The Flame Within

Job… What a story! I want to be like Job… To trust God so fervently and to have God say about me…

“Have you considered my servant, “Crystal”? She fears God and shuns evil!”

Yes, that is my heart’s cry!

But, is it, really?

To be honest, I can find myself fearful of reading through Job! I want the “good” aspects of Job and the characteristics of Job. I want God’s favor for this amazing man of God. But, I don’t want the “hard” part. The suffering, the pain, the sorrow, and the hardship. Therefore, Job is one of the last books I am drawn to study… it sits right there next to Leviticus and Nahum. Ha!

Yet, suffering is a very real aspect of the Christian walk. It’s an inevitable part of life for all of us. As a counselor, I deal with suffering daily in my own life. I listen to unimaginable suffering in the office as a counselor. I see suffering every time I turn on the news, or even walk outside. The “bad and painful” of life surrounds us, possibly more today than every before. Satan wants it this way… He wants us to see evil and pain everywhere; He wants us to be discouraged and to lose hope. This is his ugly trap; His greatest snare!

In the midst of the darkness of this world, we have to work overtime to keep our focus on God. OVERTIME my friends! It has to be the most diligent focus of our lives, to earnestly seek God! If we’re going to make it through this life victoriously, we MUST earnestly seek Christ! Notice the action required in this directive by in God’s word… “Earnest seek”. That means exactly that… we have to long for, worship, intentionally serve Him, praise Him, love Him, and love others.

Psalms 63:1 – “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”

I’ve been discouraged in my life at times when I find myself in a dark place, grumpy, irritable, and overwhelmed and God is not just rushing in to resolve all my problems, He’s not making me feel better. He’s NOT resolving all my woes. Then, I have to be honest with God and myself; and realize this is most likely a result of not “earnestly” seeking Him. Being lazy will never resolve the issues in my life! Not, will it yours!

In addition, I see many people week after week and I get a front row seat into their lives. I have the honor of walking with amazing Godly people through some of the greatest trials of their lives. I have seen firsthand those who earnestly work hard in therapy and I love this aspect of my job. Which as a “Christian”based counselor their relationship with God is always the primary focus of therapy. Those who put in the most effort into their spiritual life and in therapy overcome depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Many people even discover a new and amazing way of living, God desires to bless us, when we’re earnestly seeking Him! I’ve seen many of their greatest life’s trials and heartaches be turned into amazing ministries and purpose.

Sadly, I’ve also seen the opposite. I’ve seen people who don’t really want to do the work, they think counselors have some magic wand we can wave over them and “wala” their all better. Not! They never open their Bible, they don’t do the homework, they cancel appointments, they don’t make therapy an essential part of their life, and then they walk away thinking, “That didn’t work!” “Therapy doesn’t work!” “That’s a waste of time!” It’s not the “therapy” that didn’t work; It’s the individual who didn’t do the work. I’ve seen people come in just to “vent” and I mean literally “vent”…. They don’t want to be directed and they don’t actually want help. These individuals usually get referred out pretty quickly. That’s a waste of their money and my time, and I prefer to work with clients who desire to achieve spiritual, mental, and physical goals. I get to see people doing just that all the time and I LOVE it!

Suffering is prevalent in all of our lives! The struggle is real! I am thankful that God has a plan and purpose for our suffering! The gospel is wonderful and this is the part that I love the most… The way the gospel heals broken hearts and leads people into Earthly and Eternal victory!

James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Have you read your Bible lately? Has your faith grown complacent? Are you lacking fervor in your walk with the Lord?

I’ve been there and have been there recently…. Time to move away from complacency and run back into the arms of God and into His word!

EARNESTLY SEEK HIM!

Blessings, Crystal