Escaping the Cage of Guilt

Got to love the title …

Wild Goose Chase – Rediscover the Adventure of Pursuing God
book by Mark Batterson, published 2008, Multnomah.

Chapters -
Escaping the Cage of Responsibility . . . . . .
Escaping the Cage of Routine . . . . . . . . . . .
Escaping the Cage of Assumptions . . . . . . .
Escaping the Cage of Guilt . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Escaping the Cage of Failure …

Quotes from .. Escaping the Cage of Guilt . . . 

Has someone hurt you? It doesn’t matter how deep the hurt might be, you must forgive that person. Why? If for no other reason, Jesus commands us to. One tiny seed of bitterness can grow into a debilitating obsession.

Much of human behavior stems from conditioned reflexes. Many are small and insignificant, while others represent major personality traits. To progress toward spiritual maturity, we must acknowledge these reflexes and allow God to recondition the ones that keep us out of step with Him.

For example, guilt is a holy and healthy reflex. But false guilt can wreak havoc on our lives. Most of us have an easier time accepting God’s forgiveness than forgiving ourselves.

…

The main struggle is not being able to forget our past. We think that our sinful past disqualifies us from God being able to use us. So we fret over sins we’ve already confessed. 

And what is ironic is that bitterness doesn’t do a single thing to the other person. It only keeps you locked in a cage. If you have the courage to forgive, it will set you free and recondition your heart.

The Look in Jesus’ Eye

 
No matter what your past may hold, I can promise you this: God has not given up on you. There are times when we fail so miserably that we feel totally undeserving of God’s grace. And how we respond to those times will make or break us spiritually. We can confine ourselves to the cage or we can uncover new dimensions of the grace of God.

…

taken from: http://www.christianbooksummaries.com
http://www.christianbooksummaries.com/past.php - scroll down and click on Download this summary
http://www.christianbooksummaries.com/library/v5/cbs0504.pdf - Wild Goose Chase

Dismantling the Addiction Cycle

Dismantling the Addiction Cycle

Identify Triggers

Set Boundaries

• Desire – You can have all the knowledge, skills and resources you need to get started , but if you don’t have desire, it ain’t happening.
• Discipline – You have to discipline yourself to follow through. Yes, it’s hard, it’s painful. Yes, it takes you out of your comfort zone, but it’s also temporary. Studies have shown that it takes 21 consecutive days of repeated activity to form a habit. You just have to stick with it. Keep your eyes on the larger goal.
• Delight – Benefits of the habit that you never knew existed suddenly materialise.  So many times, we give up too soon. We allow our feelings to dictate our actions.  Feelings follow actions, not the other way around. Develop momentum that makes the habit easy to continue.

Letting God in

Renouncing Baal and Ashteroth – false gods and beliefs

Healing and Freedom

Staying Free

• Know your enemy and how he operates
  • Satan tries to get you feeling Discouraged, Disillusioned, Disappointed, Disconnected and Defeated.
• Know the truth and maintain freedom – need God’s help
• Build boundaries [walls] and guard gates
• Be accountable – trusted others
• Help your children and others

Remember

• God loves you no matter where you are at.
• Don’t believe the Devil’s lies. 
• You have the righteousness of Christ and that you are God’s son.
• What you DO can never change WHO YOU ARE in Him.
• Build your walls and guard your gates. 
• Go at the pace that the Holy Spirit establishes for you.

(C) Mark Whittaker, www.2Restore.wordpress.com, excerpt from seminar, Sept 2008.

Recommended Resources: www.wallbuilder2.wordpress.com; http://cavman.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/considering-addictions/

The big scary unknown

People don’t want their lives fixed. Nobody wants their problems solved. Their dramas. Their distractions. Their stories resolved. Their messes cleaned up. Because what would they have left? Just the big scary unknown.
Chuck Palahniuk (1962 – )

–

This is where a trained counsellor or a fantastic friend can guide you through to a safe place. It may be scary or unknown but you don’t have to go there alone.

And in Christ Jesus there is hope and security.

Mark
www.2Restore.wordpress.com

Sex Addiction

Greetings all – from wintery Waikato, New Zealand,

A few brief notes on Sexual Addiction.

Sexual addiction is more about masking stress and shame than about sex. A form of self-medication for the pain in one’s life. In the words of James Brown: “I feel good…”

Masturbation on a repeated basis, with or without porn, is a common form of sex addiction.

The compulsion starts with curiosity and escalates until it consumes a person’s life – body, soul, and spirit.

Anger, loneliness, and confusion are common feelings for both addicts and their partners.

http://www.sexaddict.com/ – Douglas Weiss’ website – check out his books.

Help is available …

regards,
Mark

Overcoming Shame

Hello,
I’ve been thinking about SHAME – and the things we do to cover it up or dull its pain. We make VOWS that we … won’t get hurt again, won’t let so’nso do that to us again. Words like “Shame on you” become a curse. We get ADDICTED to whatever suits our weakness – like gambling, alcohol, pills, sex.

We may go along seemingly well – at least for a while. But life either speeds along screaming in first gear, or we slowly grind down. Our head and shoulders hang down. If hopeless enough, we get ‘beat’, ’give up’, or ‘blow’.

What LIE or LIES have we brought into?
What happened earlier in our lives (as kids or just yesterday) that we didn’t understand, or allowed ourselves to take the blame for?
What is the SITUATION where that LIE began?
If you believe in PRAYER, ask GOD to show that SITUATION and the LIE to you. Then, what is HIS TRUTH and HIS PERSPECTIVE?

We need to put away the lie and put on the truth. Need to do both. Then we need to live in that truth. I believe GOD helps us to do this – helps to regroove the groove. We can get into patterns of ways of doing things – we need to think and believe differently about a situation or an issue in order to behave differently. Sometimes it takes practice (and momentary ‘failure’ with self-correction?) to get it right.

To live without SHAME means we don’t need to erupt or react badly in situations where our image or reputation comes under scutiny. We will not be competitive, a perfectionist, or be busy propping up a mask to protect our real selves. We will have freedom of choice, be able to talk about and solve problems, and live happily with our human imperfections.

Blessings, not curses, be yours.

Johanna
Hamilton, NZ