Category: Uncategorized

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Remove the masks

Lesedauer 3 Minuten

How are you in the current situation with a mask obligation? It happens to me often, when I go to the village or to the shop for shopping that I don’t recognize the people under the mask at first. I always have to look twice. Meeting people with masks is different, it feels more distant, I don’t recognize facial expressions, no facial language. The masks serve as protection, but they are like a barrier between people.

Today, however, I would like to speak about those masks that we also wear outside of obligated mask times. We all know situations in which we wore an invisible mask. Situations where we do not show what we really are, pretend and are not authentic. But why do we want to hide behind masks?

we want to protect ourselves
we are afraid to show our true face
we think about what other people think or say about us
we seek recognition from people
we just want to show our best side
we are afraid of being hurt even if we show our mistakes and weaknesses
we fear the judgment of other people
As a result, we like to take on roles that we are not. We pretend and hide under a mask that shows the picture of us that we just want to show.

But we are not really doing well, we all want to be accepted and seen, just how we really are. We feel comfortable in an environment and with people, where we are accepted and loved, with all our mistakes, inadequacies and weaknesses, in our imperfection.

Where and with whom can we remove our masks?

I have experienced such unconditional love primarily with God. I don’t have to pretend in front of him, he knows me better than I know myself. He knows my heart and everything that goes on there.

“Lord, you have tested my heart and know everything about me” Psalm 139: 1

He knows every one of my thoughts.

“When I sit or when I get up, you know it. You know all my thoughts ”Psalm 139.2

He knows all of my intentions and actions.

“When I go or when I rest, you see it and you are familiar with everything I do” Psalm 139.3

He knows my words.

“And you, Lord, know what I want to say before I say it” Psalm 139: 4

I cannot hide from God because He is everywhere.

“Where should I flee from your mind, and where could I escape your presence? If I fly up to heaven, you are there; I went down into the realm of the dead [1], so you are there too. If I took the wings of the dawn or lived on the outermost sea, your hand would also lead me there and your strong arm would hold me. If I asked the darkness to hide myself and the light around me to become night – I could still not hide from you; for night shines as brightly as day and darkness as light “Psalm 139: 7-12

God loves me just as I am. His love is unconditional. He has good thoughts about me.

“How precious are your thoughts about me [3], God! There are an infinite number. If I wanted to count them, they are more numerous than the sand! ”Psalm 139: 17-18

The more I become aware of his love and recognize who I am in God’s eyes, the more I can accept myself as I am and be authentic to the outside world.
The more I know how God thinks about me, the less important I get what other people think about me. Fear of God defeats fear of man.
The more I realize that God is powerful in my weakness, the easier it is for me to show my weaknesses and to be less vulnerable.
The more I know that I am a child of God and belong to him, the less I always have to belong everywhere.
The more masks I take off, the freer I become and the more i can be who I really am, just as God created and meant me.

“You created everything in me and shaped me in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderful and excellent! Your works are wonderful, I know that. You watched how I was made in secret, how I was formed in the darkness of the womb [2]. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was written in your book. Every moment was certain before the first day began ”Psalm 139: 13-16

I want to keep growing in seeing myself with God’s eyes. I am a beloved daughter of God, made unique and valuable and I want to live more in this identity. Because living without masks brings freedom, transforms distance into proximity, is real and honest. And in addition to God, there will certainly be people who appreciate this openness and honesty and who understand and love me, not because I wear a mask, but precisely because I took it off.

And in the same way I want to meet others and create space for real encounters, where masks can fall and the other can be as he is, feels valued and accepted. So that the real self can appear under the mask.

A person sees what is in front of their eyes; but the LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16.7

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The power of words

Lesedauer 4 Minuten

”Before you speak, let your words go through 3 gates: are they true? Are they necessary? Are you friendly? ”

What we say has a big impact. Our words and the words we hear from others affect our lives.

Words can:

build up or put down
encourage or scare
heal or hurt
bless or curse
We often underestimate the impact and power of our words. That is why it is so important to pay attention to what we say about ourselves, what we say to others or about them and what we say about our circumstances.


In Proverbs 18 verse 21 we read: “Words have power: you can choose between life and death


We all need words of encouragement, acceptance, confirmation, recognition. Such words make us grow and increase our self-esteem. Negative, criticizing words do the opposite, our self-esteem drops. If primarily deficits are addressed and searched for in kindergarten and school age, we cannot develop according to our potential. Negative beliefs block us. Our social system is largely programmed for the negative and faulty. Even in conflict situations, it is easy for us to make quick judgments, make accusations, and insult our counterparts.
When I read the account of creation in Genesis 1: 1-25 last week, the power of words, especially God’s word, was brought to my attention. It is written there that the whole creation (cosmos, earth, plants, animals and people) was created by God’s Word. We read a total of 6 times:

God spoke
And it happened
And god saw, that it was good


God speaks and it happens and what God creates is good.



“What God says is true and reliable” Proverbs 3.5


“God has promised her, and what God says will happen!” Luke 1:3


Only one word from God’s mouth can do great things.

“In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. He created everything that is. There is nothing that the Word has not created. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to all people ”John 1: 1-4


God’s Word is truth and when we say it about our lives, about our fellow human beings and about our circumstances it has the power to build, encourage, heal and bless us.

Lord, I am not worthy for you to go under my roof, but speak only one word, so my soul will be healed (Matthew 8: 8)

Since we were created in the image of God, our words also have strength. So let’s say positive, encouraging and true words.
Let us encourage!
Let’s use life-giving words!
Let’s give each other value and dignity!
Let us meet each other in love and mercy!
Let’s give out compliments more often!
In conflict situations we pay attention to our choice of words, it makes a difference how we say something!
Instead of wanting to change others, we start with ourselves by encouraging instead of criticizing!

What the Bible says about words:



James 1, 19
Remember, dear brothers and sisters: always be ready to listen to someone right away; but think carefully before you speak yourself.

1 Corinthians 1, 10
Speak so that your words do not upset you, and do not let divisions arise between you.

Matthew 6, 7-8
When praying, you should not string together empty words like the pagans, ‘who do not know God’. They think they will be heard if they say a lot of words. Don’t do it like her, because your father knows what you need, even before you ask him to.

Ephesians 4:29
No bad word can come from your lips. Rather, what you say should be good, reasonable, and helpful; then your words will do good to those to whom they are addressed.

Ephesians 5, 3
You shouldn’t even engage in words with sexual immorality and shamelessness of any kind, but also with greed, because it is not appropriate for God’s holy people to deal with such things.

Colossians 4, 6
Your words should always be kind and flavored with the salt of ‘wisdom’. Then you will also understand how to give an appropriate answer to everyone who is talking to you.

James 3, 2-12
[…] We are often often and in many respects indebted, but mostly with what we say. […] If we put the bridle in a horse’s mouth, we make the whole animal compliant and can steer it the way we want it. Or think of a ship: as big as it is and as strong as the winds to which it is exposed, it is kept on the course by a tiny oar that the helmsman determines. It is the same with the tongue: it is only a small organ in our body and can nevertheless boast of accomplishing great things. […] no one can control the tongue. She is a constant source of trouble, a mischief-maker, filled with deadly poison. With her we praise the one who is our Lord and Father, and with her we curse people who are created in the image of God. Blessings and curse come from the same mouth. That, my siblings, must not be! […]



Proverbs 11, 12-13
Those who speak contemptuously of others have no mind; Understanders shut up. A person who carries on any rumor also speaks secrets; a trustworthy person treats them confidentially.

Proverbs 12, 18
Some people’s words are like knife sticks; the words of wise people bring healing.

Proverbs 13, 3
Those who can shut up keep their lives; whoever tears it open too much leads to ruin.

Proverbs 14, 23
Every job brings wages; but chatter is only a disadvantage.

Proverbs 15, 1 & 26
A conciliatory answer cools the anger, a hurtful word fuels it.

The Lord detests evil plans, but kind words are right before him.

Proverbs 16, 24
Friendly words are like honey: sweet for the palate and healthy for the whole body.

Proverbs 18, 20-21
What someone achieves with his words determines his satisfaction. The tongue has power over life and death. If you enjoy the language, you can achieve a lot through it.

Proverbs 20, 15
There are tons of gold and precious stones, but insightful words are a rarity.

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Protect your heart

Lesedauer 4 Minuten

Pay attention to your thoughts, because they become feelings.
Pay attention to your feelings because they become words.
Watch your words, because they are turning to actions.
Watch your actions, because they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become your character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. (Chinese proverb)

The heart is the seat of our deepest inner being, emotions, personality and will. The Bible mentions several times how important it is to protect, keep our hearts clean. Our current state of mind is reflected in our hearts, what we think, what we feel, what we want.

“How are you?” – “How are you feeling?” Are questions that we often hear, but mostly superficially answer with “Fine, thank you!” But how are we really doing? Are we sad, angry, anxious, angry, offended, happy, tired, excited, relaxed, calm, etc., or are we currently in a chaos of emotions, an emotional alternation?

What thoughts are we dealing with? What do we think about ourselves, about our fellow human beings, about our situations and circumstances?

Is what we think and feel consistent with the truth? Can we always trust our thoughts and feelings?

God created us with feelings and they also have important tasks. Feelings make us alive, create closeness to our fellow human beings by empathizing and empathizing with others, they can motivate and inspire us and let us feel alife. In addition to positive feelings, there are also negative feelings that can drain, depress and depress us. It can happen that we feel depressed and weak and often don’t really know why. It is therefore important to pay attention to our thoughts and feelings, as these affect our lives. Negative feelings arise from negative or wrong thoughts that we have previously let into our hearts. Therefore it does not help to suppress them, it is better to accept these feelings and to observe which sources they have.

Last week I wrote about how we become a new person through Christ, acquire a new identity. If we accept His love, we become children of God and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. As children of God, we no longer need to let our feelings determine us, but we are guided by the Holy Spirit and live by faith.

God’s Word is truer than all my feelings.
God’s Word is truer than all my experiences.
God’s Word is truer than any living conditions I may get into.
God’s Word is truer than anything in the world.

Because our feelings can deceive and mislead us. They are volatile, changeable, they come and go. Our feelings are often not true. Feelings are not a good guide. They depend on many factors and external circumstances. The weather, poor nutrition, too little sleep, the behavior of other people can influence our emotional state. We can also be trapped in life lies that we believe. So we have to choose to do the right thing no matter how we feel.

Jesus also had feelings. He was angry when the merchants gathered in the temple and made his prayer house a robber’s cave. He was angry when he spoke to the Pharisees and scribes who lived in law. He was sad when his friend Lazarus died and disappointed with the unbelief of his successors. When his pioneer John the Baptist was beheaded, it hit Jesus in the heart. In the garden of Gethsemane, shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus was afraid and grieved to death. We can only guess how Jesus must have felt when he was slandered by Peter and betrayed by Judas. In all of this, he always looked at his Heavenly Father and enjoyed communion with God. Early in the morning, he went up the mountain alone to pray. When the Holy Spirit filled Jesus, he was joyful. He exulted in the spirit. He found joy in the presence of God. He enjoyed serving people and fulfilling his mission.

If Jesus had always relied on his feeling, he would not have been able to carry out God’s plan, but since he was guided by the Spirit of God and looked at the will of the Father, he could make the right decisions.

“Father, if you want, take this cup from me; but not mine, but your will be done! ”Luke 22:42


We feel best when our thoughts agree with God’s will, when we test our thoughts against the Word of God.


“But if he comes, the spirit of truth, he will lead you into all the truth” John 16:13

“The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, kindness, faith, meekness, chastity”


The Holy Spirit gives faith and heals the emotional world. We are happy about things that make God happy and we are sad about everything that makes God sad.

Contrary to our feelings, God’s Word is constant. We can always rely on that.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
“… but the word of the Lord remains forever.” Matthew 24:35

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains forever.” Isaiah 40: 8


God’s truth never changes. We can choose to speak God’s thoughts about our life, our fellow human beings and our circumstances and to believe and trust His promises more than our feelings.



“For I know well what thoughts I have about you, saith the Lord: thoughts of peace and not of suffering that I may give you future and hope.”

We can allow our thoughts and feelings, identify them, bring them to God and live them out according to his will. God knows our heart and every thought.

“Explore me, God, and recognize my heart, test me and recognize my thoughts.
Show me if I am going wrong and lead me to eternal life. ”Psalm 139: 23-24

“Your instructions are my darling, they fill my heart with joy. I am determined to keep your orders until the end of my life. ”Psalm 119,111-112

“You should take your old life off like old clothes. Do not follow your passions that mislead you and destroy you. Let yourself change in your thinking and realign yourself internally. Attracts new life as you put on new clothes. You have now become new people, whom God himself created in his image. Let everyone know that you now belong to God and live the way you like it ”Ephesians 4: 22-24

Faith is not a feeling, but a decision.

“But faith is a firm confidence in what one hopes and no doubting in what one does not see” Hebrews 11: 1

We don’t have to follow our feelings, our feelings have to follow our beliefs.

Rely on the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your understanding, but remember him in all your ways, he will guide you properly. ”Proverbs 3: 5-6

“And the peace of God, which goes beyond all understanding, will keep your heart and your thoughts in Christ Jesus!” Philippians 4: 7

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A new creation

Lesedauer 3 Minuten

Getting rid of the past is not that easy. Each of us is influenced by our past. Experiences that we have made influence our behavior. We develop thought patterns and habits, both positive and negative. If the past catches up with us again and again, it can also be an enormous burden because it prevents us from living in the present and thinking our future. But how can we be free?

We read several times in the Bible that Jesus wants to free us and give us new life.

“But that means that whoever lives with Christ becomes a new person. He is no longer the same because his old life is over. A new life has begun! ”2 Corinthians 5:17

“Do not think of the past and do not pay attention to the previous! Because look, I want to create a new one, now it grows up, don’t you recognize it? I make a path in the desert and water flows in the wasteland. “Isaiah 43: 18-19

But how can that be, how can Jesus make us a new person from one moment to the next, erase the past?

I thought about it and reflected on how Jesus acted in my life. When I met Jesus, believed him and decided to live with him, I was freed from anxiety overnight and I can say that fear no longer affects my life today. In other areas of my life, I am in a process of change and learning, where I gradually let go of old thought structures that are not doing me good and let my thoughts be renewed by God.

“Let yourself change in your thinking and realign yourself internally. Put on new life as you put on new clothes ”Ephesians 4: 23–24

The renewal of our thoughts does not happen overnight, it is a lifelong process. I keep noticing that I fall back into old thought patterns that I have built up over the years. Step by step together with Jesus, I can collapse these walls of thought and choose God’s thoughts every day, express his good thoughts about my life.

With the decision for Christ I get a new identity. I am a child of God and his holy spirit dwells in me. I am spiritually a new person, washed clean before God. The Bible speaks of rebirth.

“Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you: If someone is not born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3: 3

“Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who after His great mercy reborn us to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”

“For everything that is born of God overcomes the world; and our faith is the victory that has overcome the world. ”1 John 5: 4

Because you are born again not from transitory, but from imperishable seed, namely from the living Word of God that remains there. 1. Peter 1,23

What is born of the flesh is flesh; and what is born of the spirit is spirit. John 3.6

So with Christ we are a new person and yet there is also our old person, our past and character, our old nature, who wants to influence our thoughts.

I like the verse in the letter to the Ephesians, which says that we should put on new life like new clothes. When we buy new clothes and hang them in our closet, we must decide what to wear every day. We can choose: Do we take an old dress or the new one? How difficult we often find it to dispose of our old clothes. And so it is also up to us to become aware of our new identity every day, to choose the new life that Christ has given us and to let go of the old one. The new life is a gift that we can accept.

When we choose new life, Jesus gives us a different perspective and strategies for how we can deal with our past. It changes our perspective. He can let work to our best everything that has happened to us in life, including the negative things , and in retrospect we recognize how bad experiences have made us grow and mature and what we have learned from them.

We know, however, that for those who love God, all things serve the best ”Romans 8:28

In this way we can reconcile ourselves with a difficult past, forgive ourselves and others and use the present to fill us with God’s thoughts and love, to look at his truths and promises and to entrust our future to his care.

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Refuel in god´s presence

Lesedauer 2 Minuten

Last Wednesday I wrote about the importance of goals in life, keeping your eyes on the goal and approaching it. In order to achieve our goal, we must not forget one thing: stop and refuel again and again, otherwise we will stop halfway. If we are traveling by car and want to reach our holiday destination, for example, we need a full tank and if the warning light comes on that we are on reserve, we have to fill up.
There are times in which i am driving with my reserve tank. If I want to achieve my goal through actionism by doing as much as possible, I notice how my batteries are draining, I feel tired and weak and I can’t get any further.
An athlete, for example, cannot constantly train hard, also needs breaks and regeneration, rest and a healthy diet so that his body can replenish nutrients.
Fatigue, lack of strength, lack of joy, depressed mood are warning signals for me and a sign that I am running on the back burner and that I have forgotten the most important thing: refuel.
Even in spiritual life there is a danger that we want to achieve our goals through as much effort and effort as possible and forget that it is primarily about our being and our relationship with God.
That is why our petrol stations are so important in life. Our petrol stations are stops that rebuild us and give us new energy.
What are your stations?
A good conversation
An encounter with friends
enough sleep
Move
healthy eating
music
nature
God has given us an oasis to refuel, which is there for all situations and for all people: in Psalm 36 we find it:


With you is the source of life and in your light we see the light. Psalm 36:10
With God I can refuel, rest in his presence and be filled.

There are always smaller or larger dry spells in life. Jesus offers me to come to him with my thirst, he gives me this water for free. I need this water of life not only in emergency situations, but every day in the smallest challenges of everyday life, because I am not perfect and I always do everything right. Jesus knows me with all my mistakes and weaknesses. He knows everything and in all of this gives me his unconditional love.
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said:

Come all to me who are tired and bear heavy burdens, I will give you rest.
John 4:14

But whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never be thirsty forever, but the water that I will give him will become in him a source of water that swells in eternal life


If we live from his strength and do not rely solely on our strength, he will lead us to the goal.


“He will bring you to your destination, give you strength and strength and ensure that you stand firm and secure” 1 Peter 5:10


Time with God, in his presence, reading the Bible – his word, renews our thoughts, gives us strength, strength, calm, peace and joy. Just as the battery is recharged every day for a cell phone, we can also recharge our batteries, recharge our batteries and let ourselves be fulfilled every day from our relationship with God.

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Goals

Lesedauer 3 Minuten

Having goals is important. In life we ​​always set ourselves new goals, big and small. Graduation, job, starting a family, sporting goals, building a house or apartment – buying – renting, climbing a mountain, eating healthy, etc. No matter what it is to set goals in all areas of our life gives us orientation and direction. Where do I want to go? What do I want to achieve? The goal is the guide. Focusing on a goal helps me not to be distracted, to stay tuned and to do everything possible to achieve it.

Above all, it motivates me to have a goal in view, because then I know exactly why I’m doing something. If a student has set the goal of learning a certain profession, he knows why he has to go to school and learn every day. If a runner has set himself the goal of running a marathon, he knows why he has to train hard. If I aim to be fit and in shape, I know why I should change my diet and move.

A clear goal in mind helps us to walk the path. This makes it easier for us to overcome difficulties and obstacles, our motivation is greater, we act in a goal-oriented manner. Desires and dreams increase our joy of life, aimlessness often leads to dissatisfaction.

In addition to the worldly goals that man sets, there is, however, a higher goal, an imperishable goal. God the Father, our Creator gives us this goal. Every person is created by God and has a purpose given by God, a specific purpose. God created us in his likeness and God is essentially a relationship. God is father, son and holy spirit, related to each other. This is how people are made for relationships.

“Even before the creation of the world in Christ, God made us out of love to be holy before him and freed us from guilt. From the beginning it was his unchanging plan to receive us through Jesus Christ as his children, and he had great joy in this decision ”Ephesians 1: 4

The goal is fellowship with God, that’s why we are in the world. Sin caused separation from God. Sin also means missing the target. Man turned from God and went his own way, pursued his own goals instead of living in his God-given destiny. Through Jesus, who accepted sin for us humans and paid for it with death on the cross, everyone has the opportunity to reconcile with God and to go towards the goal of communion with God. Paul describes this goal in the Philippians:

“It is clear to me that I have still not achieved all of this and that I am still not there. But I do everything I can to take it because I am touched by Jesus Christ. As I said, my dear brothers and sisters, I know exactly: I have not yet reached my goal. But one thing is certain: I want to forget what’s behind me and just look at the goal in front of me. I run with all my strength to win the victory price, life in God’s glory. Because God called us to do this through Jesus Christ. ”Philippians 3,12-14

God gave Paul a new goal in his life: a life in the loving presence of God. This allowed him to realign his life and live for the glory of God.

” With (Jesus) Christ the goal that the law is about has been reached: everyone who believes in him is declared righteous. “(The Bible, Romans 10: 4)

And so I can set my priorities again and again. Stop and realign my goals. Where do I want to go, what do I orientate myself to? Keep my eyes on Jesus and take off everything that would distract me from my goal. In the determination and for the goal to live for which I was created, my heart fills with an inner joy that nobody can take from me and that is not dependent on external circumstances,

“Always rejoice that you belong to the Lord. And once again I want to say it: rejoice! “Philippians 4: 4

and with a peace that the world does not know.

“God’s peace, which exceeds all our understanding, will keep your hearts and minds because you are connected with Jesus Christ” Philippians 4: 7

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God writes straight on crooked lines

Lesedauer 7 Minuten

We know, however, that for those who love God, all things serve the best, those who are called after His decision are Romans 8:28


Especially in difficult situations, we often do not know what God’s plan for our life looks like. We don’t understand the why or the how, but we can know that it guides us. We can trust that God knows the situation and sees the whole. We only see the small part we are in. God sees further and has an overview.

Corrie ten Boom: “Our life is like a huge carpet. He is constantly woven and worked on. Colors and threads are put together in a pattern. However, the problem is that we only see this carpet from the back. And he doesn’t look good there. The colors often do not match, the pattern does not seem to be right, there are some knots and threads hang everywhere. A carpet from the back: Nobody would put such a copy in the apartment.
Up to our death limit, we can only see our carpet of life from the back. But then, in the light of eternity, it becomes visible in reverse. And suddenly it falls from our eyes like scales: it is a colorful, wonderfully sensible pattern. The back may have confused us so much. All of a sudden, we have a whole that makes sense. “

For those who love God, all things work for the good. I think loving God means turning around, coming into his presence, trusting him, being guided by him, living in connection with him. Faith is about a relationship with God. That’s why we were created, fellowship with God is our core destiny. We can love God because He loved us first. His love is shown in Jesus, who accepted our guilt and gave us forgiveness by grace and reconciled with God. If we accept this gift for ourselves, we will love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength.

Without experiencing his love, our faith becomes a religion. Then it is only a matter of complying with commandments and rules in order to work out the love of God.

We cannot do this encounter with God ourselves, but we can search for it and ask for it and take time in everyday life to come into his presence.

If you look for me, you will find me; yes, if you earnestly and wholeheartedly ask for me, I will let you find me, ‘says Jeremiah 29, 13-14

I can only bend my knees before God, the Father, the Father of everything that is in heaven and on earth. I pray that he gives you the strength from his great wealth to become strong internally through his spirit. And I pray that Christ lives more and more in your hearts through faith and that you are firmly rooted in the love of God. So you can see the full extent of his love with all believers. And you can also see the love that Christ has for us; a love that is greater than you will ever understand (Ephesians 3: 14-19)

  Everyone has their own opportunities and experiences, which helps them to focus on God.

For me, faith has nothing to do with observing rules, cultivating religious traditions and duties, rather it is a relationship with God, the father. I am not dealing with a god you who looks down on me far away in heaven or whom I attend once a week in worship. I have experienced him as a living God who lives in my heart and is with me every day, in every everyday situation. A God who loves me unconditionally, who healed me and freed me from all guilt.

Every relationship needs care and nourishment in order to survive. It is no different in the relationship with God. Every day I make new decisions to live the relationship and to grow in it. I would like to share some points with you that help me to nurture and strengthen my faith.

For me, faith has nothing to do with observing rules, cultivating religious traditions and duties, rather it is a relationship with God, the father. I am not dealing with a god you who looks down on me far away in heaven or whom I attend once a week in worship. I have experienced him as a living God who lives in my heart and is with me every day, in every everyday situation. A God who loves me unconditionally, who healed me and freed me from all guilt.

Every relationship needs care and nourishment in order to survive. It is no different in the relationship with God. Every day I make new decisions to live the relationship and to grow in it. I would like to share some points with you that help me to nurture and strengthen my faith.

Quiet time with God and prayer: I take a certain amount of time a day in which I can be undisturbed and read the Bible and pray. God speaks to me through his word and fills my thoughts with love and truth.

“For just as the rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return there, but moisturize the earth and make it fertile and let it grow that it sows seeds and eat bread, so the word that comes from my mouth should also be: it will not come back to me empty, but will do what I like and he will succeed in what I send it to. Because you should move out in joy and be guided in peace ”. Isaiah 55.10
Walks with Jesus:

I particularly experience the presence of God in nature and creation. I am amazed at the diversity and beauty that God has created and come to rest. Creation testifies to the glory of God.

Praise: Praise is a very good opportunity for me to come into the presence of God. Praise is more than just music. Praise is communication with God. I praise and praise God for what he is and what he has done for us humans. I look away from worries and everyday life and turn to the glory and greatness of God. I adore.

My lips and my soul that you redeemed
should be happy and sing praises to you. Psalm 63, 4-5
Worship: Worship is important to me to receive teaching, but above all because of the community and the exchange with my brothers and sisters. The house circles, attending Christian events, women’s day weekends are always very constructive.

Because where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the middle of them. Matth. 18.20
Gratitude: To be thankful in every situation, to see the good even in difficult situations, helps me to keep the peace. There is always something I can be thankful for, even if what I might wish for does not always happen. What helps me is a prayer diary, in which I write down answers to prayer and experiences with God. So I still remember many things later that I would otherwise forget.

“Praise the LORD my soul, and what is in me, his holy name! Praise the LORD, my soul, and do not forget what he has done you good ”Psalm 103, 1-2
Serve, do good:
Giving is better than taking. ”(Acts 20:35)
If I can help someone with my money or the time I invest, it makes me happier and happier myself. If I can get involved in the community in what I enjoy, I benefit myself and keep learning.

Like a woven carpet (poem by Astrid v. Knebel Doeberitz):
Like a big carpet
this is how God the Father weaves my life.
Light and dark colors are in it
I ask for the meaning of some of the events. Sad, happy – joy and sorrow,
everything is there in His time.
I only see piecework, woven threads from below,
Corrie ten Boom felt that way years ago, comparing carpet and life, it doesn’t let me go,
I think it’s awesome, just great.
A rug from the bottom, it looks tangled
but God looks from above and makes good of it. One day we will see
why we just had to do it. Our thoughts can hardly believe
what God came up with for us.
So I confidently give my life in his hand,
he knows best what he wants to give. We will mature through need and difficulties,
not through human security.
For gratifying things, I can be all the more grateful
I am never alone in life, so when we can see his work from above,
it will be wonderful and not to be despised.
Every carpet is unique, incomparably beautiful –
it will consist of light and dark threads.
Then we will understand
why we had to do this right now so I don’t want to rely on myself anymore
but trust God’s love completely in Jesus Christ.
If I consider:
He himself gives us the greatest gift. All worries have passed in the glory of God
because eternity with him then started.

Without exception, everything works for the good: the bullying at work, the broken vase, the misplaced car key, the unexpectedly serious illness or the friendly help of our neighbor. Whatever we encounter. Amidst all human aberrations and errors, God has a plan, a good plan.

You can understand life backwards; but you have to live it forward.
We want to trust this truth and say about our life:

You are good and do good ”(Ps 119.68)


Examples from the Old Testament:
Source: www.bibelstudium.de

Joseph

Joseph was sold to Egypt by his brothers. There he became the second most powerful man, who years later also provided for his hungry brothers with care and a place to stay. When Jakob’s father died, the brothers feared that Joseph could take revenge. But Joseph said to them: “You had evil against me in mind; But God had in mind to do it well so that he would do as it is on that day to keep a great people alive ”(Gen. 50:20, 21). Joseph did not see the sin of his brothers, but thought of God’s good hand that worked behind everything. That gave him inner peace and strength to do good.

Job

When God gave Job to Himself and Satan’s hands, Job had very difficult hours (Job 1:12; 2: 6). Did he now complain that the devil had destroyed his life? No, he cried: “The LORD has given, and the LORD has taken, the name of the Lord is praised!” (Job 1:21). And he said to his wife: “We should accept the good from God, and should we not also accept the evil?” (Job 2:10). Job became aware that everything that had hit him had “passed” God himself. So at that moment he was able to praise God even in the greatest need.

Esther

The Book of Esther is the only Bible book in which God is not mentioned. But it is precisely there that it becomes clear how God works in secret. Unbelief sees a chain of coincidences in the history of the book of Esther, but the believer knows that God does everything for the good of his people: Vasti’s rejection and Esther’s election as wife of Ahasverus (Est 1 – 2); Mordokai’s discovery of an intrigue against the monarch (Est 2); Los Hamans, which “terminated” the annihilation of the Jews late in the year (Est 3); the great favor that Esther gained before the king (Est 4 – 5); the appropriate reading when the king could not sleep with Esther before the decisive second banquet (Est 6); the appearance of the proud Haman the next day (Est 6) … How the story went on is known. Evil Haman had to honor Mordokai and ended up hanging on the gallows that he had raised for Mordokai. Mordokai came in honor and the people of the Jews were given light and joy and bliss and honor. We can be sure that Mordokai and Esther saw God behind everything and thanked him with all their hearts.

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Main thing is healthy!?

Lesedauer 5 Minuten

Health definition:

The most well-known definition of health was described by the World Health Organization (WHO): “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not just the absence of illness and ailments.”

At the same time, there are various other definitions of health. Here are a few examples:

• According to T. Parson (medical sociologist): “Health is a state of optimal performance of an individual, for the effective fulfillment of the roles and tasks for which it has been socialized (socialization = process of classification into society, adoption of norms and values).”

• Hurrelmann (1990) defines health as: “State of the objective and subjective state of being of a person, which is given when this person is in the physical, psychological and social areas of their development in accordance with their own possibilities and goals and the given external Living conditions. “

• “Health is a problem-solving and emotional regulation ability that maintains or restores a positive mental and physical condition – especially positive self-esteem – and a supportive network of social relationships.”

Health is very important and is the greatest good for many people. “The main thing is healthy”, “Stay healthy”, “Health is the most important thing” are statements that you hear often, for example when a child is born, at birthday parties or in the current corona crisis.

But is health really the main thing? Let’s say a group of people is sitting together and these statements are heard by someone who is not healthy. How will this person feel? The main thing is missing, so to speak. Then what is his life worth, what is the meaning of it? At that moment, the person affected will probably feel inferior.

In the Bible, in the Gospels, we read about many of the healings that Jesus did. We can read a story from the Gospel of Mark that showed me what it really is about in chapters 2.1-12:

Jesus heals a paralytic

 A few days later, Jesus returned to Capernaum. The news of his arrival quickly spread across the city. [1] 2 It wasn’t long before the house in which he lived was overcrowded with visitors, so that no one had more space, not even outside the door. And he announced God’s word to them. 3 There came four men carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn’t get through the crowd to Jesus, so they covered the roof over him. Then they let the patient down on his mat through the opening. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man: “My son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some scribes who sat there thought: 7 “How can he say such a thing? It’s blasphemy! Only God alone can forgive sins! ”8 Jesus knew what was going on in them and said,“ Why do you have such thoughts in your heart? 9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed: Your sins are forgiven or stand up, take your mat and go? 10 I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority to forgive sins on earth. “And he turned to the paralyzed man and said to him: 11” Get up, take your mat and go home, because you are healed ! ”12 The man jumped up, picked up the mat, and made his way through the astonished crowd. Then they all praised God. “We have never seen anything like it!” They cried.

The man in the story was paralyzed and therefore limited, he was not capable, he couldn’t do many things. Was he missing the main thing? He was sick, but he had something that is more important. He had relationships. He had four friends, very good friends. He is not alone. They bring him to Jesus because they knew that only Jesus could heal. They overcome all obstacles and cannot be stopped by the crowd, they find a way to Jesus. They had a strong belief. Wonderful when you have friends like that.

What did Jesus do when he had the paralyzed in front of him? He saw the faith of the paralyzed friends. Jesus did not immediately cure the illness, the physical impairment of the paralyzed. The first thing Jesus did was to forgive his sin. Sin means separation from God, and thus forgiveness restored the relationship between God and the paralyzed. Much more important than illness or health is the question of being or not being healthy for Jesus. Reconciliation with God heals the paralytic again, even though his physical symptoms are still there. The fellowship with God is restored and there is nothing left to separate the paralyzed from God’s love. Not even illness or death. Sickness and death came into our world through sin, but Jesus died on the cross for human sin and we are healed through his wounds, even if there is still sickness and sin. Belief in his work of salvation frees us. Sickness and death can no longer harm us, we know that we will remain connected to God forever. For God, health is not the main thing, he wants healthy people who have a relationship with him. Knowing that you are loved unconditionally, that you recognize him, that you are saved makes a person’s life valuable and meaningful, whether healthy or sick.

In the end, Jesus frees the paralytic from his illness, he works a miracle and heals him. So he made him whole healthy. We can expect everything from Jesus, he has the power to forgive and heal sins. In any case, we experience salvation when we encounter Jesus, even when we encounter illness and suffering, his presence makes us salvation. We don’t have to be afraid of sickness, even if sickness hits us and we die in the worst case, we have the certainty that we will be in communion with God forever, what could be more important?

I would like to give you the life of Nick Vujicic from Australia as an example. He was born without arms and legs. He struggled with his identity until adolescence and wanted to commit suicide several times. An encounter with God changed everything and healed him. Not in the sense that he healed him physically, but the relationship with God means much more to him than health. Nick Vujicic says:

“A miracle revealed God’s strength in my weakness. Because it is more powerful to see a man with arms and legs smile than someone who has been miraculously healed. ”

“If God would give me the choice to be born without arms and legs to save even one soul, I would say: Do it!”

Nick Vujicic leads a deeply grateful, happy and meaningful life today and has become a blessing for many people through his lectures in which he tells of his life and about God.

In conclusion, I would like to summarize again: Not the main thing is healthy, but

The main thing is to be loved and to love
The main thing is to be reconciled with God
The main thing is being in a relationship with God
The main thing is being safe

And importantly, when we know God, when we are reconciled with him and live in a relationship, when we are saved, do not let us forget our friends. Let us become like the friends of the paralyzed who lead their friend to Jesus. In our environment there are many people who do not know Jesus, who do not know the way to him, people who can no longer believe due to bad experiences or who think that they do not need God. But they also need healing and Jesus can heal them. We can pray for them, tell about Jesus and bring them to Jesus.

“Because before you were dead because of your guilt and because your old self determined you [2]. But God made you alive with Christ. He has forgiven us all ”Colossians 2:13

“I am convinced that nothing can separate us from his love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor powers, neither our fears in the present nor our worries about the future [8], not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 And if we were high above the sky or if we were in the deepest depths of the ocean [9], nothing and nobody in all of creation can separate us from the love of God that appeared in Christ Jesus our Lord. ”Romans 8 , 38-39

“On his own body, he carried our sins up to the cross so that we are dead for sin and can live for justice. You have been healed through his wounds! ”1 Peter 2:24

“He will wipe away all her tears, and there will be no death, no grief, no crying, no pain. Because the first world with all its calamity has passed forever. ”“ Revelation 21: 4

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Pour out the heart

Lesedauer 2 Minuten

The heart is considered the seat of emotions and mind. Whoever opens it gives others access to his feelings and thoughts and lets them participate, which is also a sign of the affection and trust that he show in them. For example, when we pour our hearts out to a friend or spouse, we share our emotions, our worries, our problems, we tell what moves us, what depresses us. We only pour our hearts out to people who are very close to us, whom we trust and with whom we have a good relationship.

Being able to trust someone helps us to feel better afterwards, it frees us and gives us a different perspective. We feel relieved and no longer moody, we can give negative thoughts and let go, it’s good for us.

There is someone we can come to at any time, who knows us best and whom we can always trust. It is our Heavenly Father who is just waiting for us as his children to come to him in prayer and tell him everything that moves us. He always listens and he always has time for us. He doesn’t want us to complain with emotions and burdens that don’t do us good and depress us if we drag them around with us for too long. Everything that burdens us – fears, worries, feelings of guilt, sadness, dissatisfaction, loneliness, doubts etc. – we can bring and give him away in prayer and receive his peace and quiet.

“Come to me, all of you who are tired and bear heavy burdens, I want to give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

God frees us and gives us ease, good thoughts and a different perspective.

It is good if we keep pouring our hearts out in front of him and let ourselves be cleaned by him so that we can protect and preserve our hearts. We often cannot avoid negative things from entering our hearts through difficulties, circumstances, through what we hear and experience, but we have to take care to keep our hearts and to always dispose of everything that should not be in it with God’s help .

“Above all, keep your heart safe, because your heart influences your whole life” Proverbs 4:23

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God loves us first

Lesedauer 3 Minuten

Last week during my quiet time with God I came across the above verse in the picture from Jeremiah chapter 31. This verse appealed to me and touched me very much. While reading I felt the heart of God and his great love for us humans. A love that is so much bigger than we can ever imagine, a love that always comes before us, a love that was always there, a love that is not linked to conditions. God’s love is an undeserved love that we cannot earn through our own efforts or good deeds and works. God has always loved us and He will always love us despite our mistakes and weaknesses. Our behavior does not change his love.

Throughout chapter 31 of Jeremiah I recognize God’s love for his people, his longing for people and his desire for community and relationship, he wants to draw people to himself. Despite all sins and despite the fact that people have turned away from God, he wants to be merciful and forgive. He is just waiting for them to turn around, recognize him and turn to him and ask for forgiveness. God wants to make a new covenant with his people by writing the law in their hearts and filling them with the Holy Spirit. This new covenant applies not only to the people of Israel, but to everyone who lives in a personal relationship with God. Jeremiah’s prophecies refer to Jesus Christ, through him we have a new beginning and reconciliation with God. With Jesus the new covenant of God began with us humans.

God fights for the love of every single person, because his nature is love, he is love himself. Looking back at my life so far, I can see traces of God’s love everywhere, it was always there, from the beginning. God first loved me without doing anything for it. Even in the times when I moved away from him, lived without him, I was not aware of his presence, he was there and searched for me and pulled me out of sheer kindness. When I didn’t recognize him, he already saw and knew me. Recognizing and meeting God’s love is the greatest gift in my life, I was able to experience how valuable I am to God and how unconditional His love is. His love for me is so great that he gave his life so that I can have access to my father again and that there is no longer any separation. He took sin (= separation from God) for me and for every person who accepts this gift of grace.

God’s love changes hearts. Because he loves us so much, we want to love too. He gives us the will to pass on his love to our fellow human beings. It gives us the strength to forgive. He gives us his view of people and circumstances. Because we are loved, we want to do good, be generous and compassionate. Because God loves us, we want to love him and live according to his will. Because God loves us we want to please him. Because God loves us, we are valuable.

“Dear Ones, let us love one another; for love is from God, and whoever loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love ”1 John 4: 7-8

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be reconciling for our sins. Beloved, if God loved us so, we should also love each other. Nobody has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfect in us ”1 John 4: 10-12

“Let us love, because he loved us first” 1 John 4:19

“Because Christ died for us at the time when we were still weak. Now hardly anyone dies for the sake of a just one; maybe for the sake of good he dares his life. But God shows his love for us in the fact that Christ died for us when we were still sinners ”Romans 5: 6-8

“But God, who is rich in mercy, in his great love with whom he loved us, also made us who were dead in sins alive with Christ – you are saved by grace – and he has brought us along raised and engaged in heaven in Christ Jesus so that in the coming times he would show the exuberant wealth of his grace through his goodness towards us in Christ Jesus. Because by grace you are saved by faith, and not from you: it is God’s gift, not from works, so that no one can boast. Because we are his work, created in Christ Jesus for good works that God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in it. ”Ephesians 2: 4-10