The next year and a half was financially very difficult for Valerie, John and the family. They needed to get more financial aid for their daughter in college, they cut back all household purchases to the bare basics, and John’s company had to borrow money to get through. And through all of this, Valerie and John felt no significant worry, confident Jesus would get them through. And when things were better again, both Valerie and John felt it was a great blessing to have gone through this difficult time with Jesus, or they wouldn’t have learned not to worry.
In this example, it was Jesus’ great truth that God provides all that we need no matter what comes into our lives, that allowed Valerie and John to move out of the worry of the weed, and into the “no worry” and peace of the flower. But the truth alone was not sufficient. It wasn’t until Valerie and John completely believed the Truth, and had complete faith and trust in Jesus and his truthful words, that the transformation actually occurred. As stated earlier it is not sufficient to be presented with the truth (although it is a great blessing in itself), the truth must be completely believed for inner transformation to occur.
Valerie and John had been firmly stuck in the weed. They had believed the lie (the roots of the weed) that John, and only John was providing for the family through his work. This led to their excessive desire for financial security (the stem of the weed), in case anything happened to John or his business. This excessive desire for financial security led directly to their worry (the bloom of the weed), because there was no way to know what the future would bring. There was no way out of this continuous emotional suffering, until Jesus broke into their thinking with His radical truth that God will provide all that we truly need. Once they completely Jesus enough to completely believe His Truth, they were transformed in their thinking, which rooted them firmly in the flower, firmly in the “reign of God.”
Once their thinking had been transformed from lie to truth, their willfulness and emotions followed suit. Their willfulness changed from an excessive desire for financial security, to the holy desire to run John’s business in an honest, loving way, completely trusting that Jesus would make the business fruitful and their emotions were transformed from worry, to the peace of Christ.
Example # 2 How Strong Attachment Can Block Our Transformation.
The Danger of Riches. 16
“Another time a man came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to possess everlasting life?” * 17 He answered, “Why do you question me about what is good? There is One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 “ Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “ You shall not kill’: ‘You shall not commit adultery’: ‘You shall not steal’: ‘You shall not bear false witness’: 19 Honor your father and your mother’: and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20 The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; what do I need to do further?’ 21 Jesus told him, ‘If you seek perfection, go sell your possessions, and give to the poor. You will then have treasure in heaven. Afterward, come back and follow me” 22 *Hearing these words, the young man went away sad, for his possessions were many. MT 19:16-22
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