Posted on September 15, 2011, 8:19 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
“It’s no sweat!” we say when something is easy for us. What if we lived life without sweating? Without straining, hurrying, or worrying?
That’s how Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden—till they separated themselves from God. Ever since people have been working by the sweat of their brow. But we misunderstand this and think that work is the curse. No! We were created by God to rule and reign with him (Genesis 1:28). Work is not the curse—sweat work is the curse.
How do you do your Work?
I talk with a lot of pastors and many other kinds of ministry leaders [...]
Continue reading “No Sweat!”
Posted on January 17, 2011, 10:27 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
Negative emotions. We all have them. We all have struggled with how to deal with emotions like worry, anger, depression, shame, ambition, lust, and jealousy—even a psychologist like me who has devoted 24 years to helping people overcome emotional problems.
Of course, having an emotion isn’t a problem—it’s normal. But how do we respond to the emotion? That’s the issue. And “negative” emotions are those that damage people if they are internalized or if they are acted on against yourself or someone else. Many people we talk to, including ministry leaders, are controlled by negative emotions.
The Psalmist understands our struggles [...]
Continue reading Negative Emotions
Posted on September 27, 2010, 10:56 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
On the cross Jesus let go of everything and abandoned all outcomes to the Father. To help him do this he prayed a line from Psalm 31:5 to his Abba: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
This is a prayer of self-denial and submission to God that we can apply it to any situation in our lives. This has helped me and many people that I counsel and teach to overcome anxiety. Instead of worrying or trying to control things we can put them in God’s hands and be at peace!
What stress do you need to turn [...]
Continue reading Put it in the Father’s Hands
Posted on August 23, 2010, 9:09 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
Usually its better to slow down!
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
I was coming down the stairs this morning with my arms full and heading out to an appointment that I was going to be late for when I spilled my cup full of cereal all down the stairs and across the entry! This is a parable…
Most pastors and leaders that my wife Kristi and I minister to have the same problem I had this morning – they’re carrying too much and they’re moving too fast. They’re under tremendous stress and have difficulty making time for the intimacy with Jesus that they crave and [...]
Continue reading Hurry to Spill Mercy
Posted on July 29, 2010, 6:21 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
Most every day I talk to someone who is afraid or anxious (which is generalized fear). Maybe you fear what people think of you… Not having enough money… Public speaking, flying, being far from home, or spiders… Failure or rejection… Losing a loved one… Disease or pain… Death…
We all long for more of God’s peace in the midst of the stresses of our lives!
It’s been said that there are 365 “fear nots” in the Bible, one for every day of the year. This is a wonderful thought, but is it true? Most people say no. Indeed, there is not a version of [...]
Continue reading “Fear Not!” 365 days a year
Posted on July 3, 2010, 7:09 am, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
Are you free – really free? Are you at peace being the person God created you to be and enjoying your life with him?
Many people we talk to are wearing a heavy yoke. They’re working all the time. Or they’re worried about money or their health or their kids. Or they’re tired of trying to please an impossible to please spouse. Or they’re depending on alcohol to relax.
Jesus shows us a life of freedom. No one has had more pressure than Jesus. No one has had more responsibility, expectations, temptations, stress, or pain than Jesus. And no one lived life more [...]
Continue reading Be Free! Live in Jesus’ Easy Yoke!
Posted on June 15, 2010, 8:48 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
Your identity, worth, meaning, and joy are in Christ alone – not in your performance or what people think of you. 110 times the Apostle Paul urges us to place ourselves “in Christ.”
Practicing my “In Christ Alone” prayer will help you to enter the Sabbath rest of Jesus’ Christ’s embrace: “In Christ alone my soul finds rest… Selah” (inspired by Psalm 62:1,5).
Pause to take a breather now… Refresh your soul in Christ… Form your heart around the desire to seek Christ alone as your source in all that you do… Pray slowly, over and over,“In Christ Alone my soul finds rest… Selah.”
Try it as a Breath Prayer. Breathe in slow [...]
Continue reading In Christ Alone
Posted on June 8, 2010, 10:41 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 1992
I spent seven years in my own psychotherapy, getting help with anxiety and depression, learning how to express my feelings better and receive the soul care that I needed. I needed help to get free of my false self and come alive as my true self.
My therapist was “Christ’s Ambassador” to me (2 Corinthians 5:20) and God found me at the bottom of the old well and set me free to be me!
In 1992 I wrote about my personal struggle of going through therapy in my prayer poem: “Becoming ‘I’.” My experience was very much like David’s in Psalm 40:1-5:
“I waited patiently for the [...]
Continue reading Becoming “I”
Posted on June 3, 2010, 10:40 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
I’ve heard it said: “I pray when I’m in trouble. I pray all the time!”
I relate! I’m in trouble all the time! Realizing this is the secret to a great prayer life.
When our circumstances are pleasant it’s easy to forget that we’re in trouble: the world is vain, demons are near, temptations abound, trials are coming, people are starving, we will die.
We have to remind ourselves: “I am in trouble!” Then we will pray!
“I am in Trouble”, inspired by Psalm 34:15-22, is just the prayer prompt that we need. Pray it for yourself. Pray it for the people the Lord puts on your heart.
Try praying it [...]
Continue reading I am in Trouble
Posted on May 20, 2010, 10:21 am, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 2008, 2010
I was thinking of Jesus’ words: “Don’t worry. Look at the birds… Your Heavenly Father cares for them. Aren’t you much more valuable than them?” (Matthew 6:25-26, PAR). (The Psalmist had a similar meditation that Jesus may have drawn from, Psalm 104:12, 17, 27-30).
And they inspired me to sit down and do some bird watching while I prayed today as I was alone with Jesus in the quiet for a few hours. As I watched and listened to what was going on above my head Jesus spoke to my heart.
Don’t misunderstand me. The Lord’s voice didn’t come to me like lightening filling the sky. [...]
Continue reading Don’t Worry – Listen to the Birds
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
