The Problem Is Not The Problem

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 33

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  Why a blog?  So that multitudes can receive the weekly thoughts I express on Michael’s writings in an easy manner. 

These next few pages in SIW are very important in understanding “what is the problem,” and how difficult it is sometimes to connect with the one seeking relief.  There is so much in these pages that I couldn’t really do justice to them without copying every paragraph (an impossibility in a short writing like I’m doing).  SO…IF you haven’t contacted ALMI to get one of these books, let me encourage you strongly to do so NOW!  This is too good and too important to miss out on!

What I will do today is try to list what I think are some of the more important points, so that those with books can take a long look at the truths presented by Michael. 

Blessings!

THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE PROBLEM

excerpt from pages 94-99 of SIW (5^th printing, March 1998)

excerpt from pages 90-96 of SIW (14^th printing, March 2012)

                   (used with permission from ALMI):

In order to have a problem we must rebel against God, and the only thing that will justify rebellion is anger.

…the Christian who is rebelling against God…must bring himself to a point of anger before he can justify his rebellion, and the greater the rebellion the greater the need for anger.

Whenever an event takes place that proves you are the very thing you have worked so hard not to be, you will become angry, rebel, and develop some way of coping with the nakedness that comes from having your success suit removed.  We can conclude that the problem is not the problem, the event is not the problem, but your identity at your worst is the problem.

A marriage partner wants us to love his or her whole person, which, depending on the amount of past damage done to the inner life, may be quite impossible.  Some have inner lives that are truly unlovable; they know it, and if we confirm it to them we must pay a price – they will withdraw or explode to punish us for our observations.

The problem is not the flat tire (In a given situation, the problem will not be the “thing” – Lee), but the amount of stress carried over from the past and the acquired disposition from it.

If my husband…if I had…if my kids…if my parents…if I owned – then all would be well!  But these are…only the branches that reveal root rot, which is the inner life that has taken on an identity which it hates, which controls, and which must remain hidden from others.

(this is entire last paragraph - Lee)

Our root problem is that the inner life’s identity controls us.  If we could destroy this identity of what we are at our worst and replace it with a new one, then daily events would not have power over us; we would have no need to become angry and rebellious, coping with our varied idols.

Wow!  The first statement is so incredible…how can we understand that ALL our problems are rebellion against God?!?  Only God could show us that…and help us to deal with that!  Actually, He shows us we have a FAITH problem!  What we believe about Him, or anything He has said…

Then Michael brings us to the point of recognizing and acknowledging our inner life (self) before bringing us to the conclusion of this chapter by the specific diagnosis of the control of the inner life’s identity.  Whew!  This is where we take a deep breath, grab a drink (non-alcoholic, of course!), sit in our easy chair, and meditate for a bit.  “Dear God, HOW are WE going to “destroy this identity of what I am at my worst and replace it with a new one” so that daily events DON’T have any power over me, and that I have no need to become angry and rebellious, and get rid of all my old idols???”

Well, amen.  Guess what…Michael turns another corner, and in chapter 7 he starts giving us the answers that solve all these problems (“The Loss of Self-life”).  Yes!!!

Note: if you don’t have one of Michael’s Sidetracked In The Wilderness books, please contact ALMI (www.abidinglife.com) and get one today!

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Getting Out of the Wilderness by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com  

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

leemccm@gmail.com

1737 CR 2051    Nacogdoches, Tx 75965                                               936-559-5696

Identity Messages Given

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 32

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  Why a blog?  So that many can receive the weekly thoughts I express on Michael’s writings in an easy manner

We come to the conclusion of this chapter called “The Conviction of Self-Life.”  What an eye opener this chapter is.  Gratefully, Michael has given us an awareness that brings us to knowing we have a problem, and closer to what our problem really is.  Unfortunately, the world has no real answers and help here.  And far too many in Christian circles can’t help either. 

See if you can “identify” with some of the main points from Chapter 5’s closing pages…

IDENTITY MESSAGES GIVEN

excerpt from pages 90-93 of SIW (5^th printing, March 1998)

excerpt from pages 86-90 of SIW (14^th printing, March 2012)

                   (used with permission from ALMI):

Many children receive from parents the communication that they are not needed or wanted, such as when, for instance, the parents decide to divorce…A message of worth is given to the child as he observes what the parents give their time to…

…there is, unfortunately, around the world great discrimination derived from appearance…

A child can receive identity messages from the parent who does too little or too much…

One discussion that always brings a loud message is when parents talk about the son or daughter who is such a great success in terms of position, achievement, wealth, and so on.  The point of triumph for the rest of the children becomes similar accomplishment.  Anything less is failure, about which they are reminded every time the eminent child is acclaimed.

These are just a few of the messages we receive in our insane conditions…Once the messages are received and believed, the identity of what we are at our worst begins to be molded.  It may include feelings of worthlessness, inferiority, depression, not being wanted, stupidity, failure, ugliness, guilt, and self-hate.  Then every mistake begins to prove to us that not only do we feel this way about ourselves, but it is actually what we are.

The attempts (success suits) to cover identity take on many forms…All are efforts to keep hidden what we fear is true.  In short, we hate ourselves!...  The use of idols is merely an extension of that dark, hated thing called self-life.  All attempts to deny it have failed.  How to be free is the question.

It can be events in our life, words said to us, actions taken that cause us to think something that isn’t truth or reality…all are devastating to far too many.  Isn’t it incredible that something like the things mentioned can have such an impact on our whole being? 

Getting a victory from the “self-life,” the “success suits,” what we are at our worst, the idols, and all the feelings that defeat us IS the ultimate victory for life here on earth.  Is it possible to ever be FREE from all this?

Well, as we close out this chapter, and next time move on to Chapter 6, we find Michael has some rich insights that bring us to the freedom and victory that so many long for.  Hallelujah!

Note: if you don’t have one of Michael’s Sidetracked In The Wilderness books, please contact ALMI (www.abidinglife.com) and get one today!

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Getting Out of the Wilderness by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com  

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

leemccm@gmail.com

1737 CR 2051    Nacogdoches, Tx 75965                                               936-559-5696

The Molding of Self-Life

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 31

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  Why a blog?  So that many can receive the weekly thoughts I express on Michael’s writings in an easy manner.

It’s almost funny how life teaches us so much.  Of course it is sad when we don’t see what it is teaching!  Folks have said for generations: “learn from history (the past) and don’t make the same mistakes.”  What do most do?  Never learn from history, make the same mistakes as someone (or self) did in the past.  Well, amen.

THE MOLDING OF SELF-LIFE

excerpt from pages 88-90 of SIW (5^th printing, March 1998)

excerpt from pages 84-86 of SIW (14^th printing, March 2012)

                   (used with permission from ALMI):

Past events affect most areas of life…We draw upon the past continually, and it will help us to understand the self that must be denied to realize identity messages of the past do have great significance today.

We all have received a variety of identity messages….the enemy will take every message and distort it in order that you might receive it as having the worst possible intent.

Many parents have been accused of giving their children negative identity messages that were never intended.  The enemy has merely seized the opportunity and, in the voice that sounds like the parents, told them something other than what was meant…

There is also a person’s peculiar grid of emotions to contend with…something is said…causing the person to hear what might not have been said at all…

…Once an identity is developed, we will begin to look for signals that verify it…

A child who receives the idea that he is not valuable may test this hypothesis by rebelling and staying out all night.  Under these circumstances, if the parents say nothing, or worse yet, say it would be better had the child not been born, this one will believe what he always suspected was true.  This can result in further defiance and even open doors for the enemy to tempt in the area of suicide, for the child is convinced that he has no worth.

In one of my first years of ministry I led the church to have a “garbage and baggage service.”  The whole idea was to come and dump all that everyone had been carrying around for a long time: the things, persons, “identities” (although we didn’t call them that at that time), bad memories, etc…onto the Cross of Christ.  Many did.  Some wanted to still hang on to those things.  Getting Past the Past is a big deal for so many.

But Michael gives us the start of “the past” that causes such difficulty: those identity messages given to us every which way we turn, by almost every person we come into contact with.  Take special note that so often they start at early childhood!

Oh how we should give due diligence to see that each and every person we know comes to discover this problem of identity messages given to them, and how to live in the present without the past dictating messages that defeat and be destructive…what could be worse than the temptation to commit suicide?

Note: if you don’t have one of Michael’s Sidetracked In The Wilderness books, please contact ALMI (www.abidinglife.com) and get one today!

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Getting Out of the Wilderness by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com  

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

leemccm@gmail.com

1737 CR 2051    Nacogdoches, Tx 75965                                               936-559-5696