Coming Unglued Isn’t All Bad – Giveaway & Guest Post by Lysa TerKeurst

Giveaway closed!

#s 9 & 10 were called by random.org – I know. How odd!! But cool.

I will be emailing the winners shortly – Melinda T & Angela Young.

Thanks for commenting!

I’m thrilled today to feature Lysa TerKeurst on Exemplify!

Her new book Unglued has hit bookstands and (my personal favorite place to shop…) the internet shelves of Amazon.

This book is such a necessary one. It deals with the tough stuff of emotions. I’m still reading through it and what I really like about this book is that it does not just ask hard questions about emotions and relationships, it answers them as well. Lysa shares personal stories, personal encouragement, and personal insight into Scripture on a wide range of situations. This is not a “you can do better” book, this is a “this is how we live and love better” book. A huge difference for me. 

I’m currently reading a chapter 6 – which involves “Impossible People” – and have been so encouraged. A little snippet I’ve been mulling over: “My job is not to fix the difficult people in my life or enable them to continue disrespectful or abusive behaviors. My job is to be obedient to God in the way I act & respond to those people.” Can we say highlighted?!! Honestly, I think chapter 6 is worth the price of the book alone!

I’d love for you to read today’s thoughts from Lysa and leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of Unglued. Two people will be randomly chosen on Thursday & the winners will be announced on Friday.

Happy commenting!

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Coming Unglued Isn’t All Bad by Lysa TerKeurst

I always thought me coming unglued emotionally was a bad thing. And certainly if I cause hurt to others it is. But, I learned something recently about an upside to my raw emotions. I saw pictures of a stunning home that had been reduced to rubble because of a fire caused by faulty wiring. And something about those pictures helped me understand a crucial truth.

A well-decorated home isn’t a sign of a well-built house. It may seem impressive temporarily, but in the long run if the foundation crumbles or faulty wiring makes it catch on fire, it won’t matter how many pretty pictures are on the walls. The whole house will fall.

The same is true about a well-decorated life. I can fake a smile, but if underneath I’m falling apart, eventually I will crumble.

My crumbling comes in the form of feeling short-tempered, on edge emotionally, and incapable of explaining exactly what’s wrong. In those times where I come unglued, feelings festering underneath bubble to the surface. I see raw emotions I need to address.

This is why coming unglued isn’t all bad.

Just like a light that fails to come on when the switch is flipped may indicate a wiring problem, coming unglued may indicate a problem with our internal wiring.

Outward expressions are internal indications.

If our outward expression is unglued, there’s some brokenness going on internally. Broken places we won’t address unless we are forced to acknowledge their existence. As painful as it might be to name these broken places, seeing ourselves—really seeing, deeply and honestly—is a very good thing.

When I look through the window of my unglued reactions, I may find pride I don’t want to acknowledge. Longstanding unforgiveness. Deep-seated bitterness. Simmering anger. Joy-stealing jealousy. Condemning shame. Haunting regrets. Entangling rejection. Or I might see a schedule crammed too full? Or the feeling that I’m taken for granted and unappreciated.

We have to see what’s there. Romans 6:12 reminds us not to let sin reign in us —therefore we have to become aware of the sin inside. If things are ever going to get better, we have to acknowledge things under the surface that fuel our unglued reactions. We may not like what we see, but at least we’ll know what we’re dealing with. We can call it what it is and ask God to help us.

I’m reacting in angry ways, God. What do I do?

I’m feeling bitter towards them, God. What do I do?

I’m having a hard time forgiving, God. What do I do?

I’m using words that are harsh, God. What do I do?

I don’t take time to ask God what to do often enough. Do you find this to be true too? Maybe having a clear-eyed view of my underneath will help me go to God more — more frequently, more authentically, more humbly.

Therefore, might we agree that coming unglued isn’t all bad if it brings us to God? And brings to light what’s eating away at us — chipping away at our foundation? Coming unglued is glorious if the end result of that brokenness leads us to a more healthy wholeness.

Sometimes we need a friend to walk alongside us as we come unglued. Lysa TerKeurst does just this in her gut-honest new book Unglued. Click here to order your copy today.

Go deeper with the accompanying Unglued Bible Study. To order your copy, click here.

About Lysa TerKeurst:

Lysa TerKeurst is a New York Times bestselling author, National Speaker, and President of Proverbs 31 Ministries. You can read her daily blog at www.LysaTerKeurst.com or hear her encouragement through the Proverbs 31 Ministries’ radio program played on over 1200 outlets. She loves that the first four letters of Messiah spell a “mess.” All of the messages Lysa speaks and writes about come from her awareness of what a mess she can be. Most days you can find her writing from her sticky farm table in North Carolina where she lives with her husband Art, her five priority blessings named Jackson, Mark, Hope, Ashley, and Brooke, 3 dogs and a mouse that refuses to leave her kitchen.

Get to Know Kristen

You can find Kristen at Exemplify Ministries where she loves to help others uncover organic faith. She’s thrilled to have just launched 2:21 – an offshoot of Exemplify – for teenage girls. Through video driven bible studies and regular spotlight shows that focus on the call of the Church, it is Kristen’s hope to equip & inspire women and teen girls to live a life that does. As well as serving at Exemplify Ministries, Kristen is Director of Outreach for A Woman Inspired. When she’s not sitting at Starbuck’s with an extra foam latte in hand, daydreaming up a new idea, she’s hiking in the mountains with her husband, Eric, and dog, Humphrey. Loves: late night latte adventures, all types of music, long weekends, nail polish in every.single.color!, the Doctor, summers spent with her sister, and the family she gets to call her own. She tweets random things @kmschiffman.

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