life beyond the well…

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Choosing to Be Healed

I’ve been fortunate to not have to deal with allergies.  When the spring comes and people are struggling to breathe, and are suffering through itchy eyes, I’m usually just annoyed by the way pollen desires to make itself known on my car.  However, over the past few years, I started to have sinus problems; having my first sinus infection in 2009, and some other ones since then.

On Monday, I woke up feeling kinda blah, and I attributed it to the change in weather.  I forced myself to go to the gym, and while there, I could feel my sinuses starting to bother me.  I pressed through my workout, and while I was on my way home, I was praying to the Lord to allow me to feel better, and asking Him to show me things that I could do so that my sinuses wouldn’t bother me anymore.  And then I heard this:

“Do you want to feel better or do you want to be healed?”

After thinking about it, and processing what I heard, I realized that what I really wanted was to be healed.  I want to be free from the issue altogether, and never have to worry about having to deal with it again.

I came to this conclusion after some thought, but I also began to think of how often I have chosen just to “feel better” instead of “be healed”.  It’s so easy to choose options that treat the symptoms but don’t cure the ailment.  While a treatment is good (and praise the Lord for treatments), what I want is to be healed.

Our society has become so medicated, and so into wanting a “quick fix” that we will often choose feeling better over being healed.  The truth is that being healed requires work.  And often times, we’d rather take the pill for the next 5 years instead of putting in the work over the next 5 months to be healed.  I’m determined to NOT live my life that way.  While the “quick fix” can temporarily make me feel better, I pray for the strength to always choose to be healed; despite the work that it may require.

I encourage you to choose to be healed over just feeling better.  Be willing to do the work that is required and press for your healing, instead of settling for a quick fix.  You’re worth it.

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!

 


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Book Review: Altar Ego

I was excited to get my hands on a copy of Craig Groeschel’s latest book Altar Ego, and eagerly waited to request it from BookSneeze.  I had heard lots of good things about Groeschel as a pastor, leader, and author, so the anticipation was high.

I have to say that Altar Ego did not disappoint.  I really appreciated the practical wisdom shared by Groeschel, but I also valued the transparency that came in the book, as he shared testimonies from his personal life and the that of his family.  In addition to that, I enjoyed the conversational tone of the book- after reading many of the chapters, I felt that I had just finished engaging in a conversation with a friend.  Groeschel’s ability to infuse a sense of comfort and familiarity into his writing is truly a gift.

This book challenges to move from where you are, to where God desires you to be by gaining a full understanding of who you are in Him.  The concepts are simple, but thought provoking.  Groeschel organizes the book into three sections:

  1. Sacrificing Your False Self for Your Sacred Identity in Christ
  2. Sacrificing Cultural Relativity for Eternal Values
  3. Sacrificing Self-Justification for Passionate Obedience

In each section, he outlines the challenges and competing values one may face that are contrary to the identity God desires for us to have in Him.  I like that he provides practical ways to change that one can implement immediately to help them shift perspectives and grow.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to others.  I think it could be excellent for personal use and growth, but easily adapted for small group study.  Definitely worth checking out, and I’ve already put it on my list of books to reread when I need a refresher course in the basics of my faith!