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HOW TO COPE WITH LIFE'S STRUGGLES
Practical Advice for Victorious Christian Living
By Sherman Stevens AuthorHouse LLC
Copyright © 2014 Sherman Stevens
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4918-7040-2
CHAPTER 1
WHAT MUST WE DO?
Have a positive Mindset!
We need always to have a positive mind-set. Man's d is greater than any machine. Humans are made in the image of God and so are 'thinking beings'. Of course, 'thinking beings' are 'rational beings' and so the classical Greek Philosopher Aristotle was certainly right in defining humans as 'rational beings'—popularly promoted in Latin as 'homo sapiens'.
Therefore the set of mind is fundamental in problem identifying and problem solving and resolving. Struggles are characteristic problems of the human experience. How to cope with life's struggles? A proper response requires, rationally, consideration of having the right mindset—'a positive mindset is one focused pursuit of success'.
FOUNDATION PRINCIPLE
British Philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) propounded the importance of a well-developed positive mindset. His idea was that the state of nature is happy and therefore human beings should have the disposition "to pursue life, health, liberty and property".
Arising from his philosophy of happiness he is remembered for stating "A sound mind in a sound body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world."
His words are readily linked to life experiences that affirm them. The formulation of a well-developed mindset can be linked to what happens to us when growing up as a child. For example, as a child we were given in pre-school the alphabet to learn, followed by the recognition of colors.
This is how we were challenged to achieve; to develop our minds; and so to grow and mature. This is the process by which we advanced to the deeper things of life. This is how we learned to trust and to exhibit stability and appreciate consistency and truth. By such experiences we learned the need and found with joy the benefit of pursuing and achieving that which is good.
Every one of us ought to seek to do good because it keeps us focused and on the road to success. Good is the opposite of evil, which is the bad track; the road that leads to failure. The positive mindset recommended is one to pursue good and turn from evil. The Word of God instructs us clearly concerning the mindset needed in regard to these differing paths in life.
In his third official letters to Christians of the first century the Apostle John wrote with clarity and specificity on this choice: "Beloved follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God: but he that does evil has not seen God" (III John verse 11).
That is sound advice from the Apostle John but regrettably the wisdom of the Lord's Apostle is not readily perceived by the majority of people in today's world. Regrettably true it is to say that in today's world it is not divinely revealed principles that are mainly followed. Instead, polls take precedence over moral truth—majority agreement.
DIFERENTIATE
So, what prevails for many people today are trends rather than truths. And regrettably multitudes simply take their cue from the trends they see on television or hear on radio or read in newspapers or pick up from polls and social twitter media.
What prevails for the mindset then of perhaps the majority is the popular opinion—the majority agreement about what is right, determined by the majority of people in a particular community or neighborhood or even nation. This development is detrimental in every social context for the God of truth supreme is not the primary reference.
For God's perspective to receive due consideration John Locke's famous summary statement needs some refinement for it lacks a necessary third dimension. The idea of a 'sound mind in a sound body' needs the additional thought of a 'sound soul'. This is where the Jews or Hebrew people come in with the truth of divine revelation.
The Greeks excelled in use of the mind philosophically and the Romans in use of the body physically, but they both lacked the balance to the equation that the Hebrews even centuries before them introduced, spiritually, and that is the importance of the soul.
Jesus certainly made this aspect plain with His penetrating words "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16: 26).
PRAGMATIC
The Hebrew additional thought has pragmatic implications. We ignore those implications at our peril. To change our mindset from bad to good we will often have to consider for example, changing some very close friends.
That's likely the best thing to do if we are to acquire and adopt the new habits best for our proper spiritual virtue, social nurture and educational growth. Instantly we will be called to self-evaluation that excludes no area of our lives—no private rooms or vaults.
Mindset is our focus and so that is a perception we will need to recognize and prioritize as we view ourselves and our society widely. In our society today we shall readily discern mindsets strongly focused but wrongly focused, and so leading us on a path to a wrong end.
For that reason serious thinking must be introduced. Surely, such will be needed to avert the worst. It is always better that good should replace evil rather than that evil should replace good. But to that end, where does one start? What ought to be the first step in ensuring that we have the right mindset for coping with the struggles of life today?
DO RIGHT ALWAYS
The initial step toward having that critical, positive and good mindset is to make a good and firm decision—decide to do what is right and what is upright; become a person of integrity. A mindset that is polluted and clouded or tainted with dishonesty and greed would soon lead to our falling apart or falling away from what God desires and demands of us. Too many persons with seemingly impeccable reputation ambition lack the proper mindset. Their disastrous end then might be prophesied.
However, a positive and profitable end is possible if corrective new thinking is introduced with having the right mindset. To achieve such there must be a beginning of resolve to be transparent and trustworthy and consistent in regard to commitment to the highest moral standards in everything we think, say or do.
Here role models are important. For example, in sports, role models are often projected. But if the truth is to shatter popular tradition perhaps most superstars have turned out too often to be fallen stars rather than soaring shining spiritual stars.
CAUTION REGARDING ROLE MODELS
The brightest kid in your class might not be the best as a closest friend. Role models can be advantageous or beneficial when chosen from those around us or culturally nationally. But caution must be exercised. God's counsel through the Apostle James, a brother of Jesus, would seem to be in the word 'patience' in regard to the subjective and studied exercise of anything and so in regard also to the selection of role models: "Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain" (James 5:7).
The Apostle Paul exhorts and encourages us to pay a lot of attention to our minds for what we do with our minds can and will determine our destiny. The Apostle warns that whoever turns the mind to the flesh "shall of the flesh reap corruption" but then he says on the other hand that whoever focuses the mind on the Spirit of God "shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Galatians 6:8).
POWER-ENABLING PRINCIPLE
This principle is actually a person—the person of the Holy Spirit. The presence and power of the Holy Spirit must be pre-eminent in our lives. The power to do anything pleasing to God requires for success a mind constrained and conditioned by the Holy Spirit. For any hope of success in any venture there must be, for effectiveness, the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
For successful Christian living the Holy Spirit must be acknowledged and appreciated and invited and applied. Personal resolutions will not be enough if we are to truly "overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). If we are to succeed in the spiritual realm we must seek at all times to let the Holy Spirit guide and direct our thoughts for He will always do so in the right direction.
SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE PRINCIPLE
The Holy Spirit gives wisdom beyond human capacity to discern. His wisdom is from above. The Holy Spirit at all times reveals the mind of God. It is of such wisdom the Psalmist speaks when he says: "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7).
All human wisdom, whether born of metaphysical contemplation or mathematical calculation is from below. The Bible is the only book that conveys wisdom that originates from above or from heavenly sources.
For example, in the book of Daniel, when all the King's wise consultants failed to provide King Nebuchadnezzar with an interpretation of his dream, God enabled the young Hebrew prophet Daniel to provide the answer by revelation from a higher source. The King had initially summoned to his court the magicians and the astrologers and the sorcerers. However, God revealed the deep secret at night by way of a vision to Daniel.
The Bible is therefore rightly called the Word of God because it is indeed the Word from above, which is the Word of God.
PRAYER CHANNEL PRINCIPLE
Prayer is God's channel for us to contact Him. Many things in this life will puzzle us but as God pleases He reveals. The channel of our making contact is prayer. Therefore, this channel we ought always to use. Little prayer invites little blessing and much prayer invites much blessing. We ought always to use this channel more, rather than less. Will God ever fail to answer any prayer? A good way to even begin to think about that question is to appreciate that with God there is never either incapacity or failure. At this point we may pause profitably to consider what an outstanding Bible teachers projects as his definition of prayer. The words are those of Alex Whyte. This is his splendid definition of prayer: "Prayer is the exercise of a will that is free within a will that is sovereign."
Jesus encourages us to pray. Luke reports that.... "Jesus told his disciples they should always pray and not give up" (Luke 18: 1 NIV). This is because Jesus knows of the tremendous blessings we can enjoy through prayer. Prayer changes things for the betterment of your social consciousness. Prayer releases stress. Prayer is about casting our burdens upon the Lord, who is a burden-bearer; He wants to bear our burdens.
JESUS ALONE PRINCIPLE
In fact Jesus alone has the capacity to remove or sustain any burden we may be experiencing. Be wise and get to know your source for help in the time of need. We all have needs and desires during our lifetime. We need this understanding concerning Jesus. The writer of Proverbs exhorts us to "get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7).
A mindset channeled by prayer and focused on the Savior connects with practical beneficial outcome for sure demonstrated in corresponding conduct.
CONNECT WITH CHRIST
Of course, knowing the mind of Christ is a challenge. Indeed, it is a challenge to be understood primarily as one that is possible only through diligent study of God's Word. This is because God has revealed His mind to us in His holy and precious Word.
We cannot know what the Lord has not revealed. The Apostle Paul makes this clear as he addressed the Christians at Corinth, "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him". But in what the Lord has chosen to reveal we can with boldness say, "we have the mind of Christ" (I Corinthians 2:16 NIV).
One of the biggest mistakes any individual could make is the failure to recognize who is in control of the mind of human beings. Our minds cannot and will not ever become truly effective unless or until our minds are connected and submissive to the mind of Christ.
NOTE THE DIFFERENCE
What is the difference between the mind of Christ and man's mind? The mind of Christ is the mind of absolute holiness. His mind is always heavenly realities rather than earthly realities. But of course from the heavenly mindset is made earthly connection. For example, Jesus offers in the earthly sphere virtues radically transforming. The mind of Christ abhors hate and envy and fleshly lusts. Jesus is about peace and love eternal.
The mindset of the unregenerate mind opposes that which is holy and just and good or "righteous". Indeed, a mind steeped in the things of Christ operates much differently from a mind that operates on its own.
Christ is the protector of a mind that is in Christ because He knows what is in every mind and what is coming out of every mind. However, when moral filth is coming out of minds Christ has no control of such minds because what this means is that when such is happening the devil is in control.
The brain is not the same as the mind. Granted, without a brain there is no mind. But the brain is merely the contextual channel for developing a mindset, which is the determination of the intention or the 'will' to do anything and everything. The brain is an organ that can even be degenerated seriously by medical conditions, such as Autism, Retardation, Mental disorder and Parkinson's disease.
Incidentally, for persons who suffer from such brain challenges we ought to be very sympathetic and caring especially those who are relatives, such as parents, relatives and friends—and of course to all others—who are thus suffering we ought to be sympathetic. We ought indeed to reach out to them in compassion. It is crucially important that we do so always toward all persons physically or otherwise challenged.
COSTAY ALERT
The mind oriented to Christ must always be alert, and so attuned and sensitive to all the challenging conditions of life—physical, social, mental and moral. The sick and suffering who are depressed wait eagerly to be lifted by the love of Jesus. A song that reminds of this says "Love lifted me". Indeed, Christian love is vital to generating godly comfort and prayer for possible recovery.
Faithful Christians ought always to be sensitive and assertive regarding anything in our hearing that is not Christ-like. Let us at all times guard our minds with diligence and do not allow attitudes of indifference or actions of carelessness to become us. Such are contradictions of the proper mindset, which requires us at all times to be Christ-like, consistent with our role model, Jesus. Let us keep our minds upon our Master.
The virtue of being God-focused is encouraged by the prophet Isaiah who says, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you" (Isaiah 26:3 NIV). This verse is a promise of blessing God makes and will keep regarding those whose minds are focused on God. Believers in Christ are pin-pointed in the scriptures to be people who are identified as "peculiar". What makes Christians "peculiar" is the way Christians are focused on Christ in regard to obedience to Christ.
This was certainly true of the prophet Job who focused on God even when oppressed. Job always remained under all oppressive and discouraging conditions to be at his faithful best with God. The mind of Job was fixed and faithful in regard to God's Word despite Job experiencing immense problems in this life. How many of us have ever suffered as Job did? Job was sick with boils from the sole of his feet to the top of his head.
FIX YOUR MIND
That must have been painful! But throughout his suffering job retained a mind fixed on God. Job stayed the course set by God and so was spiritually successfully despite the devil's efforts to discourage and dissuade and depress him. Despite too, the discouragement his wife generated—all influenced by Satan.
We too can do the same thing when we are tempted by Satan or anyone acting on his behalf. Beware of having or exhibiting a mind unsteady instead of unwavering because focused on the divine path God in His Word has mapped out for us. How we need to be reminded that God's Word is always sure and strong and will deliver us for the better eternally despite any seemingly rosy path now or temporally. The better future for each and all of us is dependent on how much we live on earth in accordance with God's will for holy living.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from HOW TO COPE WITH LIFE'S STRUGGLES by Sherman Stevens. Copyright © 2014 Sherman Stevens. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse LLC.
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