Jimmie Aaron Kepler's Blog: Jimmie Aaron Kepler, Ed.D., page 97

Hanging On: A Biblical Alternative

[image error] Hang On

Hang On

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. — 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)

Is life getting you down? Do you feel like you’re at the end of your rope? Here are seven Biblical principles on how to hang on when you feel like you’re at the end of your rope.

Principle One: I must not forget God loves me.

Don’t lose heart! – Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. — 2 Corinthians 4:1 (NIV)


I am what I am – But by the grace of God I am what I am, … — 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)


It’s not who we are. It’s whose we are! – Remember our performance does not give us our worth.


God’s grace gives us the power to start over. – Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. — Romans 8:37 (NIV)

Principle Two: I must keep a clear conscience.

Renounce secret and shameful ways. — Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. — 2 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV)
We must have integrity. — The integrity of the upright guides them,

but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. Proverbs 11:3 (NIV)
We must have character. — For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Luke 8:17 (NIV)
There are no “secret sins.” God sees and knows everything. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. — 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

Principle Three: It is not about me.

Do not preach ourselves — For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. — 2 Corinthians 4:5 (NIV)
Your ego will only take you so far. —  Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall. — Proverbs 16:18 (TLB)

Principle Four: I can’t do it all.

Power is from God — But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. — 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV)
We must pace ourselves. Life is a journey, not a sprint. — Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. — Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Principle Five: Love, love, love.

Thanksgiving to overflow — All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. — 2 Corinthians 4:15 (NIV)

Principle Six: Take time to refresh, renew, and revive.

Do not lose heart — Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. — 2 Corinthians 4:16 (NIV)

Principle Seven: I must keep my eye on the goal.

Fix our eyes on what is unseen — For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. — 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NIV)

Remember — You cannot create if you don’t face your troubles and hang on until you reach your goal.

If You’re a Caregiver, God’s Grace is Enough

Part of learning to care for a loved one with a chronic illness is learning that God’s grace is enough.

Today’s Bible Verse:

2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV), “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

What the Verse Means:

Suffering uncovers your heart’s weaknesses so that Christ is your strength.

Praying Using the Verse:

Heavenly Father, help us to cry out to You in our weakness and claim Your promise the Your grace is sufficient for us, for Your power is made perfect in weakness.”  
Thank you, Lord, for providing your sufficient grace.
Teach us how to boast all the more gladly of our weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon us. We don’t understand how but trust in you for our power to be made perfect in weakness.
We ask for strength daily. Give us the grace we need and we pray the power of Christ to rest upon us. The only boasting we will do is to acknowledge our weakness and your sufficiency.

Remember, if you’re a caregiver there is hope. The hope for the caregiver is Jesus Christ.

Photo Source: Pixaby

 

If You’re a Caregiver, Don’t Lose Heart

[image error]Don’t Lose Heart

When caring for someone with a chronic illness do not lose heart. We know that illness and disease can and ultimately will destroy the body. While our loved one’s body ages and suffers from diseases, we need to renew our spiritual side daily.

In today’s verse, God simply is pointing out we should view all earthly adversity in comparison with our future heavenly glory. When we do this, we should be strengthened to endure our earthly trials.

Today’s Bible Verse

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (KJV), “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

What the Verse Means

While our bodies (outward man) grow old and suffer from diseases our spiritual side (inward man) is renewed daily. Too often we only focus on the things we see in this present life. We need to also focus on the spiritual, that is the things that are not seen but given to us by God as a future promise. these are only seen with our “spiritual eyes.” It takes faith. A part of faith is believing that what God has promised he will certainly bring to pass. I believe.

Praying Using the Verses

1. Heavenly Father, help us to focus on you and not lose heart.

2. Lord Jesus, while our outward body is perishing, yet our inward man or body is being renewed daily.

3. God, we realize the chronic illness we are facing won’t last forever but is working in us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

4. Lord God, help us to not look at our circumstances which are temporary but to look at the things that are not now seen, but eternal.

Remember, as a caregiver we have hope. The hope for the caregiver is Jesus Christ.

Photo Source: Pixaby

I Believed I Could Fly

                                                            Superman
Greenville, South Carolina

In 1956, my father returned from a one-year tour of duty in Turkey. Our family moved to Greenville, South Carolina. The United States Air Force stationed dad at Donaldson Air Force Base, a C-124 airfield that emphasized air transport and called itself the “Airlift Capital of the World”.

My first memories are from living at 201 Maco Terrace in Greenville from 1956 – 1958. That was also the first house my parents owned.

Faster than a speeding bullet!

My favorite TV show during those days was Superman. Superman always began, “Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! Look, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superman! … He fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way!”

In 1956 and 1957 I would run around the house with a towel for a cape and wearing only a t-shirt and my tighty whities pretending I was Superman. I would have my arms stretched out in front of me, my head down as I was flying around the living room and kitchen.

I would try to fly.

One evening I decided I would try to fly. I got on the couch, then used the arm of the sofa as a step before I was standing on the top back of the sofa. Suddenly, with arms outstretched I jumped toward the television.

Instead of flying, I feel like a rock. My forehead found the corner of the coffee table. I didn’t fly but instead received a big cut.

The emergency room

We had to get in the car and drive to the emergency room at Donaldson Air Force Base. The wound was so severe that even with my mother holding a washcloth and applying pressure on it, blood was flowing from my forehead into my eyes where I couldn’t see.

I asked my mother if they would get me a seeing-eye dog if I went blind. Suddenly, the laughter filled the car. My parents were laughing at me.

Fifteen stitches

The doctor also chuckled as I received the fifteen stitches to stop the bleeding as mother retold the story. I have heard the seeing-eye dog story for over fifty years. I last heard my mother tell the story on my sixty-first birthday. She was in the hospital and shared the remembrance with the nurses. Sadly she passed three weeks later.

The happy ending was I got stitches, didn’t go blind, learned I couldn’t fly, and learned my mother had a great memory.

Growing up a military brat was a never-ending adventure.