Faith
Do you have faith?
One of the things that really helped me through mental illness was my faith. I know not everyone believes, but for me, my belief in God helped me immeasurably through my journey from hating life to now treasuring life.
I would like to share with you some of the things that really helped me…
I would like to share with you some of the things that really helped me…
‘When you are weak, it is then that you are truly strong’
(2 Corinthians 12:10)
‘When you are weak, it is then that you are truly strong’
The Lord knew what He was talking about, and He’s never wrong…
When things go so badly, its hard to have faith or to see,
That God has a plan for us all and He says ‘try and trust in me’
But there were times I doubted and questioned His purpose for me
I couldn’t see the bigger picture, or see what He was refining me to be
His tough love was the only way to help me become so much stronger
He kept me in the fire, even when I couldn’t stand the heat for much longer
And although I often begged He would just take my sufferings away,
For a very long time, it felt like he wasn’t listening to a word I had to say,
It was like He couldn’t hear me… like my prayers were falling on deaf ears
Like He couldn’t see me and that He was blind to my many countless tears
How could He just abandon me and not seem to even care?…
Sometimes I even wondered if God was actually even really there
But now I realise, God waits for the right time -and that He always hears…
Not only every word we pray, but He also feels each and every one of our tears
And now through my suffering, God can use me in ways - that others cannot
Many may have easier lives, but then they won’t have what I have now got
Through my pain, I can understand for others and help them not to feel alone
Not only can I listen to their sufferings - I can share with them my own…
And in doing so, comfort them, like how God came to comfort me,
And help them to find hope and see the person God made them to be…
To walk with them through the darkness and help them find their way
To give them hope that believe it or not, there will be a better day
And we all have a choice, we don’t have to let suffering make us bitter or sour
But we can turn it around from being a weakness, and turn it into a power
Weaknesses can become strengths, what made us stumble can now help us soar
What used to hold us back, now can enable us to help others so much more
Suffering speaks so much louder that words or preaching could ever do alone
God himself gave the best example of how in suffering, love can be shown…
After all, he sent his own son as a sacrifice to suffer and die on the cross
And for a father to allow this - there must be no greater pain or loss
But there was no other way that God could prove his deep love for me and you
And now through us, he can continue to reveal his love to others too
God knows we don’t need to be an expert, have qualifications or a degree...
God can simply use us to be the examples that others so need to see
Empathy, compassion, love and understanding - to God are worth so much more
Than all the qualifications, money and rewards that many work so hard for
our sufferings are truly what is valuable …something to even be thankful for
For strangely when we have little, it is then that we truly have so much more
So if right now you going through a hard time and everything seems so bleak
Remember that you can be at your strongest, when you are at your most weak!
(2 Corinthians 12:10)
‘When you are weak, it is then that you are truly strong’
The Lord knew what He was talking about, and He’s never wrong…
When things go so badly, its hard to have faith or to see,
That God has a plan for us all and He says ‘try and trust in me’
But there were times I doubted and questioned His purpose for me
I couldn’t see the bigger picture, or see what He was refining me to be
His tough love was the only way to help me become so much stronger
He kept me in the fire, even when I couldn’t stand the heat for much longer
And although I often begged He would just take my sufferings away,
For a very long time, it felt like he wasn’t listening to a word I had to say,
It was like He couldn’t hear me… like my prayers were falling on deaf ears
Like He couldn’t see me and that He was blind to my many countless tears
How could He just abandon me and not seem to even care?…
Sometimes I even wondered if God was actually even really there
But now I realise, God waits for the right time -and that He always hears…
Not only every word we pray, but He also feels each and every one of our tears
And now through my suffering, God can use me in ways - that others cannot
Many may have easier lives, but then they won’t have what I have now got
Through my pain, I can understand for others and help them not to feel alone
Not only can I listen to their sufferings - I can share with them my own…
And in doing so, comfort them, like how God came to comfort me,
And help them to find hope and see the person God made them to be…
To walk with them through the darkness and help them find their way
To give them hope that believe it or not, there will be a better day
And we all have a choice, we don’t have to let suffering make us bitter or sour
But we can turn it around from being a weakness, and turn it into a power
Weaknesses can become strengths, what made us stumble can now help us soar
What used to hold us back, now can enable us to help others so much more
Suffering speaks so much louder that words or preaching could ever do alone
God himself gave the best example of how in suffering, love can be shown…
After all, he sent his own son as a sacrifice to suffer and die on the cross
And for a father to allow this - there must be no greater pain or loss
But there was no other way that God could prove his deep love for me and you
And now through us, he can continue to reveal his love to others too
God knows we don’t need to be an expert, have qualifications or a degree...
God can simply use us to be the examples that others so need to see
Empathy, compassion, love and understanding - to God are worth so much more
Than all the qualifications, money and rewards that many work so hard for
our sufferings are truly what is valuable …something to even be thankful for
For strangely when we have little, it is then that we truly have so much more
So if right now you going through a hard time and everything seems so bleak
Remember that you can be at your strongest, when you are at your most weak!
The Real Enemy
The ‘enemy’ comes to kill, steal and destroy
Like a thief he takes away our peace, hope and joy
The enemy is devious and uses my own weaknesses against me
He tries to hold me back, from being who God made me to be
He plays on my insecurities, my fears and my doubt
He throw me off track and messes me about
What a relief it is to realise, it’s not all because of me
That really, the thing that drags me down – is the enemy.
Like a roaring lion, he roams for a soul to devour
So we must always be on guard, every minute, every hour
For the devil is the world’s most dangerous adversary
He brings destruction, pain, death…and shows no mercy
‘The father of lies’ is how the bible describes the enemy
He fills our minds with lies and blinds you and me
To the truth and the joy that God wants us to know
And so we must hold onto the ‘Rock’ so we won’t be swayed to and fro
If we give Satan an inch, he will take a mile
he will make us cry, even though God wants us to smile
But what the enemy means for bad, God uses for the good
God is ultimately in control and makes everything happen as it should
For everything is written – God has an elaborate master plan
He knew his purpose for us even before the world began
Living on this earth, we are all part of a spiritual war
But God is on our side and He is worth fighting for
There is a time for everything...
Following God doesn’t mean that we do not experience pain
or that we never have to suffer or feel hurt again
sometimes we may be afraid to show that we can be weak
and so we hide our feelings and not allow ourselves to speak...
of the aches and pains that are buried inside deep within
we don’t want to be 'bad examples' we don’t want to sin
we can pretend to be strong, but what is inside is really true
happy faces in the day, but then sadness the whole night through
God dosnt expect us to be perfect or to be happy all the time
to admit and reveal we have emotions is neither a sin, nor a crime
for it is better to be honest and just allow others around us to see
there is a time to laugh, a time to cry and even a time for misery
our tears are precious to God, not a drop escapes his hand
both joy and sorrow are in the days that he has planned
Although we strive to be perfect, we are all only human too
God made us who we are, and he knows us through and through