THE FIVE MINUTE MELTDOWN

 

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

THE FIVE MINUTE MELTDOWN 

(Galatians 5:22-23) But the fruit of the Spirit is … self-control … 

Okay, I’ve got a proposition for you that may seem kind of wild but I hope you will indulge me just for a moment.  I would like for you the next time you have a meltdown to just freak out for only five minutes.  That’s right…just five minutes.  Get all your anger out, say what you want to say, vent till you’re spent, cry, yell, pound your fist, kick the wall, say you’re going to quit, threaten to leave, send you’re mean text, and do whatever else you want to do.  Then when time is up you have to quit all that.  Your meltdown is over.  Now you just go on with your business, be cool, and have a great rest of the day. 

So what do you think?  Sound kind of crazy huh?  Well, you know what I’m trying to do, don’t ya?  Yeah, you’re quick.  You know that if I can get you to put all of your anger and upsetness into five minutes then you will think...well, if I can get all this emotional expenditure down to five minutes, then why not go further and get it down to one minute?  And if I can get it down to one minute then why not just skip my tantrum completely?  He he…I love strategy! 

We all have our way of throwing a fit when things get overwhelming and we feel we are under undo pressure.  We go off and lose emotional control and we say and do things that are not good.  Family members retreat to their bedrooms, our animals hide under the beds, and we are left alone with regret over what was said and done.  You see it’s not just the terrible twos that we have to worry about.  We can lose it at any age given the right amount of circumstance.  But is it worth it?  Do we always have to default to having an outburst (2 Cor 12:20)?  Isn’t there a better way to act when we are angry? 

The Bible says the fruit of the Spirit is self-control.  That means we don’t have to give in to how we feel.  The Holy Spirit will restrain us if we yield to His power within us.  We want to lose control but we don’t have to lose control.  We can choose to let the Lord settle us down and to maintain our composure.  All we have to do is step aside, give way to His influence, and then we will mellow instead of meltdown.  Then the fruit of that will be so wonderful we will be glad we didn’t give in.  We maintained our serenity and therefore had the ability to ACT instead of REACT.  Our emotions did not have the chance to take over so we remained calm and collective to deal with the pressure of the moment.  We stayed composed in front of others and so were able to deal with the situation at hand with wisdom and fortitude.  Instead of flipping out we peaced out (Col 3:15).    

So what do you think?  Want to take me up on the challenge?  Enjoy…and tell others about THE FIVE MINUTE MELTDOWN!  (James 3:17) But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits… 

Louie 

SO I HEARD YOU WERE ENGAGED?

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

SO I HEARD YOU WERE ENGAGED? 

(Isa 62:5) … as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. 

So I heard you were engaged?  No way!  That is fantastic news.  This is one of the happiest times of your life.  You have found the person of your dreams and the future is as wide open as the sky.  We are all so happy for you and wish you God’s best.  Here’s some things to take into consideration as you get closer to the altar: 

PREMARITAL COUNSELING – (Exo 18:1) Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you…  Get in contact with the pastor of your church as soon as possible and set up premarital counseling.  This will be a series of sessions focusing on what the Bible says about love and marriage.  Topics will typically include communication, money, Biblical roles of the husband and wife, parenting, conflict resolution, etc.  Then the three of you will go back and forth in discussion about the topic and then end up with prayer.  You would be surprised how many couples have never had premarital counseling.  Don’t let that be you!  Your marriage is important and you want to lay a good foundation.   

WEDDING OR MARRIAGE? – (Col 3:15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…  Wedding preparation can get crazy!  There is so much to do and plan for and you don’t really know until you jump in.  Find a good wedding planner check list and have fun with all the excitement.  Set a budget as a couple and stick to it.  You don’t want to enter marriage in debt.  Also, it is going to get really stressful toward the end and you might be at each other’s throat.  Don’t worry, this is normal.  You can practice how to have a spat and make up!  Take a break when you need to and have some fun.  And remember a wedding is one day but a marriage is for a lifetime! 

DEVOTIONS – (Mat 6:33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Remember to read the Word of God and pray together regularly.  This will set the stage for a solid marriage.  If you’re too busy now then what makes you think it will get easier when you are married?  The man should take the incentive here and be the spiritual leader of the relationship.  Also going to church together and Bible study is essential for your spiritual growth.   Balance out all the material preparation with the spiritual preparation that is needed and watch God bring everything together for you.   

CONFIDENCE – (Heb 10:35) Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.  During your engagement you may experience some conflicting feelings.  Am I really ready for this?  Will I be a good spouse?  Do I have what it takes?  Will I be able to love the way I should love?  Am I ready for two when I’ve been solo for so long?  Will the in-laws accept me?  Answer all these questions with the one most important question:  Has God called us together?  If He has then fall back on that calling and move forward with confidence.   

Louie 

THE PRAYER OF JABEZ

 

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

 

THE PRAYER OF JABEZ

 

Reading through the dry and dusty portion of the genealogies of 1 Chronicles we come across a welcomed oasis (4:9-10).  The birth of Jabez brought pain to his mother.  No, not just the normal pain of childbirth but some kind of complications added to it.  This experience stood out so much to his mother that she named her child “Jabez” which means “pain” or “sorrow.”  Can you imagine how he felt as he was growing up when people asked him why his name was Jabez? 

 

Sometimes our start in life can bring disadvantages.  Perhaps when we were young something happened that put us on a course of difficulty.  And as time went on we just grew accustomed to things going wrong in our lives.  After a while we just sank down into our lot in life accepting that the script has already been written and there’s no way of changing it.  We just adapted to a life of pain.  But Jabez decided he wanted a better life so he turned to the Lord.  He asked God to bless him so that he could reverse that curse on his life and start blessing others.  Here is his five-fold prayer:

 

THAT YOU WOULD BLESS ME INDEED - (Gen 32:26)  And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!"

 

ENLARGE MY TERRITORY - (Isa 54:2-3)  "Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. {3} For you shall expand to the right and to the left…

 

THAT YOUR HAND WOULD BE UPON ME - (Isa 41:10)  Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

 

YOU WOULD KEEP ME FROM EVIL - (Mat 6:13)  And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one…

 

THAT I MAY NOT CAUSE PAIN - (Gen 12:2)  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.

 

Is there a dark cloud hanging over your life that needs to be replaced by the sunshine of God’s love?  Then be like Jabez and pray that your pain will be turned into gain.  Jesus took the curse of sin that you might experience God’s loving favor in your life.  Are you tired of feeling like a victim doling out pain?  Are you ready to be blessed and then to be a blessing to others?  Then pray like Jabez and say “Oh, that You would bless me indeed!” God granted Jabez what he requested and He’s ready to hear your request, too.  Then get ready for some changes!     

 

Louie 

 

IF

 

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

IF

 

(Lev 26:3-4) ‘IF you walk in My statutes…4 then I will give you rain in its season… 

IF.  It’s a small word with a big implication.  It introduces a conditional clause.  If I do this (conditional) then that will happen (consequence).  God told Israel that they would be blessed IF they obeyed His commandments.  But IF they disobeyed His commandments then His displeasure would fall upon them.  But IF they confessed their sins then God would have mercy on them.  You see a lot happens in life when we finally decide what we will do.  Will we go God’s way or our own way?   Maybe to help us decide we need to take a big look at that small but powerful word…IF.   

First, it is important to make a differentiation between the unconditional love of God and the conditional promises He has made.  Our salvation is secure in Christ.  There is no iffyness about that.  But when it comes to life in Christ there are certain conditions placed before the fulfillment of some of God’s promises.  (2 Chr 7:14) IF My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.  (1 John 5:14-15) 

God has given all of us a free will.  He loves us so much that He has placed within us the ability to make choices.  He will never force His love on us.  Forced love upon someone is not true love.  It is manipulation and strangulation.  Love loves and patiently waits for the object of that love to respond.  Otherwise there would only be a robotic response which could not be termed true love.   

But if you think about it, having volition comes with great responsibility.  What if I don’t choose when I should?  Or what if I choose wrongly?  There are consequences to our choices.  Think about all the lousy choices we have made in our lives that have come back to haunt us.  If we could only go back in time and change things and make better decisions.  But God is such a forgiving God that He has mercy on us for the wrong choices we have made and will work everything toward the good for His glory!  (Rom 8:28; Psa 130:3-4) 

Thank God that He will help us make the right decisions in life. (Phil 2:13) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.  And sometimes life comes down to certain hard choices that we know we must make.  (Mat 26:39)…“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 

IF.  What a word!  Two letters.  One syllable.  Easy enough to remember.  Sometimes it all comes down to choices.  (Deu 30:19) ... I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.   

Louie 

THE SINS OF OUR YOUTH

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

THE SINS OF OUR YOUTH 

(Psa 25:7) Do not remember the sins of my youth… 

When we look back over our life we have a lot to be thankful for and how far God has brought us.  We also have a lot of things we are regretful for.  Especially those sins of our youth.  Those are the things that embarrass us to no end.  We wish they had never happened.  We never want to discuss them and we hope that nobody brings them up.  But they did happen and every now and then they pop up in our thoughts and we must deal with an unsolicited reminder.   What should we do at these times?  How do we deal with the sins of our youth?   

I think the first thing we must do is take those thoughts to the cross.  Jesus died for us and has washed us from all our sins.  The blood of Jesus has cleansed us and put us in right standing with God.  We are now fully justified before a holy God by the merits of Jesus on Calvary!  So when the thought of your youthful sins come back for an unwanted visit, then introduce them to Jesus!  They won’t want to stick around!!  (Rom 8:1) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…

Secondly, let’s think of our youthful sins as a way to keep us humble.  Sometimes pride gets the best of us and we can get an inflated sense of ourselves and our achievements.  But one thought of our youthful sins might be the very thing to pop our balloon.  I think often of Peter who every time a rooster crowed probably remembered how he denied the Lord.  No wonder he spoke of humility in his epistle:  (1 Peter 5:5-6)…be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.   

I remember my dad saying if I went out for track he would buy me a Ludwig drum set.  That was the coolest offer ever because that is what Ringo Starr of the Beatles played.  But back then in sports you had to cut your hair and I didn’t want to cut my hair.  Everyone was growing their hair out and I didn’t want to be uncool.  So I said no.  How my dad must of just shook his head.  But now every time I hear a good drum beat I think of my youthful foolishness.   

Youthful sins are costly.  But if we know God’s grace they don’t have to come back to haunt us.  In fact, God is able to even take our stupidity and somehow turn it around for good.  David went on to pray in his psalm:  (Psa 25:12-13) Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. 13  He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth.   

By the grace of God I learned to play the guitar and have led worship for the glory of the Lord.  And my daughter became a drummer!  Only God can do that.  Satan is such a loser!!   

Louie 

MEMORIAL DAY

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

MEMORIAL DAY

(Deu 8:18)  "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…

Memorial Day is a United States holiday observed on the last Monday of May.  Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it was expanded after World War I.  Many observe this holiday by flying the flag and visiting cemeteries and memorials.   Volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at National Cemeteries.  In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also used as a time for picnics, barbecues, and gatherings with family and friends.  Memorial Day is also viewed as the unofficial beginning of summer (with Labor Day as the unofficial end of the season.)

Freedom comes at a price.  How important it is to remember the sacrifices of others who have made it possible for us to enjoy the freedoms we have today.  I like to see the flag’s colors as…Red:  The blood of the slain.  White:  The purity of the sacrifice made for others.  Blue:  The heaven we enjoy because of that soldier’s sacrifice.  We have a lot of problems in our country but we do have immense advantages and most of all we are free!  And it’s because of the soldiers sacrifice of history as well as those securing our freedoms today by the giving of their lives.  You can be pro or con for the current wars we wage but let’s not forget that soldier’s sacrifice!

And as believers in Christ let’s remember all the Lord has done for us and our nation.  God has been good to us and we have been so undeserving.  It has been He who has given us the power to gain the wealth and prosperity we have.  God warned Israel to not forget His blessings but what did they do?  They forgot the Lord and took His blessings for granted.  They soon degraded into a pagan nation and then suffered the consequences under the correcting hand of God.  Isn’t that a pattern for any nation or individual who steps outside the will of God and becomes ungrateful?  

- (Psa 100:4)  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

- (Rom 1:21)  because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

- (Col 3:15)  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Everyday should be a memorial day.  Rising up in the morning and counting our blessings.  What a great way to start the day!  And then thinking that all we have is because someone made it possible.  It comes from the hand of God and those who gave up something for somebody else.  What an inspiration for us to live our lives sacrificially:  (Heb 13:16)  But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.  

And don’t forget the greatest sacrifice of all.  Jesus died on the cross to make us free from sin and destruction!  His blood is red for cleansing which makes us white as snow, so we can live in the blue of heaven forever!  Let’s take some time today to thank God for the sacrifices that have made us free!!

Louie

H.A.L.T.

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

 H.A.L.T. 

(Deu 25:18) how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. 

I want to address something that is so practical in nature it might not even seem spiritual at all.  And that is H.A.L.T.  Never make a decision if you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.    

Decisions are important.  And we can really exercise poor judgment when our body and emotional needs are at their height.  When Israel was coming out of Egypt the Amalekites attacked their rear ranks where the tired and weary were lagging behind.  They had no strength to fight against this raiding band and succumbed to their advancements.  God said they were not to forget this attack and that they were to blot out their remembrance from under heaven.  We too can blot out many spiritual attacks if we take care of some practical needs in our lives.

HUNGRY – How awful we can feel when we are just plain hungry.  Our “fangs” can come out and we can be irritable and downright ornery until we eat something.  (Mat 15:32 )…“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

ANGRY – When we are mad our emotions get the best of us and we can do something we will later regret.  It’s always best to settle down before we pick up that phone and chew somebody out.  (Eph 4:26) “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath.  (Neh 5:7)  After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers… 

LONELY – We all have a need to be accepted and to fit in.  When we feel isolated in life it can drive us to make unhealthy choices to meet those deep emotional needs.  The classic case is the lonely woman will marry not the best for her because she is so tired of being by herself in life. (Pro 2:11) Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you.   

TIRED – How dark and dismal the world can seem when you are just plain tired.  Ant hills can seem like mountains and maybe all you need is a good night’s rest.  One time a friend told me, “Louie, one of the most spiritual things you can do is sleep!”  How the colors seem brighter and the burden’s lighter after a time of rest and refreshment!  (Mark 6:31) And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 

Remember something so practical but yet so spiritual:  Before you make a decision H.A.L.T!  Stop and take of your practical needs.  It is more spiritual than you think.  Time for a granola bar!   

Louie