Emotionally Connecting With God - Abandonment

In today’s society, we have a growing problem, even with all these new tools that are supposed to keep us closer than ever, we find ourselves often feeling abandoned, and unfortunately all too frequently  it’s not just a feeling it’s physical, it could be by your parents, family, a spouse or even one of your closest friends’.

It is never easy dealing with this, even still there are times where it is even harder, in the midst of a personal crisis, a death in the family, marital issues or during an intense struggle; be it financial, personal, emotional and most of all spiritual.

What I see happening more and more, is what I would like to call “Wal-mart Syndrome,” – is you aren’t completely satisfied return it, buy a new one, get rid of the old one; this is a relationship thing, where parents, after trying what they believe to be everything to deal with something that’s “wrong” with their child, its off to Grandma’s house or away to school or sometimes its just out of the family completely. Personally I can connect with this, and the scary part is there are millions of people out there that can.

One thing that gives us all hope though, is that Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior has experienced abandonment, and unlike when we go through it, His experience was truly at the worst possible because it involved family, friends, physical and mental struggle, even though He knew that it wouldn’t be for long, it still happened a second at a time. Having all power, and the ability to make time speed up – to end it sooner or even just skip it completely, He chose to take it a moment at a time, exactly how we as His beloved would have to endure it here on earth

There are a few cases in the Bible, where Christ is abandoned, we’ll look at three pretty monumental events, the first by some of His disciples, the second by one if His closest friends and the other by His Father, however there is a little catch with what happened with God.

In the garden, when Christ was in agony – to the point of not even being able to stand, having the entire worlds burdens on His shoulders, even verbalizing His distress to Peter, James and John saying “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death” (excerpt Matthew 26:38).  He asks them, to sit and pray while He goes a little farther – how far can you throw a stone? Because that’s about how far Jesus was from them, crying out to His and Our Heavenly Father, in complete and consuming anguish looking for another way to save us from our sins, and an hour later, all three were asleep, they had abandoned their post, abandoned their instructions, their support of their Savior, not once but three times! Not that I can put myself in Christ’s place here, but I know if I asked my three closest friends to watch over me for an hour while I struggles to the point of death and they had done this, I’d feel pretty alone, pretty abandoned.

In Matthew 26, Jesus is talking to His Disciples explaining that they would scatter when man would strike Him, and Peter takes offense and tells Him that there was no way that He would deny (lets substitute abandon) his Savior, Jesus replies that he won’t just do it once, but three times. What Peter doesn’t know is that Jesus knows what’s coming and that it won’t be on a normal day, but in the time of Christ’s first judgment by man. The pain was already there when Jesus told Peter this, and sure as God loves us, in the temple courtyards it happens, this would be a huge blow to Christ, after all they had spent three years together and they grew to love one another.

The third example is most likely the one we can all connect most with, because it involves family, in today’s society, if you don’t like your spouse – you have an affair or get divorced. If you don’t like your parents (more for the teens) you run away, leave home, or rebel against one of the most loving relationships you can have, making it all that much worse for your parents. If your parents can’t deal with you, or get fed up what happens; they disown you, kick you out of the house or turn their backs. This happened to Jesus – not because God The Father couldn’t deal with Him, or was fed up, but because God can’t stand sin, and Jesus did just take our sin He BECAME our sin, so He willingly, at the time where He needed His Father’s love the most, had God The Father abandon Him – using the same verses as ‘Loss of a loved one’ we can see it

            Luke 23:34 – Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do”

Mark 15:33-34 – Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice says, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which is translated “My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?”

Luke 23:46 – And when Jesus cried out with a loud voice, He said “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” Having said this, He breathed His last.

Jesus actually cries out “My God, My God why have You FORSAKEN Me?” According to the Oxford Dictionary – forsaken is – to abandoned or desert. I don’t think it can get any more clear-cut then that.

Abandonment is something that everyone, at some point in their life will deal with on earth, luckily for us God says explicitly “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6). However God knows what it’s like, because of the trinity, because Jesus is God, He knows the pain and the stress and the deep hurt that comes with having someone abandon you in a time of need, no matter how great the need. Connecting with our Heavenly Father is never heard, sometimes we just need to rehash the scriptures and think about it from Christ’s perspective instead of reading it like a story. In doing so we can know that even though Jesus is the Son of God, The Lamb without spot of blemish, He still knows what it feels like…. 

Emotionally Connecting With God - Regret

Regret

Perhaps one of the most powerful emotions, always based on action or inaction, regret can stem into all sorts of sin, and is very dangerous. If you suffer because of an action, you regret it – yet the LORD says to “rejoice in your sufferings.” At the same time if you do not act when you need to, for example not sharing Christ with a non-believer and them dying the next day, you regret it. So it’s one of those things that is going to come up a lot.

Regret can emotionally drain you, it can eat you up inside in ways that nothing else can, and this can be a very destructive road, if travelled. The worst part is unless you know someone who shares the same level of regret it is often hard to heal. Let’s face it, there are many different levels of regret, almost like a “regret scale” from, I should have picked up the milk, now I have to go out again, all the way to if I was only a few minutes earlier getting home I could have stopped my child from falling in the pool and drowning. See what I’m saying, yes everyone regrets something, everyone is sorry that they did or didn’t do something, but unless that person trying to help you heal has experienced the same level or degree of regret, it’s easy to simply say “you just don’t understand or you just don’t get it do you?”

Luckily for us, we can connect with someone who has experienced the highest level of regret possible, because God knows what you’re going through because He has been there too. You might be saying – well God doesn’t make mistakes, how can He regret something. Well He did do something He regretted, although unlike us He has the power to change it after the fact. But He did experience regret, for one reason, and one reason alone, so that He could connect with His children and offer them comfort, so He could say “Listen son (or daughter) I know what you’re going through because I’ve been there.” Let’s look at this, and emotionally connect with God.

Genesis 6:5-7 – Then the LORD saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

This is a powerful insight into the mindset of God, He doesn’t make mistakes, but His emotions are portrayed here as if it was a mistake, this is done so that God could experience regret to be able to connect with us and offer us comfort, because like every other trial we’ve gone through, He has been there and knows what we are going through. This isn’t a situation where God “changes His mind” because that isn’t what He does, because He doesn’t make mistakes, but at the same time He was sorry that He had made man, because of the wickedness in man’s heart, however He did know this was going to happen, which exactly why it did, so God can say “I’ve been there, I know how you feel”

Lets step back and take a look at exactly what degree of regret this is though, for God loved man, and all His creatures, but at the same time was so sorry and disappointed in what man had become that He was willing to destroy us all. I’d say that’s about a 10 on the regret scale, so next time you have regret eating away at you, you can talk to God and say; God I know You’ve been where I am right now, and felt how I feel, and I take comfort that I’m not alone in this battle.

Emotionally Connecting With God - Loss Of A Loved One

Loss of a loved one

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, the He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes 

in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

This one might be hard to grasp, but it is exactly why we have salvation. Yes Jesus is alive, and is coming back for us, but at the same time, when Jesus hung on the cross, there was a point in time, where God The Father “lost” His only son. Yes He knew that Jesus wasn’t going to be dead for long, but still God did experience the loss of a family member – just like parents losing their only child. God has been there and He knows how YOU feel. Perhaps the most commonly known Bible verse says it right there.

If we look at the actual event, we can see where it goes from God “having” His son, to Him losing His family member, His own Son. When Jesus was first nailed to the cross and stood up, He asks God to forgive those who crucified Him. Notice the wording those – Jesus says Father, not God. This shows where God and Christ are still together.

            Luke 23:34 – Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know 

            what they do”

Mark 15:33-34 – Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice says, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which is translated “My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?”

Luke 23:46 – And when Jesus cried out with a loud voice, He said “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” Having said this, He breathed His last.

So now we have a glimpse into the time Jesus was actually on the cross, all was “normal” until the 6^th hour, then for 3 hours, God turned away, forsaking Jesus, because at this point Jesus had taken up the yoke of the sins of the earth, and because in God there is no sin, He had to turn away from Christ, this is evident in the words used by Christ, instead of “Father, Father why have You forsaken Me?” it’s “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me.” This use of words shows the change in the type of relationship, the Father-Son relationship. Instead now, Jesus is calling out to God, not to His Father, because God had turned away. Now we look at Luke 23:46, with His dying breathe, Jesus cries out “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit,” this shows that as Christ Dies, He is Still the Son of God, this is why He is able to defeat Hell and Satan.

So as you can see, even though Jesus is alive, and He is with God, God has still experienced the loss of a family member, He isn’t in heaven saying “I know how you feel,” He is saying “Hey, My children, I know what you’re going through because I have been there.” This awesome fact is why we can connect with God even in those really hard losses, even when those who died weren’t believers, because let’s not forget after Jesus died, He didn’t go to heaven, He went to hell, to defeat it for us. 

So when you’re going through the loss of a loved one, don’t forget that not only does God want to give you comfort, and wrap His arms around you like a blanket, He also knows how you feel, because HE HAS BEEN THERE TOO, and because of that, you can connect emotionally with God.

Emotionally Connecting With God

Would you agree there is a huge difference when someone says “I know how you feel or I feel your pain” and when someone says outright “I know what you’re going through because I’ve been there!” Of course, the ability to make a mutual emotional connection in an experience is invaluable in the healing process; it also provides an amazing degree of comfort knowing that it’s not just you going through whatever it is.

As a “baby Christian” or an immature long-time believer, sometimes we feel a disconnect between us and Christ or God; especially in terms of worldly emotions, often associated around the negative. Some people wonder if God knows how we actually feel, after all there is no pain in heaven, He has everything; everything belongs to Him. He knows everything; He is all-knowing, He doesn’t struggle; He is all powerful and cannot fail.

Sometimes it can be implied that God has, what could almost be referred to as inexperience, in loss of a loved one, hurt, want, regretting something, temptation and most of all, the feeling of being alone or abandonment.

If our relationship with Christ isn’t where it should be when we go through Earthly trails, it’s really hard to deal with them and still connect with Christ to further and deepen our relationship with Him. This creates a cycle, where the lack of connection or communication with your struggles hinders your relationship because it raises questions, and those questions lead can often lead to doubt or a barrier. I have news for you, God has experienced all of the above, and in ways far greater then we as humans ever can!

Each day we are going to go over some of the difficult experiences, and show that whilst you might feel alone or that Christ doesn’t understand exactly what you’re going through, supernaturally, He has been there, and knows how YOU feel.

God's Will, Your Desires

Romans 8:28-30 – And we know that all things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Psalm 37:3-6 – Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD. And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

These two passages are infamous in the Christian world, but in my belief not completely understood, and as such are very dangerous, as they often result in doubt, questions and second guessing not only God’s promises to us, His plan is for us but also what is written in the Bible. The resultant thoughts and questions are none other than the enemy trying to cloud the promises of God Almighty.

Most Christians “bank” on the first part of the first passage, verse 28, but even still not the complete verse. Most often we hear “all things work for the greater good” and the last and most important part is left out. “for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” Not remembering and really absorbing the “catch” (and I say that term loosely because it infers God is trying to trick us which is defiantly not the case) can be devastating to a Christian because of what you feel is your purpose, but God is very clear in this passage, “according to His purpose,” so what happens might not be the best for your worldly life, ie: the loss of a job, a death in the family, relationship problems. In the will of God however they happened to help you, either to arm you with experience to be able to connect with others, to give you understanding and strengthen you or what happens most times, to get you back on the path God has laid out for you before the beginning of the world, if a sheep strays from the herd, the Sheppard will go after it and put the staff around its’ neck and guide it back, the sheep is powerless in this situation. That doesn’t mean it’s not going to be a painful experience, but it will be for the good of God’s perfect plan for you, according to what He has called you to do, for the betterment of His Kingdom.

Now what I call “Baby Christians” often ask the question of “well if all things work for the greater good why did <blank> happen to me? Or why did this person get this when they aren’t a believer, when I have Christ within?” as a result there arises questions of what is defined as the greater good. It should be noted that it’s “all things work for the greater good, for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” it doesn’t say anywhere that all things work for the greater good of your earthly life, because if your life isn’t in Christ you have no life, and the promise within the verse is void. The key is “His purpose,” so if His purpose for you is to minister to the people on the streets, He isn’t going to send you to the Hamptons or West Hollywood, because that hinders your ability to follow His plan for you, His purpose. At the same time, if you fall in your earthly life, i.e. break the law and get sent to prison, and you develop a ministry in prison, looking back how can you not say that it worked for the greater good... for His purpose?

It should be noted that the verse doesn’t read, “all good things work for the greater good,” as I can personally attest to, as I mentioned above, this is not a promise to make your earthly life easy, it’s not promising that a sinful life won’t prosper (because in the end the desires of a sinful heart are not God’s will, and statistically prosperous heathens are never reaching the peace we experience and always want more, never satisfied), it’s not even saying a Christian life will be easy, its not saying you will like the “all things,” what it is saying is that, everything that happens to you, is for the good of God’s purpose in your life, and everything that happens is equipping you for His call on your life.

It is necessary for us as Christians to recognize that through what the world deems as suffering, is the perfect opportunity to shine the Light of Christ. A candle in a room with the lights on isn’t noticeable, but when it’s a dark room, and a candle is lit, it can light up the entire room. This is exactly what happens when we go through trials and tribulation, the light that is in us that is Christ can shine, whether we light the candle or not is a different story, this light has an opportunity to shine brighter than ever.

The other part of this passage I want to touch on is the first half of verse 29. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. This speaks a link between the call God has for our life and that of the life of Christ, Christ came to earth for but one purpose, to defeat death, and be the ultimate sacrifice, bearing all the weight of sins past present and future. As such we are called to this earth for a specific reason, what God has planned for us.

The second passage is much like the first, except it has nothing to do with whether the things happening to you are of God or of darkness or good for you or bad for you. It does however contain a promise that is most often misconstrued. For some people desire something, truly desire something and never get it, it could be money, physical objects, family or an event. However, and this is important, IF it doesn’t coincide with God’s will for you, or [if it was granted] would hinder or get in the way of the plan that He has for your life, it’s not going to happen, now you may be saying “how could a wife/husband hinder my call I truly desire a husband or wife, a family”; if God has called you to be single, which happens and is even directly spoken of in the New Testament, then that is how it’s going to be, this is connected with the passage from Romans, in bottom line is this “His purpose” or His plan, this is probably one of the hardest things to accept, if not the hardest, that there is nothing that will come between your call and what you want in life, for when you reach the level of intimacy that God wants with you, the desires of your heart – as mentioned in verse 4, are all about Christ, delighting in Him and the relationship with Him. By committing your life, work and heart totally to God, to surrender it all, you surrender the earthly desires you once had, they aren’t important anymore, or aren’t truly desired.

One other point, we are strategically placed here on Earth, in a specific moment and place (this goes back to God’s plan for us being perfect in every way), people forget “I go and prepare a place for you,” our life does not end here on earth with a worldly death, Hallelujah to that! So the desires of your heart that would have gotten in the way or would have hindered your call here on earth, will be granted to you in Heaven, at the same point, in Heaven, glorifying God is your number one desire so again you will experience a “restructuring” of your desires, because of the raw introduction to His all powerful glory!

In the end, we all must submit to God’s plan for us, and as such, at the time may seem like it’s not in the best interest for us, but looking back on the experiences of your life, and combining that with what God’s plan is for you, the puzzle that once was, is now a complete picture, the question for you now is this – are you willing to accept that picture as best for you and surrender all of your earthly desires and celebrate and embrace what God has called you to do???