Faith is a muscle that strengthens with learning.

Sally Says...

Faith is something that will never stop growing stronger in you as you continue and persevere at “walking” with Him.  Faith is a muscle that strengthens with learning, adversity, sacrifice, and risk as you wisely obey His call and His direction.  “Belief” in something is a heart/head knowledge and acceptance.  Faith is ‘acting' on the promises and directives of the God who you “believe” in, and His Word that you “believe” in.  It’s not just talking about your beliefs, but walking them out.  Faith is active. It is acting like God is telling the truth…adapting your behavior, your decisions, and basically your whole lifestyle to what God has asked you to do.  it often requires risk, but a risk that requires wisdom.  We must know His truth to know how to step out in faith.  The enemy is working overtime to keep you too busy or too fearful to take the risk.  Don’t let him distract you. God is not worried about His reputation; you do not have to protect it; He is BIG enough to show off His glory and pour out His blessings as we walk with Him in faith, trusting He will do what He says He will do.

Faith does not control God.  It doesn’t make God do something or not do something.  It gives us “access" to what God has ALREADY intended to do for us!  Faith does not focus on how strong “our belief" is, but it focuses on how trustworthy, true, and loyal HE is. It’s directed at and rooted in a “good God”. "God is good, and He is good at being God". If you tend to struggle in moving forward in obedience to God and His word, you do not need “bigger" faith….you need a BIGGER God.  Your level of faith will always be tied to your perception of God.  We need an accurate and honest view of the faithfulness of our God.  And we, as women especially, need to move forward in faith despite what our feelings tell us.  Don’t let your feelings overshadow your level of faith.  We must walk BY HIS WORD and not let the enemy confuse, distract, discourage, disappoint, and frighten us, thereby wearing us down and watering down what we know to be true. You can know by the way you ‘act’ whether or not you are walking out and taking up the shield of faith.

A woman who extinguishes the fiery darts of the enemy with her Shield of Faith “chooses" to live with a steadfast confidence in the Lord and His promises.  She “walks" onward in accordance with the truth revealed in His Word, and she “pushes” past her fears and/or doubts which the enemy uses to try to paralyze her in insecurity.  

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.” (Deut 7:9)

Betrayal Bond

Betrayal

There are two ways to learn – through acquiring new data and/or through experience.  New data is learned in school, such as 2 + 2 = 4.  But were a child to write 2 + 2 = 6 on a classroom blackboard and classmates laughed at the mistake, that child’s learning would occur through experience and the emotional beliefs attached to the experience.

The strength of a belief is determined by repetition or emotional intensity, or the combination of the two. 

 

How did Adam feel when he was suddenly separated from the presence of God?  (Has does one feel when a tsunami wave subsides, terror has been experienced and life as it was once known has been washed away?)

Betrayal Bond

Hypothetically, did man develop a betrayal bond with Satan?  A betrayal bond occurs when an innocent person becomes emotionally attached to the maligned needs and beliefs of the one who has tragically victimized that person.  Initially, the victim aligns with and emotionally supports the perpetrator to survive. But this survival tactic develops into irrational and distorted beliefs about the perpetrator’s motive and need, becoming the betrayal bond.

Consider this story:

The Stockholm syndrome illustrates this concept:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In psychology, Stockholm syndrome is a term used to describe a paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express adulation and have positive feelings towards their captors. These feelings are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims, who essentially mistake a lack of abuse from their captors as an act of kindness.[1][2] The FBI’s Hostage Barricade Database System shows that roughly 27% of victims show evidence of Stockholm syndrome.[3] The syndrome is named after the Norrmalmstorg robbery of Kreditbanken at Norrmalmstorg in Stockholm, in which the bank robbers held bank employees hostage from August 23 to August 28, 1973. In this case, two machine-gun carrying criminals entered the Stockholm bank, blasting their guns, announcing, “The party has just begun!” They strapped dynamite to the hostages and held them in a bank vault until the rescue. The victims became emotionally attached to their captors, and even defended them after they were freed from their six-day ordeal. The term "Stockholm Syndrome" was coined by the criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot, who assisted the police during the robbery, and referred to the syndrome in a news broadcast.[4] It was originally defined by psychiatrist Frank Ochberg to aid the management of hostage situations.[5]

Does this concept describe the relationship man has with Satan, the enemy of his soul?

The enemy held Adam and Eve as captives as it was his voice they now heard within their souls, enticing them to make wrong and self-serving choices.  Did Adam and Eve develop a betrayal bond with the devil himself as sinful thoughts no longer seemed irrational, but became the basis for their decision making?

This betrayal bond between Satan and man is evidenced when people willfully turn their backs on God’s truths and justify the works of the devil, with sins such as: 

·       Cheating on an expense account  - because your boss owes you

·       Gluttony - if it tastes and feels good, it couldn’t be wrong

·       Gossiping - just telling the truth

·       Killing, lying, cheating - to survive

·       And the list goes on and on

Just like the Stockholm hostages defended their captors and developed deep relationships with them, man justifies his sinful actions based upon his own reasoning and intellect versus the word of God, and therefore bonds with the spirit of darkness. Carnality posits that dependence on God is not necessary and man can get his needs met from his own “doing” versus “being.”

Man’s predicament is one of trying to find fulfillment and provision outside of a relationship with God.  He is confused about his own identity, purpose and internal neediness.  He uses his own resources to live his life but runs into roadblocks, as he is unable to satisfy his own needs.  This translates:  man believes that he is supposed to be able to function independently from God, control his own life and achieve success and happiness. 

7 Desires of EVERY Heart! The 7 Day Affirmation Challenge

In Highway to the Heart, I discuss the “seven desires of every heart” as described by Mark and Debra Laaser. The basic idea is that every single one of us, with our unique experiences and personalities, has the same seven basic needs that need to be met.

These universal desires are: to be heard and understood, to be affirmed, to be blessed, to be safe, to be touched, to be chosen, and to be included. Upon reading these, you may be thinking, “These are obvious. I knew that already,” and you may be right. However, when people get comfortable in a relationship, they may fall into a routine and forget to actively ensure that both partners are getting their needs met.  Feelings may get hurt as each spouse feels that they are being taken for granted.

Your focus for the next seven days is on the desire to be affirmed. This brings me to the challenge: every day for one week, take a moment to think about the wonderful things that your loved one does to improve your life. Perhaps they prepared breakfast this morning, leaving one less thing for you to worry about before you headed off to work. Maybe it was picking up the dry cleaning, or making the bed, or tucking the kids in at night. No matter how “small” the task may seem, I encourage you to use this week to acknowledge at least one thing per day that your partner does to help keep the household running smoothly. This may prompt you to notice things that have previously gone unrecognized, but it will allow you to pause and verbalize your genuine appreciation.   

After one week, I’m willing to bet that both you and your spouse will feel more grateful for one another and the relationship that you share. I would love to hear from anyone who accepts the challenge and experienced an impact as a result!