Dan Kuiper
  • Home
    • Blog/Vlog
    • Memes to Share
    • Contact
  • About Dan
    • Interviews
    • Video Favorites
    • Kuiper's Corner
  • Resources
  • Speaking
    • Finding Father's Love Events
    • Feedback
    • Topics
    • Speaker Request Form
    • Schedule
  • Coaching
  • Donate

Support

3/4/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
"I've been burned too many times."
"I don't know who I can trust."
"It's safer to just keep my problems to myself."

All are comments made by wounded souls who have been hurt even further by the words and attitudes of others. But keeping our problems to ourselves is not the answer. Our great God created us as relational beings. We were never meant to go it alone in this world. We must recognize that just as our pain comes through relationships, our healing comes through relationships.

On the west coast of the U.S. are found the tallest living tree species on earth. Coastal redwoods have been known to grow taller than 300 feet in height and up to 20 feet in diameter.

But what’s most amazing about coastal redwoods is how long they live, There are redwoods in California that are more than 2,000 years old. Think about that—some of these giant trees were saplings when Jesus walked the earth.

What makes the giant redwoods' longevity so incredible is that many of these trees have survived drought, forest fires, and the fiercest of storms--even though their roots grow only 4-6 feet into the ground.

So why are these giant trees so resilient? How do they continue to stand strong no matter what nature brings their way? Their durability is attributed to their root system. Although they don't grow very deep, the roots of individual redwoods grow intertwined with the roots of their neighbors. These trees have a simple, yet strong support system. They are "holding hands" with each other underground.

God designed an in-ground, nurturing network for these trees that allows them to withstand the severest of storms and continue to grow heavenward.

God has created a similar network for us—its called the church. The church is meant to be a nurturing support system where Christians are grounded together; where believers help each other to withstand the storms of life and stand in the power of Christ.

Throughout the Bible, when referring to His church, God uses the phrase “one another.” In His Word, our Heavenly Father tells us that we are to love one another, encourage one another, comfort one another, forgive one another, rejoice with one another, and mourn with one another. The Christian community is designed by God to be a support group of sorts where believers rely on one another to get through life's disturbances.

The word support means, to hold up, to keep from losing courage. When we're battered and bruised and finding it difficult to stand, our Father in Heaven lends His loving support, not only through His Word and through our prayers, but through people whom He has strategically placed all around us. Find those people in your life through whom God will work to help hold you up and give you the courage you need to go on. Reach out to them. Draw strength from them so you can stand strong once again. If you've relied on someone in the past only to have your trust broken, you need to look elsewhere for support. Help is always available. Our Heavenly Father will never leave us to deal with our pain all alone.   

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10, NLT)

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Free eBook!

    Join My Mailing List
    For Email Marketing you can trust.
    Picture
    Sign up above to receive my blog posts via email and get a free copy of my ebook, 5 Steps Toward Trusting God.
    Privacy Guarantee: Your email will not be shared with anyone else.
    Picture

    Archives

    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All
    12-step Group
    12-step Groups
    12 Steps
    A.A.
    Abandonment
    Abuse
    Acceptance
    Addiction
    Adversity
    Affirmation
    Alcoholics Anonymous
    Alcoholism
    Anger
    Approval
    Baggage
    Behavior
    Bible
    Bitterness
    Blessing
    Bondage
    Boundaries
    Brokenness
    Burdens
    Busyness
    Celebration
    Change
    Childhood
    Children
    Choices
    Christian
    Christianity
    Christians
    Christmas
    Church
    Codependence
    Commitment
    Compassion
    Confession
    Confidence
    Control
    Courage
    Criticism
    Dad
    Death
    Debt
    Dependence
    Depression
    Direction
    Discouragement
    Discrimination
    Divorce
    Drugs
    Dysfunction
    Emotions
    Encouragement
    Epitaph
    Eternal Life
    Eternity
    Failure
    Faith
    Faithfulness
    Family
    Father
    Fatherlessness
    Fathers
    Father's Love
    Father Wound
    Father Wounds
    Fear
    Feelings
    Fishers Of Men
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Friend
    Friends
    Frustration
    Gang
    Goals
    God
    God's Love
    God's Plan
    Good Works
    Grace
    Gratefulness
    Grief
    Guilt
    Happiness
    Healing
    Heavenly Father
    Honesty
    Hope
    Hopeless
    Hopelessness
    Humility
    Hypocrite
    Inspirational
    Integrity
    Intimacy
    Jesus
    Joy
    Knowledge
    Light
    Listening
    Loss
    Love
    Marriage
    Miscarriage
    Mission
    Mission Statement
    Motivation
    Overcome
    Parenting
    Past
    Peace
    Perfectionism
    Personality
    Politics
    Prayer
    Pretending
    Prevention
    Pride
    Prison
    Problems
    Protect
    Purpose
    Recovery
    Redwoods
    Relapse
    Relationship
    Relationships
    Responsibility
    Rest
    Restore
    Role Model
    Safe
    Safety
    Savior
    Security
    Self-care
    Self-confidence
    Self-esteem
    Self-help
    Self-worth
    Serenity
    Sex
    Sexual Abuse
    Shame
    Sin
    Sobriety
    Solitude
    Sorrow
    Spirituality
    Strength
    Strengths
    Stress
    Submission
    Substance Abuse
    Success
    Suffering
    Support
    Surrender
    Tears
    Teen Pregnancy
    Thanksgiving
    Tinnitus
    Touch
    Transformation
    Trauma
    Trials
    Trust
    Truth
    Value
    Willpower
    Words
    Worry

    Helpful Sites

    National Center For 
    Fathering


    Focus on the Family

    The Crucible Project

    FamilyLife

    Minirth Clinic 

    New Leaf Resources

    Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend 

    Find a Christian Counselor 

    FamilyFire

    Minirth Clinic 

    New Leaf Resources

    Find a Christian Counselor 

    Center for Marriage and Family Therapy

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from MizGingerSnaps, uzi978, vhines200, Daquella manera, seanmcgrath, Tony Webster, Thragor, maiallen, AllieKF, aaron_anderer, theilr, Lordcolus, bobchin1941, Disney | ABC Television Group, AK Rockefeller, wbaiv, dan taylor, SuperFantastic, Neal., Pink Sherbet Photography, denise carbonell, psflannery, DonkeyHotey, Nick.Baumgartner91, Hello Turkey Toe, faceleg, keepitsurreal, eek the cat, simpleinsomnia, sun dazed, oranges.lemons, John Englart (Takver), tlindenbaum, garryknight, Patrick Hoesly, Ricymar Photography (Thanks to all the fans!!!!), Furryscaly, bradleypjohnson, woodleywonderworks, gwegner.de, KristinNador, steve p2008, DeeAshley