Week 3: Mind over matter
“Having hope will give you courage; you will be protected and will rest in safety.”- Job 11:18
How does mental attitude about the hard times help you get through it? Can mind over matter really apply sometimes?
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Mark said,
09/13/2009 at 10:25 pm
One of my favorite pastors, Matt Chandler, once put the concept of Hope in a way I had never heard that offers me incredible understanding every time I now see the word:
Hope, he said, is a condition that arises when you know there is a situation or state that is better than the one you are currently in. So, in other words, at the very core of being able to Hope is actually acknowledging the fact that we are far worse off than we could be, and there is need for something better.
This changes every way we consider our lives–the idea that we need something more is instilled within us from birth, where our instincts direct us away from God and only he in his mercy and love guides us back. This condition that we call sin is in fact the state that needs acknowledging, and this is the reason we need Hope at all. Ultimately, God provides this Hope, promising a level of Joy that surmounts anything we can receive elsewhere, a Joy that protects and gives us rest.
Heather said,
09/14/2009 at 5:52 pm
Jesus was crucified on a Friday. The people in the bible times were all freaking out about him dying. I am sure to most of them the world as they knew it had ended and it was hard times for them. They just didn’t know that Sunday was coming and Jesus would rise again. They didn’t know the end of the story.
This reminds me of all the times in my life when I freak out over things when if I would just wait things might turn out ok. I am reminded that I need to put my faith and trust in God and hand it all over to him because in the end he has control anyway. I need to remember that I don’t know the rest of the story and that until I do I don’t need to freak out. God is in control and he knows what he is doing. I need to put my mind on him and not let the little things take hold of me. After doing this a few times I think that mind over matter really does help. Think positive because we don’t know the rest of the story and it could just turn out to be amazing!
Connie Akins said,
09/14/2009 at 5:59 pm
Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Our attitude is a reflection of that hope within us. When you have faith your hope and peace shine through. We must not be deceived into believing that peace is the absence of conflict but instead we should know that it is the ability to cope with trials and conflict. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:7
Kia said,
09/16/2009 at 5:55 am
Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not to your own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Trusting God reflects your attitude and how you respond to difficult times. Those who have that trust know that God will get them through the hard times. Without that trust one can worry and try to fix things on their own. How you think about a situation will show in your attitudu