Dr. David Levy - God's Wisdom Freshly Revealed

George's Anger: Part 1

Part 1 of 3. Story of a difficult relationship with George and Barb. George had been a pastor and had multiple health issues as well as repressed anger. He and his wife requested medical advice but were not interested in any spiritual advice. But why? George believed anger should never be expressed and had scripture to back it up. Is anger like murder? Why was Jesus angry if he told us never to be? Why did Jesus instruct us to turn the other cheek? Are Jesus' disciples to be doormats inviting and even encouraging exploitation? Where does forgiveness fit into the anger scenario? While expressing anger as rage and violence are bad for health and relationships, repressing anger can also be bad for health. Have you been taught to repress your anger?

Photo by Tim Doerfler on Unsplash

The Bookkeeper Betrayal

(Part 2 of 2) What happens when the rug is pulled out from under you by someone you trusted? Years ago there was a woman who did my bookkeeping and tax preparation. I'll call her Polly. After I left on Sabbatical to South America she took my money and ran. I was angry, vulnerable and betrayed. How could I forgive her? Even though I was teaching forgiveness in prisons and orphanages, It wasn't easy.

Bitterness was binding me to Polly. I was ruminating on her, thinking often of what she had done and the pain she caused me. Too many thoughts were focused on her. I was losing sleep and it was affecting my health and life negatively.

When I began the process of forgiveness (it was a process, not a one-time event) I began to focus on how God had forgiven my sins (Unlike Polly's offense which I felt strongly, the weight of my forgiven sins were not something I felt unless I focused attention on them). I began to develop compassion for Polly as someone who needed money so badly she needed to steal it. (Not a content person and unable to communicate a need)  I cancelled her debt to me. It was God's money and God could replace it. I had been relating to God as a God of scarcity and poverty, I began to see God as a God of abundance and provision. I used gratitude and appreciation to focus on what I had vs. what I lost. Over time the pain decreased and the extreme pain of the season went away. Forgiveness is a difficult but worthwhile process. 

 

What does Justice mean to God?

Forgiveness Illustrations by David Levy

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

10,000 Talents

(Part 1 of 2)  Matthew 18 Jesus tells a story about a King who forgives an enormous debt of 10,000 Talents. The servant who was forgiven the debt does not forgive the man who owes him a smaller, but not insignificant debt. What are the nuts and bolts of forgiveness? Why is it so hard to forgive?

There is a binding chain that develops between two people when you feel someone owes you an apology––or more. It doesn't seem fair for you to give to the person who has already owes you. How can it make sense to forgive?
As long as you believe someone owes you something,  you are emotionally bound to them. While not easy, Jesus draws our attention to the fact that (although we don't feel it) we have all been forgiven much––10,000 Talents––more than we can repay. If we focus on the forgiveness we have received, and the gifts God has given us, forgiveness is easier. But rarely is it easy. It goes against our feelings of justice and fairness. Envy and rumination keep us focused in the wrong place. We must allow our faith in God's love for us, and faith in God's justice to prevail. It takes effort to feel God's love when others dismiss you. Forgiveness is probably the highest form of faith. Ultimately we want to be like Jesus more than we want immediate justice. We therefore follow Jesus' example and forgive.

 

Photo by Jingming Pan on Unsplash

Hearing God's Voice 7: Forgiveness

Forgiveness Illustrations

God doesn't need your help with justice. Envy becomes part of the problem when we focus on someone else. Envy will damage your relationship with God. The problem with focusing and ruminating on another is that you can't see or feel your own blessings.

Help to forgive:

Your identity as a member of God's family is the basis of forgiveness. It is difficult to forgive without a healthy identity. i.e. how God sees you. To God you have very high value. Using Gratitude and Appreciation tunes your heart to God and away from your offender. Your value hasn't changed. Canceling the debt is a difficult but important step to break the connection and release yourself into freedom.  Is it OK if God brings you what you lost from another source?  Developing compassion with people who hurt us doesn't prevent setting boundaries. Wounded people wound people. Focus on the good things you have. An apology goes a long way to restore someone you offended. But most of the time we won't be getting one.

Joel 2:25 KJV And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten...

 

Ask God to help you forgive if it is too big for you. Humble yourself and ask God to help you to do what He asked you to do. God comes close to those contrite and who forgive.

Forgiveness Declaration is on my website. DrDLevy.com

Hearing God's Voice 6: Obstacles

Problems in the soul (emotions) can overflow into the body and affect your health. Spirit-Soul-Body Illustration for first segment.

Forgiveness illustration. Someone has taken something from you. What message did you receive?

 

What happened to your value? How often do you think about it? What did you lose? Would you like vengeance? Your emotions are negative focused on the offender.

Why is forgiveness so difficult? What can be done? What lie are you believing?   "I don't matter" is a common lie that makes us fight and dwell on the offense.

 

Hearing God's Voice 5 Holy Spirit

Can you hear from God when you make a mistake? Is there grace or condemnation?

Ezekiel 36:26,27 I will give you a new heart and a new spirit...I will put my spirit within you...

Col. 1: 27 ...Christ in you, the hope of glory. 

Eph. 1:13-14  ESV  ...were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit...

Freedom is not doing whatever you want. It is doing what you were designed to do. You get to decide to who or what you will be a slave. 

Will quenching the Holy Spirit make it more difficult to hear from God?

God moves toward those who are humble and repent. 

Do you experience God as being in you? 

Are you stuck in some relationships? Are there people in your life who bring you down? Setting boundaries is not easy. Which of your relationships are yielding negative fruit? Is it time to sow in another field?

Sabbath is a helpful tool to make time and space to hear from God. 

Photo by Gary Bendig on Unsplash

Hearing God's Voice 4

Might life work better if we could hear from God? Jesus was confident you would be able to distinguish the voice of God from others. Humans are uniquely designed to hear from God. The Spirit-Soul-Body metaphor is one way to understand how we function spiritually and physically in this world. While not a perfect metaphor, I find it helpful.  When someone invites Jesus to live in them, what happens to the spirit, soul and body?  In Christ, we are a new creation.  (2 Cor. 5:17) Why don't all bad habits instantly disappear?  What is the difference between a spiritual person and a soulish person? Can your spirit become tarnished or dirty? What does it mean if God lives in you? 

How does the Holy Spirit come into a believer in Jesus? Should we ask for Holy Spirit?

Acts 2:38 ...Repent and be baptized...and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 11:13 ...How much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.

Acts 5:32 ...The Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.

How can we change our habits? On what do you meditate? Rumination on negativity affects how you think and feel. 

What is life supposed to be like when living as God intended? 

Where does fear come from? Satan is full of fear and tries to pass it on to you. 

Drawings by Dr. David Levy. Photo by Kyle Smith on Unsplash

Hearing God's Voice 3

We are uniquely designed to hear from God. While not completely correct, this metaphoric illustration of the Spirit, Soul and Body, is a working model of the 3-part human. We usually cannot see or feel our soul or spirit and this illustration makes them visible. The spirit, soul and body are all connected to one another. When we believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord, our human spirit becomes one with the Spirit of Jesus (But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 1 Cor. 6:17 ESV). This shared Spirit with Jesus should affect our soul (mind, will, emotions) and body. The mind must engage (and open the valve) to bring the spiritual nourishment from our spirit to our soul. This illustration metaphor is also used as a meditation on my Dr. David Levy app under Imagination Journeys. The realization of the connections may change the questions we ask each other, allowing us to focus on the spirit (who we are) instead of the soul (how we feel). While simple in theory, we receive much input from our world through the senses. It requires effort to focus the mind on how God thinks about a situation vs. how you think about the situation. 

Some verses used in this section: 

2 Peter 1:3,4 NKJV His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature...

Phil. 4:13 NKJV I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Phil. 4:19 NKJV And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Illustration by David Levy.

Hearing God's Voice 2

In the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, people hear from God. He walks and talks with Adam and Eve, shows up with two friends for lunch with Abraham,  tells Moses to part the sea so the people can walk through it, etc. Jesus assumes we will recognize his voice as different from the voice of a stranger. (John 10) This requires some effort on our part.  Beginning in Genesis, we look at Adam and Eve hearing––and sometimes not hearing––God.

Is. 30:21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left

Photo by Anthony Roberts on Unsplash

Hearing God's Voice 1

Are we supposed to hear from God?  Do we not hear because God is not speaking or we are not listening? There are radio waves all around you, but if you don't have a receiver tuned to the station, you will hear nothing intelligible. What are the benefits and dangers of trying to hear from God? Did Jesus expect us to hear? Bible characters from Genesis to Revelation listened to God and responded. 

Jesus assumes we will recognize his voice as different from the voice of a stranger in John 10. This requires some effort on our part. The first in a series of lessons in a workshop on learning to listen for the voice of God.

 1 Cor. 6:17 ESV But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him

Is. 30:21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left