“So it is when our hearts are trained not to lament. We begin to see ourselves as the protectors and keepers of our hearts instead of leaving that responsibility to God in faith.”- Esther Fleece
Today Esther Fleece continues Chapter 2 of No More Faking Fine. She talks about the third coping mechanism we use to short-circuit the healing process.
3. “I’ll never make myself vulnerable to getting hurt again.” The author notes that “we make incorrect if/then statements about God all the time.” For example, we might say or think: “If God prompts me to pray for something, then I can expect the outcome I desire.”
However, many times our if/then beliefs about God result in a different “then” than we expect. As a result, that disappointment weakens our faith. Perhaps we begin to distrust our prayer relationship with God. We even doubt God Himself. Also, we exchange an honest prayer of lament for a type of prayer to ourselves.
Therefore, we convince ourselves to trust our own discernment instead of God’s pathway and plans. Have we heard God correctly? As a result, we rely on our own devices rather than crying out to our God who hears. Consequently, we make unhealthy vows of self-protection or self-interest. While we pledge vows to God out of love, we make vows to ourselves out of fear. Eventually, fearful vows turn into lies. In addition, fearful vows accomplish the exact opposite thing we intended. Put another way, unlamented hearts lead to unhealthy vows. The cycle of brokenness continues.
In conclusion, Esther notes the implications of unprocessed laments. Satan turns these issues into slander against the character of God. The author writes:
“Unprocessed laments keep our hearts in chains. It keeps us stuck in the cycle of the wrong if/then statements we were holding on to to begin with. God wants to help our hearts get unshackled from these chains.”
Tomorrow Esther covers the final two coping mechanisms.
Today’s question: What Bible verses counter a heart trained not to lament? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The snowball effect our coping mechanisms create”
