Power filled Positive Thinking—Chapter 13A New Creation

It was late in 2008 that I finally laid down the fairy tale dream that Prince Charming would come to rescue me one day. It had been my dream and the driving force that lead me down a very crooked road of broken hearts. My greatest desire had been to find someone who would love me and by such validate my worth as a woman. Oh, yes as a Christian; I knew that God was most important. After all, had he not said if I seek Him first, he would give me the desires of my heart? So, I was angry with God that day as I shouted, “Why must you always break my heart? Why God can’t you give me this one thing?” At first, there seemed a long silence; as my anger grew—then I heard a soft whisper, “My dear child, do you not see? I have given you all of me. I have died that you might have life. I have taken upon myself all your sorrow. It is you who has broken my heart because you don’t see, I am enough.”

That day, I realized what a broken and messed up heart I have—the darkness that lurks within. I suddenly realized how self-centered and self-exalting my heart really was. My great thorn in the flesh which had brought me to my knees over and over again was that feeling of being a failure based on my inability to find a husband who would love me and adore me. No accomplishment as mother, nurse practitioner, or friend could fill that gap and Satan knew just where to stab me with his blades of lies.

We all have our own areas of brokenness. Each of us have our own personal thorn in the flesh. For some it may be pride, for some it may be lust, for some it may be fear, for some it may be anger; but, for certain for all there is something dark, hidden in the recesses of our hearts.

We all are born with

Continue reading New Creation in Christ-then why do I put on these old rags? →

Power Filled Positive Thinking—Chapter 12 C—

Living our lives with a servant’s spirit or with the heart of a servant is not what natural man desires. Our hearts tend to desire self-exaltation rather than to bow down to serve others. Often, our acts of random kindness are laden with a self-centered desire to have others praise us or love us in return which turns our acts of service into self-exalting acts rather than acts of a servant’s heart.

original photo courtesy of Jim Peregoy

Christ came to serve and throughout his ministry he did that through teaching, giving, healing, loving and listening. Ultimately, he took upon His shoulders all my sin. As we grow in our relationship with God, our hearts grow deeper in love with our Savior. As we seek to know Him more, we become more awed by the magnificent beauty of His humble, servant’s heart of love toward us.

In response, our hearts grow; much like the Grinch whose “heart grew three times that day as He saw the outpouring of grace, love and joy that the people of who Ville had in the midst of loss.”

Continue reading Seven Remembrances to Guide a Servant’s Heart →

Power-filled Positive Thinking 12B –Birth of a Servant’s Heart

Over the past 11 chapters of this book, we have looked at the positions that we hold because we are in Christ. Those positions have included that we are the Beloved, Blessed, Redeemed and Chosen Children of God—heirs of Royalty, declared as Saints. Now we come to the truth that in Christ we are servants to God and to others. A servant is one who lays aside one’s own selfish desires to attend to the needs, dreams, and desires of another. To have a servant’s heart demands that we step out of our own comfort zone to be willing to sacrifice our time, energies, and love to see another reach their goals and dreams. This is not a simple task that one can perform from a heart that is seeking self-recognition.

Rather the only way that our eyes can open widely enough to see another’s heart is through genuine love. Love that sees the needs and desires of the beloved as greater than one’s own is necessary to be able to genuinely have a servant’s heart. We are asked as followers of Christ to have that kind of heart—the one that is willing to serve; yet, our own self exalting, selfish hearts tend to want to seek our own comfort first. Then, enters love. We may at first find that we are willing servants to whomever we love—like a dear friend, a spouse, or perhaps best illustrated in the love we may have for a child. We become willing to sacrifice everything so that our beloved might have joy, hope, and happiness.

Our love rises to a higher plane and suddenly we begin to see the glimpse of what it is to love like Christ loved us. Though, perhaps still imperfect; our heart begins to grow a little larger through that act of kindness. We find that through that sacrifice we begin to know the joy of watching our beloved succeed and we begin to grow in that love. As our heart stretches and grows it becomes able to feel the depth and the breadth of God’s love fill it a little further. As we become more Christ-like; we begin to realize that our own joy and love is fulfilled by sacrificially serving others. We don’t do it to receive joy; but, rather joy is an end result that arrives unexpectedly. Let us take a moment to look at some scriptures concerning our having a servant’s heart and the servant heart of Christ for us.

Continue reading Birth of a Servant’s Heart →

Power-filled Positive Thinking—Chapter 12A Servant-Called to Serve

Over the past week, I had determined it was time as I placed mom on the waiting list for nursing home placement. For me a decision that has come with a great mix of emotion; but, after recognizing the frailty of my own health, a decision that mom had agreed would be best. Her greatest anxiety in life would be that something happen to me and no one would know how to take care of her. Once the decision was made, mom in her own world of anxiety born out of her bipolar disorder wanted to go now. As I said, “Mom, there is a waiting list that could take 6 months or even a year, so now, we leave it all in God’s hands. He knows the timing.” Well, as the events turned, mom became sick with the flu and off to the ER we had to go Wednesday night about 11. Mom was very weak and the stress of it all, her already very fragile mental status had failed and despite my suggesting her unsafe the ER doctor sent us home. We arrived back home about 3:30 am. By 4 am she had fallen and this time couldn’t get up; so with EMTs, fireman and all, she was safely loaded into the ambulance and off to the second hospital in town. Immediately the doctors at this hospital determined there is no way she could be safely sent home. They took the time to exam her, something the first doctor failed to do.

IN Christ we are called to serve with kindness, humility, and love; as servants of the living God.

As I reflect back over the past 13 years, so often, I have had to be the advocate fighting for mom’s health when she couldn’t. For the past thirteen years, mom has been under my care. Oh, how I wish I could say I have always been the kind, gentle and loving care provider I should be during those 13 years. Sometimes, I have been irritable. Sometimes, I

Continue reading Called to Serve →

Power-filled Positive Thinking—Chapter 11c—7 Steps to Realizing God’s Clear Direction

God has promised His wisdom to all who seek Him with all their heart (Proverbs 2:5-7). He has promised His clear guidance along this pilgrimage journey to all who are in Christ (Proverbs 3:5-7; John 16:13). Yet, how do we know what direction to take when life brings us a fork in the road? How do I know for certain that it is God directing me to pursue a different career or to make an important decision? This is a question I am asked often by friends. In my own life, it has been a question that I have had to ask as well.

picture is used by permission of Ronald Barba who owns the copyright ©2010

So what are the steps to knowing God’s will for my life?

1. Seek God first. We see that David throughout the Psalms would long for and seek after God. Psalm 42:1 is a beautiful illustration “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God”.

2. Ask God to reveal His Plan. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).

3. Trust in God’s Plan for life. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

4. Meditate on God’s Word. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.² But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.³ And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1:1-3).

5. Wait for Him to reveal His Plan. “⁴ For from of old no one has heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of him who [earnestly] waits for Him” (Isaiah 64:4 AMP).

6. Step forward boldly, confidently. Once you have done the previous steps and you feel God drawing you, step forth. Trust that He has this even when it looks scary. “⁹ And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:¹⁰ To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,¹¹ According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:¹² In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him” (Ephesians 3).

7. Stand firm. “¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6)

Remember this, God is not going to let go of you—that is His Grace. He is the one who is holding you and has promised to complete his work in you. “²³ The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. ²⁴ Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand” (Psalm 37). “⁶ Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1).

Let me end with this song, God Will Make A Way

Amplified Bible (AMP)

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©2015 Effie Darlene Barba

Original artwork is that of Ronald Barba.  For more information please go to http://fineartamerica.com/featured/broken-and-contrite-heart-ronald-barba.html

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