Christ Will Rescue You

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Stay Away from People Like That

2 Timothy 3:1-6 (NLT)

“1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 6 They are the kind who work their way into people's homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires.”

Have you ever been in a relationship that turned out to be a huge mistake? I have had some doozies, and that’s not an easy thing to admit. I don’t want to put anyone in a negative light, but the truth is that when you’re with the wrong person for your life, there’s a big chance that you’ll bring out the worst in them and they’ll bring out the worst in you. In the beginning, things might seem great, but as a relationship becomes more comfortable, there are usually warning signs all over the place, at least there were for me. Growing up, my mother had schooled me with sage wisdom and sound advice, so I really had no excuse. I just didn’t want to listen. “This one will be different. My love will cause him to change.” I’d say. I was only fooling myself.

In my early twenties, my mother and I would have lots of conversations about the signs to look out for when dating. “Stay away from men that want to spend all their time with you…”, she’d say. When I first heard this, I thought it was the opposite of what a woman should do. Every woman should want someone that is attentive and loyal, and it’s wonderful when a man appreciates spending time with you because they enjoy your company. So, I was skeptical about this piece of advice, and didn’t give it much weight. As I matured and went through some bumps in the road, I began to understand the wisdom behind my mother’s warning.

She wanted my eyes to be open about men that only wanted to spend all their time with me because they hadn’t put in the work to build a good life for themselves. They were more interested in taking than sharing. Through the Apostle Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 3:10(NKJV), God said, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” Our Heavenly Father is teaching us about the level of responsibility and accountability He expects from a man. It’s clear from His Word that work is an extremely important aspect of life, and so is the consistency of character that is demonstrated in a person’s ability to maintain a job.

In 2 Timothy 3:6, God warns about people who are deceptive and manipulative. They are masters of pretending to be something they are not, and sadly, many of us have been vulnerable to their schemes. We’ve given our hearts to the wrong man only to be taken advantage of. Sometimes his motive for trying to occupy most of our time is control. This will often catch us by surprise because he might not appear to be controlling initially, but ultimately shows his true colors by wanting to know every move of the person in his life. It seems loving and caring at first, but we need to be very careful and not ignore these red flags.

Psalm 119:1-3(NLT) declares, “1 Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. 2 Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. 3 They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.” My mother taught me to open my eyes to everything when I meet someone new. It took me a while to recognize this wisdom, and I learned many things the hard way, but I am now very observant. I understand that just because a man is attractive, articulate, and charming, and things go well in the beginning, it doesn’t mean that he will be a blessing to your life. It’s sad, but some people are manipulative, shady, and only out for what they can get. We need to stay away from people like that and run in the opposite direction, because they will not be a blessing to our lives. Walk in the Spirit and listen to God when it comes to dating and letting a man into your heart. He will let you know if the guy is really who he says it is.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

"Stay Away from People Like That", written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2023. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Missed Red Flags

Ecclesiastes 6:10(NLT)
“Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny.”

Eric filed for divorce from Mona one week before Thanksgiving. They had dated for five years and had only been married for three. Prior to them tying the knot, the relationship had its problems and went through a series of on-and-off again several times. Their families were skeptical that the marriage would last and were surprised it had made it as long as it did. Eric never wanted to get married, but finally succumbed when Mona forced the issue with an ultimatum. His frustration and exhaustion with her constant accusations has reached its peak. Repeatedly, He’s said to her, “I might as well cheat because no matter what I do or say, you will never trust me.” Mona’s insecurities had been a problem from the very beginning, and now Eric no longer wants to be in the marriage.

He had been emotionally unavailable while they dated, and Mona spent most of that time trying to pull a reaction out of him. A smidge better at communicating his feelings the last few years, he was trying to be better because he loved Mona and wanted their marriage to work. He even started to give her cards on special occasions, but he felt that nothing he did was ever enough. Eric was very handsome and constant glaring from other women continued to cause problems in the marriage. Even so, Mona is adamant to make it work. She refuses to cooperate with the divorce.

Emotional unavailability and insecurities are just a few of the issues that we often allow to go unresolved in our minds and hearts. We will bring these heavies into our significant relationships where they will ultimately wreak havoc for both people. For a person that is determined to preserve their well-being and partner well, these things are red flags. When we’re paying attention, they warn us about impending danger ahead.

Ephesians 4:22-23(NLT) tells us, “22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God--truly righteous and holy.” When it becomes apparent to us that our behavior is causing our partner to be unhappy, we are to do what our Heavenly Father tells us in Ephesians 4:22-23. Looking within ourselves and being careful not to levy blame on the significant person in our lives is very important. It’s our responsibility to throw off the aspect of our thoughts and behavior that is causing pain for them and for us. The way that we do this is to change the way we think by reading God’s Word and lining up our thought with what He says is right. We must also pray to Him often in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, and we must take the necessary step to follow his example of love in a greater way.

Your destiny in Christ is to have a more than abundant life that is filled with God’s blessings. He will back every step that we take to change from hurt and pain to love and light. He tells us in 1Thessalonians 5:5(NLT), “For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night.” We are His children of the light, and He expects that His love, peace, joy, and kindness will saturate our hearts as we cling to the example of Christ. In Matthew 6:33(NLT), Jesus teaches, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” This is God’s promise, and His way works best. When we humble ourselves and seek His help and seek Him as our Source and Creator, He will guide and keep us on the path of His blessings.

Spiritually, Mona missed the red flags of her own heart. She didn’t pay attention to her relationship with God and wasn’t concerned with pleasing Him. Instead, she was consumed with fear, obsession, and anxiety about Eric. She didn’t allow herself to enjoy their union for fear of losing it. As God’s children, we don’t have to wait until we're at the point of losing a precious relationship to pay attention to those internal signals of impending danger. Anxiety, phobias, and anger often lead us down a path of regret. The best choice is always one of praying, seeking, and pleasing God. Proverbs 22:4 tells us that the reward of true humility and reverence for God is riches, honor, and long life! Give yourself the gift of humbling and honoring our Heavenly Father. He’s worthy of our praise and will reward us with unity in our marriages that is pleasing to Him and fulfilling for us as well. ■

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Waiting is Not Weakness

Psalm 27:14 (NLT)
“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”

Waiting has never been one of my strengths. One time my sister scheduled a hair appointment for my birthday and when she told me that I would be in the salon for a few hours, I told her to cancel. “ Why can’t you just be patient and wait sometimes.” While I was very thankful and appreciative that she thought enough to do something so sweet for me, the thought of sitting hours to get my hair done was too overwhelming.

There are times in life when we are in situations that require us to be brave and courageous through the process of allowing our Lord to work on our behalf. Struggling through life and trying to figure things out can be one of those times when you want your weaknesses and difficulties in life to be over. Not understanding why your life turned out the way that it has requires patience to know the answer.

God knows the answer to every question you might have. Finding out why you married a man even when he abused you while dating – praying for strength to overcome anxiety, and the many other shortcoming that you’ve endured, requires time and patience while you figure these things out. Life is just that – a bunch of questions during the waiting process.

2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 (NLT) “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

You’re on a path to freedom and through it all, there will be a combination of factors that will lead you to the victory you need. There are Christian believers all over the world trying to figure out the same things. They’re waiting for answers to the why! Why are there cycles of abuse in every family, why do you have to endure cycles of pain just when you thought you were free from the previous hurdle.

We have to be assured of one truth – and that is that God holds our lives in His hands. Our life is not a mistake nor our struggles. No matter what you go through, or the people you meet and establish relationships with, every experience has a lesson. You are stronger than you think and remember, God shows Himself strong in our weakness.