Jesus – Hope for Complete Healing

How Does The Devil Scheme Against You?

So, how are we caught in the devil’s schemes? Do you believe you can’t be deceived by the devil? You learned in my previous posts that even Jesus’ disciples were deceived. Deception is to mislead and appear to be true, but it is not. How do you know if you are being deceived by an evil spirit you do not see?

The anatomy of deception or temptation.

This post contains excerpts from my book, Fighting Unseen Battles. In my last post, I explained how temptations open us up to do the devil’s will through our thoughts. Thankfully, we can take every thought captive and submit them to God. Satan’s deceptions follow the same strategy, so let’s look at the first temptation pattern in Genesis chapter three:

Satan tempts Eve to doubt and question God’s words and motives when He asked her in Genesis 3:1, “Did God actually say?” And then in verse four, Satan says, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” His suggestion creates the thought that God was withholding something good from her. Temptations are lies that generate false beliefs.

The forbidden object looks enticing: “saw that the tree was good for food” (Genesis 3:6).

She desired to disobey and eat the fruit: “and that it was a delight to the eyes” (Genesis 3:6).

She believed the lie that she would be like God, which created pride: “the tree was to be desired to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6).

She acted on the lure to disobey God and sin: “she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband” (Genesis 3:6).

Consequence of falling into Satan’s temptation to sin.

Ever since Adam and Eve lost in the first encounter of deception with the devil, we have struggled with a sinful nature. Sin is doing evil when we forsake God and disobey His loving, protective commands (2Chr. 12:14; Jer. 2:19). Sin has consequences. James1:14-15 explains, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15) Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” The Bible says you are dead in your sin (Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13a; Rom. 5:10, 6:23, 8:10). Dead means no life, no energy, and no growth, like a branch cut off from a tree. Dead is how you feel when you sin; you may become fearful, depressed, and feel purposeless and devoid of hope and life. Shame and guilt are also consequences of sin.

How to master our thoughts.

Cain became angry and wanted to kill Abel. God spoke to Cain in Genesis 4:7 and said, “Sin is crouching at the door, and its desire is toward you, but you must rule over it.” God is telling Cain to rule over or master his thoughts of anger and jealousy, but he did not and killed his brother Abel. Sin begins as a thought that leads to desire, so God uses the image of crouching to show how sin is waiting to control our thoughts. We are to master all our thoughts and make them obey God’s commands. Namely, to love Him and to love others.

Cain was angry because Abel’s offering was accepted by God, and his wasn’t. Anger is not a sin because God also gets angry, yet He is perfect (Num. 22:22; Judg. 2:12; Rev. 14:10). According to Webster’s dictionary, anger is a feeling that may result from injury, mistreatment, opposition, and so on.

Is anger a sin or an indication of something being wrong?

Our anger indicates that we are offended by a perceived unfairness or unmet expectation. The term offended, according to Webster’s dictionary, means to feel irritated, annoyed, or displeased because of someone’s sin, negligence, or disregard. Ephesians 4:26–27 states, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” We sin when our anger causes us to retaliate against the person who hurt us, by returning an evil for an evil or an insult for an insult (Rom. 12:17; 1Thes. 5:15). The devil tempts us to act on our anger and to sin against another person, but don’t give him that opportunity; take your thought captive.

The Bible says we are to do what is good and honorable to everyone, even those who hurt us (Rom. 12:17). 1Peter 3:9 even says, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” God wants us to rule over anger and not let it rule us, but to bless those who offend us or do evil to us, which is hard to do on our own. Through our fleshly desire, we are tempted to retaliate and make the person pay for hurting us. God said we are to forgive and live in peace with everyone as far as it depends on us.

Conclusion

Everyone is susceptible to being deceived by the devil. Remember, he roams about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, so be watchful and stand firm in your faith (1Peter 5:8-9a). You are in a spiritual war that is full of offenses and deceptions that lure you into sin and spiritual death (Eph. 6:12). Every day, you need to put on the full armor of God. You can take every thought captive and make it obey God (2Cor. 10:5). Knowing what the Bible says is necessary to know the truth, so you know when you are being tempted to sin and do evil. If you do fall into temptation and sin, immediately turn back to God and seek His forgiveness. 1John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Don’t let Satan deceive you that you cannot be forgiven and made right with God. Take all thoughts of guilt and shame captive and command them to be gone, and tell yourself that you are forgiven and a new creation in Christ Jesus.

If you are interested in knowing more about this topic, I encourage you to get my book, Fighting Unseen Battles.

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All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright-protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, the 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.

FIVE WAYS TO FIGHT THE DEVIL SUCCESSFULLY

Do you know people who make life difficult for you or others? Have you struggled with an argumentative person? I have. Have you considered that Satan is influencing you and those around you? Sometimes I am influenced by Satan when my mind does not resist him, and I am not submitting to God. When that happens, I become selfish, want my way, and am easily offended and unforgiving. A Scriptural example is found in Mark 8. Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, but when Jesus tells him that He will die and be raised up again, Peter protests. In verse 33, Jesus then rebukes him, saying, “‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’”

The Apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:1-3, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2) Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3) For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Ephesians 6:12 states, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” This verse explains the levels or ranks of demons. Remember, if you or others do not submit your minds to think on the things of God, you are also not resisting the devil’s influence on your life.

The last post described how believers respond to demons who afflict them and also to being set free. I described four responses:

a) Stand firm in your faith.

b) Be devoted and fully submitted to God when you are set free.

c) Do nothing, then the demon returns with more demons.

d) Be thankful and know that God’s grace will help you deal with the affliction, and His power is great in our weakness.

In this post, we will study Ephesians 6:10-18 and learn five more ways to respond to the devil. I will not go into great detail, but if you are interested in learning more, please check out the series of posts I wrote on spiritual warfare on the Spiritual Warfare Posts page.

1–Be Strong Through Jesus Christ.

10) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Observation: We are to be strong in the Lord, not ourselves, and not in anyone or anything else. We can only be strong in God’s strength and in His might.

Interpretation and Application: We can only be strong when we are in the Lord; that is, when our minds are set on Him. We cannot fight against evil spirit forces in our own strength, which is why we must be fully submitted to God through repentance of sin. 2Peter 1:3-2 states “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, then receive Him now into your heart and ask Him to forgive your sins, so nothing separates you from God the Father (Rom. 10:9-10).

2–Put on the Armor of God.

11) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Observation: “Put on” is a command. The whole armor of God means all of it, every piece described below. We can only stand against the schemes of the devil when we have the whole armor on. Yes, the devil schemes about how to trip you up and cause you to doubt God, just like he did Adam and Eve. 2Corinthians 11:3 explains, “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

Interpretation and Application: Verse 11 does not say how often we are to put on the armor of God, but it is safe to say that every day would be a good start. It does not say when to put on the armor of God, but the safest time is the first thing in the morning. I have a prayer model to help you do this; use the PUTTING ON THE ARMOR OF GOD PRAYER MODEL. Paul talks about the devil’s schemes. Schemes mean to plot, plan, design, strategies, and so on. Remember, Satan is the roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1Peter 5:8). In 2Corinthians 2:11, Paul said, “So that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” Put on the full armor of God, so you are not outwitted by Satan’s schemes or designs.

3–Do Everything to Resist the Devil and Stand Firm.

13) “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

Observation: The previous verse, verse 12, explained that we are in a spiritual war against the ranks of demons. Therefore, the whole armor of God is needed to withstand or successfully resist on the day you are tested or tempted by evil spirits. Next, this verse tells you to stand firm when you have successfully resisted. James 4:7 tells us that when we resist the devil, he will flee.

Interpretation and Application: I often forget to be prepared and to stand firm every day. I forget that I am a spirit being in a human body living in a spirit world within the physical world. I need to be reminded to put on the whole armor of God, so I can successfully resist temptations and oppressions from evil forces at work against me or others. Taking up the whole armor of God is a mental discipline because Satan works in our minds.

4–Put on Truth, Righteousness, and Peace.

14-15) “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”

Observation: The armor is already on before you stand firm against the evil day. Each piece of armor represents a characteristic of Jesus Christ.

Interpretation and Application: Jesus is the truth and the Word. When you read, memorize, and do the Word of God, you are putting on truth. When you put on Jesus Christ, you are putting on righteousness. Romans 13:14 states, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” When you put on the shoes of peace, you walk as Jesus would. 1John 2:6 states, “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” Also, Hebrews 12:14 states, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

5–Keep Faith, Salvation, and the Word of God Close to You Through Prayer.

16-18) “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”

Observation: Faith, Salvation, and God’s word are imperative to stand firm against the assault of the evil one (the devil and his demons). Continual prayer in the Spirit is how you stay alert.

Interpretation and Application: If you relax in any way and do not keep on the whole armor of God and take up the shield of faith, you will be destroyed. Our faith is a shield held up through prayer and reading God’s Word. Praying at all times helps keep these necessary components of the armor close to you. Colossians 4:2 tells us to “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” We are also commanded to keep alert with all perseverance to be watchful, that means, don’t give up and don’t let your guard down.

Conclusion:

The armor of God is something we forget about. We lay down our shield of faith, don’t read the Bible, forget to pray, and then wonder why we aren’t doing well and have so many problems. Too often, watching TV takes up most of your time, and you don’t have time to read your Bible and pray. Remember, if you are a child of God, you need to keep your mind on the things of God above, not the things of this world. TV is a gateway to worldly thinking. The five more ways to deal with the demonic realm are as follows:

1–Be Strong Through Jesus Christ.

2–Put on the Armor of God.

3–Do Everything to Resist the Devil and Stand Firm.

4–Put on Truth, Righteousness, and Peace.

5–Keep Faith, Salvation, and the Word of God Close to You Through Prayer.

If you are interested in learning more, please check out the series of posts I wrote on spiritual warfare on the Spiritual Warfare Posts page.

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

The Spirit World Through Jesus’s Eyes, Introduction

Have you ever wondered if a person had demons or oppressive spirits? What would that look like? In the coming months, I will explore the unseen world through the eyes of Jesus. My posts will be biblically based using the Inductive Bible Study method, which focuses on observation, interpretation, and application. We know the Bible says that angels are ministering spirits for those who are to inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14). They give us messages (read the Christmas story as an example) and protect us (Ps. 91:11). Angels obey the word of God (Ps. 103:20).

Last year, I wrote about mental health. As I was praying about what to write this year, the Lord impressed on my mind to do a deep dive into how we can know when we are dealing with a demon or oppressive spirits, and what to do. I lead a Bible study in the prison system, and I have seen the evidence of demon activity in the women who attend my Bible Study. I have cast out demons as well. And, I have been attacked by demons/evil spirits. I will explain how I knew and what I did about it. Our mental health is also influenced by unseen evil forces.

Misconceptions About Demons

I am surprised by how many people do not believe that Christians can be afflicted by demons. And how many Christians believe that when Jesus died on the Cross, he defeated Satan, which is true, so we are victorious over them, which we are. But what many Christians are not aware of is how they are unwittingly inviting evil spirits to oppress them through their sin and thought life. Then, I know some Christians who rebuke everything as if a demon is behind it. If a door is stuck, they rebuke the demon that is causing it to stick. YIKES! We need a balanced biblical view of demons, evil spirits, oppressive spirits, and Satan. I generated 16 pages of scripture references, so I have plenty of factual material to teach from.

The Three References to Evil Entities.

So what is the difference between demons, evil spirits, and Satan? The Bible uses all three references. I am not an expert on this topic, but I have firsthand experience. Let’s look at what the Scripture says.

Demons are known to be the fallen angels who followed Lucifer in his sin and were thrown down to the earth with Satan, who is also known as the devil. Revelations 12:9 states, “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Demons are spirits, Matthew 8:16 states, “That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.” King James reads, “When …, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, ….” The New International Version and New American Standard Version read, “When… many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word…”

Evil spirits are demons. Luke 8:2 explains, “And also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out.” Here is another example of evil spirits also being demons: Acts 19:15-16 states, “But the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?’ ¹⁶And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” We know the demons who possessed the men at Gadarenes knew who Jesus was (Matt. 8:28-29). The evil spirit in the man in Acts 19:15 also knew Jesus, which suggests that evil spirits are demons.

Concludion

I described two spirit entities, demons and evil spirits; to respect your time, I will write a separate post on Satan. We do not have to fear the devil, evil spirits, or demons because Jesus Christ has given us the authority to command them to leave. BUT many of us give the evil spirits the right to oppress us. I will elaborate on that in another post. YOU can live in victory and freedom through Jesus Christ.

Blessings.

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

How To Overcome Holiday Stress

For many, the holidays are not a happy time and are full of stress. You may be one of the fortunate ones who has never experienced disappointment during the holidays; that is great. In this post, you will learn how to mitigate stress and change your perspectives, expectations, and focus to find joy and peace.

Do you remember a time you really wanted something for Christmas, and you didn’t get it? Does that memory steal your joy during the Christmas season? Do you feel sad because a family member died or there was a divorce? It is okay to feel sad about a loss. We will always have disappointments that make us sad or angry. I grew up poor, and when my father left, I never heard from him again, so the holidays were not joyous.

I have to confess that last year I became depressed because my children weren’t coming home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. They just had a baby and didn’t want to travel down from Syracuse. That is understandable, but I was still sad. It helped me develop compassion for others who lack family and will spend the holidays alone.

Stop Stressing About Gift-Giving.

Gift-giving is a tradition begun by the wise men who brought gifts for baby Jesus. Giving gifts shows honor to the person receiving the gift. Gift-giving became stressful when it became a competition on who could give the most. We were poor and could not give as many gifts. Buying gifts is a challenge for me and very stressful. So, I stopped making gift-giving the central theme of Christmas. Most of my family understood because they could all buy what they wanted, when they wanted. Most people don’t need anything. My husband’s family agreed to stop buying presents for the adults. So we only buy for the children.

My sister refuses to stop buying gifts and expects me to get her gifts. She is very wealthy, but I am not, so she would always compare the gifts she gave me with the ones I gave her, which was very humiliating. Do you see why gift-giving is so stressful for me? I came up with the idea of giving her gifts of service, which she appreciated more than a gift. I also make things for her, which she likes. This year, I am making her a unique raincoat. We picked out the pattern together, and she picked out the fabric.

I live with my husband, and I still cannot come up with a gift for him because he gets everything he needs or wants. Plus, we have the same bank account, so he would know everything I bought him, so there is no surprise. I did start making chocolate-covered peanut butter and coconut candy, which he loves. I also give them as gifts to my children, but not to my sister. For a few years, I gave my husband ten cards that he could redeem for a massage. He loved that. Please leave a comment with other gift ideas. We have so much, and we don’t need more stuff. I don’t need more stuff.

Change Your Focus.

Holidays are focused on family gatherings, which is good. But not every family is mentally healthy, and not everyone has a family. Change happens every year. A family member may die, get sick, move away, get married, or experience a job loss, and so on. There will always be disappointment around Christmas time. I found joy by focusing on the wonderful gift that God gave us in the birth of Jesus, the actual reason for the season. I look for opportunities to share the good news of salvation that came with the birth of Jesus, along with hope (Rom. 15:13), peace (John 16:33), joy (John 15:11), and love.

Start new traditions that focus on the real reason we celebrate Christmas. When I had children at home, we read the Christmas story and talked about the gifts God gives us. I also had them do a scavenger hunt for baby Jesus. I gave each child a clue, and they raced to find the next clue and see who could be the first to find something made of gold, then find myrrh, then frankincense, and the last clue was where baby Jesus was hidden. The kids loved that tradition. I would love to hear your ideas.

Reach Out to Those Who Are Alone.

Look for ways to encourage widows, take them a lunch, and spend time with them. Many will spend the holiday alone. Going to a Nursing home to visit those who have no one to see them. Singing carols with those in the Nursing Home gives them great joy. If there is an orphanage in your area, take time to give to them. James 1:27 states, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” Volunteering at a soup kitchen to feed the homeless will also make you feel good and show honor to someone who cannot give back.

One year, I could not go home for Christmas because of a snowstorm. A person I knew learned of my situation, came by my apartment, and took me to her house for Christmas dinner. I will never, ever, forget that Christmas, which was over 40 years ago. Her mother and father made room for me at the dinner table and gave me a bag of M&Ms as a gift. Whenever I see M&Ms, I am reminded of their kindness. So I encourage you to reach out to those who will spend Christmas alone.

Invite the people around you to church, take them a plate of cookies, or invite them to dinner. One year, our church encouraged the members to invite international students to their homes for a holiday meal. Many students cannot go home for the holidays. Inviting them to your home would be a memory you and they would never forget. Showing kindness to someone will boost your mental health.

Jesus gave an example in Luke 14:12-14: “He said also to the man who had invited him, ‘When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13) But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.’”

Conclusion

I hope this post was encouraging and helps give you ways to make the holidays less stressful. Giving gifts of service to those who have everything, not more stuff. Focus on the real reason for Christmas or Thanksgiving and start new traditions. Invite those who will spend the holiday alone to your home. Give to those who can’t give back. Be a blessing. I know there is so much more I could have shared, but I would love to hear your ideas, which would also encourage others who read this post. I pray God bless you richly as you focus on Him and share love with others.

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and the truths behind them. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles. Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, the 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.

FIVE WAYS TO TAME YOUR IMAGINATION

Have you ever caught yourself getting all worked up imagining a worst-case scenario that may never happen? It is unwise to let your imagination go down a dark path, because your emotions and behavior follow your thoughts, and you will often act foolishly. For example, my sister accused my husband of cheating in a game we were playing. She let her imagination fuel her assumption, and her emotions followed. She said many unkind words. I tried to reason with her, but she kept believing the lie that my husband was trying to do her in. My husband was not cheating, and he will no longer play games with her. Her foolish imagination and controlling behavior ruined her relationship with my husband. Has your imagination caused you to act foolishly?

What Stimulates Your Imagination?

Stories, TV shows, and movies are often make-believe scenarios to entertain you, but those images influence thoughts, which stimulate your imagination. For example, I became interested in the van-life movement, and I found their van creations and travel experiences very interesting. Watching these YouTube videos has inspired me to want to do the same thing. My husband is shocked because I am a homebody, and he loves to travel. Talking to people can stimulate good or bad thoughts and imagination.

Problems stimulate either creative thoughts or destructive thoughts. If you have a problem you need to solve, you can use your imagination to come up with a solution. For example, I had a problem with one of my chickens that always wanted to fight. I had to separate her from the flock because the other chickens would nearly kill her. My husband did not want to kill her, so I had to come up with a solution to keep her separate, protected from predators, and not a burden to care for her. It took me about a month to come up with a viable, though not perfect, solution. On the other hand, if you are having problems with your family, you may imagine it would be better to get a divorce, turn to alcohol or drugs, go to the bar instead of going home, and so on.

For a long time, as I was healing from the trauma of my past, I was caught up in a world of make-belief to escape the struggles of my life. As a child, I spent hours completely dissociated from reality, living in a make-believe world in my mind. Since I healed my trauma memories, I no longer struggle with dissociation. To learn more about how I healed my memories, read my website book called “Hope for Complete Healing.”

Unhealthy beliefs will stimulate your imagination to go down a dark road of make-believe that robs your life and sometimes your finances. If you have insecurity issues, you may have the unhealthy belief that someone doesn’t like you. Your imagination will come up with many scenarios of why they don’t want you, which feeds your unhealthy belief that you are unworthy. Some people have the harmful belief that they must prepare for some catastrophe that may never happen. Many people are caught up in the prepping phenomenon because of TV shows, YouTube videos, and prepping books. My sister is totally controlled by the prepping phenomenon, spending a vast amount of money and time on it.

What Does the Bible Say?

God writes a lot about our thoughts, which I explain in the page called “Posts on Thoughts.” I found two verses concerning imaginations.

Proverbs 18:11 states, “A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.”

Act 17:29 states, “Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.”

How to Tame Your Imagination.

A person’s imagination can be good when used to create beautiful works of art, engineering feats, or great inventions. But most of the time, imaginations are fueled by unhealthy beliefs and unrealistic fears. I explain this in a post called “How Fear Controls You.” In this post, I want to explain how to tame your imagination. Your thoughts direct your imagination, and you can control what you think.

Recognize (be mindful of) your thoughts and feelings. Note, God is aware of all your thoughts (Ps. 139:1-4).
Ask yourself, is what I am thinking the truth? Did the situation happen, and is there a real threat or problem that needs to be mitigated?
Take the unhealthy belief captive and tell it to be gone in Jesus’ name (2Cor. 10:5 and John 14:14).
Apply a truth to your mind and dwell on what is true (Phil. 4:8).
Let your mind dwell on God’s word (Ps. 1:1-3 and Joshua 1:8) when you become worried or fearful.

Conclusion

The quality of your mental health depends on what your mind dwells on. Understanding external influences on your mind and imagination will help you determine whether what you believe is the truth or a lie. Take captive all thoughts that stimulate feelings of anger, hate, malice, manipulation, sadness, fear, envy, impurity, sensuality, and so on. Don’t let your imagination cause you to sin. Set your mind on the things of God to stay in the will of God and to worship Him continually. Colossians 3:1-3 states, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” And Romans 12:2 states, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Purpose, Sadness, and Loneliness

Do you have a sense of purpose for your life? Do you see how sadness is related to a lack of purpose? How do you know what your purpose is? To learn more, read my post called Know Your Purpose? In this post, we will explore why having a sense of purpose diminishes or eliminates sadness and loneliness. Webster’s dictionary defines purpose as to aim, intend, or resolve to do something good or achieve a goal.

Focusing on achieving a goal or doing something good takes your mind off what makes you sad or lonely. Having a purpose can diminish and even eliminate sadness when the source is feeling hopeless and despondent. Let’s face it, most of the time we feel sad, and it is most often about how we have been wronged. Yes, grieving is healthy sadness, but when you become sad because of a wrong, this can be diminished or eliminated. Often, when we suffer a loss, we also lose our sense of purpose. You will learn how to find another purpose despite the loss. Loneliness makes us feel sad because we don’t feel connected to others.

How Trials and Afflictions Make You Sad But Give You Purpose

I can give many examples, but here is one: when I was going through a difficult trial at work many years ago, I focused on earning a post-baccalaureate certificate and on writing my testimony in Hope For Complete Healing. Achieving goals helped me not feel despondent about the unfairness. I had to battle anxiety since I was the only one with a full-time job, and helping my son with his college tuition. At the very last minute (God’s timing), my husband was given a full-time job, which also helped my son with his tuition. God is faithful, and we can trust Him. God also gave me a new purpose for when I would be laid off: to write my first book and start my Hope for Complete Healing ministry.

The trials in my life prepared me for my purpose. Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” The condition is to love God and be called according to His purpose. His main purpose is for you to be conformed to the image of God. Verse 29a says, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” God foreknew everyone who would love Him. We are conformed to His image through affliction (James 1:2-4). King David said in Psalm 119:50, “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” Knowing God’s promises comforts us and lifts our sadness. Afflictions contribute to depression, so knowing God’s promises and trusting Him will give you hope and a feeling of life. I wrote a book called Unlocking God’s Promises. I encourage you to get a copy to know God’s promises.

Where Does Our Purpose Come From?

Our emotions are complex, but know that you are made in the image of God, who has all the same emotions. Even in the midst of your suffering and sadness, you can find purpose. Consider the following purposes that God shows us in the Bible. A sense of purpose breaks the stronghold of loneliness as well.

Show others love as you would want to be loved.
Be kind to someone, even the person or people who are troubling or ignoring you.
Be patient when things don’t go as you want.
Be gentle when annoyed.
Spread joy by encouraging others, even when you feel discouraged.
Ease a burden for someone.
Seek peace with others and don’t argue.
Be faithful to your family and employer.
Be trustworthy and not lie.
Be self-controlled and do not indulge your unhealthy feelings or desires.
Be thankful for something, even that you are not a leper in India.
Pray for someone who is struggling.
Minister to widows and orphans by visiting or helping them.
Show hospitality.
Use your gifts to serve others.

All the above actions help you focus on others and not yourself. I learned that sadness is self-focused on what I think is unfair and on my wants and feelings. Loneliness is also self-focused. When you focus on others or achieving a goal, it gets your focus off yourself and your troubles. Try it, and tell me how you feel afterwards. As soon as you begin to think about “poor me” and how you are being wronged, or whatever it is, then choose something on the list above and focus on accomplishing that instead. Make a habit of focusing on others, and you will feel as if you have a purpose.

Conclusion

Here are a few, but not exhaustive, ways to overcome sadness.

Being sad is an emotional response to living in a sinful world with sinful people. Stay in prayer and forgiveness so you aren’t filled with toxic sadness and hopelessness.
Acknowledge that you are sad, which is okay, forgive, and look for ways to avoid focusing on how you or others were wronged.
Let the wrong define your purpose. If a friend’s husband leaves her for another woman, you can feel sad for her, but you now have an opportunity to serve and help her in her time of need. When I was going through a divorce and was a single mother, many people helped me. I have the purpose to help other single mothers who are struggling.
We will always be offended or feel hurt by someone. Forgive and don’t let the other person’s weakness steal your joy and peace. Pray for them.
Don’t make excuses that you were born melancholy; that is a non-biblical label and not how God intended you to exist. See yourself as God sees you, which you can read in my post called How Does God See You?.

May God bless you richly as you seek Him and become more like Him.

Related Posts:

HOW TO REPLACE SADNESS WITH REJOICING

Prevent Suicide and Addictions with Hope

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises that are relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

HOW DOES GOD SEE YOU?

Do you sometimes have low self-esteem because of the people you compare yourself to? Do you have a shame-based identity because of what you did or what was done to you? What people have said about us and to us shapes our identity. Experiences shape your identity. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ and receive Him into our hearts, we will then have His identity. However, first, we must put off the wrong beliefs. And put on God’s truth.

Last week, I explained how the lies we believe control how we feel about ourselves. I listed different lies and the truth found in God’s word. To have a new self-image, you first need to put off the lies you believe. For example, when you clean your house, you need to remove the trash and dirt first, to make it look clean and new. The following truth statements are for those who believe in and have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Repeat the statements on this list and believe these truths about yourself. Let your identity be based on what God says.

I am the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13) and can preserve and enhance peace and love.

I am the light of the world (Matt. 5:14) and can shine God’s truth and love.

I am a child of God (John 1:12), and I believe and have received Christ into my heart (Eph. 3:17).

I am part of the true vine, a channel of Christ’s life (John 15:1-5), so I can grow the fruit of the Spirit.

I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15), and I trust that He will never leave me and will help me (Heb. 13:5b-6).

I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit (John 15:16).

I am a slave of righteousness (Rom. 6:18), and Jesus Christ makes me righteous (1Cor. 5:21).

I am a child of God: God is spiritually my Father (Rom. 8:14-15; Gal. 3:26; 4:6).

I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Rom. 8:17).

I am a temple, a dwelling place of God. His Spirit and life dwell in me (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19).

I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17).

I am a member of Christ’s Body (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 5:30) and have His divine power for life and godliness (2Peter 1:3).

I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) and reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18; Rom. 5:10).

I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19) to share the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.

I am a child of God and one in Christ (Gal. 3:26-28).

I am an heir of God since I am a child of God (Gal. 4:6-7).

I am a saint (Eph. 1:1, 1 Cor. 1:2; Phil.1:1; Col. 1:2).

I am God’s workmanship, His handiwork born anew in Christ to do His work (Eph. 2:10).

I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God’s family (Eph. 2:19).

I am a prisoner of Christ (Eph. 3:1; 4:1).

I am righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24).

I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now (Phil. 3:20; Eph. 2:6).

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).

I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life (Col. 3:4).

I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4).

I am a child of light and not of darkness (1 Thes. 5:5).

I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1).

I am a partaker of Christ; I share in His life (Heb. 3:14) and divine nature (2Peter 1:4).

I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house (1Pet. 2:5).

I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession (1 Peter 2:9,10)

I am an alien and a stranger to this world in which I temporarily live (1 Pet. 2:11).

I am an enemy of the devil (1 Pet. 5:8) and can stand firm against his schemes (Eph. 6:11).

I am a child of God, and I will resemble Christ when He returns (1 John 5:18).

Conlusion

Your self-image reflects your mental health. I encourage you to read the above list over the next month to imprint your heart and mind with these truths. Ask God to show you the lies you believe, then put them out of your mind and heart as you put in the above truths. If you need to talk to someone, I am available to talk to you. Contact me through my email.

You can read my other Mental Health posts here.

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises that are relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

EXCHANGE OPPRESSIVE LIES FOR FREEDOM

Do you have thoughts that come to your mind, which remind you of a painful memory, either something you did or said, or something someone else did or said to you? Embarrassing or painful memories recreate oppressive feelings of shame or guilt. You may have been humiliated or neglected, which causes you to feel and believe the lie that you are rejected and unworthy. Whether you realize it or not, painful memories affect who you really are and your destiny. They create unhealthy beliefs about yourself, others, and God that also shape your identity.

The girls in my County Jail Bible Study all have horrible trauma memories that shaped how they see themselves, the world, and God. One girl could not love herself and felt unworthy of being loved. When I asked her about her family, she recalled being left at her grandmother’s house while her parents and other siblings went on vacations or to parks. These actions by her parents reinforced that she was not wanted, and she was not worthy to be loved, but she had very good memories of her grandmother’s love. The painful memories oppressed her greatly and affected how she saw herself and others.

Another girl’s father made her do drugs at ten years old and sell them for him. One can only imagine the other trauma events in her life. Now her father has her daughter while she is in jail, and she says he is still doing drugs. She is very oppressed, knowing what her father did to her, and is now doing to her daughter. She desperately wants to be free from the oppression of being addicted to drugs and the oppression of the painful memories that torment her soul. The other girl’s trauma is too hard to write about, but it has changed her identity, which has changed her destiny. All the girls suffer from the oppression of depression. Jesus came to set them free. There is hope, and I will share it in this post.

Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” – Luke 4:18

In my previous post, I outlined the six ways to achieve victory. To become free from the oppression of painful thoughts, you first must put off pride, submit to God, claim His promises, and then resist the devil’s lies by specifically putting them out of your mind. James 4:6-8 says, “But he gives more grace. Therefore, it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

To be free from the oppressive curses the devil, yourself, or others put on you, you must now put off these lies/wrong beliefs and replace them with the truth of God’s word. You can only do this if you are right with God through believing in the death, resurrection, and deity of Jesus Christ and receiving His forgiveness for your sins. If you have not done this, please do it now so you can experience freedom and victory.

Your words have the power to create new thoughts and new responses. As you read the following curses, recall the memory of when that curse was put on you. Read my online book to heal the oppressive trauma memories that control your thoughts and emotions to be totally free. If you feel you have any of these curses, pray to put them off and then put on the right belief and truth, in Jesus’ name.

“I am a victim.”
Instead, say, “I am victorious in Christ Jesus.” Put on the truth: No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:37-39.

“I am worthless.”
Instead, say, “I am worthy because I can live a righteous life through Jesus, and He loves and accepts me.” Put on the truth: So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. ¹³Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. ¹⁴For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. –Romans 6:11-14.

“I am permanently damaged.”
Instead, say, “Jesus is restoring me, and I am renewing my mind.” Put on the truth: … the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. –1Peter 5:10. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. –2Corinthians 4:16. To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. –Ephesians 4:22-24.

“I am guilty and can’t forgive myself.”
Instead, say, “I am forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness.” Put on the truth: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. –1John 1:9.

“I am a rebel and want to disobey.”
Instead, say, “I am victorious over my desire to rebel because I am renewed.” Put on the truth: But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. –1Cor. 15:57-58.

“I am tempted and can’t overcome.”
Instead, say, “I submit my mind to God and do what is good and right, and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13).” Put on the truth: For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he [Jesus] is able to help those who are being tempted. – Hebrews 2:18. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? –Romans 8:34-35. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. –1Corinthians 10:13.

“I am an alcoholic.”
Instead, say, “I am set free from the control alcohol has over me.” Put on the truth: For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. –Galatians 5:1. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. –John 8:36.

“I am an addict.”
Instead, say, “I live for Christ Jesus by faith, not for anything else.” Put on the truth: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. –Galatians 2:20.

“I am a liar.”
Instead, say, “I have put on my new self and put away the bad habit of lying.” Put on the truth: Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. – Colossians 3:9-10.

“I am an angry person.”
Instead, say, “I can live in peace with those who disappoint me.” Put on the truth: Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. – Hebrews 12:14. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. – Ephesians 4:26-27. Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. – James 1:19-20.

“I am a failure.”
Instead, say, “I am not a failure because Jesus is my helper, and He helps me overcome my obstacles.” Put on the truth: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.— 1Peter 5:6-7. And “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33.

“I am afraid and anxious.”
Instead, say, “I know that God is with me and will help me and strengthen me.” Put on the truth: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. – Matthew. 6:33.

“I am alone and unwanted.”
Instead, say, “I thank the Lord that I can trust his promise to never leave me.” Put on the truth: It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” – Deuteronomy 31:8.

“I am bad and unlovable.”
Instead, say, “I am righteous and loved by God.” Put on the truth: As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. –John 15:9. So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. –Ephesians 3:17-19. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. –2Corinthians 5:21.

“I am hopeless.”
Instead, say, “My hope is in God and I trust that He keeps His promises.” Put on the truth: For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. ⁵Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? –1John 5:4-5. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. – Romans 8:24-25.

“I am stupid.”
Instead, say, “I have the mind of Christ, and I can make wise decisions.” Put on the truth: For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. –1 Corinthians 2:16. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. –Proverbs 2:6.

“I should not have been born. I am better off dead.”
Instead, say, “God gives my life purpose.” Put on the truth: Psalm 139:14-18 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. ¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. ¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! ¹⁸If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

Conclusion

You will need to heal the memory that created the curse you believe about yourself to remove the foothold for Satan to oppress you. You may have to put off the curse several times and put on the right belief and truth to permanently erase the oppressive curse and be completely free of it. Satan does not give in easily, so continue to submit your mind to God and resist the devil by applying God’s truth to your heart. God’s word promises that the devil will flee from you. You can hurry him along by commanding him to leave you alone in Jesus’ name. Sometimes we give the devil the right to oppress us because of our sin and painful memories, so those need to be removed to experience freedom from the devil’s oppressive lies. Remember to put on the armor of God every day by reading Ephesians 6:10-18.

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My latest book is Unlocking God’s Promises, which explains 18 categories of promises that are relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

TRANSFORM REBELLION WITH LOVE

What causes a child or adult to rebel against those in authority at home, school, or church? Rebellion is to be in opposition. At one time in our lives, we were rebellious, either against our parents’ rules, societal norms, or church morals. Teenagers are known for their rebellious spirit, mainly because they want to be independent. Rebellion is a sin according to God’s Word. Do you sometimes live independently of God?

What Does the Bible Say About Rebellion?

Proverbs 17:11a states, “An evil man seeks only rebellion.”

Jeremiah 33:8, God said, “I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.”

Hebrews 3:15 explains, “As it is said, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’”

Romans 2:5 warns, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Do you have a rebellious spirit? The Israelite people rebelled against God, even though they knew He loved them and led them out of bondage in Egypt and through the Red Sea on dry ground. God did so many miracles for the people of Israel, yet they rebelled against Him and disobeyed His commands. This was because of their sinful nature and because they did not love God. This broke and still breaks God’s heart. He wants to give you good things and bless you, but only if you love and obey Him. The Apostle Paul wrote that those who are self-seeking do not obey. Romans 2:8, “but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”

The Bible is clear that we will have troubles in this world (John 16:33), and we will go through trials (James 1:2), but often our disobedience brings us troubles and trials. When the Israelites disobeyed, God let other nations cause them troubles and hardships to discipline them. When they repented and returned to God, He sent someone to deliver them. The book of Judges describes this cycle. Do you love God and obey Him?

How Obedience is Love.

Children who love their parents will obey them. So what causes a child to not love their parents and rebel? One reason is the sinful nature in the child, which needs loving discipline to guide them in right behavior. The second reason is resentment towards their parents, which causes them not to trust that their parents have their best interests at heart. My psychology course calls it Obstinate Defiance Disorder, Conduct Disorder, or Oppositional Defiance Disorder. Most behavior problems begin with disappointment when expectations are not met. Neglecting the child will create trust issues, leading to Obstinate Defiance issues. Psychotherapy that heals painful memories of disappointment will help the child to deal with the disappointment in a healthy way. Often, teenagers don’t feel loved by their parents, so they choose not to love their parents and rebel against their rules. Why did you rebel against your parents?

We show that we love God by obeying Him. John 14:15 states, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” 1John 3:23 explains, “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” Patience and kindness are evidence of love (1Cor.13:4). When we love others, we are right with God because we love as He loves. John 15:12-14 states, “This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life [selfish pride] for his friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Also, 1John 4:8 states, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Conclusion

Rebellion shows that our sinful nature still controls our lives. When we repent and reject sin and evil, it shows that we love and fear God and want to obey Him. What does the Bible say about the fear of the Lord?

Proverbs 8:13, “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”

Proverbs 16:6, “By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.”

Proverbs 19:23, “The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.”

Proverbs 22:4, “The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life.”

If you feel you have a spirit of rebellion and want to live independently of God, ask Him to take the rebellious spirit from you and to give you a heart of humility to obey Him.

WHY HEAL YOUR HEART AND PURIFY YOUR SOUL?

The Link Between Disappointment, Resentment, and Self-control

Why Should I Forgive?

THE GREATEST PRINCIPLE TO LIVE BY

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and what the truths are. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles. Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-Changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, the 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.

HOW TO REPLACE SADNESS WITH REJOICING

What makes you sad? I was addicted to sadness because that was all I knew growing up. When I say addicted to sadness, I would make up something to be sad about that wasn’t real. I would get so depressed about something that did not happen except in my mind. Read Breaking Emotional Addictions to learn how I overcame this addiction. You can be addicted to other emotions as well. Some people want to feel good all the time, which leads to pleasure addictions.

What is Sadness?

Sadness is pervasive in our society. There is so much to be sad about. Sadness is a feeling of sorrow about a loss, which could be someone else’s loss. Sadness is a feeling of dejection from some form of rejection, even perceived rejection. Dejection is a low spirit, like melancholy, depression, or discouragement. It is the opposite of gladness, which is a happy and joyful attitude.

You have heard of the saying that some people see the glass half empty, which is why they are pessimistic and sad, or someone sees the glass half full, and is optimistic and happy. Which are you most of the time? We all have moments where we are happy or sad, but where do your thoughts dwell for most of the day, especially when you are by yourself? Do you feel you need to escape your thoughts by watching YouTube videos?

What Influences Your Emotions?

What do you allow to influence how you feel? Have you noticed that grateful people tend to be genuinely happier people? I have a friend who sees the negative in everything, and even when people are kind to her, she can’t see it or be thankful because they are not kind enough. Are you a grateful person? Some people see the good in others and show appreciation. Appreciative people show happiness for what others do or say, and it makes the other person feel valued and happy. We all want to feel valued. Do you show appreciation?

I have another friend who allows the news and her family to dictate how she feels about our political environment, which affects all aspects of her life. People who allow others to influence their feelings and attitudes have given up self-control of their thoughts and emotions. They internalize the negative energy of other people and their negative views and comments. Do you know people like this? These people are very sad.

The Power of Thoughts

Many of us are unaware of the power of our thoughts and the words of others, and how they influence our feelings and actions. Only you can control your thoughts. Negative thoughts make you sad or mad, and positive thoughts make you happy or grateful. What generates your thoughts? Is it a positive influence on your emotions or a negative influence?

Social media is known to be a negative influence, making people depressed. If you feel depressed by watching the news or viewing social media, then stop taking in the negative influence. If your friends and family are always negative, then limit your time with them. Negative energy increases your stress hormones, which affects your health and causes an imbalance in neurotransmitter connections in the brain. Negative thoughts lower both your serotonin and dopamine levels, which leads to depression and anxiety.

Replacing Sadness with Rejoicing.

We know that our thoughts control how we feel. Hebrews 10:5 tells us to take our thoughts captive and make them obey Jesus Christ, who is God. God forgives and is love, joy, peace, patient, kind, good, gentle, faithful, and self-controlled. If something sad happens, or something makes you mad, take those thoughts captive, pray, and give the negative thought to God, then rejoice and be thankful for something. Once, I was in a situation that made me angry, so I took the thought captive and gave the situation to God, then asked Him to give me patience and kindness. Next, I tried to think of something to be thankful for, so I said I am thankful that I am not a leper in India. I had just heard the story of how bad the conditions are in India for those with leprosy. Changing my perspective about my current situation helped me feel happy again. I was also able to respond with grace and kindness to the person who made me sad. Read Practicing Healthy Conflicts – an Example.

Philippians 4:6 states, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” By praying to God about our situation, you are taking the thought captive. Making supplication is petitioning God for a desired outcome. Being thankful is acknowledging that you are trusting God to work out the situation for good or in accordance with a promise He made. When we thankfully give God all our cares and concerns, we will be filled with peace and joy.

The Apostle Paul also tells us what our thoughts need to be in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” These are the thoughts we should meditate on and put out all other thoughts. If your mind dwells on these things, then you won’t be sad or mad.

Philippians 3:1 and 4:4 tell us to rejoice in the Lord, that is, to be glad and delight in what He has done for us and for His promises. Worship is part of rejoicing and being thankful. When we stay in a state of worship, then we will continually be filled with joy.

To change your thoughts, review the following posts.

POSTS on Thoughts

365 DAYS OF WORSHIP

POSTS about God’s Promises

FREEDOM POSTS

12 Joy Stealers

Truth Statements to Dwell on.

I choose to stay focused on God and receive His love and joy. John 17:13; 15:11

I choose to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and be thankful in every circumstance because this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. 1 Thes. 5:16-18

The God of hope fills me with joy and peace as I believe, and I will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rom. 15:13; 5:3-5

The joy of the Lord is my strength. Neh. 8:10

Being in the presence of God through prayer and praise gives me joy. And He leads me down the path of life and abundance. Ps. 16:11

Nothing has power over me unless I allow it. I choose to rejoice always and not be anxious about anything, but continually give my concerns to God. Phil. 4:4-7

Joy is knowing that even the demons are subject to Jesus’s name, and I am protected from evil. Luke 10:17; 1 Jn. 5:18; Jn. 17:15; 2 Thes. 3:3

I find joy in believing the truths of the Word of God. John 15:11; Mk. 4:16

I can have joy despite my circumstances, knowing happiness depends on circumstances. I can be thankful even when life is hard because I am becoming complete and lacking nothing. James 1:2-3

A joyful heart is good medicine, and I will focus on God and not my circumstances. Prov. 17:22

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of promises relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.