeness and abandonment to God begins by exposing conscious sins and omissions and culminates in a greater awareness of the deep-seated attitudes and inner orientations of our being out of which our behavior patterns flow. Here God deals primarily with our “trust structures” especially those deep inner postures…that do not rely on God but on self for our well-being.”