S8.13 | Embracing Resurrection Power: Overcoming Pain, Trauma, and Suffering in Faith and Obedience
In this episode of "Affirming Truths" with host Carla Arges, the focus is on the powerful significance of Jesus rising from the grave. Carla delves into the real-life impact of resurrection power on our struggles, traumas, and mental health. Through key biblical passages, she illuminates the transformative nature of embracing faith and obedience in partnership with the Holy Spirit. Join Carla as she encourages listeners to rise above their circumstances through the resurrection power of Christ.
Did you know that Carla is a Christian Mental Health coach?
See if working with her is what you need in your current season.
Book a discovery call today!
Key Takeaways
Resurrection Power in Daily Life:
Carla emphasizes that as believers, we have access to the same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead. This power empowers us to overcome sin, trauma, suffering, and mental illness, providing hope and assurance of new life with Christ.Rewiring Your Brain for Success:
Suffering as a Prelude to Overcoming:
Drawing parallels to the disciples' despair before witnessing the resurrection, Carla offers reassurance to those currently facing hardship. Just as the disciples' suffering preceded the joy of Christ's resurrection, listeners are reminded that their current suffering is not the end of their story.
Steps of Faith and Obedience:
Carla highlights the importance of taking proactive steps in response to our struggles. She encourages leaning into forgiveness, letting go of harmful coping mechanisms, seeking help, and walking in God's will as crucial elements of rising above pain and trauma.
Equipped by the Holy Spirit:
Through the scriptural reference from Romans 8:11, Carla emphasizes the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to equip individuals to act in faith and obedience. Listeners are encouraged to recognize and embrace the Holy Spirit's role in giving life and enabling them to walk in the freedom and purposes intended for their lives.
Embracing Resurrection Power Today:
Carla leaves listeners with a powerful invitation to partner with the Holy Spirit, embracing faith and obedience to rise above their circumstances and walk more fully in God's plan for their lives.
Connect With Carla:
Inquire about 1:1 coaching ---> carlaagreswellness@gmail.com
Renewing Hope Course —-> https://www.carlaarges.com/renewing-hope
Come hangout on IG with me @carlaarges
Check out the blog
Resources:
5 Steps to Building Resiliency
Affirming Truths Facebook Community
5 Tips for Overcoming a Negative Body Image
Who You Say I Am Biblical Affirmation Cards
TRANSCRIPT
Carla Arges [00:00:08]:
Hey friends, welcome to affirming truths. I'm your friend and host, Carla Arges. This show is a safe place to share our struggles, grow in faith and root our identity in Christ. My hope is that you will leave each episode feeling encouraged in your journey. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode. And it would mean the world to me if you would leave a review. I am so glad. Here, let's get started.
Carla Arges [00:00:35]:
Happy Easter, friends, and welcome to your Easter Monday episode of Affirming truth. I am your host and your friend, Carla Arges, and I'm so glad that you're here with me today. I'm especially glad if you're here with me today in the midst of a struggle, because you're doing something for yourself. You are seeking connection, you are looking for encouragement. And I hope to give you those things today. And today on this Easter weekend, or coming off this Easter weekend, I really want us to talk about what does the empty grave mean for us? What does the fact that Jesus rose from the dead mean for us? Not only on the other side of death, right where we get to fully be resurrected with him in glory, but what does the fact that he has risen from the grave mean for us today, in our struggle, in our day to day, in our hard circumstances, in our trauma, in our mental illness? What does the empty grave say to us? And I want to read from Luke 24, verse five and six. So this is on the Sunday morning. The women are going down to the tomb to put spices on Jesus.
Carla Arges [00:02:01]:
They had to bury him so quickly before Passover that they didn't properly do all the embalming and all of that that they would have normally done. And so the women are going down. They see the tomb is rolled away, or, sorry, they see that the stone is rolled away, blocking the tomb. And they see these two guys that are bright like lights, and this is where we pick it up. It says, in their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground. But the men said to them, why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen. Hallelujah, that he has risen.
Carla Arges [00:02:45]:
What does that mean for us? It means that we as believers, as children of God, as joint heirs with Christ, that as we accept him in his life, as we walk with him, in journeying this life with him, as we go through the process of sanctification, we have resurrection power. The same spirit that rose Jesus from the dead is a spirit that is alive in us. We have access to this resurrection power, and that resurrection power yes, helps us to overcome sin in our life, helps us to flee from temptation. It gives us a living hope that we can live in hope, not just for what is to come, but what is today. Resurrection power means that we have the assurance of new life with Christ, that we have this assurance of being in eternity. For Christ, resurrection power is all of that. But resurrection power and the reality of Jesus Christ being risen has impact and has meaning for us even now in our struggle. Because Jesus Rose, we can rise with him over pain.
Carla Arges [00:04:05]:
Because Jesus Rose, we can rise with him over our trauma. We can rise with him over our suffering. We can rise with him over our mental illness. We can walk in the freedom he bought for us with his blood, because that is resurrection power at work right now, here in the in between, what was already done and is still waiting to be fully realized. In the in between, we still have resurrection power. Our pain does not have to own us. Our trauma is not our story. Our suffering is not our, our permanent condition.
Carla Arges [00:04:45]:
Our mental illness is not our identity. Because of resurrection power, we can heal from our pain. We can overcome our trauma and live a life of purpose. We can, in our suffering, know that we have a father that understands our suffering, suffers with us, and brings us out to the other side because of resurrection power. In the face of mental illness, we know that Jesus has the full, final say. We know our identity is in Christ as we are crucified with him, we are resurrected with him. In new life, the old is passed away. It has no power over us anymore except the power we give it.
Carla Arges [00:05:37]:
Do you understand? Except the power that we give it. And I know that could be hard, because maybe for some of you, you're sitting in your Saturday, the suffering happened. Jesus died on the Friday. We celebrate his resurrection on the Sunday. But there was a Saturday where God was silent when the disciples had no hope. They didn't understand. Even though it was told to them about the real resurrection. They did not go to the grave looking for a resurrected Christ.
Carla Arges [00:06:14]:
They went to tend to his dead body on that Saturday. There was no end in sight for their suffering. There was no hope. They couldn't see it. And maybe right now you are sitting in your Saturday, that the devastation has happened, that your life is upside down, that the pain and the hurt is so deep and so raw and so fresh. But, friend, can I tell you that as the Sunday came for them, as the resurrection happened back then, your Sunday is coming. Your Sunday is coming. Your current suffering will not compare to the joy that is coming.
Carla Arges [00:07:04]:
This is not the end of your story. But here's the thing that you have to do. You have to take some steps. You see, that verse goes on to say that the angels told him that Jesus would meet them in Galilee. The women went back to the disciples. He's risen. In fact, Mary Magdalene, we read in John said, I've seen the Lord. She actually had a personal encounter with the resurrected Jesus.
Carla Arges [00:07:36]:
And the instruction was to go to Galilee. That is where Jesus was going to meet them. So sight unseen from the disciples, they had to take the step of faith and go to Galilee. And that is a step of faith. They were hearing this proclamation, this good news from the women that supported Jesus in his ministry. And you have to understand, back in the day, women did not have a voice. A woman couldn't even testify in court. Her word was meaningless.
Carla Arges [00:08:12]:
And on the word of a woman, on the word of the women, the disciples in faith went to meet Jesus in Galilee. What if they didn't believe? What if they didn't take that step of faith? Yes, Peter and John had to see it for themselves. They booked it to the tomb and yeah, they had to see it for themselves. They needed the experience of seeing the empty grave. And, friend, you have that experience right now because you have the Holy Spirit in you. You have the experience of being raised to life. I've given new life, eternal life, a new spirit. And they went to Galilee and they met their savior there.
Carla Arges [00:09:04]:
So, friend, in your suffering, in your pain, when we say that we can use resurrection power to rise above those things, just like Jesus rose from the dead, it takes our steps of faith. It takes our steps of faith to go to our Galilee. It takes our steps of faith to say, okay, I'm not going to be a slave to my trauma and my pain anymore. I'm going to take steps of faith in taking responsibility over my healing. I'm going to partner with the Holy Spirit and I'm going to go get help, build new habits, create a better life by walking in God's will, I'm going to rise with him over my pain and trauma and suffering. Because as an act of faith and obedience, right, Jesus told them to go to Galilee. It was a step of faith, but it was also a step of obedience, listening to the instructions of the Lord. I am, in obedience, going to lean into forgiveness.
Carla Arges [00:10:17]:
I am, in obedience, going to let go of the coping mechanisms that are actually hurting me. I'm going to be full of faith and full of obedience. And in that walk, in the resurrection power that God has given me, my affirming truth for you today is I will rise up over my circumstance through the resurrection power of Jesus. And I want to take us to romans 811. If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. The spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, and he will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit. That is not just a prophetic word for the future, where one day our mortal bodies once passed, we will be resurrected in spirit for the Lord. That is not just a prophetic word for the future, that is also a word for you here.
Carla Arges [00:11:34]:
That the Holy Spirit will give life to you where you're at. That he will equip you to act in faith and obedience. The Holy Spirit will equip you to go where God is calling you to go. And God is calling you to go where freedom is. God is calling you to walk in what he purchased for you. The spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. There is resurrection power, and through that partnership with him, in your acts of faith and obedience, you can rise up over your circumstance and walk more fully in the plan and purposes over your life. Won't you do that today? Friend.
Carla Arges [00:12:30]:
Thanks for joining me today. I hope we're already friends on social media, but if we're not, come find me on Instagram at carlaarges or at affirming truth. Can't wait to see you back here next week.
Carla Arges [00:12:42]:
Bye, friends.