Rick Osborn | Life Coach, Nutrition Consultant & Graphic Designer

Are you slowly committing “foundational suicide”?

Are there cracks in your structure?

Are you trying to stand on quicksand?

Is it that for all of the struggling and fighting, you just keep sinking deeper?

Are you looking for solace, safety, security and relief from the hardships that you’re facing?

Well, there is hope. Whatever your situation, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Furthermore, maybe it’s time to look down and inspect what exactly it is that you’re standing on - or what you’ve built your life upon. Perhaps it sounds a bit cliché, but this IS your life and this IS a valid question.

My best advice - Make sure your structure exists on a real, right and firm base!

Let me explain. Look at what the Psalmist, King David of Israel (known as “a man after God’s own heart”) wrote so eloquently in Psalms 18:2 -

“The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer; My God, my Strength, in Whom I will trust; My Shield and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold.”

WOW! Could it be that God Himself is the answer to what’s plaguing you? According to David, that’s an overwhelming and amazing “YES”.

For clarity sake, let me just explain what this passage means on a very practical level.

Let’s focus on the key words in Psalms 18:2:

Lord - one who is in the position of power and authority. The fact that David calls God this shows that he’s acknowledging God’s sovereignty in submitting himself to who God is.

Rock - firm, solid, strong, hard, crushing, dense, lasting, unyielding. A “Rock” is foundational material. You can’t sink into rock. The fact that David calls God his “Rock” shows that David is acknowledging God’s power and strength in his life.

Fortress - a safe and secure place, where you are protected and not vulnerable to attack. The fact that David calls God his “Fortress” indicates that he realizes that the Lord is watching over him, providing protection, security and refuge.

Deliverer - one who rescues, emancipates, frees, redeems. The fact that David calls God his “Deliverer” shows that David knows that the Lord is is the One who will carry him out of his difficulties, suffering, sorrows, fear, danger and destruction.

God - is God is God is God. Many definitions come to mind, but the word alone implies omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence (all knowing, all powerful, present everywhere). The fact that David calls Him his “God” shows that he is acknowledging his personal relationship with the supreme Deity.

Strength - mental power, force, vigor, firmness or courage. David’s acknowledgment of God being his “Strength” show that he’s empowered by God and that he is emboldened to face life’s struggles because of this.

Shield - protection, force field, blocker, armor, resilience, guard. This goes hand in hand with Strength, but shows that David realizes that the Lord surrounds him with his protection and repels the attacks of evil and the enemy.

Horn - signifies strength and protection, like the horn(s) on an animal. The fact that David calls God the “Horn” of his salvation shows that he knows that God keeps him safe and secure, the protector of his salvation.

Stronghold - high tower, fortress, place of security away from danger. Again, the fact that David calls God his “Stronghold” indicates his knowledge that God has him in a safe place and is keeping him from danger.

David, someone who experienced pain, disobedience and sin on several levels knew God intimately. Not only did he know Him, but from the above scripture it’s easy to see that he derived great comfort and reassurance from this personal relationship. David sought to know God - experience Him and worship Him on a regular basis. He had a real, thriving relationship with God and communed with Him regularly. Read Psalms 63 and you’ll see what his daily meditation consisted of with the Lord. Through his steadfast faith and reliance upon God (and His attributes), he stood firm, faithful and consistent in the midst of adversity.

Ok, so what do we need to remember about this? Well, if we have a real relationship with Christ/God, then we have a real and solid foundation upon which to stand, to build a solid future and move forward. To quote a verse from an old, but great hymn -

“On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand . . .”

What are you standing on?

In Post # 4, I briefly touched on the issue of being the “victim”. I’d like to elaborate a bit more on this, because it plays (what I believe) a crucial role in the overall emotional, mental, spiritual and even physical well-being of an individual. As far as I can see it, if victimization is (in any way) a part of who you are, it will fall into one or more of the three categories below -

1. Ignorant victim
2. Passive victim
3. Active victim

Now, before I continue defining these terms, just let me say that to be human is to be fallible. We all screw up, we all make mistakes, we all willfully do the wrong thing at some time or another. That being said, realize that every one of us has most likely been one of the above three kinds of victims at some time or another. But, if you are existing in ANY of the above categories for too long of a period - you’ve got a problem. So, let’s break out each one and see how it may or may not apply to you.

Also, just in case you don’t fully understand what the term “victim” means, let me enlighten you. Generally speaking, a victim is a person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action or agency. Now, let’s move onward with the first of the above three terms:

1. Ignorant victim - is someone who unknowingly or unsuspectingly suffers from a destructive or injurious action or behavior. I suppose obvious examples of this could be a woman who is assaulted while walking down the street or a man who is robbed at an ATM. Basically, it can run the gamut from being assaulted to being lied to, being cheated on, etc. Every human being at some time or another has been an ignorant victim. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the nature of life. It happens among animals as well as humans. No matter where you are on your journey in life, you’re going to be susceptible to being victimized by someone or something. There are always those predator type individuals who are waiting to pounce and take advantage of you. And, the more vulnerable you are, the greater your chance of being an “ignorant” victim. Sometimes, no matter how well-informed, no matter how wise, no matter how strong, a person can be unknowingly victimized. It is sad, but it’s true.

A person’s chances of being an ignorant victim greatly increase when there is a lack of solid moral structure or moral compass in his/her life that includes a heightened sense of direction. Imagine yourself on the deck of your ship, no one at the helm and the storm tossing you all over the place. Not only will you NOT get anywhere, but your ship may even be damaged or capsized and your life forfeited. If you don’t have proper information, direction, guidance, structure, boundaries, etc. your risk of being unknowingly victimized are almost certain. (In the future, I’ll discuss where you can find the type of moral structure/compass that you need to avoid this.) Ignorant victimization can be lethal at its worst and is dangerous at its best. It may set you minimally off course or it may destroy your ship (life).

The way to avoid being this type of victim is to be wary of your surroundings at all times and not to be stupid. Again, if you find yourself an “ignorant” victim on a regular basis, then we need to talk - you need serious help. Your problem is most likely not that you’re an unknowing or “ignorant” victim, but that you’re one of the other two types of victims.

As an aside, let me interject here that sometimes life circumstances can blow us off course and cause us to lose track of where we are. Even perfectly trained, talented, articulate, moral captains (people who are in control of their lives) can be blindsided by the occasional storm. And when struggling to find their way back on course, it’s very easy to be unknowingly victimized. I suppose what I’m saying here is that when a person is dealing with trauma or drama in the midst of life, he or she can be especially susceptible to being unknowingly victimized, because of all of the distraction that is already taking place. It’s very hard to outmaneuver someone who’s right on their game, but it’s not so hard to do so on an off day. Or, it’s very easy to catch a bird with a broken wing, but try catching one whose wings are in tact. You have to be pretty cunning to do so, or you have to wound the bird first before catching it. Those of us who are wounded or broken are much more susceptible to being unknowingly victimized. If this rings true in your life, then give yourself a break. There should be no guilt involved with being an ignorant victim. The word “ignorant” simply means “unknowing” in this case - not “stupid.”

Next time, I’ll continue with the second category - the “passive” victim.

You know, when it comes to daily living (in our health, spiritual journey, intelligence, or physical conditioning), we need to always keep a conscious check on our progress. We become so easily distracted with the “little things” no matter how big they may seem. We fail to keep the bigger picture in mind – which is not easy – not when you’re dealing with one difficult issue after another. Regarding our faith walk, this is why I believe it’s so important to continue to meditate upon the truths that God has given us. It helps us maintain His perspective about life so that we see things as He does. In fact, when we attempt to see things through God’s eyes (by way of meditating on His truths and praying for His guidance), then we become more like Him, gain and maintain His unique perspective and thereby, PROGRESS in our faith. If God has truly done a work in our hearts, then the fruit of His Spirit will become manifest in our lives:

“. . . love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control . . .”

(Galatians 5:22-23)

I don’t know about you, but for me, these particular attributes are what I need on a moment by moment basis to be the best that I can be. The amazing thing is that they come from God! Being tapped into Him means being supercharged to plow through all the daily muck and mire.

Furthermore, it’s the only way that we can keep moving forward – PROGRESSING and not sliding backwards!

My prayer for all of us today is that we keep ourselves “plugged in” to our real Source of strength and wisdom:

1. Focus on God’s truth.
   
2. Pray for His strength, wisdom and guidance.
   
3. Decide to consciously follow what He reveals.
   
4. PROGRESS in your faith and move forward!