anxiety

Are Your Defined and Confined by Fear?

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break_free-e1350561498868Do you easily connect with the principles of the New Testament, but neglect the precepts of the Old Testament?  If you do, you are like many other people who read the Bible.

When you are a stranger to the Old Testament, there’s the danger of missing key concepts.  If you don’t read the writings of Moses, I’m afraid you’ll miss the “fear not” statements of God:

  • Genesis 15:1: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield and the one who will reward you in great abundance.”
  • Genesis 26:24: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you.”
  • Exodus 14:13: “Do not fear! Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord that he will provide for you today.”
  • Deuteronomy 3:22” “Do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God will personally fight for you.”
  • Deuteronomy 31:8: “The Lord is indeed going before you—he will be with you; he will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged!”

Are you defined and confined by the fear of what “might” happen?  If so, you’ve forgotten that you’re designed to be inclined to God’s promises.  Peter challenged a congregation of persecuted people,  “Cast the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, [once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully (I Peter 5:7 ~Amplified Bible).”

The next time you find yourself in a pickle because your faith has turned fickle, reflect on this potent proverb from Solomon:

“Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don’t for a minute lose sight of them. They’ll keep your soul alive and well, they’ll keep you fit and attractive. You’ll travel safely, you’ll neither tire nor trip. You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry, you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep. No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner, because God will be right there with you; He’ll keep you safe and sound.  (Proverbs 3:21-26 ~The Message).”

Weighing Your Options

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download (1)In a post I made to this blog last week, I wrote about character and reputation.  I cited Romans 5, and I called your attention to a cause and effect link:  “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope.”

Over the weekend I reflected again on the words of Paul, and I remembered a story that Billy Graham tells.  It’s a good illustration of how God can use the suffering you encounter in your life.

The incident occurred during the Great Depression, and Graham spoke of a friend who had lived a life of hardship.  The man had lost his job, his wife, his home, and his fortune.  This Christian could not comprehend the purpose of his suffering, but he didn’t let his trials shake his faith.

While walking by a church one day, he stopped to watch some masons as they worked.  One of the men was chiseling a triangle shaped piece of stone, and Graham’s friend asked him: “What are you doing?”  The workman replied:  “See that little opening near the top of the spire? I’m chiseling this stone down here, so it will fit in just right up there.”

As Graham’s friend walked down the street, his eyes filled with tears and he smiled.  He realized that God was using his suffering as a chisel down here, so some day he would fit in up there.

Paul said:  “For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the coming glory that will be revealed to us (Romans 8:18).”

When your heart aches, I hope you will find some comfort in the promises of Psalm 27:1, 14: The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

I’ll close with this thought:  When you wait on the Lord, He lifts the weight of the world.

Disciplined Discernment

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discernmentAfter I read Psalm one, I am always struck by the contrasts it offers as it looks at the differences between two men, two ways, and their two destinies.  The first verse serves as the thematic sentence for the rest of the Psalm:

“How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers (NET Version)!”

The message of this verse is that the input you receive and believe will determine your output.  Being aware of this, the “blessed” will not:

  • Receive and believe the “advice of the wicked.”
  • Follow the “pathway of sinners.”
  • Set in the “assembly of scoffers.”

To accomplish the three points above, you must learn to discern, so you’ll know what to spurn. The apostle Paul refers to a discerning walk as walking in a worthy manner (Ephesians 4:1).  To reach this goal, Paul gave some instructions to the Ephesians:

  • Don’t walk like the Gentiles who walked in the futility of their mind (Ephesians 4:17).
  • Make sure you “walk in love, just as Christ also loved you (Ephesians 5:2).”
  • “Walk as children of Light (Ephesians 5:8):
  • Don’t walk as “unwise men but as wise (Ephesians 5:15).”

The key component of the discerning life is found in the second verse of Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 15:16:

  • Ps. 1:2: “He finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; he meditates on his commands day and night.”
  • Jer. 15:16: “Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16)

Once you begin to practice a life of spiritual discernment, you will gain a greater understanding of verses like Psalm 16:11: “You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

The pleasures and treasures of the Lord are promised to the blessed man of Psalm One, and through a life of disciplined discernment, they can be yours as well.

Havoc Among the Holsteins

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holstein-cowDid you hear a strange noise the last time you drove the dusty back roads that line the dairy farms in rural America? Instead of hearing the characteristic “moo” from the herd, you may have heard ole’ Bossy and her cohorts mournful “boo.”

A new product from Coca-Cola, Fairlife, will soon find its place on the shelves of grocery stores.  It’s described as “science milk” that has 50% more protein, 30% less sugar, and lactose-free. I imagine that Holsteins hate these whole steins of engineered lab milk, and many dairy herds are be-mooing its existence.

The fact that Coke sells its product for twice the price that the dairy farmer has been getting for his milk is enough to make any udder shudder in disgust. These Holsteins must be thinking that Coke has little concern about a fair life for them.

There’s a good chance that some situation has caused you to question the fairness of your life.  Even David struggled when he tried to solve life’s riddles.  In Psalm 73 he said:

 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end . . . I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory . . . it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge that I may tell of all your works.

The next time you feel like you are caught-up in a stampede and life isn’t fair, remember these words from Peter:  “Humble yourselves under God’s strong hand, and in his own good time he will lift you up. You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern (I Peter 5:7).”

Good Deeds in a World of Evil

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While standing in a line waiting to place an order, I overheard a couple of men talking about the word “good.”  One of them said:  “If you shot a person at a distance of 100 yards, you might be a good shot, but would you be a good person?”

Although I did not wait to hear the reply to the question, it did remind me of Proverbs 3:27:  “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.”

Matthew Henry offered this comment on doing good:  “Wherever the Providence of God casts us, we should desire and endeavor to be useful; and, when we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do the good we can.”

The Bible is full of statements that associate “good” deeds with the Christian life:

  • Ephesians 2:10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
  • Galatians 6:9-10: So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

When Paul wrote to the Christians living in Rome, he encouraged them to do the good they could, and he provided them a list (12:9-21):

  • Be sincere in your love.
  • Detest evil and cling to what is good.
  • Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.
  • Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality.
  • Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
  • Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble.
  • Do not repay anyone evil for evil.

Paul summarized and ended his list with these words:  “Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.”

Think about the way you live your life:  Is it defined by evil or good?   Do you impede with your greed and mislead or is your life characterized by good deeds?

I’ll close with these words from Saint Basil:  “A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.”

Remarkable and Wonderful Craftmanship

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newborn-baby-on-hand_90311-1440x900With the popularity of TV programming that focuses on Crime Scene Investigation, people tend to think DNA is the best means of identifying a person.  Both fingerprint identification and DNA analysis have proved to be valuable tools for personal and criminal identification.

I’ve been told that fingerprint identification can be more accurate than DNA analysis.  This is true even with identical twins.  They may look exactly alike and have the same DNA structure, but they will always have different fingerprints.  Your fingerprints are unique because they are formed in the womb.  The random movements of a baby within the womb form the distinctly individual characteristics of each person’s fingerprints.

When you think of the uniqueness of your fingerprints, I hope it will remind you of the special relationship you have with God:  “For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well (Psalm 139).”

Ogres of The Mind

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Some people fail to distinguish the difference between their wants and needs.  The difference between the two can determine whether you live a hapless life or a happy life.Ea - ogre 1 textures post version

What are your real needs?  A person needs food to eat, water to drink, and air to breathe—these are the bare necessities of life.  You could also list shelter from the elements, clothes to wear and such items as being needs; however, when you start to classify your wants as needs, you run the danger of compromising your health and your wealth.

This can happen when your brain morphs into a nasty ogre and starts to play mind games with you.  Your brain may lie to you and try to convince you that you need some “thing” to make you happy.  It may create a craving for some substance that is harmful to your health or it may tell you that you have little self-worth.

You may not recognize this Ogre, so let me describe him for you:

  • Overthinking problems that are out of your control
  • Getting stuck or panicked by unfounded fear
  • Repeating past patterns of behavior that are unhealthy
  • Emotional reactivity

The more you allow the Ogre to run wild, the greater the likelihood that unhealthy habits will develop.  Through the process of repetition, habits become engrained in the neural pathways of the mind.  This is true whether the habit is beneficial or destructive.

T0 tame the Ogre you need to reclaim your thoughts.  Either you control your thoughts or they control you.  Paul said you are to “take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5).”

This Ogre carefully cloaks himself in the secrecy your thoughts.  To be more specific, it is what I call your “self-talk.”  It is those little mental messages that flash rapidly through your mind, so lightening quick, you are almost unaware of their presence.

Here are a couple of tips on how you can tame the Ogre and take your thoughts captive:

  • Respond to the presence of these thoughts. When you become aware of the “self-talk,” write it down.  Journal your thoughts.
  • Re-evaluate what you have written down. Validate the messages that attack your self-worth.  Beware of catastrophic thinking that is seen in words like “always” and “never.”
  • Refocus your attention toward healthy thought and behavior. Purge the urge!  You cannot think positive and negative thoughts at the same time.  If necessary change your location or environment to one that is more wholesome and beneficial.

I have found that reading or quoting Scripture is a great way to overcome the Ogre, and to regain control of my thoughts.  A favorite passage of mine that speaks of the power of Scripture is Psalm 119:9-11:  “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.”

I’ll leave you with this thought:  When you emphasize the positive (Scripture) you paralyze the negative (Ogre).

I Will Be A Father To You

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One of the most often said prayers is the one that Jesus taught His disciples.  There are some circles within the realm of Christianity that refer to it as “The Lord’s Prayer,” and some call it the “Our Father” due to the first two words of the prayer.

When you go to God in prayer, He never thinks of you as an unwelcome or unwanted guest.  You are His child, and you can draw near to Him because He loves you.  Paul affirms this truth:  “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty (2 Corinthians 6:18).”

As a son or as a daughter, you belong to God:  “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light (I Peter 2:9).”

After reading these verses, two facts should be clear to you:

  • “Our Father” means you are either a part of the family of God, or you can become a member of His family.
  • You have been called out (“chosen”) to help cast out darkness and to bring people “into His wonderful light.”

Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world, “and you are to be a light-bearer with Him.  Notice how this is stated in The Message:

You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).

Are you “prompting people” to open up to “Our Father?”

A Future and A Hope

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When you were a child you probably played the game of hide and seek.  As an adult, you may have tried to play some version of that game with God.

Seeking, is an important aspect of your relationship with God:

  • “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near (Isaiah 55:7).”
  • “I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me (Proverbs 8:17).”

When you seek God, you will never be disappointed.  In fact, God has extended several invitations for you to join Him in your spiritual journey:

  • An invitation to rest: Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).”
  • An invitation to serve: “Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men (Mark 1:17).”
  • An invitation to come into His presence: “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17).”

I can understand why a person would seek God, but I cannot fathom why anyone would want to hide from Him.  Jeremiah said we have a future and hope in Him: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13).”

Urgent Email

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MailChimp is a company that is focused on email, and their website says:  “MailChimp helps you email the right people at the right time.”  In 2013 the company studied 24 billion successfully delivered emails, and they discovered the power inherent in one word.   When the word “urgent” was in the subject lines, the emails were much more likely to be opened.

Words like “urgent” will jolt most dolts out of their daydreaming existence and back to reality.  This type of charged language, unless overused, can effectively capture the attention of the intended audience.

To apprehend the attention of those who could only pretend righteousness, Jesus spoke a word of urgency:  “Repent or you will perish (Luke 13:3, 5).”

When you read the gospel of Mark, the first words of Jesus are an evangelistic call to repent:  “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).”

“Repentance comes from the Greek word “metanoia,” and it means a” change of mind.”  When a person repents, he turns from sin to God.  The story of the Prodigal Son is a good example of repentance:  When he came to himself, he said . . . “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.”

“Praise” and “worship” are two of the feel-good-words associated with the church today.  These are important features of a person’s relationship with Christ, but they are meaningless unless you attend to the urgent need to repent of your sin.

People don’t mind focusing on the failures, faults and sins of people they know, but they start to back-peddle and say, “Don’t meddle” when it comes to their personal need to repent.