Can You REALLY Trust God?

Don’t be anxious about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 

 

How many times in Scripture are we told "Don't be afraid" and "Don't be anxious"? Lots! How well do we put these instructions into practice? Hmm........  I can hear it now: "What do you mean Don't Be Anxious and Don't Be Afraid? Don't you know what's going on in the world?"  Well, actually, I am aware of what's going on.  But why would God repeatedly tell us to Not be Afraid and/or Anxious if He's in control?

 

I have the privilege of facilitating a class for new deputies called "Law Enforcement Stress Awareness."  Part of this class is the clarification between Stress and Anxiety.  Stress are like arrows that come at us through the course of our day: deadlines, bills, annoyances, expectations, etc.  Our internal reaction to stress is called Anxiety.  

 

Think about it, let's say you have a customer who is extremely demanding and not very nice.  They are your stress.  How you react to their (anger, frustration, irritation) is your anxiety!

 

God tells us to not be anxious, therefore, instead of getting upset that they have arrived, turn them over to God AND turn YOURSELF over to Him as well. Now, God NEVER tells us to forget to take precautions or make preparations or act foolishly!    So we CAN trust God to do His job, and we can stop trying to do His job for Him or tell Him how we think He should do His job.

  

The question now becomes: Are you going to trust God or swim in the sea of anxiety? 

Sleepless? Is It My Bloodshot Eyes?

In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

Psalm 4:8 

 

Have you ever had trouble sleeping at night because you have so much on your mind that it's like having a jolt of electricity flowing through you?  Yep....me too.  And I admit that I have relied on sleep meds to deal with this issue.  Guess what?  They were a "hit or miss" when it came to sleep (they only seemed to work when I was so exhausted that I kept dozing off in my recliner).

 

God has a rather unique sense of humor.  There were times I would toss and turn for hours, then have the uncontrollable need to get up and chat with God around 2am.  First, I did all the talking and little listening.  I would unload everything that was on my mind.  Some times the more I unloaded, the more I discovered to be unloaded.  Finally when I finished unloading, I would begin to feel sleepy again and I can't prove I heard it, but I can't prove I didn't; I could swear I heard God chuckle and remind me that He's got me in His care.

 

Then, I would toddle off to bed and the next 4 hours were the best sleep ever.  You see, when we learn to START by letting God know exactly what is on our minds and hearts we will be amazed what a relief it is to turn everything over to the ONE who can take care of everything and us too!

 

Let's try it together.  That's right, I'm still learning too. 

Over Thinking!

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 14:33

Ever notice that we have a tendency to over think things?  We become so fixated on what might have happened, what could have happened, that we ignore what actually happened.  Add to that the never ending commentary of those who were not present nor did they take an active part in the event, but instead wish to tell us how things SHOULD have happened.

Let's be honest, we are our own worst critics.  We will beat ourselves up afterwards, but in the moment we did what we believed was right.

On the flip side, we also waste a lot of time worrying about things that haven't even happened.  We spend sleepless nights imagining what might happen and then we take it to the worst possible scenario and panic sets in.

Why do we do this?  Yes, I do this quite a lot as well.  Jesus is telling us, in today's passage, that we need to deal with the reality of today!  Unless you have a time machine, you cannot undo what has been done.  And why waste today's energies worrying about what might happen tomorrow?

Whatever is on your mind, have a conversation with God about it.  It's His job to get us to our finish line and complete His plan for us.  Let Him do His job!

Heavy Weight Champion?

What happens when we are anxious about something?  Can you sleep?  How's your eating?  How's your thought process?  How are your relationships?

I am, by my own admission, a worrier who is anxious about everything that I worry about.

   *  Can I sleep? Not without medication and even then, not too well.
   *  How's my eating? I go from "can't eat enough" to "not hungry" to "tossing my cookies."
   *  How's my thought process?  My mind immediately goes through the worst possible outcomes and then takes them even further down the "worse" trail.
   *  How are my relationships?  Well, my Bride is longsuffering and understanding, because I tend to turn inward and shut people out when I feel anxious.  

Here's a little tidbit, when we are under stress and anxiety, our heart is effected.  No, our literal heart, the blood pumping muscle.  Why do you think Anxiety Medication usually makes you relax (and sometimes not care about anything)?  Because worry and anxiety are damaging to almost every aspect of our lives.

So what do we do to help when we feel anxious and/or worried?  
     1.  Remember that God is in control, tell Him what's bothering you and thank Him for dealing with it.
     2.  Find something different to distract your mind.  
     3.  Talk with someone about what you are experiencing.
     4.  If this is a chronic condition, speak with your physician.
     5.  Sometimes a hot shower or hot bath will help.  If your gym has a steam room, use it.
     6.  Sometimes a massage will help.
     7.  Understand that you are not the only person going through worry and anxiety.

The one thing that I have learned, and am still learning, is that when I worry or feel anxious about something I cannot control, I am trying to do God's job.  I have to be reminded that God is not surprised by my situation and has already worked out a solution that will ultimately benefit me and Glorify Him!  
     

What Do You Fear?

Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; 

they cannot touch your soul. 

Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28

 

 What are you afraid of?  When I was younger, I wasn't (am still not) too fond of heights. It was so much the falling that frightened me, so much as the intense pain of the sudden stop at the bottom.

 

When we were children, we used to fear many things:

   *  Like spiders (and some still have an aversion to them), 

   *  and clowns, 

   *  and drowning, 

   *  and alligators, 

   *  and any number of things.  

 

And as we grow up, we mostly grow out of those fears because we have new ones to replace them:

   *   losing your hair.

   *   developing a long term illness.

   *   having to speak in public

   *   being summoned to the boss's office.

   *   failing in school or in a career

 

There are those who will tell you that if you face your fears, you can overcome them.  Apparently, they have never watched a single horror movie, because when you face the critter that scares you in a horror movie, bad things happen to you.

 

Fear can paralyze us.  Fear can stop us from reaching out to someone who needs our help.  Fear can make us......well, afraid.  And then I saw a movie that I wish I could remember the title of, but the main gunfighter was facing his nemesis who was holding his weapon to the head of a hostage.  The nemesis said, "One more step and I'll kill her."  To which the hero said, "Then there will be no one but you and me."  

 

While that may sound cruel and rather heartless, think about this for a second.  Why are we afraid to speak to someone?  Because they may tell us to go away?  So what?   

 

Why are we afraid to help someone?  Because they may not want our help?  So what?

 

Why do we not pray when we're in public?  Because someone might not like it?  So what?  You don't have to bow your head, close your eyes, and look "holy" to pray.  

 

Our enemy would have us afraid of him, because he can cause our life here to be not so much fun.  But when we let God's light shine on his false "power" we will see and God will grant us the strength and courage we need.  

Squeezed?

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

James 1:2-4 

 

Have you ever been under a deadline or under so much pressure from those higher up the food chain that you felt overwhelmed?  Have you ever considered it a curse not to cuss sometimes?  Have you ever been fed up?  Have you ever thought "oh, THIS isn't going to go well"?  Have you ever been so anxious and uptight that you just couldn't sleep?  Me too.

 

How about this, have you ever had so much fun doing something that you did it over and over but each time it just wasn't as much fun as that first time?

Most of my life seems to have been the model for "Murphy's Law" (if there is a way for it to go wrong, it will).  NOW, I can look back on parts of my life and chuckle.  But some parts, I'm still struggling to deal with.

But look at what James is reminding us...we WILL have problems.  We're going to have issues.  We're going to have pressure.  And when those times come, and we are squeezed, our true nature will show!

 

I admit, I was riding one night with one of Richland Counties finest, when we had to quietly exit the car.  I quietly eased my door closed and my finger got in the way.  I confess the things that came out of my mouth were far short of "Yea, verily and peace unto thee."  But once freed from that dilemma, I did apologize for my words.  The stunned deputy looked at me in amazement and said, "Pinocchio, you ARE a real boy!"

 

As we go through life, we're going to have struggles.  God never promised us otherwise!  But remember, if we only have good times we'll forget that we need God.  When we have struggles, then we appreciate how much God does for us when that struggle has passed.

 

We seldom realize how much God loves us until we look back at all He's brought us through.  

I Ranted And Raved And Guess What It Got Me?

The Lord will fight for you. You just keep still.

Exodus 14:14 

Last week was one of the worst weeks I have had in a long long time.  I was out of town in what was supposed to be a three-day training.  Things don't always work out the way we envision them or plan them or hope they will or even how we think they ought to go. You see, I thought I was going to have a chance to get away, learn some very insightful and useful things I could then bring back and use to help my Department, then I could come home and share my wisdom with all.  

 

But....didn't happen that way.  On day one, I was trying to answer emails during the breaks, return phone calls during lunch, and when I got back to my lodging a whole new set of issues.  I was hoping to review the material and get some rest.  There were three reasons that didn't happen:  First, hotel mattresses are almost always uncomfortable to me and no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't get comfortable.  Second, my neighbors on one side sounded like they were having quite the professional wrestling match, while on the other side the sounds and noises were, shall we say, not something I wanted or needed to hear.  Third, the air conditioning was not working.

 

On the second day of class, more of the same of answering messages during breaks and returning phone calls during lunch, until....I got the message that a dear member of our Department had passed away.  I had to read the message several times before it finally sank in.  I had just visited the dear lady and now she was gone.  So when I got back to my room, I tried to put some thoughts together to deliver her funeral message but couldn't think.  I prayed for peace and none came.  Suddenly, I got the strong need to get back home to deal with this up close.  So, I packed, got in the car, notified my instructor what had happened, and came home.  

 

On the way home, traffic was frustrating and infuriating.  At one point, the three lane interstate had been converged into a single slow moving lane due to road construction.  Not only that, but I got behind that ONE person.....you know the one....who has to keep half a mile between their car and the vehicle in front of them (and they aren't about to move).  So I was stuck behind them for what seemed like hours.

 

All this time I am letting God have it!  I am unloading a barrage of my opinions and perspectives, directives, expectations, and in language I didn't remember learning in the Army.  When I finally got home, I was still fuming.

 

I spent the night tossing and turning and, true to form, at 4:19am, I was wide awake and knew God was ready to have a chat.  I began this prayer time with my sincerest apology for my ranting and raving and for my frustration.  And guess what I got in return?  The peace that I cannot explain, the lightening of my burden because of the forgiveness I had been granted, and such a clarity that I knew what needed to be said at the funeral.

 

I wrote some things down, let the family read it, and was ready to deliver it on Thursday.  Thursday Morning, I got a call from the family asking for a couple of changes to what I had written.  Again, I prayed for focus and the help to say what the family wanted.  I jotted down the notes given to me by the family, and let God take it from there.

 

All my ranting, raving, frustration, and anger....and God reminded me to "BE STILL!"  God reminded me to let HIM do the fighting for me.  Let Him speak through me.  

 

We're never to old to be reminded that God is God and we are not!

Anxiety?

Don’t be anxious or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Philippians 4:6-7 

Ever been anxious?  I'm not talking about being nail-biting upset.  I am talking about paralyzing anxiety that makes you fearful to do anything because you feel it might be the wrong thing to do which would make the situation worse.  I am talking about the anxiety that makes breathing a struggle and you feel as though your heart will explode.

Let me be completely honest, when someone is enduring an anxiety attack (and enduring is the closest word I can use to describe it), the absolute worst most worthless thing to tell them is "Calm down" or "What have you got to be so upset about?"  

One of the best things those who deal with anxiety can do, is keep an ongoing conversation going with God.  Time after time, God reminds us that He has ALREADY made a way for us.  God is ALREADY aware of out situation.  God has ALREADY heard our spirit's cry and has ALREADY set His plan for us in motion.

Let me give you a few practical things you can do to help someone enduring an anxiety attack:

1.  Remain calm.  Speak to the person in a calm and reassuring tone.

2.  Remind the person to breathe.  To take slower breaths.

3.  Do NOT touch them without their permission.  Ask them, "May I sit next to you?"  "May I hold your hand?"

4.  Ask the person to focus on your face and your voice.  Reassure them that you are going to stay with them until the attack subsides.

5.  Ask them to Help You Understand what is going on with them.

6.  Pray for them silently as you listen.

God reminds us over and over that nothing surprises Him.  So the anxiety attack doesn't surprise Him.  As a matter of fact, God may even allow you to be around someone who is having an anxiety attack to teach you. 

God is practical like that.    

"And Then It Hit Me......And It Hit Me Again......"

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!

Psalm 43:5

When I was in elementary school, I was one of those kids who had trouble sitting still and keeping quiet.  On one of my "talking during quiet time" incidences, the class was supposed to be working on an writing an essay.  I was caught talking to the person in front of me who wouldn't respond to me.  Since I was the one talking, I was sent to stand in the hall as punishment.  As if that was not enough, while I was standing in the hallway, my Mom (who was a substitute teacher at my elementary school) came walking around the corner.

I learned something about the physical properties of the human body that day: Try though you might, you cannot make yourself invisible.  My Mom saw me in the hallway, and immediately wanted to know why.  Upon hearing my reply, I heard those dreaded words, "we'll discuss this further when your father gets home."  This was the moment where your mind plays that dramatic BOM Bom baaaaaa.  And your stomach lets you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are in for a very bad day.

Ever had one of those days, weeks, months or even year when nothing seemed to go right?  Even feel like your life just keeps crashing down around you no matter how hard you try?

Ever feel like you're the punching bag for the heavyweight boxing champion to work his frustrations out on?

Me too.  And some days, it is physically painful to have to plaster on a smile and make everyone to believe you're okay.  Because, after all, being a believer means all our problems are solved and everything in our lives is just absolutely perfect.....right?

I wish I could tell you that being a Christian makes everything perfect.  But my experience has been quite the opposite.  In fact, there are points in my life where I am unsure why I'm still here.  But I can tell you this without hesitation: every single event that makes up my life has been for a reason.  The Master has taken this block of stone and has been chipping away in order to form me into who He has chosen me to be.  

Have I enjoyed it?  Hmmmmm.......NO!

Have I learned from it?  I've picked up bits and pieces here and there.

Have I ever been discouraged?  Uhhh.....YEAH!

But God has ALWAYS reminded me that He's got me, and THAT brings everything back into focus.

Time? Who's Got Time To Look?

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven

Ecclesiastes 3:1

You all know about my love affair with coffee. Yes, I firmly admit it, I love coffee and drink copious amounts.  But this morning, I was challenged on this by, of all people, the person selling me my 7th cup of coffee.  She said, "How much do you have going on in your life that you need so much coffee?"

And THAT started the thought process.  We consume Monster Drinks, Red Bull, 5-hour Energy and so many other products that give us that boost when we begin to feel run down.  Then we wonder why we also have so many products that help us sleep.  

Why is that?  Is it because we truly HAVE so much we must accomplish in our day that we just cannot get it all done so we can get enough rest before having to get up and do it all over again?

I am convinced that God has given us this entire world to learn from and we spend more time ignoring it.  When a dog, cat, gerbil, pig, cow, goat or any other animal gets tired, what to they do?  They rest!  When they need to get up and go, they move.  But the fact is THEY do what WE should be doing.  We have been given time to do what is NEEDED!  Yet we choose to cram our time so full that the very thing that is NEEDED (rest) gets booted out of the boat.

Then we wonder why we get stressed (for which there are countless pills and elixirs to help) why we feel anxious, depressed, exhausted, and defeated.  Time Management is the key.  For there is a time for EVERY matter under heaven...we just have to decide what matters enough for us to invest our time. 

Why Are YOU Here?

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:11-13

Let me ask you something, have you ever thought of everything you need to accomplish and almost crumple with the weight of that realization?  Have you ever looked at all the task you undertake and wonder "so THIS is what my life has become"?  Are you ready to change that?

Look at today's passage....God told Elijah to go stand on the mountain.  When Elijah did that, God passed by and everything became very overwhelming for Elijah (kind of like what happens when you look at your calendar and wonder how you're going to get everything done and remain sane).  

First, the windstorm hit the mountain.  This was not just a gentle breeze!  This was a wind that was strong enough to tear rocks loose! But if Elijah focused on the windstorm (aka, projects, paperwork, reports, telephone calls...), he would get distracted and not realize that God was not in the windstorm.

Next, there was an earthquake! And since the wind had torn rocks loose, the earthquake sent them bouncing and crashing all over the mountain.  But if Elijah focused on the earthquake (aka, meetings, seminars, classes, presentations....), he would get distracted and not realize that God was not in the earthquake.

Finally, there was a fire!  Fire that heated the stone until it cracked and smoke that made it hard to breathe or find your direction. But if Elijah focused on the fire (aka, children's activity schedules, family schedules, appointments, holiday gatherings, church activities, community activities.....), he would get distracted and not realize that God is not in the fire.

Where is God?  Elijah had all this mess going on and crashing down around him, overwhelming him, and God WHISPERS to him "Why are you HERE?".

Let me tell you a little something, it's okay to be busy.  It's okay to have activities.  It's okay to have a lot going on.  HOWEVER, it's NOT okay to leave God out of everything.  We seem to believe that we just don't have any room for God during our busy-ness and when we finally flop into bed exhausted from our day, we don't seem to have room for God then either.  And we wonder why we are so anxious, stressed, and upset?  We wonder why we take medications to help us sleep, keep us calm, and gulp down energy drinks by the tanker truck full?

As you go through your day, make God your first and primary focus:  "Father, today is going to be busy, but thank YOU that You are with me.  Help me to reflect You in everything we do today, and if I screw up...help me reflect You there too."

Jesus reminds us: "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Why are you HERE?  To reflect God in everything you do.  Put Him first and let Him do His job!   

Why Are YOU Here?

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:11-13

Let me ask you something, have you ever thought of everything you need to accomplish and almost crumple with the weight of that realization?  Have you ever looked at all the task you undertake and wonder "so THIS is what my life has become"?  Are you ready to change that?

Look at today's passage....God told Elijah to go stand on the mountain.  When Elijah did that, God passed by and everything became very overwhelming for Elijah (kind of like what happens when you look at your calendar and wonder how you're going to get everything done and remain sane).  

First, the windstorm hit the mountain.  This was not just a gentle breeze!  This was a wind that was strong enough to tear rocks loose! But if Elijah focused on the windstorm (aka, projects, paperwork, reports, telephone calls...), he would get distracted and not realize that God was not in the windstorm.

Next, there was an earthquake! And since the wind had torn rocks loose, the earthquake sent them bouncing and crashing all over the mountain.  But if Elijah focused on the earthquake (aka, meetings, seminars, classes, presentations....), he would get distracted and not realize that God was not in the earthquake.

Finally, there was a fire!  Fire that heated the stone until it cracked and smoke that made it hard to breathe or find your direction. But if Elijah focused on the fire (aka, children's activity schedules, family schedules, appointments, holiday gatherings, church activities, community activities.....), he would get distracted and not realize that God is not in the fire.

Where is God?  Elijah had all this mess going on and crashing down around him, overwhelming him, and God WHISPERS to him "Why are you HERE?".

Let me tell you a little something, it's okay to be busy.  It's okay to have activities.  It's okay to have a lot going on.  HOWEVER, it's NOT okay to leave God out of everything.  We seem to believe that we just don't have any room for God during our busy-ness and when we finally flop into bed exhausted from our day, we don't seem to have room for God then either.  And we wonder why we are so anxious, stressed, and upset?  We wonder why we take medications to help us sleep, keep us calm, and gulp down energy drinks by the tanker truck full?

As you go through your day, make God your first and primary focus:  "Father, today is going to be busy, but thank YOU that You are with me.  Help me to reflect You in everything we do today, and if I screw up...help me reflect You there too."

Jesus reminds us: "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Why are you HERE?  To reflect God in everything you do.  Put Him first and let Him do His job!   

Life's Storms!

Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice—I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.

Luke 6:47-48

 

 

Feeling stressed?  Feeling overwhelmed?  Feeling worried?  Feeling as though everything is crashing down around you?  Perhaps you feel like Job, "The churning inside me NEVER stops: days of suffering confront me!" (Job 30:27).

 

You have BILLS so you need:

     *  MONEY (for such things as food, clothing, shelter)

     *  So you get a JOB! (paycheck coming in is good, but the job and the expectations of those over you and the community make the Job stressful).

     *  You work so much, think about work so much, focus on work so much that the LIFE you wanted seems always just out of reach.

     *  With your LIFE in turmoil because you can't seem to find the stability you need, LOVE and RELATIONSHIPS are not satisfactory.  And then you begin to notice that stress has led to some unhealthy habits so you begin focusing and stressing about your LOOKS and your HEALTH.

    *  And the cycle continues with more stress being added because we can be a demanding and neurotic species.

 

I will be perfectly honest....there are NO quick fixes that will have lasting positive results!  I am sorry to have to say that, but it's true.  We LEARNED to be stressed and anxious! The only way to fight that is to LEARN how to let go of the stress and let anxiety roll off.  

 

If you look at today's verse, you will see that just because a man dug deep and built his house on a solid foundation did not stop the floods and storms from coming.  If you are looking for a life of laying by the seaside with no worries or concerns ever....ummmm.....not happening this side of Heaven, I'm sorry to say.

 

But there ARE things you can do to get a firm foundation!

    1.    Talk with someone you trust (Padre's suggestion here is, God!  He knows everything already).  Someone who will be truthful with you, not just tell you what you want to hear.

    2.   Develop a hobby.

    3.   Yes....I'm going to get on my Padre Platform: Invest yourself in a church!

    4.   Develop friendships that are outside your comfort zone.

    5.   Spend time with positive people (not cheerleader types, but those who help you see a more positive perspective.)

 

 

There are lots of other things that will be helpful, but changes need to come because you're ready to accept them and actually MAKE them.  

  

Most of the time, we stay stressed out because we are to afraid to make any changes.  Stress becomes the place we feel "comfortable" even while it slowly kills you.  Think about it!

    

 

Ever Feel Overwhelmed?

 "Little children, you are from God and have overcome the world, 

for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

~1 John 4:4

What happens when you have something out of the ordinary happen?  Let's say you are struggling to make it from paycheck to paycheck and one your way to work smoke starts gushing from under the hood of the car.  While you are standing on the side of the road wondering if your day could possibly get any worse, the rain starts and your umbrella is at work.  When you finally manage to get a ride home, you walk in drenched and dripping all over the floor when your child decides this would be the best possible time to start throwing up. You know the day, the one where if you don't drink, you seriously consider taking up drinking as an occupation.

Think about this for a moment:  Our enemy's job is to make us ineffective, since he cannot take God's children from God's hand.  And one of the ways he makes us ineffective is to overwhelm us.  Sun Tzu, who wrote "The Art of War", stated: “The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent.”  So you see, if our enemy can overwhelm us, we take our focus off of God, and even doubt God, and we do not even consider the enemy's true intent.

My prayer is that, when (not if) the storms begin to rage, we will learn to cling to the God who speaks the storms into submission and calms the raging seas. 

No Worry Required!

 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

Matthew 6:27 

 

Worry....it is one of the biggest thieves of our lives.  Don't think so?  

• How much time do we waste worrying about what other people think? 
• How much time do we waste worrying about how we look?
• How much time do we waste worrying about how we are going to make it through the month?
• How much time do we waste worrying about our future?
• How much time do we waste worrying about our past (especially the parts we hope no one ever finds out about)?
• How much time do we waste worrying about things we have no control over?

Why do we worry?  If we can do something to fix our situation...do it.  No worry required!

If there is nothing we can do to fix our situation...tuck and roll.  No worry will fix it!

 

Worry leads to stress and anxiety.  Stress and anxiety lead to such things as hives, rashes, insomnia, digestive issues, high blood pressure, mental issues, and even heart attacks.  So....is worrying really worth it?

 

Guess what?  Most of the things we waste time worrying over NEVER happen!  Talk about wasted time and effort!

 

Remember: If you can fix it, do it.  If you can't fix it, accept it.  NO WORRY REQUIRED!