Chapter 4--Things that I are making me think!

The title of this chapter is, "Speaking Truth to Your Issues."  I have typed in some of the sentences that I have highlighted in this chapter.  What I say to myself can be very harmful, defeating, and destroying.  I am learning that I need to remember the verse I learned long time ago, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Throughout the first three chapters Jennifer has compared our self talk to our closets.  That there are many things in our closets that really don't need to be there and why are we holding on to them.

In this chapter she begins by talking about the woman who reached out and touched Jesus as he walked by. She had been been bleeding for twelve years and was considered "unclean."

A few of the passages from the chapter that I have highlighted include:
"We find ourselves with one defining circumstance in our lives that becomes  the headwaters from which many other issues originate and flow. "  Did we  grow up with insulting messages such as, "You aren't good at anything..."  If you have endured defining words like those at some point in your life, you might battle with issues of self-worth or depression."

There comes a time when you must speak a word to your soul that prompts actions resulting in healing.

Wise soul talk pushes us over the edge to help us over come our issues.

Her (the unclean woman) soul talk turned feelings of fear into actions of faith.  Jesus never said her soul talk made her well. He said it was her faith.  Her faith invited healing.  Her soul talk contributed to her faith, but it didn't replace her faith.  She spoke with truth to her soul in the same way you and I need to speak truth to our souls.

This is great!! When we place our trust in Christ, when we have faith in Him, He gives us the gift of His Spirit to help us in this life.  The Spirit fulfills several roles for us, and as we rely on Him rather than ourselves only, we are better equipped to speak healthy, truthful soul talk-and to  keep the though closet tidy!

The Four Roles of the Spirit
1. God's Spirit Counsels Us --"God's Spirit challenges us to hear truth, admit truth, and receive truth.  He counsels us through His calm, quiet voice in our spirit... To hear Him, we have to quirt ourselves, step away from the frenzy, and truly listen."

2. God's Spirit Represents Christ--"That means if you sense the Spirit  leading your thoughts or guiding your actions,  His guidance always  lines up with the truth of God's Word.  The Spirit never leads us in ways that oppose scripture. He won't; He can't.  He represents and lifts up the person of Jesus.  He gives illumination to the character and ways of God."

3. God's Spirit as our Teacher--"Really learning fro Him is the only way to deal with the issues that threaten to crowd our thought closets. We need a Teacher who stamps out the ignorance that pervades our thought and assumptions. "

4.  God's Spirit Reminds Us of Truth---" That's Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, what ever is right, whatever is our, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything is  worthy of praise, dwell on these things."