Learning to Unlearn

An exert from In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson.

"Almost like a hard drive with a computer virus, our minds have infected files.  Irrational fears and misconceptions keep us from operating the way we were designed to.  And if those fears and misconceptions aren't installed, they undermine everything we do.

Half of learning is learning.  The other half of learing is unlearning.  Unfortunately, unlearning is twice as hard as learning.  It's like missing your exit on the freeway.  You have to drive to the next exit and then double back.  Every mile you go in the wrong direction is really a two-mile error.  Unlearning is twice as hard, and it often takes twice as long.  It is harder to get old thoughts out of you rmind than it is to get new thoughts into your mind.

That is the challenge Jesus faced, isn't it?

If you study the teachings of Christ, you'll realize that learning wasn't His primary goal.  His primary goal was unlearning.  He was reverse engineering religious minds.  And those can be the toughest minds to change.  That is why two phrases are repearted over andover again in the Sermon on the Mount.

'You have heard that is was said...'
'But I tell you...'

What was Jesus saying and doing?  He was uninstalling Old Testament concepts and upgrading then with New Testament truths.

'You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'  But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person.  If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn to him the other also.'  Matthew 5:38-39

...Half of spiritual growth is learning what we don't know.  The other half is unlearning what we do know.  And it is the failure to unlearn irrational fears and misconceptions that keep us from becoming who God wants us to be."

I related this to my fears of labor.  I had a lot of fear tied up in pain and the unknown.  It took me while to even recognize the fear that I was holding on to.  But once I did, God was able to reprogram my mind to trust Him and depend upon His understanding. 

I also find this true in my spiritual walk as well.  There were many concepts and 'rules' that I had to unlearn.  Being a christian is really simple.  Love God with all your heart and love others the same.  But sometimes we over complicate things, because of our humanity.  We make up "rules", because it makes us feel secure. When we should be finding our security in Christ and not "laws".   

Not Alone

I was reading my bible this morning and I came across this verse...

"Then your light will shine like dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal.  Your God will walk before you, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.  Then you will call out, and the Lord will answer.  You will cry out, and He will say, 'Here I am."  - Isaiah 58:8-9

It is so comforting to know that even before this labor comes or anything in life that God love me/us enough to go before us and prepare the way for us.  Before we ever get to where we are going, He already has the conditions perfect and ready for us.  Not only that, but He is there with us the whole time.  Never leaving us.  Always there to shield us from harm and to comfort us in times of weakness and trouble.  That is a great and loving God! I can't imagine going through all of this without Him.  I can't imagine being alive in this world without Him!

Called to be a Lion Chaser

Taking Brenda's advice I have prayed and found a scripture that really speaks to me for this labor:

"There was also Benaniah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two of Moab's mightiest warriors. Another time he chases a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it. Another time, armed only with a club, he killed a great Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaniah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with it." 2 Samuel 23:20-21

 I discovered it while reading a book called "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson.  My friend, Kristy, asked me to read this a long time ago.  So, I finally picked it up about a week ago and it said exactly what I needed to hear.

The back of the book read "What if the life you really want, and the future God wants for you, is hiding right now in your biggest problem, your worst failure....your greatest fear?"

Mark explains that Benaniah didn't run away from the lion, but chased it down.  Not only that, but it was snowing outside.  Not only that, but he chased the lion into a pit, jumped into the pit, and killed it with his bare hangs!  That lion is everything we fear.  And until we decide to chase it down and conquer it, it will be chasing us for the rest of our lives. 

The lion definintly had better odds than Benaniah.  The conditions were in the lions favor, but lion was the one who ran away.  God turned what could have been a big problem into a great resume for Benaniah to be later strategically positioned into the administration of David.

"..God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time...Most people would have seen the lion as a five-hundred pound problem, but not Benaniah...lion chasers are wired differently."  (Mark Batterson)

When I read this scripture, I had a five-hundred pound problem: Labor.  I had a lot of fear that was surrounding it.  After reading this, I realized that I do not need to fear it.  Not only that, but I realized that God was replacing my fear with trust and peace in Him.  This book really encouraged me to grab this opportunity that God was giving me to not only survive, but THRIVE!  Now I KNOW that I can do this and am 110% ready. 

"[God] is always using past experiences to prepare us for future opportunities.  But those God-given opportunities often come disquised as man-eating lions.  And how we react when we encounter those lion will determine our destiny.  We can cower in fear and run away from our challenges.  Or we can chase our God-ordained destiny by seizing the God-ordained opportunities....the greatest opportunities are the scariest lions." (Matt Batterson)

Choosing to see this labor as an opportunity to grow and show God's glory is not even an option for me now.  I know it's the only path to take.  I'm excited about the whole process and pray that God will be able to use me as a vessel to inspire others to be Lion Chasers of their destinies.  And one thing that we can all take comfort in knowing is that our God LOVES impossible odds!  So no matter what, all bets should be on us.



God Thoughts

You make all things Good!

Be Still and Know that I am God!...Psalm 46:10

Taste and See that the Lord is Good!...Psalm 34:8

Sing a New Song unto the Lord!.....Psalm 96:1