S3:E3 THE THINGS WE WANT WHEN THINGS CHANGE

Resting in the Arms of the One Who Disarmed You, Episode 3

Welcome to episode three of this 10-part Serenity in Motion podcast series called Resting In The Arms Of The One Who Disarmed You

This series is all about how we lead based on how we show up. Because how we show up sets up how and where we lead others, and ourselves.

It’s about showing up in a way that invites connection, optimizes performance and ushers in confidence and rest.

I want to say this at the start again this week, when working with MettlEdge in any of our coaching memberships, you get a neutral, unbiased, confidential and welcoming space to gain clarity, make decisions, move forward, and thrive. We are a group of professionally trained and credentialed coaches.

On this podcast, however, I will sometimes dive into my own values and beliefs, presenting faith content for thought. This happens to be one of those series…feel free to listen in, or tune in another time.

If you’re tuning in…let’s get into it

In last week’s episode, we considered the things we lose and the things we gain from change.

We addressed that JESUS DISRUPTS OUR VIRTUAL KINGDOMS FOR THE SAKE OF HIS. And OUR RESPONSE EXPOSES WHAT MATTERS MOST TO US, THE THINGS WE’VE LOST OR THE THINGS WE GAIN.

And we ended thinking about the question How, if at all, has Jesus disrupted and disarmed you? How have you responded?

The better question may be, how do you want to respond? Because to imagine we respond the way we’d like always would be far from the truth. It’s just way too black and white. Our humanness makes us complex. As Paul said so well in Romans 7:15, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

I can resemble that also, how about you?

So, the questions may be, first, do you acknowledge you are overpowered? Because we live in that backstory; we live in the modern version of the I-want-to-build-my-own kingdom story. Just like those mini-kingdoms of the men and women listening to Jesus years ago, our mini-kingdoms virtually exist within a greater, better, lasting, original Kingdom.

FOCUS: What are you thinking about? Do you concede to this truth? Do you desire to lay down your armor, stop the fighting and give over your things to the one more powerful than you?

1 Peter 2:25 tells us this one who is more powerful than us is the shepherd and guardian of our souls. He’s not only our creator, he wants us. What does a good shepherd and good guardian do? Cares for and protects his flock.

So, Jesus disrupts us and disarms us and shepherds and guards us to release us from protecting ourselves in ways that bind us from offering ourselves for the sake of others. He wants to share the spoil - to use to the gifts he’s designed within each of us, the resources he’s given to each of us to further put himself on display that others will see him and be overcome – and restored - as well.

With Jesus, we have much more to gain than we have to lose.

Do you believe this to be true? I do.

Just before Jesus tells this story in Luke 11, He teaches his disciples, and us, to pray. You know, The Lord’s Prayer. Paraphrased, He said to them, “When you pray, say: You are God and your kingdom is the greatest, provide for me, forgive me as I forgive those who sin against me, guard me from living as though my kingdom is greater.

This is where we often end Jesus’s teaching on prayer. Yet – the text continues with, “Then Jesus said to them, paraphrased, suppose you have a friend who shows up at your house late and you have no food to give them. So, you run over to another friends house and knock on the door to get some food. Your friend isn’t answering. So you keep knocking because you know they’re home – it’s just late and they want to sleep. Your friend will eventually come to the door in this case not because she’s your friend, you may actually have some splaning to do,  but she comes because you don’t stop knocking! Your persistence endured because you knew she was home and you wanted to serve your friend who showed up at your house in need. So you didn’t stop knocking until she showed up at the door. Jesus then tells us, pray like this! Ask and keep knocking knowing God will give you His Spirit so you have what you need to serve your friend.

He teaches prayer is both asking in faith, and serving in faith that God is home. Our persistence in prayer is our faith in God. He is home. Keep knocking.

Yet, still, we may feel safer covering ourselves futilely with things we know we no longer have, and we limit the usefulness of his creative design built into each of us because we just can’t comprehend.

FUEL: What do you still try to put on that you know Jesus has taken away? What do you still want more than Him? Reputation? Work ethic? Reliability? Wealth? Intelligence? Beauty? Knowledge? What makes this important to consider for you?

Back in our story, Jesus continued to speak, saying, “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.”

In between places don't exist in God's kingdom. Selective following isn't a thing. If we are His and our armor has been graciously removed by Jesus, our resistance has been overpowered and our insides know this to be true – we know our rest is found in resting in Him. We just might not know how to rest in Him.

But the bigger question for us may be, do we want to rest in the arms of the One who has disarmed us?

Ask yourself the question, “Do I want to rest in the arms of the One who has disarmed me?” And if so, what do you want to do about it today?

If so, the next question is how. We’ll talk about that in our next episode – it may even adjust your view of the mind and emotional choice.

FIGHT: In what ways will you fight for rest today?  

What’s that thing popping into your mind and within your power that you can do?  

When will you do it? 

What difference will it make for you and for others when you do? 

Who will you tell? 

I hope you’ll join me next week as we talk more about the things we want when things change.

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I hope you enjoyed this episode and that it gave you some good food for thought. Catch you next week where we’ll dive into what it memes, I mean means, to shape a strong sense of self. 

I pray this podcast has been and continues to be a blessing.