A Stress Solution for Your Soul
Learn:
Story Time:
A rock star holy man named Elisha, who was referred to as a man of God, runs into a woman who is in the midst of a “dry well” season: her husband passed away, she is about to lose her house because she can’t pay the bills and to top it off the creditor is about to come and take her 2 boys as his slaves for payment…can you relate?
As a holy man of God, Elisha compassionately asks her a question: “How can I help you?”
Immediately following his inquiry he asks another question that flips the woman out of lack and scarcity thinking: “What do you HAVE in your house?”
The woman reacts with a universal quantifying statement that is keeping her imprisoned to her circumstances: “Your servant has NOTHING there at ALL.”
She then perhaps paused to reflect on that statement to see how true that was for her and adds a tail-ender that makes all the difference in the outcome she will experience…”EXCEPT a little oil.” SHAZAM…so your sayin I have a chance?
Elisha being the eternal optimist, knowing God was on his side, jumps into “top down thinking” (frontal cortex where executive decisions flow). He immediately asks the woman to expand her available resources as he instructs her to go to ALL her neighbors and ask foremptyjars:
“Go around and ask all your neighbors foremptyjars…DON’T JUST ASK FOR A FEW.”
What happens next is the result of doing the very best you can with the resources you have available to you in this moment and trusting God for the rest.
Elisha then instructs the woman to pour THE LITTLE OIL SHE HAD Every jar the woman GATHERED to herself (she steps away from victimization into action) was filled with oil which she sells at the market to pay off her debt and had excess funds to live off of as a result of her profit.
An interesting little aspect of this story comes when the woman asks her son too bring her another jar after all of the jars she gathered were filled with oil and he replies: “There is not a jar left.” At this point the oil stopped flowing.
– 2 Kings 4:1-7
FYI: Jesus had a similar encounter with his disciples in the new testament. They were freaking out because there where 5,000 hungry people and they went to Jesus in desperation asking him to send everyone away.
Jesus, being a natural NLP practitioner, asks them a question to flip then out of lack and scarcity thinking…”What DO YOU HAVE?” Most of us know how that story ends. The diciples tuned into their available resources and found a small boy with 2 fish and 5 loaves. Once again God maximized their available resources and 5,000 people ate and had their fill. John 6:1-14
Reflect:
How often do you react to your circumstances with universal quantifying statements that cast the drama into all aspects of your life and keep you stuck?
- Nothing EVER works out for me
- I work so hard and have NOTHING to show for it
- EVERYTHING seems to drop into the lap of my neighbor and not for me.
- NOBODY listens to me around here
- NOBODY cares
When you feel stuck in your circumstance ask questions to flip you into “top down” thinking vs. “bottom up” thinking (animal planet space that only offers 3 reactions: run, freeze or fight).
- What available resources do I have going for me?
- What is working out for me?
- What beliefs about myself am I making because of my circumstance?
- What resources do I want to gather to myself?
- Even though I think I have used all of my “jars” is there another method or perspective shift I can make to help me find another jar to fill with oil?
Identify/Adjust:
Read the story in 2 Kings 4: 1-7. Identify and write down 1 theme thought that has powerful application to your life circumstance.
Adjust your perspectives through effective questions that help you tune into what IS working out for you vs what is not. Explore gathering resources to yourself to assist you in positive forward expansion, just as Elisha invited the woman to leave her house and collect more jars.
Integrate/Act:
Take the small amount of “oil” (your resources: gifts and talents) you have NOW and pour it into your jar (your position in life now).
Feeling like you only have a small amount of oil? Only 2 fish and 5 loaves?
Invite God to maximize your efforts moving forward. Be the BEST version of you NOW and explore gathering helpful resources to yourself that will open up doors to more prosperity and available options.
God is in the multiplication of efforts and faith business. Action is essential to leave behind your boat and walk on water.
Support Materials:
CD Series Stress Solutions for the Soul:Remind Your Mind of What Your Soul Always Knows
