Christian Meditation Podcast

14 Look, for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you, because I do not want your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives! If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But be that as it may, I have not burdened you. Yet because I was a crafty person, I took you in by deceit!

890 I Spend My Life in God's Service, A Guided Christian Meditation on 2 Corinthians 12:14-16 with the Recenter With Christ app
The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. 
Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.
 You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable doing so, I invite you to close your eyes.
 
Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:
 
Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate.
Scripture for Meditation
2 Corinthians 12:14-16
KJV
14 Now I am ready to come to you this third time. And I will not be a burden, for I want not what is yours, but you. Children ought not to save for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 I will most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your sakes. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But granted that I myself did not burden you, yet I was crafty and got the better of you by deceit.
14 Look, for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you, because I do not want your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives! If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But be that as it may, I have not burdened you. Yet because I was a crafty person, I took you in by deceit!
Reflection on Scripture:
I was counseling with a person one time and they felt devalued by their spouse and they were talking about prioritizing themselves more. I have heard this repeated often. In that moment, I felt an internal conflict, or perhaps better said I felt the weight of the balance that Paul presents in these previous verses regarding his equality with other apostles. On the one hand he is no less valuable, and on the other, he is equally a fallen person. 
So one side is that we need to learn to not hate ourselves because that is a lie from the enemy, yet the solution to that is not to focus more on ourselves that is an influence from our unhealthy culture. Jesus taught us to love and serve others. He also told us to love others as ourselves. Other people are no more important but no less important than you are. I don't think in general the world has a shortage of people thinking about themselves. Learning to focus more on ourselves is often not the way to resolve these feelings. If we are willing to serve God would that also not be serving God's children. 
I think the solution to feeling devalued is to truly understand the value God places in us and now that we feel His love, that we look to Jesus for what he wants us to do with this stronger feeling of value and love. As two examples, consider a situation in which both people in a marriage feel as though they are not being focused on and loved enough. It is possible for both people to feel devalued at the same time. The solution to this problem would not be for both partners to focus on themselves more, but to learn how to receive unconditional love from God. Once fed by the love of God we can help to more clearly connect with another person and appropriately negotiate with our spouse on how to feel more loved from them. This is a profound oversimplification but consider it a metaphor. 
Another example is for people who struggle with social anxiety, if we transition to helping other people feel at ease in social settings it can actually lower our anxiety more than trying to put ourselves at ease. Again both of these are oversimplifications but they are examples. So take Pauls statement here about how he remains dedicated to the Church and try and discern how God wants you to balance your dedication? 
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.
Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:
I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.
Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:
This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind? 
FIND ME ON:
Download my free app: Recenter with Christ
Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
Voicemail - (602) 888-3795
Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

ESV
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

888 My Grace Is Sufficient, A Guided Christian Meditation on 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 with the Recenter With Christ app
The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ. 
Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.
 You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable doing so, I invite you to close your eyes.
 
Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:
 
Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate.
Scripture for Meditation
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
KJV
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
ESV
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Reflection on Scripture:
Today I gave an invocation prayer for an event for an organization that supports military service members. The person who runs it has done some really amazing things for the servicemembers I have worked with in the past so I was glad to support. The main speaker was a man who served in Vietnam in many incredibly brutal situations. He had led his men in combat and now was telling some of these stories for the first time ever. He was a powerful speaker but it was clear he was working through challenging memories. He was very determined but each person, regardless of their strength, struggles with things. Most of the time we have no decision or input on what thing it is that will challenge us most. This man harnessed that fear of telling his story resulting in a profoundly moving speech. 
Paul was not immune to having struggles and even one that he felt extremely vexed by. Paul had amazing visions and gifts from God, and yet he struggled in ways that had him imploring God for help. And yet God did not give it in the way that Paul asked for. Without even knowing yoru situation I can guess that you have things that at times feel heavy for you to bear. Perhaps that is rare or incredibly frequent. If you are being honest though you have troubles.
This is the message from God. Use that weakness to draw you closer to God and accept that all things can work together for the good of those who love God.There can be strength in that weakness. It reminds us of our need for God. God's strength is made perfect in our weakness. WE are shown the Mercy of God most when we need it. We may be a way off from what 
Many times we see only struggle and we dont see the good it does in us. Embrace the truth Paul teaches. WE can rejoice in the perfection of God. Just because you don't get to choose your struggle doesn't mean you have no choice in how to work through it. The resounding solution to that question is found in this scripture. Trust God. Lean on His strength and He will make you stronger than you could imagine 
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.
Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:
I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.
Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:
This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind? 
FIND ME ON:
Download my free app: Recenter with Christ
Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
Voicemail - (602) 888-3795
Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

NIV
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."