DISCIPLINE, CHARACTER, and HOPE

DISCIPLINE, CHARACTER, and HOPE

When our children suffer, we want so badly to rescue them from the pain or to tell them how to avoid finding themselves in that predicament again. But, God has another plan — to perfect them through their trials. Character-building lessons are very rarely learned from the triumphs of life. Rather, it is the trials in our lives that teach us how to persevere. Taking trials away from our kids deprives them of the chance to grow, build character, and learn to hope in God.

The best character-building lessons are learned from trials. Don't inhibit your child's growth by rescuing them from or taking over difficult situations.


Most of this new generation feels as if they are entitled! Entitled to everything without giving anything. Letting them fight their own battles, make their own mistakes, & suffer the consequences of their actions will do more for their character then anything you can give to or say to them. Entrust them to God. He knows what He is doing. He created them after-all. 


 We should also try to remember this as we ourselves are going through trials. There is a great character building opportunity in here somewhere :) It will help us to endure all things! Have hope in the Lord. 

Romans 5:3-5 NLT

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Fear

Life has always thrown unexpected challenges at us. One of my biggest issues is the fear of the unknown. I don't like not knowing. I do like knowing that next month I will be able to pay my rent, take care of my kids, have plenty of food to eat, that I will have the means of taking care of everyone if they get sick or hurt; not just financially, but physically as well. I also have had to overcome the fear of not doing all I could to raise extraordinary human beings in my children. The life lesson for me is that fear is:
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

I have had to learn to trust the Lord & what His Word says about fear. God says "Fear Not!" Fear is evidence of lack of faith. Without faith I am lost. Fear is strong & can be crippling, so we have to know that before we allow it to get to that point the reality is we are not in control! It's up to God & He wants to prosper us we just have to let go & let Him be in control. Most of the things we fear are not real!! So when you fear stop & pray. Rely on God & not yourself or your abilities!

Mountains in Our Life.

You know everyone has mountains in their lives. It could be the mountain of fear, the mountain of doubt, the mountain of debt, the mountain of sickness, etc, but what I have learned recently is that although praying and asking God to please remove them and asking others to pray for you is good, literally what we have to do is speak to those mountains and command them to be gone:
In Mark 11 Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly^[a] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them." NIV


Now I don't know about you, but I always just assumed Jesus was just talking about a literal mountain, but doesn't it make sense (being He was famous for talking in parables) that he was talking figuratively about the mountains in our lives?


So, let's look at what Jesus said:
1. Speak directly to the mountain
2. Do not doubt, believe that it will be removed
3. It will be done


Another thing I have learned is that the more you talk ABOUT the mountain the bigger or stronger it gets.
An example of this in God's Word is when Goliath was before the Israelites and they began to talk about how big he was and how strong he was. That made them afraid and to them he seemed too big for them to defeat, but what did David do?

45 "David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:45-47 NIV
He spoke to Goliath (the Israelites mountain) and not only told him he would be removed, but also how great his God was. So you see instead of talking about how big your mountain is tell your mountain how big your God is and command it to be removed from your life.


Remember, just as Goliath talked to the Isrealites telling them all the things he was going to do to them and how much stronger he was then they were, your mountains will talk to you and tell you things like you can't overcome the siuation you are in, or you are too far in debt to ever get out, or you're too sick to ever get well. It's not afraid to talk to you, so don't be afraid to talk to it.  Tell it what an awesome, powerful God you serve, how you can do all things through Christ, how God has promised to prosper you and give you a hope and a future, and that you lean upon the mighty right hand of God who has you protected and at a moments notice will send down His heavenly host to defend you.  Now you may try this and say that I am being an idiot because the mountains didn't leave, but the key here is FAITH!!
Faith is what moves God!!
You have to believe what you are saying and have faith in God. It may not happen right away, but continue to speak in faith. Speak prosperity, blessings, and favor into your life. It will happen!!!!

I am still trying everyday to have that kind of faith!!


Other references in the bible: (remember read these as if God is speaking about YOUR mountains)
Zecheriah 4:7 “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!"

Job 9:5 NIV "He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger."

Isaiah 49:11 NIV "I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up."

Isaiah 64:3 NIV "For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
   you came down, and the mountains trembled before you."

Ezekial 6:1-2 MSG "Then the Word of God came to me: "Son of man, now turn and face the mountains of Israel and preach against them"

Psalm 97:5-6 MSG  5 "The mountains take one look at God
   And melt, melt like wax before earth's Lord. 6 The heavens announce that he'll set everything right,
   And everyone will see it happen—glorious!"

I also like this verse in the NIV
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all peoples see his glory.

Isaiah 54:10 NIV "Though the mountains be shaken
   and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
   nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
   says the LORD, who has compassion on you.