Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
STUCK IN A RUT-Rev.M.D. Rogers
We come to this text this today to watch a man's journey from
adversity to impotency. HIS ADVERSITY led to his despondency, his
despondency lead him to complacency, and his complacency resulted in
his impotence.
That's his story, adversity, despondency, complacency, and impotence.
In that massive sea of human weakness and personal suffering was a
man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. The King James Version
translates John 5:6 as "He had been now a long time in that case. The
New American Standard says "He had been there a long time".The New
International Version says "When Jesus saw him lying there and
learned that he had been in this condition for a long time". For
thirty eight years he had been sick.
I'm not sure this text says that he had been around that pool for
thirty eight years, but it does say he had been in that condition for
thirty-eight years. Never forget that your physical condition and
your mental attitude live so close to each other that they catch each
other's diseases. This man had been physically infirm (weak,
feeble and sickly) for so long that his mental attitude had also
become negatively impaired.
Write it in bold letters on the flannel board of your mental
awareness that …GOD HAD ONLY ONE SON WITHOUT SIN. HE HAS NO SON
WITHOUT SUFFERING OR SETBACKS. Adversity makes visitation to all of
our homes. Adversity knows your address. Adversity knows your zip
code. Adversity knows your telephone number. Adversity knows your
cell phone number. Adversity knows your beeper number and your e-mail
address. Adversity shows up as setbacks, hardships, disappointments,
obstacles, heartaches, burdens to bear, and crosses to carry.
All of us at one time or another has a reason to complain, to
express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction or resentment. You don't
know how blessed you are, until you compare your setbacks to the
setbacks of others.
despondency lead him to complacency, and his complacency resulted in
his impotence.
That's his story, adversity, despondency, complacency, and impotence.
In that massive sea of human weakness and personal suffering was a
man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. The King James Version
translates John 5:6 as "He had been now a long time in that case. The
New American Standard says "He had been there a long time".The New
International Version says "When Jesus saw him lying there and
learned that he had been in this condition for a long time". For
thirty eight years he had been sick.
I'm not sure this text says that he had been around that pool for
thirty eight years, but it does say he had been in that condition for
thirty-eight years. Never forget that your physical condition and
your mental attitude live so close to each other that they catch each
other's diseases. This man had been physically infirm (weak,
feeble and sickly) for so long that his mental attitude had also
become negatively impaired.
Write it in bold letters on the flannel board of your mental
awareness that …GOD HAD ONLY ONE SON WITHOUT SIN. HE HAS NO SON
WITHOUT SUFFERING OR SETBACKS. Adversity makes visitation to all of
our homes. Adversity knows your address. Adversity knows your zip
code. Adversity knows your telephone number. Adversity knows your
cell phone number. Adversity knows your beeper number and your e-mail
address. Adversity shows up as setbacks, hardships, disappointments,
obstacles, heartaches, burdens to bear, and crosses to carry.
All of us at one time or another has a reason to complain, to
express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction or resentment. You don't
know how blessed you are, until you compare your setbacks to the
setbacks of others.
Complain, get angry, cuss and swear, express feelings of pain,
dissatisfaction or resentment. (2)You can RESIGN. You can accept
things as they are, rather than focusing on what things can become.
To resign means to submit to something, accept something without
complaining, to give up. (3) You can REJOICE. Rejoice that your
situation is not worst than it is. Rejoice that you have discovered a
way that won't work. Rejoice that you don't have to go through what
you are going through by yourself. (4) You can RE-AJUST. You can do
what you have to do to keep going.
It bears being said again. What happens to you is not nearly as
important as how you respond to it. You can whine or you can win. You
can cry or you can try. You can be setback by your setback or you can
use your setback as a set up for a come back. Painful Adversity can
keep you in a rut.
PITIFUL DESPONDENCY
By definition despondency means having lost one's hope or courage. It
means to become discouraged, to feel hopeless and helpless. Listen
again to his man sick for 38 years response in verse seven, "I have
no man (I'm helplessness) , when the water is troubled, to put me
into the pool: But when I am coming, another steppeth down before
me". (It's Hopelessness) . He says "I'm helpless and my situation is
hopeless." HE'S REHEARSING REASONS TO STAY IN A RUT.
When you are hounded by hurts
Pounded by problems
Manhandled by misfortures
Suffocated by suffering …it's easy to become despondent
Sadly, we have allowed adversity and despondency to steal our self
worth and snatch our joy. But to God we are priceless jewels. Malachi
3:17, " And they shall be mine , saith the Lord of host, in that day
when I make up my jewels ...." In Isaiah 62:3 he reminds us, "Thou
shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a
royal diadem (royal crown) in the hand of thy God."
God wants you to step out of despondency. The scriptures provide
some valuable insight. Observe the STEPS TO STEPPING OUT OF
DESPONDENCY.
1. ACCEPT THE REALITY THAT SETBACKS ARE PART OF EVERYONE'S LIFE-even
yours.
Life isn't fair and bad things to happen to good people. Job 14:1
Jas. 1:2,3
2. TAKE OWNERSHIP OF YOUR ATTITUDE. We control our attitude. It is
not something that is genetically or environmentally determined. Each
of us can decide what our attitude is going to be. We can choose to
have a positive attitude or negative attitude.
4. LET GO OF THINGS THAT DON'T MATTER. Stop wasting energy on being
irritated and annoyed at things that really don't matter. Don't allow
every molehill to become a mountain for you. Remember, that ulcers
are the result of mountain climbing on molehills.
5. FIND PEOPLE WITH WHOM YOU CAN PROCESS THE SITUATION. Seek out
honest and trustworthy supporters who will not sugarcoat their
feedback or divert you with to much sympathy (a little reassurance
and empathy, are, however, always welcome!) Spiritual counseling is
always helpful when you are stuck in a rut. (Prov. 3:13-18; 4:13,14;
4:20-22)
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