The Tyranny of Fear

 

From my childhood forward, I have lived a life of fear. Over the years, God taught me that He is with us through whatever we are afraid of...high in an airplane and deep in the darkest woods, in the elevator and on the escalator, at the dentist or the surgery room, in the classroom and the jail room, in a fear-filled marriage or place of employment, etc. He is with us, just as He was with His faithful young Hebrew men in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:24-25).

Good fear is instinctive fear, which God gave us to protect us from danger, and to keep us from suffering needlessly. This gives us a healthy fear of the negative elements of life, so we will walk cautiously through them. However, other fears are born in us through terrifying people and experiences. Satan lies to us in these negative situations, intending to cripple us for life. This fear often keeps us from stepping out in faith to live the life God intends for us.

Many fears are unreasonable and groundless. They victimize and debilitate us. Nightmares will often offer us a clue about the negative stress going on in our subconscious mind; and once we recognize and settle these issues, they will no longer bother us. When fear torments us, God’s perfect love swoops in and covers us with His feathers (1 John 4:18; Psalm 91:4). We fear no evil when our Great Shepherd keeps watch over us (Psalm 23:1-4). By proving His love and faithfulness to us, God supersizes our faith.

Over the years, God taught me to stop trying to control my life and to enter into His rest instead (Hebrews 4:10). His faithfulness and direction over every moment of my life help me to relinquish my fears. Living life one moment at a time helps me to prevent the fears from the past and the fear of the future from affecting my current moment. As the current moments of my life string together, God proves to me that He is with me, working out even the bad times for my good (Romans 8:28).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that the perfect way to cast out fear is to praise You. You inhabit our praises, so we enter into Your presence with praise (Psalm 100:4). You deliver us from fear through praise (Psalm 22:3). You are always faithful and always living in us, walking with us through every trial and temptation we encounter. You always provide us with hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). No matter how frightening a storm appears, You will strengthen us and guard us from evil (2 Thessalonians 3:3), and for this we praise Your name forever.

Thought for the Day:

During the storms of life, God gives us the faith to go ahead and sing in the rain.

 

Receiving God's Blessings

 

God’s agape love fills the soul of everyone who believes in Him. He manifests His love to the world through us (1 John 4:8; John 13:35). We no longer live for our self, but for the will of God, the perfection of His Body, and to further His Kingdom in the earth (Romans 14:8; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Acts 14:22). We all have different ministries, but the same God works through and benefits us all (1 Corinthians 6-13). Our fear and anxiety undermine our faith; but God proves His faithfulness to us.

Stepping out in faith serves to increase our enthusiasm about living for God. God often does not act according to the way we believe He should. However, He is under no contract to perform, as we demand. In order for Him to bless us, it is up to us to pray and live according to His will and ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). When we consider Christians in third world countries, we realize how materially blessed we really are, compared to their utter poverty.

Even though everyone is originally dead in sin; at salvation, Jesus raises us up to live in His new life (Ephesians 2:5). God calls us to stop living our life led by our carnal appetites, emotions, desires or aspirations (Romans 5:16, 25). This counterfeit lifestyle only leads to corruption, sorrow, anxiety and ultimately to devastation (Romans 6:23). If we live in union with Christ and are led by His Spirit, then we live with joy that defies description (1 Corinthians 6:17).

It is only as we abide in Christ and let His Words abide in us, that we can ask for what we want according to His Will. As we respect who He is, He will hear and save us (Psalm 145:19). His Spirit unites His Body and makes us all one in Him (Ephesians 2:14; John 17:23). We simply ask according to His Will and He hears us (1 John 5:14). When we keep these criteria, then He always blesses us (John 15:7).

Prayer:

Father God, we often do not have what we need, because we ask with the wrong intention for things, which only gratify our flesh (James 4:3). We have complete confidence to approach Your throne in our time of need (Ephesians 3:12). We refuse to throw away our trust in You, because You greatly reward Your Body (Hebrews 10:35). We believe in Your Word and we trust in You to provide for our every need, according to Your will. We want to walk in Your ways, so that we will not feel shame and remorse when You return for Your Bride (1 John 2:28).

Thought for the Day:
Those without a relationship with God do without; yet, those who live for Christ have their desires granted according to His will. - Proverbs 10:24

 

Higher Ground

 

Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh and gave us His righteousness in exchange for our sin (Romans 8:3-4). God makes this transaction, and we have nothing to do with it, except to repent of our sin, to believe that Jesus is God who came in the flesh, and then to surrender our all to His service (1 Timothy 3:16; John 1:2). We work out our salvation with awe and vigilance, but it is actually God who is giving us both the desire and the power to comply (Philippians 2:12-13).

Idols are anything in our life, which prevent us from unhindered fellowship with our Father. With each idol we surrender to Him, we walk more freely in His ways. Many people are snared by the devil and held captive by him; however, God wants to set us free through our repentance and His truth (2 Timothy 2:24-26). As we abide in Christ and His Word, His truth sanctifies us and frees us from Satan’s lies (John 8:31-32; John 17:17).

Through sanctification, the Holy Spirit transforms us into the nature of Christ in continuous stages of holiness (2 Corinthians 3:18). We live in this world, but we are no longer a part of it (John 15:19). Christ lives in us and we are part of Him (Galatians 2:20). We are one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). We live and walk in His Spirit, who leads us and conforms us into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). He continually leads us to ever-higher ground.

God loves us with His whole heart (John 3:16; Romans 5:8); therefore, He wants us to love and serve Him with our whole heart in return (Proverbs 3:5-6). God is love (1 John 4:8); and when we are filled with Him, we are filled with His love (John 17:23). We are accepted in His Beloved Body both world-wide and throughout the ages (Ephesians 1:6). God desires unbroken fellowship with us every day of our life (Romans 6:11). God sees us as perfect and complete in Christ (Colossians 1:27).

 

Prayer:

Father God, help us to avoid relying on our human resources, but to cling to You as You deliver us and make us whole (Proverbs 3:5-6). As we admit our helplessness, You achieve Your will in our life (Psalm 37:7-9). Prove to us each day that we are undeniably walking in Your Spirit, so that we can learn to live in unbroken fellowship with You. Use us each day according to Your will and purpose.

Thought for the Day:
God accomplishes His will in our life to the praise and the glory of His name. – Romans 12:2

Thank God for Encouragers

 

Every Pastor needs at least one encourager to keep him from succumbing to the constant discouragement from Satan’s emissaries. Pastors need people to respect and believe in them, to pray for them and to compliment them for a job well done.

The congregation needs encouragers too - people who will listen and remember to pray for our concerns - those who call to check on us and to see how we are doing, and if they can help with any of our physical, emotional, financial or spiritual needs.

A man named Joseph in the Bible encouraged people so much, that the Saints started calling him “Barnabas”, which means “the son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). What a great compliment! God used Barnabas to introduce Paul, the persecutor of Christians, to the apostles of Jesus who lived in Jerusalem (Acts 9:27). The duo of Paul and Barnabas became a household name after a while, even to this day.

Barnabas had the discernment needed to encourage others. Even when Paul disqualified a young Believer named Mark from joining him in ministry, Barnabas took Mark under his wing. Barnabas believed in Mark and encouraged him, just like he had encouraged Paul. Eventually, Paul recognized the new maturity in Mark and took him on one of his future missionary journeys (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24). Barnabas even took a turn encouraging and ministering with the apostle Peter (1 Peter 5:13).

We each have our own personal encourager living right inside of us (John 14:16-17). Our Father sent Him to us when Jesus returned to heaven. The Holy Spirit is our comforter and our guide. He revives, helps and fortifies us as He teaches us and brings the words of Jesus to our remembrance (John 14:26). Therefore, between comfort from our church family and that of the Holy Spirit within us, we can rise above any challenge Satan throws at us (1 John 4:4).

Prayer:

Father God, Your strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Your Spirit leads us in this world of darkness, and comforts us in every trial we endure. Remind us to submit to His presence within us, and to trust that You are working through Him to direct the feet of the stumbling and to protect the heart of the downtrodden. His comfort envelops us and brings us victory in each facet of life and through every tribulation.

Thought for the Day:
When someone rejects God’s Truth, we can love them without condemnation or rejection, which will give them the freedom to express their doubts in a safe environment, as we encourage them to open their hearts to God’s love.

The Blessing of Difficulties

  

 

 

We often fear that facing our past will cause us more suffering. We imagine that we will experience all that pain all over again. We are already tormented from the damage done to us by other people, even if they did it unknowingly or could not help how they acted because of pain in their life. The truth, however, is that facing the past frees us to face the future. We encounter God in the midst of the memories, and He reveals His truth to us. This always trumps Satan’s lies, which otherwise keep us in bondage to him our whole life.

We also fear facing the current problems in our life. We want to ignore them or pretend that they do not really exist, so we do not have to deal with them. Have we made faulty decisions? Hung around with the wrong crowd? Is someone perpetrating his or her evil on us? Again, God’s faith, resident within us, gives us the power to deal with these issues as they arise. A young, Jewish boy faced the mighty Philistine with these astute words, “The battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:47).

It is God’s anointing and power working in and through us that result in our victories in this world. When we see the mighty hand of God evident in our life on our behalf, this gives us glorious joy beyond words (1 Peter 1:8). Even when we are personally violated, God brings glorious freedom to Believers through forgiveness, empathy and second chances. We learn to trust God to turn around even the most negative issue for our good (Romans 8:28).

As we seek God’s deliverance from the issues, we learn that His grace sufficiently empowers us in our weakest moments, even if He chooses not to deliver us from the problem itself (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). We can glory in our imperfections and weakness, because that is when God’s power is manifested in and through us. We find our joy in His love rather than in our circumstances. Human joy depends on life’s situations, but God’s joy is our strength regardless of the circumstances.

We are happy just because of His presence in our life. We choose our emotions and our responses to them because Christ lives in us with all the power of the triune Godhead. We persevere in prayer and accept God’s answer, even if He says, “No” or “Wait.” We can also follow God’s Spirit in responding to the problems in other people’s lives. We do not have to rescue or enable anyone. We can help them, but only when the Holy Spirit tells us to do so.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that Satan uses our thoughts as His battleground against Your Spirit. He attempts to persuade us to curse you and die (Job 2:9). As we surrender every thought to Christ and walk in obedience to Your Spirit’s direction, we live a positive, productive life regardless of our circumstances (2 Corinthians 10:5). We shine with Your love and live as a testimony of Your mercy and grace in our life.

Thought for the Day:

Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
– Galatians 5:16, 25

A New Point of View

 

Human beings find it hard to let go of the anger, bitterness and the desire for revenge, which we harbor against those who hurt us. In actuality, we dream up all sorts of calamities, which we hope our oppressors will fall into, as we grin with delight. Somehow, withholding forgiveness makes our wounds easier to handle. We think we are punishing our offender by refusing to forgive them.

However, the bitterness that grows out of unforgiveness is a poisonous root that blossoms into a great many other issues (Hebrews 12:15). If we choose to entertain resentment instead of forgiving our offender, bitterness will corrupt our whole life. Paul exhorts us to get rid of all bitterness (Ephesians 4:31). God knows exactly how to hand out vengeance to our tormentors (Deuteronomy 32:35-36).

The truth is that God cannot forgive us if we do not first forgive others (Mark 11:26). If we do not ask forgiveness from those whom we offend or wound, this is equally as serious (Matthew 5:24). However, when we understand eternity, the concerns of this life lose their intensity and value. This concept makes it so much easier to forgive. Aspects of this life, which used to mean so much to us, have no more attraction for us.

There is no longer any need to harbor unforgiveness toward anyone. We can live with the blessings of forgiveness instead. As we focus on eternal matters, we rejoice without ceasing because of God’s salvation and His multitude of blessings in our life. We exchange our plan for our life with God’s plans for us. This change in our mindset provides us with fulfillment, which we would never experience without complete surrender to God’s will.

Prayer:

Father God, we count our self blessed, because of Your intervention in our life. You save us from so much hardship that people will suffer, if they do not have You in their life. Our slate of sin is wiped clean, because of Your sacrifice on the cross. You hold nothing against us, and we hold nothing back from You (Psalm 32:1-2). We are so happy to get a fresh start each new morning, to find freedom from the tyranny of sin and to walk in walk in Your ways.

Thought for the Day:

Some people die with a bitter soul, having never tasted the goodness of the Lord. – Job 21:25

The Mind of Christ

Jesus laid down His life for everyone ever born in the entire world throughout the ages of time (John 3:16). However, most people reject His provision. This also occurred in the days of Noah. There was plenty of room in the Ark, but only one family chose to believe God. Jesus asks us to take up our cross daily (Matthew 16:24). He commands us to love one another with the same sacrificial love that He has for us (John 13:34-35).

Jesus gave up His home in glory, humbled Himself and took on the form of a man in order to pay the sin debt we owed (2 Corinthians 8:9; Philippians 2:7). He came to serve, not to be served (Matthew 20:28). We take His yoke upon us and learn of Him (Matthew 11:29). Then, we allow Him to meet the needs of the saved and unsaved through us. We take on one another’s burdens, just as He took our sins upon Himself.

Jesus wants us to network with others to provide for the needs of our community. Each day, as God gives us an opportunity, let us do good things for everyone, and especially for those in God’s family (Galatians 6:10). God equips us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30), and then provides us with His strength to minister to His Body. He is our constant help and our refuge in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

God’s grace is totally sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Therefore, we can actually boast in our weaknesses, because then the power of Christ is manifested through us. We take pleasure in trials and tribulation, because when we are weak, He is strong within us (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). There is no need for us to entertain fearful or depressing thoughts over our circumstances, because God’s joy becomes our strength (Nehemiah 8:10; Isaiah 12:2).

God is never far from us, and He always hastens to help us, even when His timing is not as fast as we would like it to be (Psalm 22:19). At times, spiritual warfare is taking place in the heavenly realm, just to provide us with our needs (Daniel 10:12-14). When the fiery darts of Satan descend upon us, God is our shield. Our heart safely trusts in Him, because He always helps us. His provision gives us joy and fills our heart with songs of praise for Him (Psalm 28:7-8, 118:14).

Prayer:

Lord God, be gracious to us, as we wait upon You. You give us your strength with each new morning and You save us in our times of trouble (Isaiah 33:2; Isaiah 40:29-31). You give us stable passage as You call us to walk among the mountain tops with You (Habakkuk 3:19). You gave us Your example by forfeiting Your home in glory and by taking the form of a servant in human likeness (Philippians 2:7). Therefore, we lay down our life for You and for those You bring our way, because we want to love You as You have loved us.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus loved us so completely that He gave up His heavenly identity and humbled Himself as a man.

A New Way of Life

 

God loves the prayers of His Saints. In fact, God considers our prayers, and our gifts to the poor, as an offering directly to Him (Acts 10:4; Matthew 25:45). God does not require us to pray in any certain way, at any certain time or using any certain words. The Bible suggests that we pray from our heart in Jesus’ name, in order to invoke all of His power behind our words (John 14:13). In reality, prayer is not an action, but a way of life. It is our communication with our Living Lord.

The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. This means that we live every moment of our day as a prayer to God. We commune with His Spirit to find out what He has planned for each moment of our day (Ephesians 2:8-10). In fact, the Holy Spirit actually prays for us according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27). We really have need of nothing, because He promises to provide all of our needs, as we seek first His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33).

Christ makes us complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). Prayer enables us to separate our self from the roller coaster of life by entering into God’s rest (Hebrews 4:10). He lives in us and also through us at home, work, church and in our community. He gives us the gifts and spiritual fruit we need to accomplish His will for our life (Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11; Galatians 5:22-23). He even enables us to forgive others, so that He can forgive us (Mark 11:25).

We cannot overcome this world, unless the Spirit does it for us (1 John 5:4). Therefore, walking in the Spirit is the foundation for every other discipline and gift God desires for us to receive. The more we walk in the Spirit, the less we desire anything offered to us by the world, the flesh and the devil (Romans 5:16, 25). This works on the same principle as dispelling darkness from the room. The only way to accomplish this feat is by turning on the Light (1 John 1:5-7).

Prayer:

Father God, the closer we walk to You, the further the devil stays away from us, the less we want to sin and the more we accomplish Your will for our life. You chose us before You created the world. This both humbles and excites us. Help us to walk holy and blameless in Your sight (Ephesians 1:4). Teach us to develop prayer as a way of life, which never ceases. Draw us close to You, and never let us go (James 4:8). Remind us that You created us to work for Your Kingdom, not for our own goals, ambitions and desires (Ephesians 2:10).

Thought for the Day:

We desire to walk firmly rooted and built up in Christ, living in His will and brimming over with thankfulness. – Colossians 2:7

Yield the Right of Way

 

We usually live our life fumbling around through one escapade after another. We bring calamity upon our self and our family by the choices we make. We fail to consult the Lord’s will, so He cannot direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Eventually, we are in the pit of despair so deeply that we have to call out to Him in frustration and anguish. We pray up a calm in our storm, and ask God for His showers of blessings for us in the midst of the raging tempest.

According to His unfailing love, God always answers us. He has a perfect plan for each of us (Ephesians 2:8-10). We arise in the morning, live throughout our day and fall asleep every night in the attitude of continuous prayer. Not on our knees, but bowed in our heart in ceaseless communion with the Father and His Son by the power of His Spirit. We walk in the reality of what we read in God’s Word. We grow stronger in our union with Christ day by day.

Surrendering our negative characteristics to God will rid us of them quicker than if we attempt to perfect our self. As we cease from our own labors, we enter into God’s rest (Hebrews 4:10). The Holy Spirit is in us perfecting us from one realm of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18). He exchanges our negative characteristics with the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). As we keep our mind focused on God in worship to Him, He keeps us in His perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

Our main enemies are our carnal flesh, the glittering world and Satan’s lying wonders (1 John 2:16; Mark 4:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:9). However, God’s Spirit steps in and sanctifies our thoughts and desires until we are completely compatible with Christ in us and in total harmony with the will of God for our life (Ephesians 2:10). We bear much fruit, stand in the gap for our loved ones, soften God’s heart against sinners and plead for the salvation of the lost.

Prayer:

Father God, we yield our personal rights and self-will to You, and we ask You to purify us in our carnal thoughts, words and deeds. Your Spirit speaks to us from deeply within our hearts, confirming that we are Your children (Romans 8:16). We hunger and thirst for a closer walk with You. Remind us that only as we die to our self will we ever live in Christ. Our complete surrender and childlike faith will earn us a crown of life (James 1:12). As Your righteous children, we pray with confidence that You always hear us (1 John 5:14-15).

Thought for the Day:

Complete devotion, conformity and faithfulness to the Word of God bring us into total union with Christ.

Part 3 - Power over Satan

 

The demons of hell are looting and pillaging lives every single day (Ephesians 2:2). They are doing Satan’s bidding, and attempting to draw us into sin in order to destroy our Christian witness. Our enemy is a very real force in the world through the limited authority given to him by God (1 Peter 5:8). He wants to entangle our life in sin and lead us away from living for God and His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33). Anyone not covered by the blood of Jesus is in peril of being deceived by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4; Acts 26:18).

 

Satan cannot possess Born Again Believers, but he can certainly oppress our feelings, attitudes and beliefs until we act on them. However, God’s angels are doing warfare for us, and taking authority over Satan’s demons with the words, “The Lord rebuke you” (Zechariah 3:2; Jude 1:9; Daniel 10:1-21). Believers are no longer slaves to the law of sin and death (Romans 6:6-7). Our faith is enhanced by the power of Christ in our life (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

 

Jesus faced Calvary’s cross with its shame set before Him. Although he despised having to take our sin upon his shoulders, He focused instead on returning to sit at the right hand of our Father’s throne (Hebrews 12:2). As we submit our life to Christ, we can then resist the devil and he has to leave our presence (James 4:7). God gives us His armor in which we clothe our self for spiritual warfare: 

 

The first piece of armor is to accept Jesus as our Savior. He is the Truth, and He is the belt that holds our life together. Then, we put on the breastplate of holy living, which protects all of the vital aspects of our life. We walk in peace, which comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This fully prepares us to stand victoriously in the Lord and in the authority of His power within us (Ephesians 6:10).

 

In addition to all of these protective elements, we hold up the shield of faith in Christ to stop the fiery arrows of deception and temptation, which Satan shoots at us throughout the day. We put on the mind of Christ as our helmet (Philippians 2:5). Finally, we take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Jesus did not leave us alone when He returned to heaven. He comes to live within us through the Comforter, which He sent to walk with us through this age (John 16:7).

 

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that spiritual warfare is going on all around us (Ephesians 6:12-18). Satan already lost his rebellion against You, but He is trying to bring as many lives with him to hell as he can. In Your wisdom, You gave Christians the power to rebuke Satan through the life of Christ within us. Satan has less influence over our life than we often attribute to him. He does not have Your supernatural attributes. He is a created being and not equal to You in any way. We thank You for ruling and reigning in our lives.

 

Thought for the Day:

Jesus quoted scripture when tempted by Satan, which made the devil flee from Him. We can follow in His example.

- Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

God Uses Our Personaliity - The Sanguine

My purpose in discussing the various personalities is to help us to appreciate and to help one another. With different personalities we are better able to function in various aspects of life and to work together as a whole society. 

We can learn from one another and benefit from each other’s strengths, as we help each other with our weaknesses. We each have one of four predominant personality types with a few traits from the other types thrown into the mix. 

We may dislike some aspect of someone’s personality, but if we understand why they act as they do, it helps us to appreciate their good points rather than to focus on their negative aspects. 

It takes all sorts of people to make the world go around. The problem with personalities is that they are human and carnal.However, God is able to totally revamp our personality once we surrender our life to Him. 

He minimizes our weaknesses and enhances our strengths. The Sanguine personality is the last in my series:

The Sanguine personality is the life of the party. Give them plenty of time to be around other people. They love to talk, to tell stories and they have an appealing sense of humor. They captivate their audience with their enthusiasm and expressiveness. 

They make excellent actors. They are creative and colorful. Their energy and enthusiasm abounds. They make friends easily, but have very few deep, satisfying relationships.

They are compulsive talkers and exaggerate and elaborate on details. They are self-centered and have a loud laugh and voice. They tend to interrupt others in order for their opinion to be heard. 

They are demonstrative, bubbly and curious with wide-eyed innocence. They tend to be sincere at heart, they make life fun, and they can turn any disaster into something humorous.

They love to stir up excitement and to direct its flow. They prevent dull moments when they are around. They enjoy spontaneity and feel restricted by planning and routine. 

They are easily angered when they do not get their way and they never seem to grow up and mature. Never reject them, because it will devastate them. 

Tell them every day, that they are loved. Pamper them and nurture their need for attention. They dislike being alone.

They are appealing on the surface; however, some consider them phony and superficial. They tend to live only for the present, and dislike making plans for the future. They change their mind and mood without notice. 

Their inner child is their dominant ego state. They cannot remember names. Their enthusiasm often tires other people out. Their restless energy tends to get them in trouble at times. They complain when things do not go their way.

The Sanguine is the first to volunteer to help at home, at work and in the community, and are quite good at motivating others to help them. They thrive on compliments and look for the credit to be given to them. 

This makes them envied by others. They make decisions based on feelings and are easily distracted and have a penchant for wasting time.They are undisciplined and forget important appointments and obligations. 

They do not follow through on projects or keep priorities in order. They are disorganized and do not have the patience to listen to the whole story. They are fickle, forgetful and they make excuses for their failings. 

They need to keep a steady job in order to provide for their family. Help them, only when they ask for it.

They may be jealous when their significant others spend time away from them or with other people. 

Assure them of your affection for them and that you miss them. If they ever have to go away from home, they need to call home frequently, watch TV, listen to the radio and read books about people to reduce their anxiety about being alone. 

They can learn to find their joy in the Lord by deepening their personal relationship with Him and spending time in God’s Word.They can volunteer in children’s ministry, because children are always quick to give love.

Touching is very important to them. You can hold their hand, or touch their shoulder when you are talking to them. They rarely hold a grudge, and they apologize quickly. 

Provide them with an abundance of emotional and physical affection. Consistently commend them for their achievements and the service they render. Encourage them to put others above their self and to compliment their self when they do a good job.

Prayer:

Father God, help us to develop a relationship with You and fill our life with the love and attention we need. Please open doors for us to help others with our unique strengths. Comfort us when we are away from our loved ones. Reduce our penchant for sexual sins. 

Help us not to follow the crowd into sin, but to desire to please You more than our self and other people. Align our words and behavior with the precepts of Your Word. Enable us to deal constructively with our anger. Help us to grow secure in Your love for us, which will diminish our fear of rejection.

Thought for the Day:

Never condemn a Sanguine, but encourage them when they succeed. They can learn to anticipate the consequences of their actions in order to curb their impulsiveness and emotional outbursts.

References:

·        http://www.pastoral-counseling-center.org/Free-Temperament-Reports/Choleric-Helpful-Hints.htm

·        http://temperaments.fighunter.com/?page=phlegmatic

·        http://www.fighunter.com/index.php?page=temperaments

·       http://www.womenschristiantherapy.com/Phlegmatic_Personality_Type.pdf

·        http://www.refinedperspectives.com/personality-explained.html

God Uses Our Personality - The Phlegmatic

My purpose in discussing the various personalities is to help us to appreciate and to help one another. With different personalities we are better able to function in various aspects of life and to work together as a whole society. 

We can learn from one another and benefit from each other’s strengths, as we help each other with our weaknesses.We each have one of four predominant personality types with a few traits from the other types thrown into the mix. 

We may dislike some aspect of someone’s personality, but if we understand why they act as they do, it helps us to appreciate their good points rather than to focus on their negative aspects. 

It takes all sorts of people to make the world go around. The problem with personalities is that they are human and carnal. However, God is able to totally revamp our personality once we surrender our life to Him. He minimizes our weaknesses and enhances our strengths. 

The Phlegmatic personality is the third in my series:
Phlegmatics are shy and quiet, low-keyed and relaxed, and accused of being boring. They never seek personal glory, nor do they push their own opinion or agenda. 

They are trustworthy, loyal, calm, kind, sympathetic and consistent. They like routine and can do work which is boring and requires perfection. They are easy going and show little passion, because they lack in confidence and are afraid of doing something wrong.

They make competent, reliable, dependable and steady workers. They avoid conflict and would rather change themselves than to cause a disagreement. They feel nervous and upset in an argument and prefer to just give in and take the blame on themselves or forfeit their own wishes. 

However, they are great negotiators and peacemakers. They use humor and wit to diffuse a tense or awkward situation. They do well in jobs with tedious, meticulous elements that do not include much interaction with people. 

They like to focus and excel in one area, rather than to multi-task. They remain calm in confusion and stress. They tend toward procrastination, especially when unsure of what to do. They learn to make decisions according to the Will of God and look to Him to defend them. 



They are submissive and good listeners. They will always pay attention, and will offer supportive feedback rather than criticism or advice. They quietly and politely take in and absorb the conversations of their friends. 

They have few goals or aspirations of their own and they are in no hurry. They are observers rather than doers. They lack in discipline, organization and are overly compromising - all to their detriment. 

Phlegmatic people are meek and inoffensive. They are submissive introverts who live to please others. Friendly with everyone, they are well liked. They are affectionate without smothering or distancing. 

However, they need very little social interaction. Do not force them to socialize or make them responsible for any person or issue, because this drains their limited energy reserves. God helps them to develop deep, personal relationships a little at a time, as they rely on His strength. 

They hide their emotions and do not get upset easily. They are not likely to express more than a smile or a frown. God teaches them to show their deeper feelings in ways that are more comfortable for them and meaningful to others.  

They are almost immune to anger. They have extremely long fuses, and will only snap after a long period of prolonged and persistent abuse.Even then, they are more likely to retreat within their self or cry than to harm others.  

They internalize issues and problems, rather than to speak their mind. They may feel critical of others and prefer not to get involved or sacrifice for others. They tend toward self-righteousness and are stubborn, often set in their ways. God teaches them through His Word to see the needs, rights and feelings of others. 

They have trouble with saying “No” to anyone. However, in a conflict or when they feel abused, they end up feeling like a martyr. God helps them to show more outward support for the issues and injustices, which they really feel concerned about.  

They enjoy spending time with friends, and are very loyal to these friends, sticking with them through thick and thin, even through abuse.

They do not like change and panic in new situations. They dislike pressure, resent being controlled and do not like to take any risks. They are good followers and they are stressed when ask to lead. 

They do not crave excitement and dislike winning a competition or a game. They do not seek thrills, and enjoy predictable, quiet, ritualistic lifestyles.
They struggle with making a decision and prefer to have others make decisions for them. We can help them in their decision-making by giving them the pros and cons in a situation and helping them to think through all the ramifications in order to make their own decisions. 

God teaches them to depend on Him for His opinion, rather to care so much about the opinion of other people.

Phlegmatics will unthinkingly make humorous remarks about the rights and feeling of others. They often have a wry, cutting sense of humor, which they use as a defense to protect themselves from the energy drain on their emotions when involved in more meaningful relationships.   

Do not take their reticence personally. We can help them by not demanding physical attention and by doing things for them instead.




Prayer:
Father God, we Phlegmatics are deep spiritually. We understand faith and practice, and we are solid and dependable in our commitment to You. You gave us the character of loyalty and You help us to remain faithful. 

We love Your Body and serving them. Help us to learn that submission to You unlocks our potential. Teach us to be more open and loving to others through our relationship with You and to learn that only through expending energy and becoming deeply involved with personal relationships can we reach maturity.

Thought for the Day:
Phlegmatics have a tendency to deal with their personal relationships with Christ in the same way they do any other deep relationship, as a spectator who does not get too deeply involved. As they submit to the Will of God they are less stubborn and more relational. 

References:

·        http://www.pastoral-counseling-center.org/Free-Temperament-Reports/Choleric-Helpful-Hints.htm

·        http://temperaments.fighunter.com/?page=phlegmatic

·        http://www.fighunter.com/index.php?page=temperaments

·      http://www.womenschristiantherapy.com/Phlegmatic_Personality_Type.pdf