Walking Towards Eternity – Engaging The Struggles of Your Heart

“I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born,” (Is 66:9). Indeed, many experienced emotional pain at some point during this eight-week video-talk programme by Jeff Cavins entitled Walking Towards Eternity Series 2 (WTE2) because it involved “Engaging the Struggles Of Your Heart.”

While WTE1 held last year dared the participants to “Walk the Walk” of Jesus in love, WTE2 dealt with how to engage our heartfelt struggles such as our inordinate Appetites, Shame, Envy, Anger, Fear, Loneliness and Hopelessness – and emerge stronger “wholly” – in mind, heart, and actions. Awareness of the transformative nature of God’s love is the fundamental bedrock that can liberate us from the tyranny of these sinful habits and emotions.

Session one: “Living on Purpose” provided an overview with its focus on how we live is what matters most. The purpose of life? We may recall that even Sigmund Freud is known to have said that “… only religion can answer the question of the purpose of life …” For us Catholics, Corinthians 8:28 teaches us, “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

In truth, none of us can say that we don’t have problems coping with any of these struggles. This realisation made the programme relatable, practicable and therapeutic. Participants felt they gained insights, strength and comfort from sharing their struggles with group members. Many noted that they had matured spiritually because, through sharing and praying together, they had grown in their love relationship with God.

Participants like Karen Koong, Bernadette Tang, Juliana Joseph and Alice Lee experienced a heightened sense of awareness to live out what they had learned by inviting God and His Word to help them deal with these very real problems. Li Mei shared that this journey “… allowed God to show me my weaknesses and allowed God’s healing grace and love into my life.”

Vital questions led participants into the heart of Scripture for tips and guidelines to engage these struggles in a healthy manner. We learned that not all struggles are bad in themselves. For example, there is a healthy shame and an unhealthy shame; no, we shouldn’t be ‘shameless’ either! Similarly, there is healthy and unhealthy fear, etc. We learned that God, through His words of wisdom, inspiration and instruction, figures in all our struggles to provide the grace to help us cope. The Good Book is a great teacher! Are we good learners? The programme concluded with a short healing prayer service by the coordinator, Bernard Capel. He shared several scripture verses intimating the importance to be blessed “wholly” by the grace of God (cf.1 Thess 5:23). This means that our entire being should “get a grip on grace,” with no part of our being to be deprived of God’s healing grace (cf.Heb 12:15) to live life to the full (cf.John 10:10).

Finally, we wrote and offered up our personal struggles by placing our prayers at the foot of the Cross, indicating that we were now prepared to “Walk Towards Eternity” renewed by His healing grace!

Article reproduced from Herald Malaysia online