I so needed this today!!!
December 30, 2008
Winning Over Worry, Part 2
Mary Southerland
Today's Truth
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)
Friend to Friend
In Philippians 4:4-7, Paul gives us the promise of peace. However, there are conditions to be met and actions we must take in order to experience that peace and win over worry.
Action one: Choose joy
Action two: Be gentle
Philippians 4:5 gives an unusual directive concerning worry. "Let your gentleness be evident to all." "Gentleness" literally means "humility, softness and tenderness" and seems to indicate that part of dealing with worry is related to the directive that we must be gentle with everyone. The Living Bible translates "gentle" as "unselfish and considerate". Any way you look at it, this truth is in direct opposition to the viewpoint of the world in which we live. Power and assertiveness gain respect while gentleness is often viewed as weakness. In God's eyes, gentleness is harnessed strength, and a controlled power. What does gentleness have to do with eliminating worry? Paul is saying the way we treat people affects our peace. Many of us have lives filled with worry because we have relationships filled with conflict. When we are not gentle, conflict is the inevitable result. Worry and anxiety thrive in the atmosphere of conflict. What does it mean to be gentle in our relationships?
· Gentleness is willing to give up control.
James 3:17a "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and full of quiet gentleness. It allows discussion and is willing to yield to others." Gentleness can always find a patch of common ground, giving people room to grow and change.
Gentleness doesn't control but is willing to yield or submit to one another in love.
· Gentleness is love in action.
James 3:17b "Gentleness if full of mercy and good deeds." When gentleness sees a need, it does something about it. It is compelled to take action!
· Gentleness forgives.
Colossians 3:13 "Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Gentleness is quick to give and to receive forgiveness, always taking the responsibility to initiate forgiveness.
· Gentleness wages peace.
Hebrews 12:14 "Pursue peace with all people." "Gentleness" does not retaliate but pursues peace instead. The goal of gentleness is unity. I've read that when thoroughbred horses are under attack, they stand in a circle, face each other, and with their back legs kick out at the enemy! Donkeys do just the opposite. They face the enemy and kick each other.
We are called to wage peace. When we practice gentleness and pursue peace in our relationships, there will be less conflict, more unity and fewer footholds for worry.
Action three: Be aware of His presence.
Philippians 4:5 "The Lord is near." We often pray, asking for God's presence when our prayer should be, "Lord, make me aware of your presence." He is near but many times our lives and hearts are too crowded to see or hear Him. The more we are aware of God's presence the less we will worry. We become aware of His presence through:
· Bible
Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword."
The most powerful weapon against worry is scripture. Read it. Memorize it. Immerse your life in it. The word of God grounds us, repelling worry. When worry comes - reject it! Deflect it with the shield of God's word.
· Prayer
1 Peter 5:7 "Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you."
Prayer is simply conversation with God and a powerful weapon against worry. I read of a widow who had successfully raised a large family of eighteen children, twelve of whom were adopted. Yet, she never seemed to worry. During an interview, a reporter asked the secret of her peace and confidence. She said, "I'm not alone. I'm in a partnership with God. Years ago, I said "Lord, I'll do the work and you do the worrying! I have had peace ever since!"
· Friends
Ecclesiastes 4:12 "And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."
When you share your fears with others, they grow smaller because someone has gotten under the load with you. A shared load is a lighter load. We tend to hide our fears in darkness where they grow and strengthen, instead of bringing them out into the light where they will die. When we try to be "lone-ranger Christians" and handle our fears on our own, we are susceptible to attacks that will defeat us. When we stand together, our strength is multiplied and we are not easily beaten.
· Experience
James 1:17 "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow."
The more we know Him, the more we will understand that He really is who He says He is and that He is willing and able to work in our lives. We will naturally begin to trust Him and soon discover that He is faithful.
So much worry is buried in the unknown. The "known" victories of yesterday can destroy the fear of today's "unknown" circumstances because He is always the same. What a security comes when we realize that we can truly count on Him. God's presence empowers us to win over worry. When you are tempted to worry, stop and go back over the books, remembering the victories and celebrating them once again. The God who delivered you yesterday will deliver you today and tomorrow! The experiences of life prove Him true and underline His presence within.
Let's Pray
Father, help me to handle the relationships in my life with gentleness. When there is conflict, give me the strength to confront it in Your love. I long for Your presence in my life. Help me to be more aware of Your hand at work.
In Jesus' name, I pray
Amen.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Name above All Names
This was wall stated from a church's Advent devotional guide. Click on the title of this post and it will take you to the OUR DAILY BREAD devotion where is came from.
"Let us at all costs avoid the temptation to make our Christmas worship a withdrawal from the stress and sorrow of life into a realm of unreal beauty. It was into the real world that Christ came, into the city where there was no room for Him, and into a country where Herod, the murderer of innocents, was king. He comes to us, not to shield us from the harshness of the world but to give us the courage and strength to bear it; not to snatch us away by some miracle from the conflict of life, but to give us peace - His peace - in our hearts, by which we may be calmly steadfast while the conflict rages, and be able to bring to the torn world the healing that is peace."
You shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21
"Let us at all costs avoid the temptation to make our Christmas worship a withdrawal from the stress and sorrow of life into a realm of unreal beauty. It was into the real world that Christ came, into the city where there was no room for Him, and into a country where Herod, the murderer of innocents, was king. He comes to us, not to shield us from the harshness of the world but to give us the courage and strength to bear it; not to snatch us away by some miracle from the conflict of life, but to give us peace - His peace - in our hearts, by which we may be calmly steadfast while the conflict rages, and be able to bring to the torn world the healing that is peace."
You shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
"Word Verification"
Okay, so I find it absolutely hilarious the different...words...if that's what you call them, that blogger uses as 'WORD VERIFICATION.' So, I'd like to conduct a little....survey...poll, I'm not sure what it'd be called, but basically I'd like you to "post a comment," but all you really have to say is what the "word" is that you need to verify before you can post the comment. I just want to see how many ridiculous "words" come up...and then enjoy the laughs!!!
"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine"
Dear Lord, Thank You for the promise of a future full of peace and contentment and free of pain and suffering. That You would sacrifice Your only Son for me takes my breath away. It is my desire to live my life allowing Your light to shine through me so that all may be drawn to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
What to give?
A question that always comes up during this season is "What do I get for so-and-so?" It would be especially hard if you thought the person has everything already. But, do they have everything?
The gift of eternal life has been given to all, but some have left it under the tree or have completely ignored it. Probably, because it's not wrapped perfectly, with shiny paper and a pretty red bow. But what most don't realize is that what's in the package is far more beautiful and greater than what they could imagine.
Jesus Christ giving his perfect life for our sin-soaked excuse of a life is nothing, NOTHING, short of gracious. We have been given a gift that we don't deserve. A Gift that is overwhelmingly given with love and joy, and we let it sit under the tree! And for some of us who have already opened it, we stick it back under the tree, and pull it out when it's convenient for us. Or, we just look at it when we walk by the tree. I am soooo guilty of that! Just walking on by, whether it's purposefully ignoring it or being distracted with other things that I don't even see it - HIM, the Christ!
As a full-time Mom, I have an ongoing list of things to do. More often than not, spending time with my Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, doesn't get put on the list. What I've also come to notice is that I can also be a little selfish with my Gift. I don't share it when I should...it's too much of an inconvenience, "What if they laugh at me?" "What if they won't like me?" Honest and common excuses. I forget, LORD, Father God please forgive me, I forget what you went through for my sake - betrayal, scoffing, mockery, persecution - verbal and physical, whipping, nailing, DEATH. And I don't want to share you because I'm afraid that someone may laugh at me!?
LORD, I give my whole self to you as "a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable" (Romans 12:1) in your eyes, because I am "washed by the water through your Word"! (Ephesians 5:26) Father, I want to share your Gift of love and grace. Please help me to overcome my fears. For You "...did NOT give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7) I want to give myself to you, just as a wife gives of herself to her husband.
"...and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband (Ephesians 5:33 - Amplified Bible)[[f]that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and [g]that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly]. [I Pet. 3:2.] (Now, this scripture passage speaks of the wife repecting and reverencing her earthly husband. But the only way that we will be able to do that for them is if we are that way towards our Heavenly Husband. It may not make complete sense, but it doesn't have to. We need to just "trust and obey." And when we do, the 'fruit' of it is oh so sweet!!!)
Sorry, for the runon thought. It's a good thing that I'm not being graded on this and how well I stick to the main point. See the thing with me, if you don't know me that well, is that when I have a thought...there's a lot of other thoughts connected to it, and most of the time I don't make/speak the connection very clearly, but there is one, trust me. So, each, shall we call them "nuggets", should be taken with a grain of salt. Follow? ;o). (I pray that my groanings to the LORD would be heard...that they would fall on open ears and hearts. That a seed would take root. God, you are so Mighty!! I pray that through this, You would show off and that Your Name would be glorified! Praise Your Wonderful Name!!!)
"As we approach Christmas, it’s good to remember why Jesus was born. The Son of God did not come to establish a nostalgic, family-oriented, commercially successful holiday. The angel told Joseph: “[Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).
Christmas began with a present from God to His sin-damaged world: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23)." - David McCasland
The gift of eternal life has been given to all, but some have left it under the tree or have completely ignored it. Probably, because it's not wrapped perfectly, with shiny paper and a pretty red bow. But what most don't realize is that what's in the package is far more beautiful and greater than what they could imagine.
Jesus Christ giving his perfect life for our sin-soaked excuse of a life is nothing, NOTHING, short of gracious. We have been given a gift that we don't deserve. A Gift that is overwhelmingly given with love and joy, and we let it sit under the tree! And for some of us who have already opened it, we stick it back under the tree, and pull it out when it's convenient for us. Or, we just look at it when we walk by the tree. I am soooo guilty of that! Just walking on by, whether it's purposefully ignoring it or being distracted with other things that I don't even see it - HIM, the Christ!
As a full-time Mom, I have an ongoing list of things to do. More often than not, spending time with my Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, doesn't get put on the list. What I've also come to notice is that I can also be a little selfish with my Gift. I don't share it when I should...it's too much of an inconvenience, "What if they laugh at me?" "What if they won't like me?" Honest and common excuses. I forget, LORD, Father God please forgive me, I forget what you went through for my sake - betrayal, scoffing, mockery, persecution - verbal and physical, whipping, nailing, DEATH. And I don't want to share you because I'm afraid that someone may laugh at me!?
LORD, I give my whole self to you as "a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable" (Romans 12:1) in your eyes, because I am "washed by the water through your Word"! (Ephesians 5:26) Father, I want to share your Gift of love and grace. Please help me to overcome my fears. For You "...did NOT give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7) I want to give myself to you, just as a wife gives of herself to her husband.
"...and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband (Ephesians 5:33 - Amplified Bible)[[f]that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and [g]that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly]. [I Pet. 3:2.] (Now, this scripture passage speaks of the wife repecting and reverencing her earthly husband. But the only way that we will be able to do that for them is if we are that way towards our Heavenly Husband. It may not make complete sense, but it doesn't have to. We need to just "trust and obey." And when we do, the 'fruit' of it is oh so sweet!!!)
Sorry, for the runon thought. It's a good thing that I'm not being graded on this and how well I stick to the main point. See the thing with me, if you don't know me that well, is that when I have a thought...there's a lot of other thoughts connected to it, and most of the time I don't make/speak the connection very clearly, but there is one, trust me. So, each, shall we call them "nuggets", should be taken with a grain of salt. Follow? ;o). (I pray that my groanings to the LORD would be heard...that they would fall on open ears and hearts. That a seed would take root. God, you are so Mighty!! I pray that through this, You would show off and that Your Name would be glorified! Praise Your Wonderful Name!!!)
"As we approach Christmas, it’s good to remember why Jesus was born. The Son of God did not come to establish a nostalgic, family-oriented, commercially successful holiday. The angel told Joseph: “[Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).
Christmas began with a present from God to His sin-damaged world: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23)." - David McCasland
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
