Feelings . . .

One of the hardest lessons in life is learning how to deal with feelings. In fact, there is no way you can have a healthy relationship without knowing the difference between having feelings, and being aware of the presence of those feelings. This very small and yet important difference is the key to self-awareness in our emotional lives.

The Bible makes it clear that not being aware of this difference is being emotionally blind to your true situation. In fact, Jesus spent a lot of His ministry trying to remove this blindness and increasing people's own self-awareness. He knew that without truly knowing ourselves there is no way that we could properly know God. (Proverbs 14:12)

Knowing Your Limits

Religion 101. Sounded like an easy course, especially if you believed that you had a pretty good grasp on this religion thing. My rationalization was resoundingly inadequate but that still didn't stop me from my course of action. (Pun intended) - Mark this class as an easy "B" and homework would not be a problem. And it wasn't. The homework part anyway. What was a problem was that I really didn't know the origins of my faith and why I believed the way I did. The target on my back couldn't have been any bigger.

I'm going to spare you the messy details but this lack of a correct Biblical worldview derailed my faith journey for years. Looking back I wish I had done a few things differently to prevent years of living in the wilderness without God's presence, blessing and His protection. (Zechariah 7:13) Not to mention hurting countless people while I struggled to find my spiritual legs. I write these things in the hope that they might help someone else in their faith journey.

Hold Me Jesus (by Rich Mullins)

 One of my all-time favorite artists and songs.

God's Response To Rebellion

In Deuteronomy, Chapter 1 Moses starts off by giving a summary of Israel's 40 year journey that began at Mount Sinai. This is the beginning of the nation of Israel after God freed them from their slavery in Egypt.

Midway through the chapter Moses describes the time when the spies that Israel had sent to scope out the Promised Land returned with news of the people who currently occupied the land. Ten of the twelve spies said the challenges were too much to overcome (exact words were, "The people are stronger and taller than we are and the cities are large and fortified up to heaven.") but the remaining two said, "It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us."