The Hand That Fills The Glove

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I’m over four years into this trial now, & though I’ve come a long way, (Praise!) the battle is still very heavy at times.

(Something they don’t tell you when you’re diagnosed with a disease that has no cure is that sometimes the mental strain is as relenting as the pain.)

During my darkest days I teetered on the border of a dark precipice, praying that the wind of God’s voice would push me over the edge & into the relief of His presence. I was not suicidal, in the respect that I wanted to kill myself, but I did want to die.

God’s comfort comes to His people - not in the lifting off of their weight of sorrow or pain - but in strengthening them for victorious endurance. (J.R.Miller)

What if victory is found in the strength to press into & endure the very thing we dread?

Think about strength training. It involves weights & pain (sore muscles). There’s no way to avoid it in order to build strength. Sure, I’d prefer to have the weight of this disease lifted off; who wouldn’t? But, here’s the cool thing: I have a Spotter. And the goal of a spotter isn’t limited to simply providing safety for the lifter.

While preventing injury is part of their job, the resume of an exceptional spotter includes one vital component: emotional support. It's their ability to encourage the discouraged that infuses the lifter with the confidence they need to endure & move forward.

We have a Spotter!

If you are a believer, you have been given an amazing gift - the Holy Spirit. And His spotting ability goes well beyond the confines of a human spotter.

Do you remember what God told Gideon when he was faced with unsurmountable odds?

The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor! (Jud.6:12)

"Mighty man of valor"? Really?

When most of us think of Gideon, this is not the moniker we would assign to him.

Gideon was called by God to save Israel from the Midianites. For a variety of reasons, he knew he did not have what it would take to defeat this formidable foe. He lacked both the strength & the courage he needed to win this victory for his people. But by the time it’s all said & done, Gideon - vastly outnumbered by the enemy - wins the victory. The Midianites end up in such a state of confusion that many turn & kill each other, & the rest run away in the chaos.

One thing that stands out to me is that God made this proclamation over Gideon BEFORE He even gave him the assignment. He sent the Spotter to instill confidence. God’s Spirit would not only help him fulfill his calling, but He proclaimed Gideon to be a “mighty man of valor” when Gideon knew full well he was anything but mighty & courageous.

My wimpy, marshmallow-muscled self is greatly encouraged by this story. And it’s not because Gideon was anything special. (Really, it’s because he wasn’t.) The spotlight shines on the One who is special. God promised that His presence would be with him, but Gideon still had to pick up the weight & move forward in faith in order for God’s strength to manifest through him.

Another thing that speaks to me is where is says that the “Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon…” (6:34). This is God filling Gideon with Himself, much like a hand fills a glove before a lifter approaches the bench. So, I ask you, who is actually doing the heavy lifting? It is God who fills & enables us. Gideon’s enemies were camped in the valley we call Armageddon. He was so vastly outnumbered that without God his little band of warriors would all be wiped out in a single, very short battle.

The Might that emboldened Gideon is the same Might that emboldens us to charge into the battles we face.

Do you know what Gideon did right before he engaged in the battle of a lifetime?

Two things.

First, he worshipped. Lesson to us: worship before you war. The Spirit will fill & empower you to charge fearlessly into battle when you armor-up with praise.

Second, he took on the role of a spotter, encouraging his army & proclaiming the victory that God promised BEFORE they even marched into the war zone.

In our world, victory is secured after the battle. But, in the spiritual world it’s the opposite.

Gideon was a wimp; I’m a wimp.

Gideon was afraid; I’m afraid.

Gideon lacked faith; I lack faith.

Gideon surrendered all of his inadequacies to God & trusted Him for the outcome.

I can do that - and so can you!

What did the glove say to the hand? “I need something outside of myself in order to pick up this weight, press forward, & win this fight.”

The Hand replied: For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory. (Ps.29:11)

With that, the glove proclaimed: “For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose against me. (2Sam.22:40)

The LORD is with us - mighty men & women of valor!

Surrender your weakness & trust His strength. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you & go get the victory. After all, He secured it before you even stepped on the battlefield.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Bullshido

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I heard a new word this week: bullshido.

Naturally, I had to investigate.

The term is a fusion of two words, both of which I’m sure you’ve already figured out. It’s meant to be derogatory as it describes fraudulent martial arts practices. A bullshido instructor is referred to as a McDojo. They make false claims & use tools of manipulation to lure their victims into believing they possess a special set of self-defense skills, all of which they are happy to share for a price. The ironic part of this deception is that many of these practitioners are self-delusioned into believing the very thing they peddle, making them as much of a victim as their students.

Bullshido was used in an expose' that I watched on some of the techniques used by one specific prosperity gospel preacher.

This particular “minister” is one we actually met & engaged with many years ago as John provided the special music for a large convention where he was one of two main speakers. My impression of him has not changed; he is a fraud & I would not hesitate to categorize him as a false teacher - a bullshido practitioner.

Am I being judgmental? Yes!

Many people think that the Bible tells believers not to be judgmental. That may be because they don’t understand that we are actually called to judge, but with the caveat of judging correctly & not hastily. Jesus' command to “judge not lest you be judged with the same judgement” (Matt.7:1) is not a prohibition on judging others. Within the same sermon He warns His followers to beware of false prophets, who are known by the fruit of their lives. In the book of John, Jesus actually commands us to judge, “not by mere appearances,” but “correctly.” (Jn.7:24) In other words, our judgement is not hasty, hypocritical, self-righteous, superficial, or untrue. This means we need to sharpen our discernment & exercise it rightly.

Discernment is key!

Anything (or anyone) that contradicts the truth of God’s word is a lie & lies are to be exposed. In fact, Ephesians 5:11 say that we are to expose the “fruitless deeds of darkness.” It's sin if we don't.

Charles Spurgeon said that “discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather, it is telling the difference between right and almost right.”

How true is that in our day & age? It’s that “almost right” part that can throw us. A good lie is one that contains a vain of truth; it’s simply twisted to fit the agenda of the one telling it. A good liar not only has the ability to deceive others, but Scripture indicates that given enough time the liar will himself become deceived by his fabrications.

While God grants some the “gift of discernment” - the ability to quickly & intuitively perceive, understand, & judge rightly - every believer must develop & learn to exercise our ability to discern rightly. This is, in part, to keep ourselves from falling prey to the enemy’s lies, but also to help fellow believers walk in truth.

How do we learn to discern?

We start by humbling ourselves before the Lord, confessing our propensity to fall victim to the McDojos of the world & communicating our desire to grow in truth. A good place to start is by praying the word & asking for God to develop within us His Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, & fear. (Isa.11:2-3) We can ask God to put us with a body of believers who are actively involved in seeking & exercising the gifts mentioned in Romans 12:6-8. (Discernment’s classroom requires more than one pupil.)

Do you know what I found to be the most interesting (& sad) thing about those who engage in the art of bullshido? It’s that no one can become a student unless they are fully cooperative & non-resistant. Spiritually speaking, this means in order to qualify to sit under a false teacher you must be gullible. (Otherwise, how would their technique work?) Don't question. Never doubt. Lose your inhibitions, & surrender. No critical thinking allowed.

There are some very popular prosperity gospel preachers on television who parade their false signs & wonders, on stage to masses of deceived people. They exploit those who are genuinely in need help, but worst of all they are misrepresenting the God of the Bible & His Son, Jesus Christ. Many become disillusioned & walk away because they’ve been deceived into believing that this is an accurate representation of truth.

The apostle Paul warns Timothy about evil people (false teachers, preachers) who will creep into the households of the gullible - those who are easily led astray. He says these McDojos will have “a form of godliness” but they are imposters who defraud & captivate their victims. (2Tim.3)

Here’s the thing about false prophets & teachers: they are counterfeiters, but the fact that a counterfeit exists means that there is the real thing.

If you’ve fallen prey to the manipulation of false teaching & been disillusioned by a doctrine that you thought was legitimate, know that the God of all creation will not only provide a way for you to escape the chains of that circus act, but if you humble yourself before Him He will set you free & place you on a path that leads to absolute fulfillment, joy, & eternal life in His presence. That, my friends, is the real prosperity gospel.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Sunrise Sunset

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Have you noticed how gorgeous the sky has been lately - specifically at the start & finish of each day?

We live in the woods, so I’m not afforded the privilege of taking in some of the sunrises & sunsets that many are able to enjoy. However, I have oohed & awed over some of the gorgeous photographs being posted.

They remind me of a quote I’ve been fascinated with recently:

“Is not the sun red at sunrise and at sunset — [red] at sunrise, because it passes by the roses of the Garden of Eden; at sunset, because it passes by the gate of Gehenna (Hell).” (Baba Bathra 84a - Jewish Talmud)

There is much to be drawn from the poetic language of this metaphor, but we have to look at it through ancient Jewish eyes if we want to grasp its deeper meaning.

That's what I did, & the following is a compilation of my findings.

(I realize some of my interpretations are subjective, but I feel the freedom to do this since its poetry & I am not proof texting a Scripture verse.)

Orientation.

In our modern world we orient ourselves to the north, but the ancient world’s default was east (meaning “forward” or “front”). And for us, time & thought move from left to right, but in the Jewish world it’s the opposite. Even their writing reads from east to west - right to left.

Think of some of the “east” correlations we read in Scripture. God created Earth’s sun to rise in the east. He also placed a garden on the east side of Eden (Gen.2:8), and after the fall cherubim were stationed at the east entrance. (Gen.3:24) God’s glory comes from the east, enters the east facing temple, which has a river that flows from the east. (Ez.43) God posted the tribe of Judah “On the east side, toward the rising of the sun…” (Num.2:3). It was the closest tribe to the tabernacle (also facing east (Num.3:38)). Both Jesus’ ascension and His return take place on the Mount of Olives - east of Jerusalem. (Acts1:1-10, Zech.14:4, Mtt.24:23-27)

Now, think of some of the things we read about the “west.” God created Earth’s sun to set in the west. (West” means “behind/backwards,” “sea,” (most common) & “evening.”) Israel’s enemies (the Philistines) lived where the sun set, near the “sea” (the great abyss). Jonah flees from God & heads west - “backwards” toward the sea. Micah 7:19 says that God will cast all our sins into the depths of the “sea,” & we read in Psalm 103:12 that God will remove our sins “as far as the east is from the west.”

Sun.

In many ancient cultures the sun was a diety to be worshipped, but God specifically warned His people not to bow down to the sun: “When you look up at the sky, & behold the sun & the moon & the stars… you must not be lured into bowing down to them or serving them.” (Deut.4:19)

God created the sun to be “the greater light to rule the day” (Gen.1:16), & in Ecclesiastes 11:7 we read that the light of the sun is “sweet & pleasant for the eyes to behold.” The psalmist describes God as a “sun & shield,” & Malachi 4 references the coming Christ as the “Sun of Righteousness” rising with “healing on His wings.” Isaiah talks about a day when the sun will shine seven times brighter, & another when there will be no need for the sun because of the everlasting light of its Creator. While it is an object that can point us to our Creator, it is a created thing & not something to be worshipped.

Red.

My mother-in-love grew up in a fishing village, where most of the men were fishermen & would be out to sea for many weeks at a time. She was the first to inform me of this catchy rhyme used by the mariners to predict the weather: “Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning; red skies at night, sailor’s delight.”

I wonder how many of them knew that this saying originates from Matthew 16, where Jesus uses this analogy when the Pharisees & Sadducees asked for a sign. Since weather systems traveled from west to east in mid-latitude areas (like Israel), He used this example as something they would clearly understand to point to something they didn’t. They were testing Him, but lacked the ability to discern that what was predicted by all the prophets was standing right in front of them.

The science behind the red that we see at sunrise & sunset is very interesting, but the thing I want to draw attention to is the word “red.” The Bible uses it 53 times. There are three Greek words used in the New Testament. One means the color itself. Another refers to a sea. And the third makes reference to the shade of fire or a flame. That may give us some insight into the Gehenna (Hell) reference.

Hell.

The shade of red varies in this quote, depending on the light at sunrise & sunset. The Hebrew word for evening denotes “mixing” & refers to the later part of the day, where light mixes with darkness. During these twilight hours visibility diminishes, & I like the way one professor uses this metaphor as a warning: “As seductive as the beauty of the evening is, one is reminded that it is mixed with darkness and … you are reminded that darkness can have an allure of its own and we must be on alert not to mistake the beauty of twilight with the reality of the beauty of the Light of God Himself.” (Chaim Bentora)

Roses.

The only plants identified in the Garden of Eden are the two trees, so my interpretation is based on what I read in Scripture, as well as historical & cultural information.

It’s interesting that the exact identity of the flower we call a rose is a mystery, as the Hebrew word has been translated differently. Nevertheless, the Bible makes use of floral imagery to symbolically represent love, beauty, & the flourishing of God’s creation.

Artisans have captured that in many ways. Some of my favorites are cathedral windows, especially those that incorporate a rose pattern (or oculus). Many of their designs use light strategically to reflect & cast the sun’s rays.

For hundreds of years, poets & storytellers have contributed to the symbolic nature of the rose, sometimes blurring the lines between the sacred & the secular. Some Jewish sources associate the rose with the people of Israel, & its thorns to her enemies. For the Greeks & Romans, roses were associated with their goddesses. For Catholics, it’s connected to the Virgin Mary. Other Christian traditions link red roses to the love & sacrifice of Christ, as well as the blood of martyrs.

If your parents named you, Rose, you may be interested to know that it comes from a word that means "to rise" or "to bloom.” I think that roses are the most beautiful when the morning dew rests on their petals. The sunlight makes them sparkle like jewels.

Conclusion.

The beauty of God’s creation gives us reason to pause & meditate on the wonder of our great & mighty God. In doing so, we must be careful not to exchange our worship of the Creator for the created. (Rms.1) Our Father has given us beautiful things, like sun rises, sunsets, & flowers to enjoy.

“They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.” (Psalm 65:8)

At Son-rise may we be reminded that the Rose of Sharon spilled His red blood to purchase our redemption. As darkness covered the Earth during His crucifixion, the fires of Hell were fueled with celebration, but the enemy & all his minions didn’t know that the One who created all things was, once again, separating the darkness from the Light.

The Son rose from the grave with the promise of a new Garden - a place where thornless roses never die, where the glory of the Son will replace our temporary sun, & where Gehenna’s reflection of death & darkness will be snuffed out forever.

Look to the east - for the Son who rose will set His feet on the same ground, to gather His own & rule forever.

“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” (Psa.113:3)

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Questioning God

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Is it okay to question God?

In a recent conversation, a woman told me that she never questions God, inferring that it would be wrong to do so. I was immediately reminded of all the times I’ve questioned Him, especially in the last four & a half years.

Hmm. What does that say? Was this woman correct in her assumption that it is sinful for us to question the Creator about the things that concern us?

Her religious background played heavily into her statement. She was taught that God has His reasons for doing what He does & you should never ask why. It took some time to explain - that while there is a right & wrong way to question God - we are given both permission & invited to bring our questions to Him.

When we were raising our children, we encouraged them to come to us with any & all questions. We wanted them to ask questions. While I know we could have done a better job with our answers, that was not our motivation. We were building something that we knew would last well beyond their childrearing years - a relationship. That’s what our Heavenly Father is doing when He invites us to come & “cast all our cares” & “pour out our heart to Him.” I don’t think it’s possible to do this without questions being part of our dialog.

Does questioning mean we are full of fear, doubt, & unbelief?

Yes, but those are the very emotions that should compel us to go into the King’s throne room to begin with. You don’t think that Ester went into the throne room dancing a confident jig, do you? No! She likely wore every one of these emotions as she approached a king who could easily call for her head to be separated from her body.

“Those who trust God most are those whose faith permits them to risk wrestling with Him over the deepest questions of life.” (Dan Allender)

Many of us grew up thinking that fear, doubt, & unbelief were things we needed to deny if we wanted to have a genuine faith, but this is not the litmus test for faith.

Scripture is filled with godly people who took their fears, doubts, & unbelief TO God - indicating their faith in Him - when they questioned Him.

Some of them were pretty audacious about it too:

Moses - “Why have you dealt ill with your servant?” (Num. 11:11)

David - “Oh Lord why do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psa. 10:1)

Habbakuk - “Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?” (Hab. 1:3)

Job - “Why have you made me your target?” (Job 7:20)

Even Jesus asked God “Why…” (Mtt.27:46)

I recently heard someone say that questions are the beginning of a finished testimony. Questioning God, especially during times of great sorrow, is one of the very things He uses to draw our hearts to Himself. He’s adding to the testimony that we will proclaim forever.

The person who seeks to understand their circumstance by drawing near to God & questioning Him - with all their fear, doubt, & unbelief in tow - is the person God wants to build a lasting relationship with.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Valentine's Love

(by Lorie Codispoti)

According to the Christian History Institute there are several St. Valentines, who were all martyred about the same time in the third century.

First, we have the Valentine who aided Christians who were being persecuted. He was imprisoned, where he found faith in Christ and refused to deny Him. He was tortured, beaten with clubs and then beheaded. He was said to have written letters to his friends during that time that read, “Remember your Valentine.”

Second, there’s the legend of a Valentine who was martyred when he was caught secretly marrying couples so that husbands wouldn’t have to go to war.

And third, we read about the Valentine who was a priest that refused to sacrifice to pagan gods. From his prison cell he shared God’s love through his testimony. As a result of his prayers the jailer’s daughter was healed and on the day of his execution he left her a note that was signed, “your Valentine.”

There isn’t enough evidence to determine which Valentine our holiday was named after, but the common thread that stitches these hearts together is their love for Christ and a willingness to share that love no matter what it cost them.

Remember the characteristics of love in 1Corinthians 13…

Love is long suffering and kind. It doesn’t envy, parade itself, or puff up. It doesn’t behave rudely, seek its own, provoke, or think evil. It doesn’t rejoice in sin, but rather in the truth. It bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things.

Each of these Valentines was willing: to bear things unpleasant - to believe that God had a plan - and to hope in something they couldn’t see. They were martyred for their willingness to endure the hardship this kind of love requires.

If you peel back our culture’s shallow layers of fluffy tissue paper love, you will find that the gift bag is empty. This kind of “love” is short lived. The slightest wind of trouble will shred the superficial layers and blow the fragments in every direction.

Christ came to show us what true love looks like, and then leave us a gift. When we open His gift of a new heart we find that He enables us to love like He does.

Will it cost us something? Yes.

The question we need to answer is not about the price.

The question we have to answer is are we willing to bear, believe, hope, and endure all things in order to show the world what the love of God looks like.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Trust The Teacher

(by Lorie Codispoti)

The art teacher handed everyone a large sheet of thick, white paper and a box of crayons.

We were instructed to fill the canvas with color. Every square inch of white was to be covered with bright, bold colors.

I remember spending a lot of time pressing the crayons hard and swirling little bits of color all over the page. Upon completion I held up my masterpiece and felt a surge of total satisfaction. I was ready for the bell to ring and school to be over so that I could take my picture home and hang it up.

We weren't ready to go home though. The project was only half finished.

I can still remember the horrible feeling that came over me as the art teacher instructed us to pick up the black crayon and cover all the color with a layer of black wax. None of the bright colors were to show through the darkness.

What?

How could I possibly follow those instructions? How was I supposed to pick up that black crayon and ruin what I had just worked so hard to create when everything in me wanted to run from her directive?

Truly an artist, our teacher knew what the response would be, yet she patiently walked through the process with each student. She made time for the layers of our emotions to be fully expressed. We all thought our creations were about to be destroyed.

With every inch of darkness that crept over the beauty of our work, our teacher admonished us to trust her - to trust that if we were careful to follow her instructions we'd have something even more beautiful when we finished.

After what seemed like a very long time, each student’s design was filled with black wax and everyone’s canvas looked exactly alike.

The teacher then took her own black canvas and attached it to the easel for all of us to see. She picked up a little plastic tool, shaped like a pencil, and began to scratch out an incredibly beautiful scene on her canvas. With each stroke of her tool you could see the expressions on each student’s face begin to change. The more she scratched the more amazed we were. It was magical! The beauty of the colors pierced through the blackness and the butterfly she etched appeared to be three-dimensional. We were truly mesmerized by what we had just learned and eagerly went to work on our own pictures.

The Lesson

Whether your canvas is the size of a poster board or an index card, every block serves as a mark of color in the timeline of your life. You might think that the picture is finished and ready for display when the page is filled with color.

It’s not!

Every good teacher plans their lessons in such a way that they captivate and test each student. And every student must decide if they will trust and follow the instructions of their teacher.

In the book of James the author tells us that the testing of our faith develops perseverance. And that “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:3-4)

Friends, our Teacher has not yet called for the bell to ring, giving us permission to take our life’s work home.

You may be at the place where you are still working on filling your canvas with color, or you may be at a place where you are slowly watching the darkness take over the beauty of your work.

Hold on! There’s another step in the process.

With the precision of a skilled craftsman, the Teacher picks up His tool and begins to pierce the darkness by scratching something into your life. Colors begin popping out everywhere and it isn’t long before you realize that the black layer now serves as the backdrop to MasterFULL work of art. With each stroke of the Teacher’s tool the details begin to jump off the page. The hodgpodge bits of random colors has been carefully and strategically used to create a beautiful portrait of a life well lived.

The King has reserved a space on His gallery wall for your life to be displayed. It will testify of His goodness and showcase the Light that was etched through the darkness.

One day you will hear the sound that dismisses class, signaling that it's time for you to take your work home.

But, until that time comes - until you hear the bell ring - TRUST THE TEACHER!

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Sadvent To Advent

(by Lorie Codispoti)

It’s Advent season, and each week is set apart to focus on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love.

The word Advent comes from a Latin word that means “coming / arrival,” and each theme is marked with a sense of expectation. It is considered a season of light during the dark days of winter. Each week we symbolize and celebrate the light of Christ by lighting one candle for each theme.

But for some of us the winds of heartache have blown out the light, filling our days with a blinding darkness that has turned Advent into a sadvent. Expectations have been crushed by unrelenting pain and loss. And what of hope, peace, joy & love? Well, they feel like empty Christmas card sentiments that may make their way to our mailbox, but sadly remain distant from our hearts.

I understand. I’ve been there.

Suffering can be spiritually and physically debilitating. Our losses are traumatic, pain is relenting, and change is hard to accept.

So, how do we exchange sadvent for Advent? Is it possible to invite the virtues of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love to reignite our sense of expectation when our heart is broken?

I think we can do both.

How?

By revisiting the time-honored truths of Advent, and contemplating the paradoxes that only God can harmonize.

Advent serves as a countdown to Christmas. And while we enjoy our modern day calendars with their special compartments that house delicious chocolate treats and trinkets to enhance the idea and create an air of anticipation among children, the spiritual significance of Advent goes beyond the superficial.

For centuries Christians have observed the tradition of Advent, marking it with many weeks of preparation that involved fasting, prayer, and reflection. Each Sunday, believers offer prayers and readings that focus on one of the four virtues, and during this time of waiting to celebrate the anniversary of the arrival of the Christ child, alongside the anticipated second-coming of Christ, the bonds of all believers are solidified and unity is fostered. In the Old Testament we read of those who faithfully waited for the prophesied Messiah, and in the New Testament we read of the King’s return to rule and reign forever.

This hope continues for us today.

The fact that the Prince of Peace will return is the confident expectation that believers have had for centuries. Throughout time the he collective of believers celebrate together the first coming of Christ (the incarnation), and we anticipate, with confident expectation, His second coming (Parousia).

This is Advent!

Hope, peace, joy & love are faith-defining hallmarks of the Christian walk, and believers have been traveling this well worn road for centuries now. We walk and we wait. But, we don’t walk in the darkness, nor is our waiting without purpose.

One writer encourages us to fathom the paradoxes of Advent - dark and light, emptiness and fulfilment, ancient and ever new - and to do it patiently standing firm in our faith, as James 5:7-8 encourages. 

I encourage you to do the same. 

Contemplate the lives of those who have gone before us - both inside and outside Scripture. (I like to do this by reading biographies. I’m currently reading about John Newton to my grand-littles, and it’s encouraging ME!) You will discover men and women who walked through great suffering; sometimes so gut-wrenching that it had the potential to destroy their faith.

But God!

Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we can not only stand strong and weather the storms of adversity, but we will emerge on the other side testifying of how the paradoxes of Advent harmonized and to strengthen our faith, not destroy it.

Therefore, rejoice with me! “…look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Lk.21:28b)

Invite the beauty of this special season to fill your heart and home with Hope, Peace, Joy and Love (all in caps), because these virtues are also characteristics that describe our King - who came, and is coming, to turn your sadvent into Advent.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Compassion Fatigue

(by Lorie Codispoti)

It’s that time of year again. The time when we’re bombarded with solicitations from all the legitimately worthy organizations, people, and causes we care about.

Did you know that humans make about 35,000 decisions a day? That breaks down to 2,000 decisions per hour (factoring in the average of seven hours for sleep). Much of that is your brain making a functional decision, like breathing or blinking your eyes. We were created with the ability to perform many unconscious, autonomous actions, but the ones I want to talk about are the conscious decisions we make - specifically those related to the abundance of pleas for year-end giving.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the needs?

How do we decide which causes to support when there are more of them than dollars to go around? Even if you plan ahead and allocate funds in advance you can experience generosity burnout during the holiday season.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the appeals. There’s even a term that describes this type of solicitation anxiety.

It’s called “compassion fatigue.”

Compassion fatigue is a common phenomenon among those in the care-giving industry. However, that’s not the only place it can show up. If we’re not cognizant of the fact that a burden for helping others - whether that comes in the form of giving donations or physically serving in some capacity - can produce a negative result, then we become susceptible.

God’s word tells us NOT to “grow weary while doing good.” (Gal.6:9, 2Thess.3:13)

Why?

In part, it’s because when our hearts become overwhelmed by needs that far outweigh the assistance we can offer, it feels like our drop in that very large bucket will have little to no impact. Another reason we need to guard against “growing weary” is that weariness has the ability to harden us. We can become desensitized to the struggles of those around us when compassion fatigue sets in.

So what’s the solution?

How do we guard against the weariness of generosity burnout, donor fatigue, selflessness exhaustion, solicitation anxiety, compassion fatigue, etc. (choose your label)?

Well, for starters, I see a few helpful tips contained within the two chapters I referenced above...

1. Understand that weariness is a progressive condition that takes place while we are “doing good.”

We “grow” weary. The onset is subtle and gradual. Learn to recognize the signs that lead you in this direction, and when you see them course correct yourself.

2. Know the primary purpose for your giving.

The first verse of 2Thess.3 gives us critical information: “…that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified…” It’s more than simply meeting a need. The purpose of our giving is to advance the kingdom by spreading God’s word and glorifying Him.

3. Be discerning.

In verses 6-15, Paul warns the believers to avoid disorderly busybodies who refuse to work. Verify a legitimate need by asking questions. This applies to individuals and organizations. Someone with a real need will not avoid inquiry.

4. Be willing to bear the burden.

Galatians 6:1-2 admonishes us to give of ourselves in order to see others restored in their walk with Christ. This can be difficult, as some burdens have a longer lifespan than others. But, verse 10 says that “as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those of the household of faith.”

5. Remind yourself that giving always gives back.

In verse nine Paul is careful to point out the principal of sowing and reaping. He says that if we don’t lose heart, we will reap the benefits of our giving. But, here’s the key: “…in due season…” Be patient if you don’t see positive results right away. Trust God’s perfect timing for the harvest. It’s always more abundant than we can imagine.

The next time you feel the pangs of choice paralysis coming on, remind yourself that every one of the 35,000 decisions you will make today is made one at a time. You can decide right now that one of those choices will be to slow down and apply the helpful advice God gives us in His word.

When it comes to deciding which organization, or which person, you are to share your resources with, start by asking God to order your steps and direct your funds. That’s the best way I know to avoid the weary trap of compassion fatigue.

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way.” (2Thess.3:16)

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