Van Moody's Blog

Forgiveness is the heart of the gospel. Yet,
so many believers walk in unforgiveness towards others. Why is this? I’ve found
that, in most cases, it’s due to the fact that we don’t fully grasp or
appreciate the truth of the gospel—the essential nature of the forgiveness
we’ve been gifted.

The core message of the gospel is forgiveness.
A perfect God, who did nothing wrong, descended to earth to pay for the sins of
a world that rejected Him countless times. He chose to forgive, even when we
didn’t deserve it. He died and rose again so that we could spend eternity with
Him. The message of the cross is simply that God loves us so much that He
forgave all of our sins, all of our mistakes, all of our failures: past,
present, and future. As believers, we can’t fully appreciate or live in the
reality that we have been forgiven without also understanding our resulting
obligation to forgive.

1 Peter 4:8 says, “Above everything else, love
each other deeply, for love covers a multitude of sins.” What does the phrase
“above everything” mean? It means that we are to love above everything
else—above your politics, above your feelings, above your whims and your
wishes, above what other people say or don’t say. Why? Because God loved us
above everything, as well.

In the world, people are looking for freedom;
they’re looking for answers. But unfortunately, when they encounter church
people, they don’t always receive a message of forgiveness—they receive a
message of judgment. They hear us talking about the Prince of Peace, but they
don’t see the evidence of His peace in our lives. Do you know what the world
wants to know? If forgiveness is so wonderful, then why aren’t we, the children
of God, living it out?

You see, the way we forgive is our witness to
a world hungering for God. But we can only show them something we understand!
Once we’ve truly grasped the lengths of grace that God has went to in order to
save us, we’ll have His power to turn around and show that same forgiveness to
others.

John 13:34 says, “A new commandment I give to
you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love
one another.” For those who have accepted Christ, God has forgiven us of every
single sin we’ve committed. Now, it’s our turn to show that same forgiveness to
those who need to meet Jesus for the first time.

God has
something He wants to show you.

How do I
know this? Because God has something He wants to say to each and every one of
us. We see this principle at play in the story of Moses in Exodus 3. At this
point in his life, Moses is a murderer living on the backside of the desert.
He’s not a poster child for righteousness, but we see that God has something to
say to Moses in Exodus 3:1-4:

“Now
Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of
Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to
Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared
to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though
the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses
thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn
up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over
to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And
Moses said, “Here I am.”

Regardless
of his low status and shady past, the Lord had something specific to say to
Moses. The same is true for you and I. No matter what we’ve done or where we
are right now—no matter how much of a priority God has been in our lives
lately—He wants to commune with us. He wants to speak purpose and identity over
us. He wants to show us something amazing.

Notice
what Moses did when he saw the bush, because it’s the key to clearly hearing
God’s voice in our day-to-day lives: “Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight.’”
Other translations use the phrase “turn aside.”

A huge part
of us being empowered and encouraged when we hear the voice of God is dependent
upon us turning aside to tune in to
what God wants to say. Moses was just going about his regular day, shepherding
sheep. Similarly, you and I have a laundry list of things we have to do today—those
lists of things are always there. But hearing the voice of God is often
contingent upon stopping the monotony
of the list—returning emails, running errands, watching shows, scrolling
through social media—in order to turn aside and to focus on the Lord.

He wants
to speak to you today, just like He wanted to speak to Moses. The question
isn’t whether God’s speaking—it’s whether we will turn aside and soak in His
presence.

I’ve shared many times from The Worship Center pulpit about
the importance of God’s Word—all sixty-six books of the Scripture. There is no
substitute for the written Word of God as a guide for your life—your decisions,
behaviors, thoughts, and attitude. Likewise, I’ve also shared about how daily
time in God’s Word ought to be a rhythm in your life.

In addition to doing that consistently, there are situations
and times in which the Bible may not, to your knowledge, speak specifically to
your circumstances. What do we do in these situations? We seek God for His
direction.

Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God.” God truly does want to show us what to do.
Sometimes, he will show us through his Word; other times, he’ll nudge us in a
particular direction. In 2 Samuel 5:22-25, God speaks directly to David to tell
him how to defeat the Philistines:

“And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out
in the Valley of Rephaim. And when David inquired of the Lord, he said,
“You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite
the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops
of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has
gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” And David
did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from
Geba to Gezer.”

Immediately preceding this passage, David had conquered the
Philistines using another method given to Him by God. This time, however, God’s
voice told David to do something different. Remember, faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. What does that mean for you and me? It means we
have to have a word from God in order to act in faith. We will not have faith
unless we’ve heard from God.

In addition to spending regular, consistent time with God,
before you rush into anything—even if it appears easy—you’ve got to pull aside
and hear from the Lord. Faith is not blind; faith always relies on the word of
God. This is, in fact, why Psalm 119:105 literally says, “Your word is a lamp
unto my feet and a light unto my path.” In Bible days, people would have lamps;
and the lamp would literally only light enough for them to take the next step.
They couldn’t see the whole road ahead. The Bible says that’s kind of what the
Word does for us—the Word of God is a lamp for our feet and a light for our
path.

So whatever choices you’re facing today—no matter how small
or familiar they might seem—take time to listen for God’s voice, and then do what
he says. His Word is essential to seeing victory in your life.

One of the things that I love about the Word
of God, beyond its power, revelation, and promises, is the imagery God uses
throughout Scripture. God will use vivid word pictures because they help us
embrace and understand things that are hard to wrap our minds around. Psalm 139
is an example of this.

In Psalm 139, the Word literally describes our
uniqueness. Verse 13 says, “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together
in my mother’s womb.” I love this imagery that, long before you were born, God
was up in heaven knitting you together.

Some knitting projects take on years; but the
person doing the knitting knows exactly what they have in mind. Now, on the
outside, as you’re watching them knit, sometimes you don’t know what they’re
knitting. But when they’re all finished, it’s a masterpiece. Why? Because they
take their time putting it all together.

When I was working in Germany, there was a
mother who knit a pair of socks for me. I was there in the winters, and it gets
extremely cold in Germany. I have those socks to this very day. They are the
most comfortable, warm socks in the world! Guess what? I can’t find any socks
like them—and believe me, I’ve tried. Why can’t I find them? Because she knit
those socks just for me. They’re one of a kind That’s how God feels about you.

We’ve got to trust your Creator. What do I
mean by that? Isaiah 64:8, says: “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the
clay, and you are the potter. We are all the works of your hands.” This is
another vivid word picture. This verse is saying that we all start off as clay;
but God is the potter.

“You and I have a choice to make. If we want,
we can choose to mold ourselves; we can say, “You know what? I think I know the
best way to deal with my issues. I think I know the best way to handle my
marriage. I think I know the best way to deal with my insecurities. I think I
know how to handle this situation.” You can make that choice; but you’re going
to get a pretty sad, lumpy mound of clay as a result. As a matter of fact, part
of the reason that some of our lives are in the state that they’re in is
because that’s the best we could do.

However, you can choose to say, “God, I trust
you. I’m in your hands. I’m clay, you are the potter. God, I trust you. I trust
you.”

You were knit together with care, for a
purpose. Who will you allow to mold you—yourself, the world, or your Creator?

We’ve been talking about emotional baggage
lately, and the toll that it takes on your overall health, as well as your
relationship with God. Today, we’re going to look at the toll that baggage
takes on your emotional health, as well as what true emotionally healthy living
looks like.

The truth is that God wants all of us to get
to a place where we’re emotionally healthy. You don’t reproduce what you say,
wish for, or hope to achieve; no, you reproduce who you are. And if you’re not
emotionally healthy, you’ll spread that toxicity, no matter what level, to
every person you encounter. Many of us have been confused and hurt because of
the result of someone else’s emotional baggage.

In other blogs, we’ve already discussed some
of the causes, symptoms, and solutions to emotional baggage. Now, I want to
look at the flip side: what does it look like to live an emotionally healthy
life?

Emotionally healthy people honestly and openly
communicate in a gracious manner. They receive complaints, correction, and
input in a gracious manner. How? Because they are secure in themselves; they’ve
dealt with any lingering bitterness, insecurity, and pain. Does that mean they’re
invincible? Of course not! But they’re courageous enough to address their
wounds and their anger and deal with it in a mature manner.

Emotionally healthy people take responsibility
for their own behavior. This is a huge point! I don’t want to hear about what
everybody else is doing. What are you
doing? So many adults can’t take responsibility for their part in
relationships, and it’s a huge sign of immaturity.

Lastly, emotionally healthy people live
vulnerably. Because they know how to deal with emotional baggage when it comes
up—and it does arise in all of our lives!—they’re not afraid to be hurt;
they’re not afraid to trust; they don’t live afraid. They live vulnerably.

James 5:16 says, “Therefore,
confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be
healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” How
can we live the kind of open, loving life that’s prescribed here for followers
of Christ? Simply put, by dealing with our emotional baggage courageously and
maturely. When we do that, we’ll invite other people to do the same; and our
relationships will be healthier and more life-giving than ever before.

In recent blog posts, we’ve been discussing
what emotional baggage is, the many causes to it, and how it impacts our lives.
In this post, I want to talk about how to confront, unpack, and remove baggage
from your life. Knowing you have excess emotional baggage is only half the
battle to living a healthy, free life.

Here’s the hard truth: you cannot conquer what
you won’t confront. Part of the reason we stay stuck in the past, overwhelmed
by our excess baggage, is because we won’t confront it. The different between
victims and victors is what you’re willing to address and be honest about. When
you hide from, run from, and ignore your baggage, it will forever define your
life, and you will be a victim. But when you face it—that’s when you go from
being a victim to a victor.

Why do we avoid our baggage? Part of it is the
culture we live in. We assume, because of the facades and facets of life that
others present to us. That what attracts people to us—is the image that we have
it all together. And so we break our necks trying to portray this image—in
person, on social media, and any place we can. We think that what attracts
people is this image that we’ve never been through anything—that we’ve never
made any mistakes—that we’ve always had it together.

However, God is more concerned with what’s
happening in you than what’s
happening to you! In 2 Corinthians
4:16, the apostle Paul says, “Therefore, we do not lose heart, though outwardly
we are wasting away, yet inwardly, we are being renewed day by day. 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, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

The real anointed people are the people that
have been through things, and come out on the other side better than they were
when they went through it. It is not about what happened to you. It’s about
what’s happening in you. Once you believe that God will work everything out for
your good and His glory, you’ll have the courage you need to confront anything
and everything that’s standing in the way of that…including your unpacked
emotional baggage.

Emotional baggage is made up of the pain,
stress, and unresolved conflicts in our lives that we refuse to acknowledge and
“unpack.” Did you know that your decisions regarding your emotional baggage
don’t just affect you? It’s true. The health of your heart directly impacts the
health of your relationships. Let’s examine why together.

In my life, this has been absolutely true. In
fact, it was my emotional baggage that almost caused me to miss one of the
greatest things God has ever given me: my wife. When we met, I had a lot of
unpacked baggage; thankfully, throughout our relationship, my wife has helped
me to examine and deal with a lot of those issues. I’m healthier and happier
now; but it could have been a much different story.

I share this in the beginning of this
conversation about emotional baggage because the truth is, we all gather
emotional baggage over the course of our lives. It’s just part of the
territory. These feelings come from places and people that we’ve encountered
over the years. Maybe some of it is even the result of our own decisions!
Regardless, emotional baggage is something we each allow to remain in our lives
by failing to address it. When we collect excess amounts of it, this baggage
actually ends up preventing us from having meaningful relationships. And this
ultimately jeopardizes our future.

Why? Because, from the start of creation until
today, whenever God has done anything in the world and in the lives of His
people, guess how He’s chosen to do it? Through people! Through relationships.
Some people believe they don’t need anyone else: “I can be okay with just God
and me. He’s all I need. If He wants to bless me, He can send a check in the
mail.”

I want to tell these people to slow down and
think. This perspective simply isn’t true! For one thing, even if God was to
send you a check in the mail, you’d need the mailman to deliver it to your box,
wouldn’t you? God is always working through people and relationships; so how we
handle our relationships is paramount to fulfilling our purpose.

We can’t carry excess emotional baggage and
healthy relationships at the same time. It’s simply not possible. If we don’t
deal with the bitterness, hurt, and anger in our lives, we won’t have the
capacity to engage in life-giving bonds with other people. We won’t have
anything healthy to give them!

Even God in the flesh demonstrated this
principle: Jesus coming to earth was God’s providence working through a person!
Jesus didn’t allow excess emotional baggage into His life, because He knew that
God’s purposes for Him included several close relationships with others. If the
Son of God needed friends and family around Him, how do we think we’re going to
make it all alone?

So in order to prepare yourself to enter into
the relationships God has for you—and the purpose that will become clearer and
more accessible because of those relationships—it’s imperative that you unpack,
examine, and do away with your emotional baggage. In the end, it will be so
worth the struggle and discomfort.

We’re all familiar with what insecurity feels
like. Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, this struggle affects each
one of us in unique ways. But what causes insecurity? In this post, we’re going
to be taking a look at just a few of the factors that the enemy uses to grow
insecurity in our hearts.

First of all, rejection is a huge source of insecurity. When love is withheld
from us, or we feel as if our opinions, thoughts, and feelings aren’t valued,
that’s when insecurity creeps in. When you feel like you don’t have a
voice—especially if the rejection you’re facing has taken place over a
protracted period of time—this can present an opportunity to entertain thoughts
that those individuals may be right about you.

Another big source of insecurity is criticism. Most of us can develop the
thick skin to handle constructive forms of criticism—a friend, family member,
or colleague whose feedback is clearly intended to grow and benefit us. This is
why Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” When we know the
person has our best interests at heart, we can handle their criticism.

However, when you find yourself under
relentless, destructive, malicious criticism—particularly from people you don’t
really know—those voices will likely build a sense of insecurity in you. It’s
not that you’re weak; it’s simply that the voices we hear strongly influence
our lives. If we’re not careful, we’ll take what they say and begin to apply it
to ourselves as truth.

Here’s a third cause: comparison. Often, we end up comparing ourselves to others
throughout each day. It starts when we’re little—kids compare things like toys,
friends, birthday cakes…anything, really. Then, as teenagers, we continue this
dynamic by comparing grades, sports accomplishments, friends, dates, and so on.
Adults are in the same game, just playing with different objects of comparison:
jobs, houses, spouses, financial statuses, and so on. We keep comparing. It’s
an endless cycle. Why? Because we’re seeking validation, deep down.

No matter what the specific cause of your
insecurity, we have to deal with it. We have to make it personal and change our
thinking. Why? Because our insecurities are in our minds! Some of you may
think, “Yes, I think down on myself; but it’s because, in reality, I’m really
not good at certain things.” While that may be true, it’s how we think about
ourselves that ultimately results in insecurity. Of course we’re not all talented
in the same areas! Of course some of us have more (or less) than others in
certain spheres. But it’s all about changing your mindset and seeing yourself
the way God sees you.

So…what lies will you put down today? What
preconceptions about yourself, and your abilities, have been introduced because
of outside voices? Instead of turning to others—or even yourself—for ultimate
validation, look to God! He knows you better than anyone, and He created you!
There is no doubt about your worth and purpose in His eyes. The more we see
ourselves the way He sees us, the more that insecurity within will be silenced.

Insecurity is a loaded term; it can mean
different things to different people. Before we get into how insecurity affects
our lives, I want to define what it is. When I talk about insecurity, I’m
referring to the lack of confidence or assurance that all of us grapple with at
some point. It’s the overwhelming sense of self-doubt that plagues our minds.

When you lack fundamental confidence in
yourself, and allow that baggage to remain packed tight and hidden away, it
will eventually manifest in your life in a variety of ways. Let’s look at just
a few of these ways.

Why is it crucial to understand insecurity?
Because it’s the impetus behind the way many of us think, speak, and act. Many
times, we simply respond to what others say or do, never discerning that, in
reality, the underlying source of their actions is insecurity.

When someone is extremely shy, that’s often
because of insecurity. Likewise, when a person is overly arrogant or
aggressive, it’s usually a mask to cover up an underlying sense of “not
enough.” Maybe you know someone who lets people walk all over him or her; or
someone who has a tendency to always conform to what others think they ought to
be. All of these behaviors are fueled by insecurity.

Negative attitudes, gossip, posturing, and a
host of other behaviors are the result of insecurity. We see plenty of examples
of God’s people struggling with insecurity in the Bible. In the book of Exodus
chapter 3, Moses is hidden on the backside of the desert when God speaks to him
from a burning bush. Several times, Moses gives excuses for why he can’t be the
right person to lead God’s people:

1. “They won’t believe me.”

2. “I’m not well-spoken enough.”

3. “Please just send someone else, Lord!”

Finally, God’s anger burned against Moses. He
had reassured and affirmed him three times, and still, Moses refused to obey. I
wonder if that’s how God feels with us sometimes. Of course, He loves us
unconditionally; but could it be that, when we give into insecurity and allow
it to derail us from our obedience and purpose, God gets frustrated?

This is why dealing with insecurity is so
important. In other blog posts, I’ll discuss the sources of and solutions to
insecurity; but as a foundation, it’s essential to understand what it is and
how it affects our walk with Christ. What’s the source of your insecurity? How
are you going to respond to it?

I believe God has greatness in store for you. That’s
what He’s is calling you to this year. But here’s what we have to understand
about greatness: great lives are built around great dreams. Nobody is naturally
a great person. You don’t just pop out of your mother’s womb great. You’re
beautiful; you’re cute; but you’re not great. You become great by attaching
your life to a great cause—to a great purpose—to a great dream. In order to
become great, you need something bigger than yourself to draw you beyond
yourself, and grow you.

My prayer is that you would begin to tap into
God’s dream for your life. Because bigger than what you may be dreaming, God
has a vision—a calling—for your life. He has something big that He wants you to
be a part of. And a lot of people miss that, because they are too focused on
their small dream, instead of God’s big dream.

See, if you want significance in your life—if
you want satisfaction—you’ve got to go after God’s dream. When you are living
God’s dream, that’s when you can lay your head down at night and know, “Man, I
lived that day.” That’s when real fulfillment comes. Unless you’ve really
tapped into God’s dream for your life, you’re not living; you’re just existing.
The Bible says in Proverbs 28:18, “Where there is no vision, the people
perish.” When you’re just existing, that’s all you’re doing—you’re just wasting
away. You’re just perishing.

What God has for you is so much better than
anything you could ever try to conjure up on your own. This is why it’s so much
better to connect with what God has for you, and His dream, instead of the
small “d” dreams that we often have for ourselves. Ephesians 3:20 is God’s way
of trying to get us to understand this. I love it. It says, “God can do
anything, you know—far more than you can ever imagine—far more than you could
ever dream or guess or request in your wildest dreams. He does it not by
pushing us around, but by His Spirit working deeply and gently within us.”

As you start this year off thinking about your
dreams and goals, don’t forget to take the crucial step of seeking God as to
what HIS goals and dreams for you are. The beautiful thing is that the same
passions and talents He’s already placed inside of you will coincide in some
way with what His ultimate dream is for your life!