Obtenha a appBreaking the Patterns That Break YouExemplo
If there’s anything I’ve learned from being so broken and loved—and from loving the broken—it’s that we need a lot less advice and a lot more listeners. We need fewer people pointing fingers and more people holding hands. We don’t always need to fix people. People are not projects. We need to simply be with people.
The church should never become a place where church members—meant to be family—define us as inadequate and ill-equipped in our faith. Faith isn’t something we conjure up. Faith is a gift given by God. When we give people grief for not having enough faith or not being mature enough in the faith, it can take people farther and farther from God. Jesus was the man who looked upon crowds and had compassion upon them (Matthew 9:36[P1]). This kind of empathy and understanding is not a New Age idea. It is a characteristic of Jesus.
If we put words in God’s mouth about what is most holy, or if we shame individuals for their faith life within the church, we don’t leave space for honest conversation. We instead become congregants in competition with one another rather than a community that brings one another closer to Christ. The church becomes exactly what the Enemy wants it to be when we belittle those for where they are in their faith or in their suffering: a place where people are unable to heal or be honest. As God’s people, we should act as if we are holding welcome signs that say, “You are safe here.”
A childlike faith grows out of safety. When I initially came to Jesus, I felt safe with God and with my community. My childlike faith withered the more unsafe I felt. The more I thought God viewed me as not smart enough, not holy enough, and not faithful enough, the more I drew back from him. Now, I don’t want us to have immature theology and excuse it as childlike faith, but I also don’t want us to lose the intimate relationship with God that so many miss out on when they think faith needs to be performative.
[P1]We placed the reference in parentheses rather than keeping it as a footnote. We then added it to the Scripture list at the top of the reading.
Prayer
Lord, please help me have a childlike faith. I want to place all my trust in you and show others that they are safe with you. Amen.
Sobre este plano
At some point everyone finds themselves wondering, "Why do I keep falling into the same patterns that leave me feeling broken?" "Will I ever move past the pain and experience healing?" "Is there something wrong with me?" In this 5-day devotional, Tori Hope Petersen gives you hope that you can get unstuck while finding healing that sticks. If you are willing to do the hard work, it's possible to break the patterns that have broken us and see yourself for who you truly are—good, safe, and loved.
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