Deal With It

"Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray." (Proverbs 10:17)

Everyone has at least one proverbial elephant in the room.

You know... that issue in your life that you refuse to deal with, that will not go away by itself.

Many of us have more like an entire herd of elephants in the room. And some of them are old, wrinkled elephants that have been there for years. We just don't want to deal with our issues and move on with life. It seems easier to just sweep our problems under the rug where we don't have to face them every day.

How's that working for you?

This issue of not dealing with problems affects all people; young and old, married, single, divorced, separated, etc.

And I find that the older I get, the longer I refuse to deal with my elephant in the room, the harder it gets to face up to it, and so I keep on trying to pretend it's not there.

But an elephant never forgets.

That old issue will continue to surface at the most inconvenient times, when you thought you had buried it for good. And it will keep on haunting you, rearing its ugly head, keeping you bound, holding you back.

You have to deal with it.

My mom used to say we have to be peace makers and not just peace keepers. 

Peace keepers sweep problems under the rug and avoid confrontation, thinking that will make for a peaceful home. But the problem with that method is that those problems you avoided will only grow and fester and irritate and inflame until the pressure gets so great that it all explodes in mass family drama.

Being a peace maker means confronting issues.

You have to talk about that elephant in the room that you've been ignoring.

And when you confront a difficult issue, no matter how careful and sensitive and diplomatic you try to go about it, its going to be painful. Its going to make some waves. But you have to deal with it. 

Jesus said:

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9)

The normal tendency of people in dealing with 'issues' is to confront other people about them, thinking that the "problem" is with the other person...

Ha.

I would highly recommend that before you confront someone else thinking that they are the problem, or cause of your issue, that you get really honest with God, and with yourself, and first examine your own heart. 

What is it about you; about your behavior, your refusal to yield, your refusal to forgive, that might be causing or contributing to this issue or situation?

Do not get caught up in the Blame Game. If you are bitter, blaming others for all of your problems, take that load of junk, put it in a bag, and take it to the street!

Almost always, if we're being honest, God will show us that we are 99% of the problem—not the other person. 

And I can say this truthfully, about myself, from twenty seven years of being married to my wife. Even though it "takes two"... I am responsible for most of our problems and issues. Not 100%. But in the high 90% for sure.

It's because I didn't follow the imperative of Love:

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, is not self-seeking, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:1-7)

Love is not self-seeking.

Love has no personal agendas. Love does not seek to better itself at the expense of another person. Love does not look out for number one. Love is others focused, not self-focused. Love seeks the good of others, and not just its own good. Love does not have to be right all the time. Love says, "I'm sorry, I was wrong." Love forgives. Love sacrifices. Love serves. Love gives. 

Self confrontation is always the best, first step.

And yes. There is definitely a time when you must confront another person about an unresolved issue.

But from what I have learned and experienced, the elephant in the room that must be confronted and dealt with... is usually me.

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7:3-5)

Blessings in Christ.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails

Strongholds

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

In ancient times, a stronghold was a walled city; created as an impenetrable fortress to keep one's enemies out.

King Nebuchadnezzar's 5th century B.C. city of Babylon was protected by a brick wall which was 56 miles long, 300 feet high, 25 feet thick, with another wall 75 feet behind the first wall, and the wall extended 35 feet below the ground. Additionally, it had 250 watch towers that were 450 feet high.

However, in the above passage from 2 Corinthians 10, Paul exhorts God's people to demolish strongholds that are not walls made of brick and mortar.

The strongholds Paul speaks of are in the mind—namely; worldly arguments, philosophies and attitudes that exalt themselves above and against the knowledge and wisdom of God.

Over the last couple of weeks, the phrase I've had heavy upon my heart and spirit is; 

"Demolish strongholds."

We know people—particularly some young people—who are in bondage in their minds, because of spiritual strongholds due to:

1.  Lies spoken from ungodly counsel.

2.  Corruption from an ungodly culture.

3.  Deception from ungodly agendas.

One stronghold symptom that hits close to home—on our college campuses—is the use and abuse of a highly addictive prescription Amphetamine called Adderall. Here is what you need to know about this drug.

“Common psychological effects of therapeutic doses of Adderall can include alertness, apprehension, concentration, decreased sense of fatigue, mood swings (elevated mood or elation and euphoria followed by mild dysphoria), increased initiative, insomnia or wakefulness, self-confidence, and sociability. Less common or rare psychological effects that depend on the user's personality and current mental state include anxiety, change in libido, grandiosity, irritability, repetitive or obsessive behaviors, and restlessness.

Cardiovascular side effects can include irregular/increased heartbeat, high blood pressure, or low blood pressure. Other potential side effects include abdominal pain, acne, blurred vision, dry mouth, loss of appetite, nausea, reduced seizure threshold, and weight loss.

Recreational use of Adderall generally involves far larger doses and is therefore significantly more dangerous, involving a much greater risk of serious side effect.  Addiction is a serious risk with heavy recreational amphetamine use. Abuse of Adderall can result in a stimulant psychosis that may present with a variety of symptoms, including paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions.

Adderall is considered to have a high potential for misuse. Amphetamine salts can be crushed and snorted, or dissolved in water and injected. Injection into the bloodstream can be dangerous because insoluble fillers within the tablets can block small blood vessels.”

Someone we know is using this drug and has changed from a bright, joyful young person, into a withdrawn, depressed individual, who appears to have walked away from Christ, and now may be involved in a sexually immoral lifestyle and orientation.

What is sad about our young friend, is that they started taking Adderall after a secular counselor saw them for mild depression and their inability to concentrate, and who then prescribed them the medication. But now they are worse off than they were before taking this drug. When asked by a parent who expressed a great deal of concern over their behavior and use of Adderall, they brushed them off, saying:

"Aw, it's just a college thing."

There are high school and college kids dealing this drug on campuses today because it is so popular. 

Apparently, Adderall is very easy for young people to obtain. You get an appointment with a counselor, tell them you are depressed, and many counselors will write you a prescription for this drug. Our young friend's counselor apparently said, "Please promise me that you will not start selling this drug to your friends." This is a red flag. It's as if this so-called "counselor" already knows what a huge problem this drug is, but prescribes it anyway.

Now, since being on a diet of Adderall and ungodly counsel, the brick wall or stronghold with our young friend is, their mind is totally closed off to the truth of God's Word. They used to serve at their church with joy and enthusiasm. Now, they have stopped going to church altogether. And they glibly justify the use (abuse) of this dangerous drug as "Just a college thing."

Note: An Adder is a deadly, venomous snake, or serpent, both in the Bible and in the English dictionary. Consequently, Adderall is a dangerous drug destroying the lives of many young people today. Interesting coincidence, wouldn't you say?

The serpent—the devil—only comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. (See John 10:10). But Jesus came that we might have life in Him, and that means truly abundant life and peace. And we as Christ's followers have divine power—mighty in God—for the pulling down and demolishing of Satan's strongholds. 

Many people, both young and old, are in chains—in bondage—to the enemy of their souls, to whom they have given a foothold in their life. And once this diabolical enemy gets in, he can quickly turn a foothold into a spiritual stronghold, as he has with our young friend.

Our divine weapons to fight this satanic enemy are Love, Prayer, and the Word of God.

And we cannot remain silent.

If you know someone who is slipping away from God and from their family, and who is giving the enemy a foothold into their mind, get a hold of them, in Love, and shake them out of their slumber, however you can. Don't let them get so far gone that the devil has established a firm stronghold in their mind. It can be very difficult to pull a person back into the light, once they have slipped into the darkness of Satan's deceptions and snares. 

Whatever you do, don't give up.

Keep praying for them, and don't stop. Keep reaching out to them , speaking God's Word to them. 

Love them back to Jesus. 

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.