RE:BUILDING Resilient Awareness
Sometimes I feel like I have been dropped into a whole new world.It is this familiar place, in fact, very familiar, but so many circumstances have changed.
I found what Alicia Rawlings who we had here a few weeks put it. At first, the lockdown was like a “honeymoon”
Then after it dragged on, somehow we moved into a disillusionment.
When things don’t seem to have an end, hopelessness can set in. Anxiety has become the currency that is exchanged in the shopping malls and around. This distrust. It is amazing how much your mouth reveals about you!
We are looking at how we can be Resilient people. Building back after a setback.A people who build Resilience - An intentional building over time.
We see that resilience is not a trait but a developed response of thoughts, actions and behaviours.
You can go to our website and catch up last week.
Last week we looked at being Wise builders. Our base text is Proverbs 24:16 For the lovers of God may suffer adversity and stumble seven times, but they will continue to rise over and over again.
In looking for the answer, we found it in verse three Wise people are builders— they build families, businesses, communities.
The beginning of being resilient is learning to be a wise builder.
Today, I want to look at another aspect of intentionally building resilience and that is found in the very next verse.Proverbs 24:4 ESV by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
If wisdom builds families, businesses and communities
Knowledge does the decor!
There have been a number of times this past week that I have felt like I have been punched in the gut.
I don’t know about you, but some of the things that people are having to go through have stopped me in my tracks.
Painful things. A young girl yesterday, giving birth to twins. The girl twin died at birth and then a few hours later after being told the boy is fine, hears that he died as well. 2 O’clock in the morning this happens and in the morning she is discharged to catch an Uber to her grandmother.
So many stories of suffering, heartache. Prayer Requests.
This is one reason why we are inviting you all to come and drive through on Wednesday. Will you please do everything you can to make it here within that hour.
I know that this does not feel like church! I want to clear up a misunderstanding.Some have quoted me incorrectly. I said a few weeks back, this “Digital Church” does not FEEL like church. I did not say “It is not church”. We are the church. There is a big difference between feeling like church and being the church.
In fact God is teaching me.
I have stopped trying to enjoy Digital Church. I have started to TRAIN myself to enjoy it.To embrace this moment and experience Christ’s fullness, to be complete in Him.
In fact I have started dreaming of the possibilities of what could be - Invite you to join us for a Zoom call tomorrow night.
Let's get back to this word, Knowledge This word used here in Proverbs - Knowledge = Not the knowledge of things out there, but the Knowledge of of the “I"The Jewish sages translated it as "knowledge" or “consciousness” = the state of being aware of your surroundings Nothing is more frightening than this knowledge of "I"--yet nothing is more empowering.
Why is it frightening? Most of us don’t even want to go there.
- But the setback of the lockdown has caused the blocked drains of our emotional lives to overflow and leak out into our families, businesses and communities.
- Because the world view out there is offering help, but not healing
The study of “I” - Self Awareness
** Self-Awareness Theory is based on the idea that you are not your thoughts, but the entity observing your thoughts; you are the thinker, separate and apart from your thoughts (Duval & Wicklund, 1972).
** Duval and Wicklund noted, "When we focus our attention on ourselves, we evaluate and compare our current behavior to our internal standards and values. We become self-conscious as objective evaluators of ourselves.”
* Mindfulness
** What is mindfulness?
** There is no standard definition, but the following from Psychology Today
“Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass by you, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.
** It has its roots in Zen Buddhist meditation principles
Now let's look at why true Knowledge can be so empowering.
Colossians 2:1-3; 8 - 10 TPT
Colossians 3:1-4;
How are you decorating your life, your family, business, community?
You can shop in Mall of the Natural Realm or in the Mall of the Heavenly Realities
You can decorate your life, your family, your business with natural incomplete things -
* Unforgiveness
* Pride
* Fear
* Frustration
* Anger
* Anxiety
* Failure
* Shame - mirrors
* Guilt
One thing to note, these things are very costly!
Or, we can go to the Heavenly Realms Shopping Centre - We have free access to this infinite Heavenly Warehouse it is all paid for. Christ has bought it all for us. We have the voucher! The problem is that we rarely go and redeem it.
We have a massive store of treasures. All themed in the Decor style of LOVE! Col 3:12-17
Divinely chosen, Holy, merciful, Understanding others, compassionate, kindness, gentle, humble, unoffendable, patience, tolerant, forgiving.
Friends, I don’t know what you have telling yourself. I don’t know where you have been shopping for treasure?
I don’t know what treasures you have filled your life and family with?
But I think it is time to redecorate your life, to tear some old things out of family and business.I think it is time to change the decor style
Resilient people have an empowering knowledge of “I” and it is a knowledge that.
Love Wins