tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post5462145724725725067..comments2023-10-03T06:25:41.357-05:00Comments on Grace Roots Blog: GodtrospectiveJoel Bruesekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10395847887953875757noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-34941882593694441292008-01-05T09:17:00.000-06:002008-01-05T09:17:00.000-06:00Angela,I see your 20-21 million + and I raise you ...Angela,<BR/><BR/>I see your 20-21 million + and I raise you a million. :) I've definitely had those days. God's perspective of us, or being "Godtrospective" in our thinking, which is very contrary to the ways we seem to be programmed to think of ourselves, is something we all need to be reminded of often.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-23848633387487164652008-01-03T21:47:00.000-06:002008-01-03T21:47:00.000-06:00Thank you for reminding me of the work that is bei...Thank you for reminding me of the work that is being done in me. I had a rough day and a little (maybe a ton) hard on myself. Falling short in my own eyes. Missing the mark on two many things to count. I think I have your 20-21 million beat just today. <BR/><BR/>Godtrospective is just the view I needed.Angelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17182303558242525709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-61031042874591555182008-01-03T15:21:00.000-06:002008-01-03T15:21:00.000-06:00Thanks brotherThanks brotherOnly Lookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16074543462279905793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-24251375699450726612008-01-03T10:34:00.000-06:002008-01-03T10:34:00.000-06:00Yep my mindset has been in reverse for quite some ...Yep my mindset has been in reverse for quite some time. :) There's a lot of 'unlearning' to do when a person has been through various negative experiences, whether it's in a church setting or in a marriage/family setting or in the Marines or in various other ways, and it takes time to reprogram the mind with the grace of God and His unconditional love.<BR/><BR/>I'll certainly pray along with you in regards to your interaction with your children. I'm right there with you, as far as having grown in my role as a daddy and yet always having lots of room for growth remaining. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-49836901280809401752008-01-02T18:53:00.000-06:002008-01-02T18:53:00.000-06:00This was good for me. I think of earlier in my mar...This was good for me. I think of earlier in my married life and how impatient I got with my oldest even when he was a toddler. I never abused him, but my anger showed...all gone though and forgiven. Pray for me with my kids please. I believe I am a better daddy now, but it is only the truths of the gracewalk that is helping me. Always remembering what a loving Father we have helps me to be more patient with my children. You have ministered to me. I had anxiety issues when I was younger which caused my parents to explode at times, but the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God. The Lord has really had to reverse my mindset, especially having been in the Marines as well. The Lord is so good to forgive me of so much and to give me such a new blessed future and hope.Only Lookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16074543462279905793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-36092800872045922742007-12-31T16:16:00.000-06:002007-12-31T16:16:00.000-06:00Hi LS... thanks for the visit! And don't worry. ...Hi LS... thanks for the visit! And don't worry. I actually have 21 million things wrong with me, so you're doing ok. :)<BR/><BR/>Yep what I'm saying here is that I've found that when I change my thought-life from a focus on how well I am or am not performing in my Christian life to a focus on God and my union with Him, then I worry less and less about my motivations and performance, and yet I've found that my motivations and performance become more pure. And you are so right. None of us have "arrived" by any means and it takes a lot of time to change from our focus on "self" to a focus on Christ-in-us.<BR/><BR/>My early Christian walk was definitely one of constantly weighing my motivations and actions, and it only led to more and more of a discontent and more and more of a fear that I would never make it in my Christian life! Since that time, I've found that when I stop constantly judging my intentions and instead focus on learning who God is and who I am (my identity in Him), then my motivations eventually become more and more pure.<BR/><BR/>God didn't send Jesus to "improve" my life. Jesus came to give me new life - abundant life! The life I live in the body - I <I>don't</I> live - but rather it's a life that's lived by faith in Jesus. So rather than focusing on what I can and can't do, or how well I am or am not doing it, I want to focus on Christ-joined-with-me.<BR/><BR/>One last thing... and I'm open to thoughts from anyone and everyone on this... when the Bible says to examine yourself to see if you are of the faith, I see this not as a call to examine whether or not you're living right, but rather whether or not you're trusting God (faith), and the finished work of Christ on the cross (the broken body and shed blood). In other words, are you focused on and trusting in your own performance, or the perfect performance of Jesus.<BR/><BR/>Any thoughts?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29606082.post-19956838043251089322007-12-31T11:34:00.000-06:002007-12-31T11:34:00.000-06:00Hi Joel;It is so nice to walk down the hall to vis...Hi Joel;<BR/><BR/>It is so nice to walk down the hall to visit you!<BR/><BR/>I am a bit concerned as I have over 20 million things wrong with me! LOL<BR/><BR/>There is so much truth packed into this article that I will focus primarily on two…<BR/><BR/>Your concept of “Godtrospection” is abundantly accurate…sometimes though it may take time for it to emerge from our introspection that so early on seems to be an issue in living the Jesus life…<BR/><BR/>The other part of your article that gripped me the most was the self-improvement part, so many are so concerned with self-improvement that they are not open to transformation by God….When we spend time in the Scriptures God performs “spiritual surgery” upon us, often though people can’t see the forest for the trees….when we study God’s Word, meditating upon it we will be transformed…. Self-improvement so often works in concert with “keeping score” which bogs us down in being introspective, of course there are times to be introspective but many live just there….<BR/><BR/>Happy New Year and thanks for posting your thoughts….by the way this article goes well with one I posted yesterday LOLLivingswordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10619320099363943460noreply@blogger.com