Grace and peace be multiplied unto you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence.
~ 2 Peter 1:2-3
I want to share a bit more of what I'm learning from God is More Than Enough by Jim Berg. As I said before, I think this may well be my most significant read for 2011. I'm coming to see that part of my discouragement is borne out of unbelief. That was very much a surprise to me. Not that I don't believe in God or believe that he is majestic and good and great and merciful and full of lovingkindness and..... I truly and most certainly do, and my hope of eternal life rests in Jesus Christ His Son. But, rather, that I haven't believed him in all that he has said. What's this?
Berg walks us through some critical thinking. As he says, we need to track our thoughts and not our feelings.
Truth is that which corresponds to reality.
Much of what we think about God is not anchored in reality.
Nothing can be true and untrue at the same time.
It cannot be true that God cares about us and also not true that he cares about us.
A belief is what we accept to be true.
The more we are grounded in reality, the more stable we are.
The more we are grounded in fantasy,
(that which does not correspond to the reality of what God has said),
(that which does not correspond to the reality of what God has said),
the more unstable we are.
Unbelief is rejecting what God says is true.
While I would not have said that I "reject" what God has said as true, I'm beginning to understand that functionally I often do. I say one thing, but often feel another. Again, I need to track my thoughts and not my feelings.
The source of a disquieted soul is unbelief.As Berg says, "Unbelief--rejecting what God says is true--is problematic for two reasons. First and most seriously, rejecting the truth about God...dishonors Him (Rom. 1:21, 25). It treats God as if He is a liar and is not truthful about what He has said about Himself and about the way life works in the world He created. This is a horrible offense against God.
"Secondly, rejecting the truth about God begins the process of your own disintegration (Rom 1:21-32). A person who insists on living in a fantasy world that does not correspond to reality will encounter many bumps on the road and will have no idea why life is so difficult."
The solution is knowledge of Who God is.
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord (2 Peter 1:2).
Truths about God.
God is always good.
He will always forgive my sin.
He is always up to something good in my life.
He will always love me personally.
He will always give me the grace I need.
He is always in control of all things.
He is always present with me.
He is always the same.
He is always trustworthy.
He is always wise in what he does.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
and why art thou disquieted within me?
hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him,
who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 42:11
