Paula White - Deal with It! Workbook

H ebrews 4:12 teaches us that the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Practically speaking, that means that Gods holy Word helps us recognize our sins, our shortcomings, our failures, and our faults.

The Word makes us aware of these things not so that we will feel condemned, but so that we can repent, receive forgiveness and be released into all the freedom and fullness God has for us. His desire is to mold us into people who reflect Jesus in our character, in our attitudes, in our thoughts, in our words and in our actions. He wants the life and passion of Jesus to course through us and empower usand to flow through us to bless others. If we are going to live that way, we must identify, confront, and conquer the issues that keep us from having Gods best in our lives. When we truly deal with these things, God will heal us, restore us, set us free, and lead us into the great destiny He has for us and we will live joyful, purposeful, totally fulfilling lives.

Personally, I have had to deal with many things. I tell my story in greater detail in the book Deal With It! but for now, let me just say that some of my issues were messes of my own making and some were the results of tragedies and trauma that were not my fault. Regardless, I reached a point at which I had to face it head-on if I wanted to live the wonderful life God wanted for me.

When I determined to deal with my issues, I picked up my Bible, held it up to the Lord and said, Lord, I dont want to be going around this mountain when Im forty or fifty years old. I dont want to be struggling with the same issues and hurts deep in my soul. Help me!

I began to study my Bible diligently and to examine especially the women of the Bible. They became my mentors as I realized they had also faced very serious issues in their lives and discovered some crucial success principles and simple, yet profound answers.

What I learned from them, I trust you will also learn from them. I write more thoroughly about the lessons these women taught me in the book, DealWith It! I urge you to read that book and to have it handy, along with your Bible, as you go through this workbook. You can use the workbook without the book if you have a strong biblical background that includes knowing the stories of these women well, but to get the most out of the workbook and thoroughly learn its lessons, you will benefit greatly from reading the book.

I have developed this workbook as a companion to the book, Deal With It! Here, we will focus on the key points in the book in such a way that you can begin to apply the major lessons from these women to your own life. You will have opportunities to identify and begin to deal with your issues here in the privacy of these pages as you answer the questions I ask. You will be enriched as you work the Word by reading the suggested Bible verses, writing down what they mean to you, and applying them to your life.

I know with all my heart that God wants to help you deal with the things that are holding you back. But I also know that He will not do it for you. This workbook is based on a premise I learned years ago: You cant conquer what youwill not confront. And you cant confront what is not identified. God will reveal the issues that need to be dealt with in you; He will give you glimpses of the destiny He has for you; He will encourage and assist as you confront the obstacles in your lifebut He will not face them for you. You must deal with your issues yourself.

I want to challenge you today to deal with everything you need to deal with. I challenge you to go after all that God has for you. I challenge you to apprehend every blessing, to attain your wildest dreams, and to embrace the destiny He wants to unfold before you. I challenge you to face the facts about your life, your past, the condition of your heart, your attitudes and mindsets, and your behavior because I know that once you face the facts and identify your issues, you can deal with them. When you deal with them, you can defeat them and walk in greater victory than you have ever known. So come on, get ready to turn the page and get started. God is for you; He will help you and lead you as you deal with it!

As you walk through this study, carefully look at the ten women God used to unveil His plan, and realize that no matter who you are, He has plans for you in His Kingdom. But before He can use you to the fullest extent, you must rid yourself of the thoughts and behaviors that hold you backand whatever those thoughts and behaviors are, its time to deal with it! It is my prayer that you will find new meaning for your life as you walk through the timeless lessons in this workbook.