How Do You Obtain What God Has Already Provided?

If you've ever felt like you're doing the same old thing over and over, falling back into the same patterns, not moving forward and that you'll never be able to get the life you really want to live or that this mental health journey is too hard, I want to share something that came up in one of my recent sessions.

This analogy came to me of a cookie placed on the kitchen table, and the child says to the parent, "I wanna cookie," and the parent says, "OK, I've given you a cookie." The child then says, "I want a cookie, how come I can't have a cookie, why aren't you listening to me, why aren't you giving me what I want?" The parent already gave the child the cookie as it's on the table, but the child has to simply go over, pick it up, and then eat the cookie. It's already been provided, but the child needs to act on it. The child may not see that it's easily accessible that it is already there. That's how we are when we think why isn't God just cleaning up this mess, why am I still stuck having this same old feeling like I'm never going to get it right, never get out this, and will never be done with this journey.

Often times, it's because you aren't picking up the cookie, and sometimes the cookies come in the form of scriptural truth like reading your Bible and time with the Lord and the direction of the Holy Spirit, so pray, reflect, and seek good counsel and teaching. 

Sometimes it comes from taking an action (like reaching out for the cookie) when we stop listening to the feelings and instead, look at the facts. The fact is God is who He says He is! If you are a Christian, you believe God is God. He is the source of everything and all truth: 

Every good and perfect gift comes from God, and these truths don't change whether you feel they are true or not. Whether you feel it or not, you get to choose to take action, to believe it, to reach out to it, and to grab it, and to find ways to make it yours just like the child grabbing the cookie off the table. The cookie is already allowed, and it's already freely provided, but we have to do something with it.

In the Bible, there's a parable of three men who were given money. One didn't do anything and hid it for safekeeping, another got a small return for it, and the last man really invested and received a big return for it. God gives these men a choice as to what to do with what they've been given. 

Just like us, we can watch what God has given us grow into something healthy or we can bury it and not let it grow into what it could be. Sometimes the lie is that we think we're stuck when we're not stuck; we think we will never get out of it, but we're already free. God has already given us the power to do all things through Christ who gives us strength. We can reach out and take our power back!  We mustn't let the enemy steal it by listening to the lies making us think feelings are facts.

You can seek out the skills, tools, and help you need to take the next step and take good care of yourself. You can identify negative or limiting beliefs and place them up against God's truth and His word. You have power in Christ Jesus and his gifts are right there on the table just like the cookie!

You get to accept His gifts and choose how you accept them just like that child could go over and get that cookie from the table! The child could go get that cookie while doing a cartwheel, he could eat that cookie while standing on his head, he could ask his sister to go bring him a cookie, he could slide a piece of paper under it and slide it over to himself. 

So, if you feel like nothing's changing, that's a lie because you can change right now by telling yourself the truth! You can say to yourself, "oh that's just a negative mindset," "oh, that's just a lie," and although you may not feel it right away, the truth is the truth!

Most importantly, don't believe the lie when Satan tells you that you are stuck or moving backward. Believe the truth, take back your power, and take the next right step. When we take steps in a positive direction, just one at a time, we are still doing something to move forward. Just keep taking the next step and sometimes the next step is a good nap, a good vacation, or telling somebody your deepest, darkest secret as long as they're a safe person. Maybe you don't tell it all at once; maybe just say it a little bit at a time to see if they're safe with your confidence.

You can steward this process as God gives good gifts to his children, so take your next step not based on feeling, but based on who God is and who you are in Him.