The Great Shift

Living Without Losing Your Mind Even When Life Seems Unfair

Sunday September 12, 2021 - Pastor Wungreiso Valui

Hosea 6:1-3

"Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth." Hosea 6:1-3

THE MESSAGE

The second part of this series teaches Living Without Losing Your Mind Even When Life Seems Unfair.

DESIRED OUTCOME

Learn to live calmly when things are not going your way
by patiently persevering in doing what is good and
by showing compassion and mercy to others.

Loving others can bring a decisive win in your life.

THE CONTEXT

"When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: 'Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry, And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry, By departing from the Lord.'" Hosea 1:2

Hosea was asked to marry a prostitute, Gomer, who pursued many lovers even after their marriage. Hosea endured much hurt and humiliation. He could have chosen to complain and rebel against God, but he chose to love rather than to react.

THE CHALLENGE: How To Live A Calm Life

1. Whenever there are seismic shifts in behavior and cultural trends, it can cause huge stress in all of us. Learn to live calmly when things are not going your way.
2. Hosea's family situation is a dramatic example of a Great Shift in his life and the nation at large.
3. God deliberately put Hosea in a corrupt and difficult family situation. Why? I don't have the answer. What we learned from Hosea is that making a difference in the world is more important to God than maintaining our self-righteousness.

"So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim..." Hosea 1:3

1. To Live Calmly, Pivot To Growth Mindset

Overcome a victim mindset

1. Move from "Why does this happen to me?"
2. Avoid constantly seeking recognition for one's victimhood.
3. Hosea did not blame God for his miserable family life. God is much bigger than the circumstances you are experiencing during this season of your life.
4. Step outside your comfort zone.
5. Make difficult decisions.
6. Dedicate to a goal to improve. "The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life." -Carol Dweck)
7. Commit to your goal.
8. Work hard to accomplish your goal. Move to "Why does this happen for me?"
9. Hosea and his three children explained the reason for his devastating family situation. (Hosea 1:4-10)
10. "Call his name Jezreel, For in a little while, I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu."Jehu crossed the line. Not only did he kill the sons of Ahab, he killed all possible competition to the throne.
11. "Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, But I will utterly take them away."
12. "Call his name Lo-Ammi, For you are not My people, And I will not be your God."

"Then the Lord said to me, 'Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.' So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley." Hosea 3:1-2

2. To Live Calmly, Pivot To Selflessness

Overcome self-serving behavior

1. Move from a sense of self-entitlement- "The world owes me."
2. Hosea did not blame his people for his devastating family situation. As a leader at home and at work, we must serve others and sacrifice our preferences for the sake of the gospel.
3. You may prefer to be served; serve others instead.
4. Do not blame others for your problems.
5. Step out of the victim mindset and pivot to take an active role in creating a new mindset for yourself.

"For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

3. To Live Calmly, Pivot To Empathy

Overcome your apathy to the pain and suffering of others

(You might think that you have been wronged enough so you no longer feel obligated to care about the pain and suffering of others.)

1. Hosea chose to love his unfaithful wife.
2. Choose to love. To love is a choice. Make a decision to live on the basis of love.
3. Hosea demonstrated God's relentless love.
4. When we choose to love God and love one another, we continually make decisions and live on the basis of love.

"I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him." Hosea 14:4

4. To Live Calmly, Pivot To Solution

Overcome living in the past

1. Pivot to forgiveness rather than looking to the past to seek revenge.
2. Hosea consistently modeled poise and calm; he fulfilled what God called him to.

Live a life that is consistent with what God calls you to.

1. Speak what others need to hear and not merely what others want to hear.
2. Direct people where they ought to go, not necessarily where they desire to go.

Establish values that are visible for others to see.

1. Don't talk the talk; instead, walk the walk.
2. Hosea demonstrated God's unconditional love.

DESIRED OUTCOME

Learn to live calmly when things are not going your way
by patiently persevering in doing what is good and
by showing compassion and mercy to others.

Loving others can bring a decisive win in your life.