Everyday Kingdom
What if the Kingdom of God wasn't just for Sundays - but for every moment of your life?
Everyday Kingdom is where deep biblical truth meets real-world living. Hosted by Kaleb and Rafael, this show unpacks Scripture, explores powerful God-stories, and breaks down big spiritual concepts into practical steps you can live out right now.
From understanding how God speaks, to seeing Jesus in the Old Testament, to finding faith when life is hard, each episode will inspire, challenge, and equip you to walk out your faith with authenticity and courage.
Whether you're a seasoned believer, new to following Jesus, or just curious about Christianity, you'll find honest conversations, relatable stories, and practical wisdom to help you experience the reality of God's Kingdom...every...single...day.
Everyday Kingdom
84. How Do I Stop Spiraling?
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In this episode, the crew talks about breaking the spiral
And welcome back to another episode of the Everyday Kingdom podcast. I'm Caleb, and I'm here once again with Me Familia. It's very sunny today. It is sunny today. Ralph, I like the hat, man. He's rocking it. You're roughing it, bruh. You're rocking that hat. I like it. Uh and Miriam, of course, looking wonderful as always. Radiant and ready to rock and roll.
SPEAKER_01Yes, sure.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, sure. Actually, today's podcast is brought to you by Pastor Miriam Flo. Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01Does that mean I have to start in a I guess so? Okay. So let's get right to it. We're just gonna go right in here. So lend me your ears. Yeah. That's why I was thinking that. So we're gonna talk about something today that um affects every person, not only in this room, but across the globe. And I'm trying to figure out I was trying to figure out where to start. And I I was thought, where when you're stuck? What do I do when I'm stuck?
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01If I'm stuck with a problem, if I'm stuck with an issue that just keeps seeming to come back over and over and over again. And I feel like I just sit there in my own head, yeah, and I'm stuck there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So what where do I go? What do I do?
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_01So you and I were having a conversation yesterday. We were talking about this. And um I I said, you know, well, well, first you just have to figure out, okay, what's going on? I have to examine it. So um we have to we have to take we have to take what we have and look at, okay, what's the issue? What am I dealing with here? You know, what's going around in my head? Why does this keep coming back to this same thought pattern or whatever? Why do I keep thinking that Pastor Caleb hates me? You know, because he does. No, because he does. But you know, like you, okay, so you you and I have worked together a really long time, right? Yes. So we have like what 12 years? 26 minus 14. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, 12 years. So that's a long time.
SPEAKER_03Almost a teenager. What's that about?
SPEAKER_01Hello. So we've worked together a long time.
SPEAKER_00So sorry. That's right.
SPEAKER_01And and so, you know, I, you know, have seen you respond to lots of things and respond to me in in different ways. And and we've had conversations about, you know, like, did you mean this when you said this and that? But I could very easily take one little thing and I I could get stuck there with like, oh my gosh, he thinks I'm an idiot. He he thinks literally, I remember thinking this one time, and I was like, why do I even think about this? But like we were doing something in the Life Center. I don't even know what it was. We're cleaning something, and I was like, he thinks I don't know how to clean stuff. Like, literally had that thought. And and I'm thinking, why one, why do I care what he thinks I can do? I can do lots of things. And second, but but that type of thing, my point is, I'll stop rambling. My point is that we can take one little thing and just he thinks that I can't clean good. That must mean he thinks I'm an idiot. He probably doesn't even like me. He probably why does he even want to work with me? Why do I why do why am I even doing this? Am I even called to be a pastor? Why do I even work at the church? I mean, it's very easy.
SPEAKER_03Welcome to the spiral. Right. Ticket for one.
SPEAKER_01Right. So we can take that and just go straight down. And it's very, very easy to be stuck there. And I'm not trying to minimize that place because it it can it can feel really debilitating and it can feel um paralyzing. Yeah. Um but that's not who we are.
SPEAKER_03Uh you know, and I I think that that's I mean, I I'm I'm pretty sure that the majority of us can say we found ourselves in a spiral place before. Yeah. You know, I know I certainly have. Ralph, I'm sure you've probably found yourself in a spiraling place. I I I think that's part of our part of the human condition is is to take uh one thing and then make it two things to make it ten things. You know, it's it's the proverbial making a mountain out of a molehill kind of a situation. Um but that's the the that is not an uncommon situation to find yourself in.
SPEAKER_01And when you're there, it's really easy to block out everything else. Yeah. Your vision becomes very narrow and very tunneled, and all I can hear is my own voice. Right. So I stop listening to the voice of my father who has only good things to say, right? Who has only things that offer hope to my life, who has only, you know, you know how to clean. You know how to clean. You can do this. I'm I feel like that's not a good example, but anyway. Um, so but I it's really easy to stop listening. So what do we do when we're stuck in that place?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's a good question. I I think a lot of people are maybe asking something like that, you know, if you find yourself in that spiral or in that space, how do I get out of that? I know one of the one of the really loud voices at that time can be shame. Yes, because you especially if you've dealt with that before, you know, like you you feel like, man, why am I here again? Like, what is that about? Why why do I keep coming back to this space? I thought I dealt with that.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_03You know, I thought I was past that. I thought I was more mature than the other. I've even addressed it with the person and I thought we're not.
SPEAKER_01Right, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Right. I know better. And and that then that that internal monologue becomes really loud.
SPEAKER_01And I can't bring it up again.
SPEAKER_03Right. Because why am I in this place? Yeah, I should be able to do that.
SPEAKER_01Why am I still I should be past this? Why am I still struggling with this?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. And and so I think it's if we can have maybe some tools to help us to navigate that kind of a time, I think that would be useful. Uh, and it's at least you know, some things that we can talk about that maybe have helped us in those times. Because it like I said, I feel like we all have found ourselves there. Ralph, what about you? Like it what are your thoughts on that? Have you ever found yourself in a spiral?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean plenty of times, and usually how I just get out of it is getting out of my emotions, thinking about things logically and going to the next step. And then as I've made the plan do it and see where it goes from there, re-examine, you know, repeat, you know.
SPEAKER_01Says the mail. It says the mail. Well, actually, you know what?
SPEAKER_03What you said is actually a um is a very useful tool, and and it has to do with your emotions because your emotions are so powerful and they're so wonderful too. They're really good things. It it's I think sometimes we get into the space where we think that emotions aren't okay to have. Emotions are okay to have. What when it becomes uh not okay is when emotions become the lead for how we live our lives. You know, God gave us emotions for a reason, and and all they are are just chemical reactions inside of our bodies. And so in Jesus, he had emotions, right? He wept, he, he, he had compassion, he had like all of these things come from the emotional state within us. Yet Jesus wasn't led by his emotions as far as they were not the determining factor of his life. His the determining factor of his life was listening to his father. You know, he he only I only do what uh seen the father do, and I only say what I've heard the father say, and you know, not my will but yours be done kind of stuff, you know. So I think like if that was Jesus' model, then it's probably a good model for us as well. And uh you and I were talking yesterday a little bit, Miriam, uh, and and you came up with this uh acronym that I thought was was super helpful for a time like this when you're in a spiral. Would you mind to share that?
SPEAKER_01Sure, sure, sure. And that's why I said in the beginning, glimmer your ears, because the acronym is E-A-R. It's ear. And I love what I hear you. I love what you said about I only do what I hear my father saying.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Because when you're in that spiral, like I said, all sometimes the only voice you can you're listening to is yourself.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And so the first, the letter E stands for examine. And we have to examine what is going on. And you know, like you were talking about emotions, so I think E can help us remember wait, is this an emotional trigger? Just some, is this my body responding to something that's going on? So you can even start in that place. Cause I think a lot of people as they're getting healthy think, oh, it's okay for me to have this emotion, but I can't feel it. You know, like I, oh, I'm angry, but I'm not gonna feel angry. Yeah. So they don't even sit in that for a second. Right. But I think it's really important to take a minute and be like, okay, what am I feeling right now? Okay, this is really sad, or this is really scary, or this is really really angers me, and then to feel that emotion. So I'm examining, okay, now why?
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_01Or even better than why, because sometimes I think the why is what gets us stuck in that spiral of why I don't deserve this. And then you're sitting like a child, you know, like, tell me why, I gotta know. And then you get fixated on that. So maybe instead of why, you say, okay, what can I do to get bring myself back to center on this and and not be so deeply sad about this? And and so you examine what is the issue, but then you move it on to the next step, which is A, which is assess, and I'm gonna assess my resources. Okay, I'm really sad. Okay, the the word of God, which is a resource for us, the Bible says that Father, that Jesus, God is near to the brokenhearted, right? Yeah. So, Father, help me feel you near right now. So I'm gonna assess that's a resource that I have is your presence. But if I don't recognize that presence, I'm gonna continue feeling like he's far away. So, number one, recognize that he's here with me. Yeah, you know, and then also while I'm assessing, who do I know that I can call who can help me right now, that I'm not gonna be ashamed of saying, I'm dealing with this again. Right. You know, or even if I am that I know that even if I feel ashamed or feel shamed, they're not going to shame me. Right. You know, who do I have in my life that can help me with that? So assess your resources, or like I was saying to you before, sometimes I get, I feel really, I don't know, like I'm sad or whatever. And but I know that if I take a walk or if I exercise, I'm gonna feel better.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So that's a resource that I have, is my body can move.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I can go move. And then the last letter is R, which is respond. So at that point I say, okay, I can I can call my friend and she'll go for a walk with me or whatever, and we can talk and they'll pray with me and we'll get and I and that will help. You know, too often we choose, no, I'm gonna just sit in this.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_01Instead of taking the next step, like Ralph said, to respond, to actually do it and then rinse repeat. You know, I'm gonna examine it, I'm gonna assess what my resources are, and then I'm gonna respond. I'm not just gonna sit in the assessment or sit in the examination because it's easy stuck there.
SPEAKER_03Right. But each each stage is is valuable.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03And each stage carries uh weight and importance. I I think uh you mentioned a couple things there that you know sometimes people are afraid to sit in it. And and I think that there is value found in being able to sit in the examination room. You know, that's the examination room is is is where you discover things.
SPEAKER_01It's it's information. It's information. It's information.
SPEAKER_03I'm giving you information. And um just because you have information about something does not mean that you have to sign it assign an emotional value to it.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_03If I can just view it as this is information, like this is what is happening. Uh you might be ha you might be dealing with some emotions. You might be dealing, like you said, maybe with anger. Um or you might be dealing with uh sadness. And the examination room will will will will recognize these are the symptoms, because that's what the emotions are. The emotions are symptoms, emotions don't just happen, they happen because of something.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_03And so it's these are the symptoms. Let's examine what's going on inside of you, you know. And so in that examination stage, it's you know, it's search my heart, oh God. It's it's saying, okay, Lord, why? And and this is where it is okay to ask a why question, or you could even phrase it as a what question. It's the the what question could be bad.
SPEAKER_01I don't want to eat that. I know, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Okay, the what question could be what is causing this? That's really what you're asking. Yeah, you know, it's it's you're you're talking about the difference between like, why do I have to go through this versus what is going on right now?
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And so why am I feeling this? What is that? It's okay to ask those types of questions, certainly. Um, but in the examin room, in the examination room or in the in the exam process, that's exactly what's happening, is you're saying, why am I feeling angry? What is causing this sadness in my life? So you're examining it and you kind of take the emotion, you just set it off to the side for a second. And I think that's kind of what you were talking about, Raphael, is getting when talking about getting out of the emotion. It's like I'm setting it off to the side so that I can maybe see a little bit more clearly what is going on. Because if I can't figure out what's going on, it's gonna be hard to uh then assess the resources or uh to then respond to it as well. And so the examination stage is is not a bad stage for people, but the problem happens when you just begin to sit in it forever and ever and ever. And you and you there there's no movement then towards anything. Yeah, you just that's what it feels like.
SPEAKER_02It's like ee this hurts. I don't like it. This is rough.
SPEAKER_00With me personally, I can go about examining in two different ways. One is healthy, one is manipulation. If I sit too much in one place and think about how somebody views me, or what I can better do to serve somebody, then I'll manipulate myself to do many different things to look good in this person's eyes. Right. Or if I think they thought something bad about me, sometimes I'll present my way in in a way to try to help guard myself and try to make the person feel so much more comfortable, but ultimately sometimes that actually makes people feel more uncomfortable. And so because I I notice micro movements on people's faces, their their actions, and it's very like pre like present with me. And like sometimes I'll see people in a room and not really wanting to, and I'll just immediately I can in the natural I can read somebody's emotions or or meet read their eye movements or whatever, and I'm really not trying to. And then there's also the spiritual aspect of that, right? So do not let the examine become a place of examining from the flesh.
SPEAKER_03That's a good, that's a good word. Yeah, that's a really good word. Because and because from a from a psychological aspect, the majority of the time when and Miriam and you and I have had this conversation many times, the majority of the time when somebody becomes hyper um hypocritical in their examination of people, uh, it's because they've had a place of trauma in their own life at some point in time. So what happens is they become hyper-vigilant, so they begin to see things more a lot of times they see things that aren't there. They put things because they're looking from the flesh lens from their experience. Like what I've experienced in the past, you know, then uh most of the time when you see someone who is incredibly hyper-vigilant uh when it comes to facial and and and and and microexpressions and those types of things, it's because they've dealt with they've experienced something in the past and and they haven't been able to um necessarily heal from that. And so it ends up taking them to a place where they start examining from the flesh, versus you can have others who have learned how to read micro um uh movements uh because they know I'm looking for something in someone and I want to make sure that I read you well and and understand you well and I'm communicating well. And so one of those is is being dealt with, you know, because of the flesh and what their past experiences. And the other one is saying I want to uh soulfully connect with you well and communicate with you well, you know, and so uh a lot of people uh end up in that space because of what has happened to them in the past. And what you're saying, Ralph, I think is so powerful is to say, okay, let's make sure that the examination that we're we're we're walking through is not because of a past traumatic experience, but it and not done through our own flesh, but it's done through the spirit and the in the word of God. You know, all these things you can take it and and make it a a humanitarian effort, like a a humanistic effort uh to examine and to assess and to respond. Right? All three of those things can be done humanistically, but we're talking about doing it through the lens of God, through the lens of Christ, and through, like you said, Miriam, hearing our father.
SPEAKER_01Well, I was like, that's specifically why I wanted to make it ear.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_01You know, because I I thought I want us to always remember um who am I listening to? You have to know who you're listening to. Yeah, whose voice am I hearing? Do I know the voice of my father?
SPEAKER_02Right, you know, right?
SPEAKER_01I it says that my sheep know my voice, and and another they will not follow. Right, right. So if I believe that, then I'm gonna say, wait a second, that's not him. Let me follow him. And you know, let me hear listen for him.
SPEAKER_03What happens when you find yourself with multiple voices? You know, James tells us that a double man double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways. If you find yourself living your life and you feel unstable, it's likely because there are two voices competing in your life and and and you are wrestling with which one am I listening to? Is it the voice of my father or is it my own voice? Is it the voice of the enemy? Is it the voice of a friend? Is it the voice of an accuser? Is it a voice like and so it's it be makes you the ground that you walk on unstable? You know, it makes your mental uh space unstable because you're double-minded. And and so I think that's why Jesus talks about, you know, keeping your eye single.
unknownYes.
SPEAKER_03Uh, and and when your eye is single, your whole body is flooded with light. Yes, you know, that that when my eye is singly singularly focused on him and I'm listening solely to him and his word and his voice, what he has to say about me, now all of a sudden my whole body is filled and flooded with light. I'm not double-minded, so I'm not unstable. I'm walking steadily upon the rock, which is the word of God and and and him, himself, he himself. And so I think that's for uh for for for all of us, I think that's why it is so critical to to know what our father says about us, to know what his word is, because if I don't know it, then I'm more likely to become unstable. Right. Because there's going to be competing voices.
SPEAKER_01And just because we hear those voices doesn't make you unstable. It's the hearing and following hearing, it's it's the back and forth and all of that. It's like, wait a second, wait, I heard that, but I recognize that that's not him.
SPEAKER_03That's exactly right. Because Paul actually literally confronts that by saying, take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. He's saying that you are going to deal with these things on a regular basis. There's going to be thought bombs that come in and and and things that will try to sway you from hearing the voice of your father and from walking that out. And he's saying what you get to do in that moment is to take that thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. Meaning, take that thought prisoner and make it prisoner to Christ and say, No, you are going to obey what Father says about me, what Jesus has said about me, what the truth and the word of God says about me. This is who I am. I'm filled with joy. I have complete and total peace in him. I'm filled with life, I'm filled with light, I am an overcomer. I'm more than a conqueror. I'm a king and a priest. I'm a chosen generation, I'm a royal priesthood. Like this is who you say that I am. And so if there's something that's contrary, that's speaking to me, that even may sound like my voice, then I get to take that thing captive and say, no, this is what Father says. Even if I'm not feeling it with my emotions, I'm gonna take it captive. And I'm gonna say, no, this is what he says. And so that's the that's that's why it's different from a humanistic perspective versus just an examination and an assessment. And I think let's let's transition to that for a second, like because the word examine and assess are very similar.
SPEAKER_04Yes. Right?
SPEAKER_03I'm examining something, I'm assessing something. What like the what what is the difference? Maybe you're listening, you're thinking, what's the difference between examining and assessing? You know, and examining or examining something is is evaluating it.
SPEAKER_01It's almost more critical.
SPEAKER_03It's critical, it's thinking, yes, it's critical. It's it's not necessarily making a decision or a movement. It is an exam, it is an assessment, essentially, or not an assessment, but a an evaluation of what's going on. But then assessing it implies that we're now adding a judgment to it as well. Um I'm I'm saying, okay, there's gonna be an uh a solution and an activity that's gonna accompany the examination.
SPEAKER_00Can we uh put this to an example? For example, um a car breaking down. There's a flat tire, okay? Examine. What's wrong with the car? Why why am I stopped?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Here's a flat tire.
SPEAKER_03Yep.
SPEAKER_00Okay. The assessment is I need to either air it up, right? Yep. Or call somebody to bring me a pump if I don't have a pump. Right. I I gotta get to the resource. Right. Or change it. Or change the tire. Yeah, replace it all together. So whatever I gotta do, right, you know, I'm I'm assessing, okay, do I got a pump in in the car? Yeah. Plug plug the pump in, air it up. Okay, now. Now let's get to a tire shop. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03That's a great example. Yeah, it is. It's a really great example to be and then because then the last thing is then respond. Yeah. Now we're going to actually go do something about it, you know? And so it's it's it's examining it. It's saying, hey, I've got a flat tire. What's what's the problem? We got a flat tire. Okay. Then the assessment is what are my options? What are the resources available to me? Because you might have a spare in the trunk, but you might not. You may have uh a jack in the trunk so you can jack it up and and change it. You you may have an actual uh um air compressor, like a like a little mini pump. You might not have any of those things, so you might have to call somebody to say, hey, I need a toe, or hey, can you bring whatever? Right. And so uh that's the that is the uh a great example of the difference between uh the examination and the assessment. So from a on a personal sense, and and then in your personal life, Miriam, can you talk to us about like what does it mean to if I'm in that spiral, if I'm in a uh I'm in a I'm in a spiral, and let's just say uh as an example, um the spiral that I'm dealing with uh is um one of depression. Okay. Um how do I then move from the I I've examined that this is what I'm going through. This is what I'm feeling. And maybe even examine why I'm feeling it. How do I then shift to the assessment stage?
SPEAKER_01Assessment stage. That's a very difficult shift. Um I think that it's one thing to acknowledge it in ourselves to recognize, okay, I'm I'm sitting, I'm I'm I'm depressed right now. I'm walking through this depression, I'm really sad, I'm not sure what's going on, but I don't feel like doing anything. I think at that point, that's when your resources become really vital. And the people that you surround yourself with become really important. Because for me, the next step would be I have to tell somebody because I don't know what to do. You know, like when you're depressed like that, it's like, what do I even do? Yeah. Now I know that for me, if I'm depressed, I need to go move my body. Like I have, I can't just sit there because if I just sit there and sleep, then it's that it's just not a good place to be. So I would immediately get up and go walk probably first. And like I said, if I had done nothing but eat sugar for two days, I would have to examine that part of my life and be like, okay, I need some protein and some other nutrients to help help my fix my brain here.
SPEAKER_03Um can can we just uh for just a second, can we pause on that and and just so why the I think the question would be why would you in your assessment think that getting up and moving is going to be good for the for the problem?
SPEAKER_01For what do you what I don't know?
SPEAKER_03So like if you're dealing with depression, right?
SPEAKER_01Why do I think that would be good?
SPEAKER_03Why yes, why why is moving a good thing?
SPEAKER_01Um so there's probably medical words to use here that would be helpful that I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Makes your body feel better.
SPEAKER_01Movement releases endorphins, is that the word? Um, you know, when you're when you get your body moving, they're just chemically there are things going on. And sometimes depression is a chemical response, a physiological, you know, in your body. And so that's why I think moving would be helpful. So because it would it would trigger a chemical reaction in your body. And then then that would cause things to flow. And then you're like, wait, the sun is shining. Oh, there's a little breeze out here, it's not so bad. Oh, look at that bird. I mean, I wouldn't be, I would be like, ah, look at that bird, run. But most people would be like, look at that lovely little bird, you know.
SPEAKER_03So that would be the equivalent of I've got a flat tire. Yeah. I'm gonna try my little air pump. I'm gonna pump it back up. And sometimes we know that your tire is flat because of the temperature changes that is going on around you. It went from hot to cold and it lost air pressure, right? It's not because your tire was punctured, right?
SPEAKER_04It's literally just because of the environment around you.
SPEAKER_03Right. And sometimes that's the case with us. Sometimes the environment around us causes things to happen inside of our ourselves that there's nothing wrong with us. It's just because of the environmental changes that take place that now all of a sudden internally the pressure's different. Right. And so I just need to air up the tires. I just need to get out and move. I need to exercise. I need to have some interaction with people because the chemical things inside of me are have shifted a little bit. Right. And so sometimes that is that is the ends up being the solution. Right. And sometimes it's a temporary solution.
SPEAKER_01Right. Sometimes it's a fix just for then. And then you go back and you're by yourself and you're sitting again and you're like, okay, what do I do now? That's right. Yeah. So with the whole acronym and everything we're talking about, listening, it's it's obvious. I mean, I don't know if it's obvious, but I have to ask Father to help in that instance too. I also know that sometimes when you're sitting in that depression, you can say, God, please help me. And then you feel like there's just silence. Right. But then I believe that the Holy Spirit might whisper things to you like, go for a walk. And you think, well, that's just a carnal thing. Right.
SPEAKER_03That's not, that's not spiritual. That's not spiritual.
SPEAKER_01That's practical. Right. Take a nap. Take a nap. No, that's not spiritual, you know. Right. But but we we when you know the voice of your father, you'd be like, okay, I'll do this. And and and even that, I don't see how this will help, but I trust you.
SPEAKER_03And a lot of times the instruction that he gives you is something you don't want to do.
SPEAKER_01A lot of times it is. Well, like that's what I was saying about calling a friend.
SPEAKER_03Right. I want to be alone, but he says, go see Raphael.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03You know, go, go, go pray for Sharon Faith.
SPEAKER_01Or make some cookies and take them to so-and-so.
SPEAKER_03That happens a lot. And then we dismiss it because we think, I don't want to do that. But it's our father saying, like, I know exactly what you need right now.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00I love um how God just speaks. When he says take take a walk. Because that walk may lead you to be like a child again. You're just out in nature. And you're looking around and you and you remember when I was young. You just get to hear him. And you're alone with him, and sometimes it's with friends or or whatever. Or you're you're you're just sitting down and you're praying. And uh you're praying with friends. You get to hear somebody else's story. I I have so many friends and I and I hear their stories. One of my greatest friends, he's in a wheelchair. And he always tells me. People see me as I'm paralyzed, but I'm always walking. I'm always walking. And I'm walking with him. They don't see what in the spirit, but I'm always walking. Come on. And he tells me about his life. And I get other people who have been dealing with cancer or just many different things. And then I consider my own life. And I consider that my life is just a vapor on the water. I'm here today, I'll come tomorrow. And whatever problem that I might be facing that day, tomorrow I won't be here. So endure like a good soldier, whatever, whatever it may be. When I don't endure like a good soldier, I get into the flesh and I get into worry and I get into the cares of life. Things start to choke me out. But as I I endure as a good soldier making a melody in my heart and whatever I do I'm relieved. I'm at peace. I have shalom.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. And and that's the I mean that's the that's the cry to every church in the book of Revelation that Jesus says, overcome, endure, hang on to the end. Like keep going. You know, and I and no matter what you're facing, no matter what's in front of you, just hold on. You know, and I think that that's what like what a powerful word uh that is of encouragement for each of us is hey, just keep holding on. It might be it might be challenging right now. That might be what the father's speaking to you in that moment. Just hang on.
unknownYep.
SPEAKER_03And just be patient. You know, it's okay. You're you're going to be okay. I know in this moment it seems scary. I know in this moment it seems hard. I know in this moment it seems depressing. I know in this moment it it uh is upsetting. But hold on.
unknownYeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03You know, just hold on. And trust me, it's going to be it's gonna be okay. I'm gonna work all things together. Yeah, it's gonna be okay. And you might not be seeing it right now, you might not be feeling it right now, but you can trust me in this.
SPEAKER_01And don't and don't be afraid to re have to repeat it. Like you said, rinse and repeat earlier, and I keep thinking about that. Like, okay, so I got up and I walked. Yeah, okay, but then by the end of my walk, I'm tired again. So, okay, so what do I do now? You know, so okay, so I'm gonna examine, I'm gonna assess, and then respond to that, and just continue to listen to him and endure. Yeah, you know, and just because that's where often I think it falls apart because everybody's like, why do I have to do this again?
SPEAKER_03I did it once.
SPEAKER_01I did it once. I already had a Monday. Why do I have another Monday? Because you're alive, right? And now that's part of living is like my dad used to say life is so daily. Yes, and we forget that it's daily, yeah, and we dismiss the mundane because that's no fun.
SPEAKER_02It's not exciting, it's not exciting, it's not exciting, and I'm here, I'm here in this place again.
SPEAKER_01Why? Okay, so listen and respond, you know, like here and respond. And I get to do it again today. Thank you, Jesus.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Give us this day, yeah, our daily bread. You know, and I I think that that's and and that the the final piece is respond. You know, and that's I think that's you know, uh, you can assess.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I mean, you can you can examine and you can assess until the cows come home. But ultimately you have to respond. And I think sometimes people get stuck in that examination and assessment and assessment stage. You know, it's like I I know what is going on, I know what I need to do, yet, you know, it's it's it's the Jesus' parable of building your house on the sand. You know, you've heard the words, you know what to do, yet the ones who build their house on the rock are the ones who actually did it.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_03The others are the ones who built their house on the sand, the ones who heard it but didn't do it. You know, be a doer of the word, not a hearer only, right? We see this kind of encouragement and instruction throughout the scriptures to remind us hey, like not only are you are you listening, but you're obedient in your action. You're you're following through, you're doing what is what you're being told or what you're being instructed in or what you're being encouraged in. And I think that can be a hang-up spot for a lot of people, you know, because they're they're they're maybe so excited about hearing from God, but then they just don't do it because it's you know, it's it's the rich young ruler coming to Jesus and saying, I've done all these things. Now what do I need to do? And he says, sell all that you have and come follow me. And the rich young ruler goes away sad. You know, he's like he heard the word of God, he heard the instruction of of of uh directly, you know, he he he he examined, he assessed, examined his situation, yeah, you know, and he assessed what is necessary and he heard the words, but he went away sad instead of just doing it. Now, who knows? He may have maybe he did do it later. You know, we don't we don't know that, you know, but but the thing of it is so many people end up assessing the situation, examining the situation, assessing the problem, and then they they don't respond because they don't want to actually do the thing that they're being told to do. So then they stay in that space over and over, and then they become a victim, and then they blame God, and they blame other people because nobody else is here to help me when God has been there the entire time saying That's right.
SPEAKER_01He's given you resources.
SPEAKER_03I'm giving you and and and and and here's the thing of it, guys. Like you may you may say, you know, Miriam, you said uh this is why it's critical for you to surround yourself with people who are good. Okay, so what happens if there are no people that are good around me? I don't need people to get up out of the situation. What I need is my savior.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_03I need Jesus.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_03So so so what that does is that eliminates any um excuse to say, oh, well, I have to stay in this situation because I don't have people. Nobody wants to be around me, like Miriam was talking about. I don't have anybody, and and because that's not true, right? There is one, right? If there's nobody else in this world, there's one. And that's your father.
unknownYep.
SPEAKER_03It's God in Christ Jesus. By his spirit, he wants to be with you. And he wants not just that, he wants you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03You know, so so it eliminates this lie that says nobody wants me. Right. And so what so what do you do in those moments when you don't have anybody? You have somebody and it's Jesus. Yeah, and so you go to him in that.
unknownYep.
SPEAKER_03And he shows up big on your behalf in that. But he might require something of you, like lay down your life, deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me. And for those who are willing, they'll come up out of that space. Right, they'll come up out of that spiral. And and for those who are unwilling to change and who are unwilling to do that, then they're gonna sit in it until they're willing to change.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03He's not leaving them. No, he's not forsaking them. But at some point you get to make that decision too.
SPEAKER_00So everybody's rich. If they're rich with money or suffering or joy or or whatever, are you willing to sell and pour out everything you have on the feet of Jesus? Because what seems poor to many other people is rich to Jesus. It was everything that she had anxious, she gave more than everybody. And so like with God, how he counts richness and how men could count richness are two different skills. And with God, there is such a richness with the suffering that you've had in your life. And he says, I want it all. This is this is everything to me. Give it to me. Let me do something with it. Sell everything that you have. Actually, sell, count a price for all the suffering. Yeah, count a price for everything. Yeah, count it and sell it. If you suffer through this, sell that pain. That's good. And give give something good to the poor. That's good. The rich young ruler, he had much lands, much poss possessions, much uh tools, probably, everything that you can think of. The hardest part probably for him was just figuring out how to sell every piece of it and giving it to the poor. Because he had to count a price, put a price on it, sell it, get something that was profitable out of it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And give it to the poor.
SPEAKER_03And you know it's what's beautiful too is even in that suffering that people you know walk through the scriptures tell us that that suffering pales in comparison to the glory that is to be revealed in us through Christ. Like that, that, like what you're walking through pales in comparison to the glory that God wants to reveal inside of you.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03That that that is that is people can make it so much, like you talk about it's being being so rich in it. Some people are so rich in suffering. You know, they've walked through all the stuff and they're so rich in that, you know, and and God is saying that pales in comparison to what I want to to to reveal inside of you. Like if you think you've got all of that, just wait until I get a hold of you. Let me get a hold of you, let me reveal my glory inside of you so that you can see how good I am.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03Like, and that's a that's man, that's a hope to hold on to. And and and that's that's that's worth relink relinquishing and selling whatever it is that I have, to letting go of all of the stuff and saying, okay, God, I just I want what you have for me. I want your glory revealed in my life, yeah, in every aspect. And so be revealed in the spiral. You know, and maybe that's the prayer for for everybody today, is is just to say, God, be revealed in my spiral. Yeah. Whatever's going on in my life, whatever I'm facing, um, whether it's uh the highest of high or the lowest of low, you know, if it's anger, if it's sadness, like whatever it is, where wherever I am, let your glory be revealed in my life. I want to hear you. I want to listen to you, and I want to follow you. I will respond, I will examine, I will assess, and I will respond.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03Because I know that you love me. And I know that you are good. So let your glory be revealed in my life.
unknownAmen.
SPEAKER_03Thank you for listening to the Everyday Kingdom podcast. We will see you next time.