Self Help for Spiritual ADHD

3/18/2011

Self Help for Spiritual ADHD

As a new year’s ‘resolution’ I joined a group of ladies who have vowed to read the Bible in a year. We are all reading whichever ‘Bible in a year’ plan and whichever version of the Bible that we believe we will have the most success with. We meet daily online to support and encourage each other, ask questions, make statements, ponder thoughts, have prayer requests, discuss scripture, LOVE each other, no rules, without judgment or condemnation, just a group of ladies with a common desire to grow closer to God.

(As a side note – there are not enough words to describe what an incredible blessing this has been and the impact it continues to have upon my life as I grow in my spiritual walk. In case any of you are reading this – YOU ARE ALL AMAZING AND I LOVE YOU DEARLY!)

Knowing my affliction with ‘Spiritual ADHD’ I determined the only way that this would work for me would be for me to read straight through the Bible – cover to cover. For this reason, over the past two and a half months I have been spending a lot of time in my daily Bible reading in the Old Testament and the time of the Law.

As I was reflecting today, I was given the most glorious gift from God. It became so crystal clear to me that it actually scared me. My only hope now is that I can relay that message here in such a way that those of you who share my affliction are equally as blessed.

Father, I know this is Your story to tell, so I pray You fill me with the words necessary to tell it properly.

Yesterday I told you I was going to let my thoughts marinate over my Spiritual ADHD. Now if I had REALLY been able to do that, the story would end right here because that would mean God decided to miraculously cure me.

Since I am still typing, it is safe to assume that instead I spent hours online looking up self-help strategies for Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

After reading several articles I have compiled a list of the following common suggestions for combating this disorder.

o Exercise and eat right

o Get plenty of sleep

o Practice better time management

o Work on your relationships

o Create a supportive environment

These seemed like reasonable suggestions. I put them aside to allow my subconscious to ponder them and form a plan.

God had something bigger in mind for my lesson. He is SO cool like that!

During my morning reflection with God, I was struck by the magnitude of God. Had there been a cloud in sight I might have been convinced I was hit with lightening, even though I was inside.

I had the overwhelming realization and reminder that God does not NEED me to do anything. God does not NEED me FOR anything. God does not NEED me.

Hang with me here.

I have always known this, but the magnitude of it is even farther than I can grasp. Farther than any of us can grasp. The startling realization is entwined with the time period of God’s Laws.

God did not NEED Moses, nor did He NEED the Israelites. To take that one step further, God did not and still does not NEED anyone to follow His rules, His laws, His commandments. If I refuse to proclaim His name as the name above all names, it will not EVER make His name less. When the Israelites worshipped other gods and held on to their false idols, it did not, nor could it EVER dethrone God. Sexual immorality, murder, hatred, SIN – NONE of this CHANGES GOD. None of this will make God any less … GOD (for lack of a better word).

God will be God despite the retched, despite satan, in spite of whatever law, rule, commandment I break – OR you break. I can kill all the innocent babies, bow down to statues, speak His name in vain and He will continue to BE GOD.

I am making a point here.

If God NEEDED me to do ANYTHING, He is quite capable of just MAKING me do it. Or just smiting me from the planet when I don’t.

As I was smacked by the magnitude of this, I was overcome with the most amazing sense of love (and peace). My eyes could see something for the first time.

Since God does not NEED these laws, rules, and commandments; what was His purpose for commanding them? I can assure you He did not just get bored, and He has a purpose for EVERYTHING.

Reread the self-help suggestions. Now think of the rules God has commanded we follow.

Do you see a connection?

I am not going to do your homework for you, so I will not be providing the verses, but here is what I know.

God knew me, and YOU before the world was ever created. God knew and knows our faults, our limitations, and the steps WE NEED to take to walk with and be with Him. To grow closer, to know Him, and to be a better Christian and person. So HE can spend eternity WITH US – because HE CHOOSES TO. He has THAT much love for us.

Even now – living under grace and not under the law – it still fits. It fit then, and it STILL fits. Like a one-size-fits-all moment of enlightenment.

God tells me that my body is a temple of the Lord and I should treat it as such (Exercise and eat right).

God tells me that I am to work 6 days but rest on the 7^th observing the Sabbath day and keeping it holy unto Him (Get plenty of sleep/rest).

God desires that we spend time reading the Bible each day, attend church, pray non-stop, worship Him, meditate, work, tend to our families, tend to our loved ones, help those in need, fellowship, be disciples, talk with Him at ALL times, etc. (Practice better time management)

God dictates quiet clearly how we are to treat Him, our parents, our spouse, our children, our friends, our neighbors, strangers, each other, etc. (Work on your relationships)

God wants us to lean on one another, to help each other, to study the Bible together, to fellowship, to be ‘plugged in’, He is clear that the CHURCH is US – the PEOPLE, not the building. He is clear that the CHURCH is ONE BIG FAMILY. Brothers and Sisters adopted into the Kingdom. He provides ministries for each and every walk of life, each situation, each individual, etc. (Create a supportive environment)

To wrap this up, God KNEW about my Spiritual ADHD even before He created the world and He provided me with all the tools/weapons that I would need to combat it. They are right there in the Old Testament. And they are carried over into the New Testament.

God made the laws, the rules, the commandments FOR ME. They are for MY benefit. While disobeying does NOT change who God is and who God will ALWAYS be, it has a profound impact upon ME.

It was right in front of my face the entire time.

My mind has been fully blown away. AGAIN.

1 Corinthians 10:31(KJV) …whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God!

Be blessed and know that Jesus ADORES you! And so do I!