The journey of faith we all face in life is riddled with obstacles, roadblocks and potholes. One of the main hindrances we all encounter is doubt and unbelief. When we can’t or don’t know how to honestly trust God with out life decisions we become trapped in a world of unbelief while confessing the opposite.
When I was growing up keys were very important. Keys to your car, your house etc. Today we have “Key-fobs” that send an electronic signal to many of our devices. Our garage doors have them so you don’t have to get out of your car. My front door has a keypad that I punch in a code to enter and I can even open it for someone at the front door when I’m out-of-town from my iPhone. With Sue’s car she doesn’t even have to pull the key-fob out of her pocket because it unlocks the car by “sensing her presence”. The side mirror even moves out and welcomes her arrival. Keys, whether electronic or mechanical, are incredibly important.
When I was a kid I never liked walking in the dark, especially alone. Something about not knowing what was out there caused my imagination to run wild. Fear would rise inside my chest even though I knew there was nothing “real” to be afraid of but we all know that fear is often not about facts and reality.
This is the final article on the orphan spirit in the church and I want to close with the parable in Luke’s gospel where Jesus addresses the problem of God’s children living and acting out of an orphan spirit. When I use the term “Orphan Spirit” I’m referring to an attitude that many believers have who would never consider the fact that they move in such a “Disconnected” way in their relationship with their Heavenly Father.
This is the third article asking the question of whether we are living like orphans as followers of Christ. For some people the question doesn’t make any sense. However, as you read what Jesus said to his disciples just before going to the cross in John 14:18 it makes a lot of sense and should give us pause to ask the same question. Am I living more like an orphan or like God is indeed my Heavenly Father who I can trust him no matter what. It is not about a “Works Thing” of trying to earn points with God but rather a “Relational Thing” because we have grasped the Father’s intent for our lives. If you have not read the first two articles on an “Orphan Spirit” please do so before reading this one.
All of us experience worry, anxiety and fear from time to time. This is a human experience. These issues become a problem when they become long-standing “friends” that seem to bring about a paralysis in our spiritual and emotional development. When the average professing Christian reads the New Testament the picture that is portrayed is one of victory and success. All too often believers in the forgiveness of Christ aren’t yet sold on how God wants to impart victory as well as forgiveness.
This series started with an article on “What Paralyzes You?“, which dealt with the topic of things in our lives which can paralyze us both physically and spiritually. I also stated that when an area of our soul becomes paralyzed through actions of others or ourselves our perspective of life becomes distorted, thus we live less than God intended. God always intends for us to do great things with our lives yet so few grasp that truth, let alone walk in it, myself included. If you haven’t read the first article on this topic please read that first.
When I travel around, especially in airports or overseas, I see many people who are paralyzed from various debilitating diseases and it hits me how fortunate and blessed I am to only have a few things wrong with my body that hinder my life experiences at this age. When I see a person who is partially broken or paralyzed I pray a simple prayer for them and myself. First, I apologize to the Lord for my complaining over small pains and problems and I also ask the Lord to bless that particular person with the obvious difficulties. That he or she would be healed both physically, emotionally and spiritually. So often I recognize they do better with their disabilities than I do with my seemingly normal life.
Ever wonder why some people seem to have stories of God doing extraordinary things in their lives while the majority of believers don’t? Things like providing great jobs, healing sickness, finances from seemingly nowhere and so on. The four gospels are full of not only Jesus performing miracles, but many of his close disciples as well. To be truthful, I believe the miraculous is meant to be a part of each believers daily life. So why the disconnect for many of us in experiencing the miraculous? The best way to answer this important question is to go back to the scriptures and see what Jesus said about it.
Early in our lives, we don’t know our limitations. Experience has a way of teaching us what we can’t do as well as what we can if we strive for understanding. If we are fortunate, when we are young, we have people cheering us on, though some have struggles from the beginning. The point is that we all have to determine whether to let life’s ups and downs control our future or whether we will reach for the understanding that will unlock the potential and purpose that we were created for.
