Bob Beaudine: Exchange

This is such a great promise! You need to let these words sink deeply into your heart and soul. But if you allow bad memories to stay at the forefront of your mind, the torment you experience will take its toll on you and those around you. Thank goodness there’s a better way—God’s way! Just follow these three steps:

1. Go to your 2 Chairs and talk it over with God. Leave nothing out. That includes the real fears you’re facing as well as all those wild imaginations about the worst things that might (but most likely will not) happen. God wants to hear all of it because He knows that your fears have the ability to take you hostage if you let them. Don’t! Surrender them to God.

2. Make the exchange! That is, give Him the sadness, guilt, shame, disappointment, worry, or whatever is on your mind today. And then leave it with Him. Now, this is important: Don’t walk in and pray about your problems each day and never make the exchange. If you do, you will miss out on the peace, joy, insight, wisdom, power, and favor that God promises He will give you. You can trust Him. His perfect peace will calm every circumstance and give you courage and strength to wait for His perfect timing.

3. Thank Him in advance for helping you! Even if there are still tough times ahead, being thankful in the midst of your trouble has an amazing effect on your attitude, on everyone around you, as well as on your confidence to claim victory over the trouble. Trust Him and then: order yourself … eyes forward!”

Bob Beaudine in 2 Chairs: The Secret That Changes Everything (Franklin: Worthy, 2016) 87-88. Download a free PDF of the book here.

Special thanks to Randy Bury (who shared this book with me) for sending a photo of his 2 Chairs (pictured above).

Today marks day six of seven. Step #6: Order Yourself … Eyes Forward.

This means to stop dwelling on the past, let go of previous mistakes, bad memories, or unchangeable circumstances, and focus entirely on the future.

Practically, he explains that this step requires going to your 2 Chairs with God and exchanging your guilt for His grace, you shame for His strength, your fears with His faith, and your worries with His wisdom, so you can move forward with peace and clarity.

I want to relate this to your stewardship. In the parable of the dishonest steward (Luke 16:1-9),

Jesus empathizes with your weakness and teaches you a powerful lesson in the last two verses (today’s Scripture).

Rather than dwell on your failures (we all have them), you do well to use what you have to make friends for eternity.

As we approach year end, I don't want to exhort you to make a gift today. I want to encourage you to talk with God about your giving in your 2 Chairs.

The shrewd steward who did not have his stewardship in order had to scramble. I don't want that for you.

Take time to tell God what your giving looks like and He wants you to grow. Be prepared for God to stretch you for your good and His glory.