The Present
Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to stay in the present and set your eyes upon Jesus? Much of our time is spent looking behind at our past – “I wish I would have done …”, “I should have said …”, “What was I thinking…?” – or ahead to the future – “I wonder if he’s going to …”, “I wonder if I should plan …”, “What should I do if …?” instead of being present. We mediate on what was or what will be instead of focusing on what is now. As a therapist I believe that much can be learned by examining the past and looking for patterns that resulted in our present condition. I also believe in planning for the future in regards to our actions and behaviors in response to stressors. However, the real work, that which is transformational and gets to the heart of the issue, is done in the present with Jesus as our guide.
Jesus is eternal which means be does not live in the past nor does He live in the future, He lives in both and, perhaps more importantly, He lives in the present – the here and now of our lives. Scripture tells us that He is with us (Psalm 73:23, Colossians 2:5, Matthew 28:20) – not simply that He was with us or that He will be with us in the future. He is with us now, at this present moment. So if you are not in the present but are living in the past or looking to the future, you are missing the prime opportunity of being present with Jesus and sharing with Him where you are at during this moment. What are you thinking? What are you feeling? What are you doing? He is interested. And while He knows your heart, He still is eager for you to share it with Him. By doing so you have asked Him to enter into your life with you; to join you in your daily struggles.
We are a culmination of our life experiences so dealing with the present is in all actuality dealing with the past since you, presently, are coping with the results of past experiences. And by being in the present you are, in fact, planning for the future since the work He is doing in your heart right now will shape the future that lies ahead. Being in the present is challenging and sometimes scary because it can mean focusing on the painful, sad and hurtful things that lie before us. But do not fear (Psalm 27:1), for Jesus is with you and He wishes to heal you (Hebrews 4:15, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28). While what you’re facing in the present may seem and feel monumental, nothing is too big or too bad for Jesus (Luke 1:37). So cradle yourself in the comfort of His arms and let His peace, which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), wash over you in this present moment. Let the healing begin now.
Healed by Faith
“What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” ~ Luke 18:41
Have you ever wondered why, despite your being aware of a particular issue you may have in your life, you have not been able to resolve the issue? You have identified the fact that you drink too much, eat too much or too little, have marital issues or a prodigal child, yet recognizing and being aware of the problem have done nothing to help you solve the problem. Perhaps you’ve gone to the self-help section of the bookstore or discussed the problem at length with a friend or even attended a recovery group but to no avail. Perhaps you’ve thought to yourself, “I’m trying so hard to work through this problem and fix it yet nothing seems to help. What more can I do?” The answer lies in the scripture above.
When nothing else works we must pray and have faith. It was not an advanced surgery or holistic healing that gave the blind man sight it was (1) he asked Jesus for healing and (2) he had faith that Jesus would heal. Often times we get so caught up in all of the worldly solutions to problems that we forget the most important, integral and essential solution available to everyone on this mud ball called earth – PRAYER. Ask the Lord for healing in prayer. He knows far more about you and your issue than any psychologist on Oprah or than can be found at the bottom of a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream or a bottle of Vodka. Seek Him and He will reveal the answer.
The caveat is that you must also have FAITH that He will provide the answer and the healing. It was not simply the request made by the blind man that healed him. Jesus tells us that it was His faith. We must have faith that God will deliver and that He will heals us in order for the healing to occur.
We must also remember that all things occur in God’s timing (see blog titled “Aha moments” for further discussion). While we are not given the blind man’s age in this scripture, I believe it safe to assume that this was not a situation he had only been suffering from for a short period of time. After all, he is at point in his life when he has become so desperate that he ignores the crowds requests for him to be quiet and instead cries out, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (v38). Often times we too must be at our wits end before we will turn to God and cry out, asking Him to have mercy on us. And until we come to that point, no matter what truth God has revealed, we do not lean on our faith for healing but instead rely on our own efforts. Faith in God heals. Not man or any of his best efforts. This is not to say that seeking support and guidance from man – a Pastor or professional counselor – cannot be of great benefit to you during your struggles. It can and I would recommend it. However, the ultimate healing comes from God by faith.
So if you are struggling, if you are lost in a quagmire and you don’t know what to do next, there are two things I recommend – prayer and faith. And if you are not at a point in your life where you feel mentally, emotionally or spiritually strong enough to do this on our own and you need help getting your footing, seek professional help either from a Pastor or a Christian counselor. While neither can give you faith, both can support you as Christ has called us to do for fellow believers (Hebrews 3:13) until you are strong enough to kneel in prayer or walk to the foot of the throne on your own.
Meet Ylena
Ylena Parks, a native Californian, is married to a godly man and has two beautiful step-children. She has a Master's in Community/Clinical Counseling from Eastern University and presently works as an MFT Intern at OC Chrisitan Counseling in Garden Grove, CA.Ylena came to Christ at Calvary Chapel-Monterey Bay in 2001. It is through Christ's work in her that she conquered a 10-year battle with Anorexia, a disorder which consumed her 20s and led her along a path of self-destruction ... and eventually into the arms of Christ.
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