Tag: Faith and Healing

Join in faith and healing for a personal journey.  Not all healing is instant. Join in a conversation about what it means to truly have healing. More than a physical touch. Share with an audience of believers and readers about what it means to share faith and healing. The author shares posts related to faith and leadership with a global community. Subscribe and share your comments directly to our posts. Share via Social Media platforms.

What Type of Servant Are You? A Journey of Self-Reflection

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

What type of servant am I? This is your personal time to self-reflect.

A Servant of God Is Real

You are not expected to be hidden. You are a shining light. So, who are you? First of all, a servant of God hurts, moans, cries, loves, and laughs. Emotions of a servant are a part of who you are. Salvation (coming to Christ) did not make you invisible. Instead, it makes you who God intended you to be.

Although your emotions are part of your character, they are not in control of you. Sometimes, I literally cry because I am moved by my compassion. I also cry because of seeing the lack of compassion people have for others. My response to the situation, however, should be controlled by the Spirit within me. It does not mean mistakes will not be made. It means that the compassion of God should override my behavior. So, ask yourself, “What type of servant am I?”

A Servant’s Wounds

A TV commercial from ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) can bring me to tears. The wounds and treatment of these animals are heartbreaking. But under the care of this society, the before and after pictures capture what a caring staff can achieve. These animals are at the mercy of caregivers. Under the care of great caregivers, they have hope. Finally, the pictures do not show outwardly the scars and trauma that these animals went through.

So, it is with any servant of God. Their outward appearance does not show what they went through. For most, you will only know their pain through their stories or as a witness to their truth. Yes, the scars still exist as a reminder of what a servant endured. But those scars are reflections of God’s glory too.

The Healing Balm of Gilead for the Servant

A servant of God has a “balm (b-a-l-m) in Gilead.”  The servant goes through a process of healing, soothing, and restoring. It is the application of the blood through Jesus Christ. Scar tissue over a serious wound witnesses their tormenting situation. The scars from healing wounds! They show that the servant has been in a battle(s). But God binds up his wounds. Jesus is the symbol of their healing balm.

The Servant Reciprocates

Because God shows mercy, the servant must show mercy. He reciprocates. The Holy Spirit takes the lead. What happened before this servant’s transformation? Before the servant’s transformation, bitterness and hard-heartedness were at home in his heart. Unrepenting ways would lead this individual. Driven by short-sightedness was the cause of his blindside. Deeply scarred, fractured, and broken. Yes, wounded persons hurt others. Thus, there exist many opportunities to hurt people. But now, the servant’s transformative spirit is that of Matthew 5:7. “Blessed are the merciful for they will obtain mercy.” Though the servant is imperfect, the Holy Spirit perfects those things regarding him. That is, this type of servant listens to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and then righteousness prevails.

The Servant’s Self-Control

One of the most significant changes in this type of servant is self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus is the model of self-control. Of course, the servant of God is not Jesus. Still, the servant’s behaviors are a result of self-control by the Holy Spirit. For example, are my actions Christ-like or self-righteous? What are my response(s) to the situation(s)? Will it reflect Christ-like behavior? Or will it reflect more about my desire to prove my own self-righteousness? What is the right response? What type of servant am I?

For more like this one, share from this blog list:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your (His) faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSV). Encourage Yourself.

Return to Homepage

Healing vs. Fighting: A Guide for Youth

Young Adults Matter

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

“Are you healing or fighting?”

I listen to young people about their personal interests, goals, and challenges. I am reminded of my own insecurities at their age. There is a desire to find where one fits. I see the youth as determined. They strive to make a positive difference in the lives of their families. They also aim to benefit their communities. Given access, they can make a positive difference. In spite of opposition, they are some of the most incredible people in the earth. That is why the enemy is trying to divert them.

Engaging the Youth

We know that God loves children (Matthew 19:14). The Scriptures speak of young peoples’ strength and intelligence. However, do older well-meaning people put their youthfulness at risk? Do we act as wise elders? Are well-meaning Christian-hearted people praying as true intercessor? Do we pray God’s will for their lives or do we pray our will for their lives? Are we missing opportunities to provide safe spaces for them?

Gifts of the Young

Young peoples’ gifts can globally move hearts and minds. Their world is one of greater outreach than previous generations. They can bring life and vitality to any organization. When that life is not allowed to spiritually flourish, the result is spiritual death. Why? Often, we fail to see how we can positively support and make a spiritual difference for all. We strain at the gnat and swallow the camel. For example, ignoring youth leads to too many lifeless churches.

Experience supports that this due to demanding rituals. They tell us that by their absence or lack of involvement. Their voices are loud! Moreover, do we hear them when they tell us that this causes them to question leadership? Do we hear them when they say other sources fill that void? Too often, those who promised to God to act as healing partners in the land ostracize the youth. They should lead with love and understanding.

Do we despise their youthful ways? Do we appreciate the scripture that says, – Give it your all! “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12. 

Wisdom and understanding is an expectation of the older ( Job 12:12). Can we continue to be so blind that we refuse to support youth in our servant leadership role? Can we afford to continue to not listen to their hearts? For more thoughts about healing, we suggest reading:

Healing Hurt Wounds!
Return to Homepage

“It Shall Be Well”

Click to listen.

I would like to shall this story of the Shunammite woman from 2 Kings 4:18-37 New International Version (NIV).  It is the story of a mother as following:

18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 He said to his father, “My head! My head!”

His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

22 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”

23 “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.”

“That’s all right,” she said.

24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.

When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’”

“Everything is all right,” she said.

I have read this scripture before, of course.  It seems that God reveals more insight each time for whatever I am going through.  Perhaps, this story will find you and bless you in this season of your personal journey.

First of all, I was drawn to the last words in verse 23 – when the mother said, “It shall be well.”

A mother, who knows that her son has died, speaks the words, “It shall be well.”

When I look around my own circumstances, when I hear and see some things that are happening in this beautiful world, I stand in agreement with this mother, “It shall be well.”

The words “shall be” denotes that there is a coming, a reckoning, in other words, the words are prophetic.  She is sounding the alarm button that it shall be.

Admittedly, it may not look like that now, but I am telling you that, It shall be well.”

How do you know that?  Because, God said so. 

Even to the unbelievers in God, it shall be well.  How do you know that it is not going to be well?  Because you are not the one who raises up the sun in the morning nor the moon by night.  You are not the one who gives me air to breathe. and you are not the one who knows the number of cells in my body.  More than that, you are not the one who can count the number of hairs on my head.  You are not the one who can move a mountain, shift the earth, place a cloud in the sky.  You are not the one!!!

Secondly, the reason why it shall be well, is because of man’s inability to accept what is good for them – it is never enough.  People are fickle by nature. If you give them A, then they want B; it you give them B, then they want C; it goes on and on.  Man has a tendency of wanting more and more to fill their empty vessels.  It is only when he/she comes to the point to understand that no material substance will fill up their vessel.  Materialism is only temporary self-gratification.  It does not matter how many books that you follow i.e.,  7 ways to be a leader; 10 things you must know to become a success story….etc.  if you have not accepted Jesus the Christ as your personal Savior, you will feel lost.

This is why the woman of God could say, “It shall be well.”  Her soul was comforted by a spiritual rebirth that was not from her physical world.  She was a woman of substance; she had means (riches); but, that was not what she relied upon.  Her faith in God bought her hope.  She could take a stand in the midst of her trails and say, “It shall be well.”

How many of us can say as she did, “It shall be well.”  No matter your circumstances, because you have been there before and you know that if it had not been the Lord on your side, you would have fainted.  But because He favored you, you can say, “It shall be well.”  Our thoughts are not His thoughts; our ways are not His ways…you can be assured that…

It shall be well.

Powered by WordPress.com.

Up ↑