I recently had the chance to sell some used cars, tools, household items and squirrel together enough funds to buy a lifelong dream of a truck \u2013 Land Rover Defender. \u00a0 It\u2019s been a joy working through the kinks and uniqueness of an old rig. \u00a0 I knew I may be biting off a lot in the process, but I felt up to the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I researched more about these vehicles, their history and what to look for\/avoid in the condition, I found out it was very easy for people to cover major problems on these rigs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m sure this is the case for every used truck out there, put on some big tires, make sure the paint is shiny, grab a nice stereo and throw in some silly accessories like a shovel and recovery tracks (for a daily driver ha ha) and sell it at a high price.\u00a0 Then we get home with our new fancy rig and realize the axles are shot and rust is overtaking the vehicle like ivy on an oak tree.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though I didn\u2019t find myself in this situation, thankfully, it\u2019s easy to make these kinds of decisions and exclaim \u201cThat\u2019s not what I paid for!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though it\u2019s not a perfect parallel or metaphor (as I am a finite mortal created being like you)\u00a0 I wonder in the context of the cost of the Cross, if Jesus ever says the same thing to me.\u00a0 Not in exclamation or consternation but in His merciful and graceful thoughts towards me \u2013 \u201cSon, stop putting on these false self garments to look polished and dignified for me,\u00a0 this is not what I paid for\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As we have been spending the last few weeks exploring Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, the idea of the \u201cFalse Self\u201d has popped up.\u00a0 \u00a0 Simply put, the \u201cFalse Self\u201d is an apparition of ourselves, it\u2019s a way we hide the layers of fear, hurt, pain, mistrust, and mother\/father wounds in our \u201cTrue Self\u201d and work to project a more put together image to the world and to Jesus.\u00a0 We can then avoid the painful places of intimacy and vulnerability by propping up this image as religious fervor\/lifestyle, negating the truth that \u201cin our weakness He is strong\u201d..\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all do it.\u00a0 We all have this tendency.\u00a0 It is played out in every relationship on the planet.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n So for us who call ourselves Christ followers \u2013 it\u2019s a life-long journey to allow Holy Spirit to peel back these layers so we can live fully and freely.\u00a0 The catalyst for this process is what Jesus did through\u00a0 the Cross and Resurrection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can celebrate that we are saved, our life no longer ends with death. He wanted to set the eternal-living-fully-alive-LIFE as our permanent and current condition. \u00a0 In fact, regardless of what we perceive to be our \u201cused condition\u201d\u00a0 He says that we are a NEW CREATION.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n So here is the encouragement \u2013 you don\u2019t have to dress up your life, you don\u2019t have to hide the condition of your heart or emotions. When you gather with other believers on a Sunday morning or when you sit before Jesus on your back porch \u2013 the more you offer your TRUE self and not your FALSE self \u2013 the more layers of health and life will be uncovered and you will be free! \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what JESUS PAID FOR!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blessings my friends,\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Andy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I recently had the chance to sell some used cars, tools, household items and squirrel together enough funds to buy a lifelong dream of a truck \u2013 Land Rover Defender. \u00a0 It\u2019s been a joy working through the kinks and uniqueness of an old rig. \u00a0 I knew I may be biting off a lot in the process, but I felt up to the challenge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":540,"featured_media":371336,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":170,"footnotes":""},"categories":[141,87,128],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-371330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-church-and-ministry","category-encouragement","category-healing-and-wholeness",""],"blockli_fields":{"post_type":"","post_action":"","post_type_icon":"","background_image":""},"bb_bookmark":{"bookmark_id":0,"is_bookmarked":false,"bookmark_date":0},"app_bookmark":{"bookmark_id":0,"is_bookmarked":false,"bookmark_date":0},"comments_count":"0","content_native":[{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" I recently had the chance to sell some used cars, tools, household items and squirrel together enough funds to buy a lifelong dream of a truck - Land Rover Defender. It\u2019s been a joy working through the kinks and uniqueness of an old rig. I knew I may be biting off a lot in the process, but I felt up to the challenge.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"I recently had the chance to sell some used cars, tools, household items and squirrel together enough funds to buy a lifelong dream of a truck - Land Rover Defender. It\u2019s been a joy working through the kinks and uniqueness of an old rig. I knew I may be biting off a lot in the process, but I felt up to the challenge."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" As I researched more about these vehicles, their history and what to look for\/avoid in the condition, I found out it was very easy for people to cover major problems on these rigs. <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"As I researched more about these vehicles, their history and what to look for\/avoid in the condition, I found out it was very easy for people to cover major problems on these rigs. "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" I\u2019m sure this is the case for every used truck out there, put on some big tires, make sure the paint is shiny, grab a nice stereo and throw in some silly accessories like a shovel and recovery tracks (for a daily driver ha ha) and sell it at a high price. Then we get home with our new fancy rig and realize the axles are shot and rust is overtaking the vehicle like ivy on an oak tree. <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"I\u2019m sure this is the case for every used truck out there, put on some big tires, make sure the paint is shiny, grab a nice stereo and throw in some silly accessories like a shovel and recovery tracks (for a daily driver ha ha) and sell it at a high price. Then we get home with our new fancy rig and realize the axles are shot and rust is overtaking the vehicle like ivy on an oak tree. "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Though I didn't find myself in this situation, thankfully, it\u2019s easy to make these kinds of decisions and exclaim \u201cThat\u2019s not what I paid for!\" <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Though I didn't find myself in this situation, thankfully, it\u2019s easy to make these kinds of decisions and exclaim \u201cThat\u2019s not what I paid for!\" "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Though it\u2019s not a perfect parallel or metaphor (as I am a finite mortal created being like you) I wonder in the context of the cost of the Cross, if Jesus ever says the same thing to me. Not in exclamation or consternation but in His merciful and graceful thoughts towards me - \u201cSon, stop putting on these false self garments to look polished and dignified for me, this is not what I paid for\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Though it\u2019s not a perfect parallel or metaphor (as I am a finite mortal created being like you) I wonder in the context of the cost of the Cross, if Jesus ever says the same thing to me. Not in exclamation or consternation but in His merciful and graceful thoughts towards me - \u201cSon, stop putting on these false self garments to look polished and dignified for me, this is not what I paid for\u2026\u201d<\/em>"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" As we have been spending the last few weeks exploring Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, the idea of the \u201cFalse Self\u201d has popped up.\u00a0 \u00a0 Simply put, the \u201cFalse Self\u201d is an apparition of ourselves, it\u2019s a way we hide the layers of fear, hurt, pain, mistrust, and mother\/father wounds in our \u201cTrue Self\u201d and work to project a more put together image to the world and to Jesus.\u00a0 We can then avoid the painful places of intimacy and vulnerability by propping up this image as religious fervor\/lifestyle, negating the truth that \u201cin our weakness He is strong\u201d..\u00a0<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"As we have been spending the last few weeks exploring Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, the idea of the \u201cFalse Self\u201d has popped up.\u00a0 \u00a0 Simply put, the \u201cFalse Self\u201d is an apparition of ourselves, it\u2019s a way we hide the layers of fear, hurt, pain, mistrust, and mother\/father wounds in our \u201cTrue Self\u201d and work to project a more put together image to the world and to Jesus.\u00a0 We can then avoid the painful places of intimacy and vulnerability by propping up this image as religious fervor\/lifestyle, negating the truth that \u201cin our weakness He is strong\u201d..\u00a0"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" We all do it. We all have this tendency. It is played out in every relationship on the planet. <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"We all do it. We all have this tendency. It is played out in every relationship on the planet. "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" So for us who call ourselves Christ followers - it\u2019s a life-long journey to allow Holy Spirit to peel back these layers so we can live fully and freely. The catalyst for this process is what Jesus did through the Cross and Resurrection.<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"So for us who call ourselves Christ followers - it\u2019s a life-long journey to allow Holy Spirit to peel back these layers so we can live fully and freely. The catalyst for this process is what Jesus did through the Cross and Resurrection."}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" We can celebrate that we are saved, our life no longer ends with death. He wanted to set the eternal-living-fully-alive-LIFE as our permanent and current condition. In fact, regardless of what we perceive to be our \u201cused condition\u201d He says that we are a NEW CREATION. <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"We can celebrate that we are saved, our life no longer ends with death. He wanted to set the eternal-living-fully-alive-LIFE as our permanent and current condition. In fact, regardless of what we perceive to be our \u201cused condition\u201d He says that we are a NEW CREATION. "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" So here is the encouragement - you don\u2019t have to dress up your life, you don\u2019t have to hide the condition of your heart or emotions. When you gather with other believers on a Sunday morning or when you sit before Jesus on your back porch - the more you offer your TRUE self and not your FALSE self - the more layers of health and life will be uncovered and you will be free! <\/em><\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"So here is the encouragement - you don\u2019t have to dress up your life, you don\u2019t have to hide the condition of your heart or emotions. When you gather with other believers on a Sunday morning or when you sit before Jesus on your back porch - the more you offer your TRUE self and not your FALSE self - the more layers of health and life will be uncovered and you will be free! <\/em>"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" This is what JESUS PAID FOR!<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"This is what JESUS PAID FOR!"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Blessings my friends, <\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Blessings my friends, "}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}},{"type":"core\/paragraph","render":" Andy<\/p>","content":[{"type":"text","data":"Andy"}],"data":[],"style":{"textAlign":"left","color":"","dropCap":false,"parent_style":{}}}],"app_access":{"can_access":true,"restrict_message":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/540"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371330\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/371336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lwrv.org\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}