Month: October 2016

God’s Cure for Our Anxieties

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“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”―Philippians 4:6-7

If anyone had an excuse for anxiety, it was the Apostle Paul. There was disagreement in the church at Philippi that was bringing division within the body and potential division among the believers at Rome (1:14-17). Added to these burdens, he faced the possibility of his own death. Did Paul have an excuse to worry? Yes! But he chose not to. Instead, he takes the time to explain to us the secret of victory over it.

The antidote for worry is the peace of God guarding your mind like a soldier (v.7). If we are to know this peace of God, then we must meet three conditions that God has laid down.

CONDITION #1: RIGHT PRAYING

The word “prayer” is the general word for making requests known to the Lord. It carries with it that idea of adoration, devotion, and worship of the Lord. Whenever we find ourselves worrying, our first action ought to be to get alone with God and to worship Him.

The second step is “supplication.” Supplication is the earnest sharing of our needs and problems. It is not a half-hearted request. It is a plea, a cry! It is what characterized our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Heb.5:7)

After adoration (prayer) and supplication comes appreciation or “thanksgiving.” (Cf. Eph.5:20; Col.3:15-17)

The result of right praying is the peace of God. This does not mean the absence of strife or trouble, but it does mean the addition of protection and power to face the trouble!

CONDITION #2: RIGHT THINKING

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”―Philippians 4:8

The short answer of interpreting this verse is that the way to be uplifted is to dwell on uplifting things.

We all know there is real truth to this. Thoughts are real and powerful. And although they cannot be seen, weighed, or measured, they do have a great impact on how we feel and what we do. (Cf. Is.26:3; 2 Cor.10:3-5)

Right thinking is the result of daily meditation on the Word of God. (Ps.119:165)

CONDITION #3: RIGHT LIVING

“The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” ―Philippians 4:9

When Paul says that right living is a condition for peace, he is saying that is it impossible to separate outward actions and inward attitudes. (Cf. Is.32:17; James 3:17)

This is how we learn to live right: we learn the Word, we receive it, we hear it, and we practice it over and over and over again.

The PROMISE―When we meet the conditions of right praying, right thinking, and right living, then the promise is…”the God of peace will be with you.”

No Time for Fear

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“If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles”—Sun Tzu.

Every opponent was always bigger, especially in the final matches for the grand championship. Weight class did not matter to the judges. After all was said and done, only one would claim the prize. He saw the look of fear in my eyes as I was matched with the heavyweight champion, so he pulled me aside. “You’re always going to be small…nothing you can do about that now. Do what you know how to do and use your head. Listen for my voice,” Dad said while stepping back. I entered the ring, faced my opponent, and waited for the ref to yell, “Tatakae (Fight)!”

Anxiety and fear can come from many sources. These emotions can cripple and weigh us down (Proverbs 12:25; Luke 12:22-26).  In some cases, ignoring this built-in defense mechanism is foolish. The very fact that we are afraid of something means that whatever it is—it’s not actually happening yet. Dwelling on hypothetical consequences is contrary to what Scripture teaches (Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:6-7; Psalm 55:22-23). In the heat of the battle, we can be confident that we are gifted with a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind, not fear (2 Timothy 1:7). For believers, doing what we know means to replace worry with prayer, take the necessary action that the situation calls for, and to always be listening for our Father’s voice.

Fear: The New Brave

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My adult children and I communicate almost daily—via Facebook, Messenger, Snapchat, or text. It’s a daily practice that we’ve developed to keep tabs on each other and to know that everyone is alive and well. With my business travel, my daughter’s various travel nurse assignments, and my son’s work throughout the valley and state, it works for us.  If more than two days pass without any communication, I will often text, “Are you still alive?” This is usually followed by a quick “Yes, Mom…Just busy with work,” and I breathe a silent sigh of relief.

However, nothing can strike fear in my heart as when my phone rings at midnight or later and caller ID shows one of them calling. Good news isn’t usually delivered at that hour. I’m immediately wide awake and ready to rush to wherever they may be. One memorable moment: “Mom, the tornado sirens are going off and we’re taking cover in the basement of our apartment building. I don’t know what’s going on but I’m scared.” It was my daughter, who was more than three hours away from me. I tried calming her as I followed the tornado’s path online and on the Weather Channel. Texting became the best option to stay connected. My heart was racing. And I felt intensely helpless.

Fear has a way of bringing out the part of us that we don’t want seen—helplessness, hurt, rejection, not being in control.  Fear will lie about the truth and tell a different truth that isn’t truth at all:

I’m not good enough.

             I’m not equipped to do that. 

                        She’s so much better than I; more blessed than I.

                                     I can’t…

But God can.

And He will, if we let Him work in us and through us. It’s not about us, anyway. Not our glory. All for His glory. Always and only His glory. With this promise and knowledge, do I still get fearful? Yes! However, I’m reminded of how God told Joshua, not once but three times, to be courageous (Josh.1:6-7, 9) and this gives me comfort. God knows we will become fearful and yet it doesn’t have to be a negative thing or a place we stay. In fact, fear may just be the “new brave” because no brave person has not known fear. In our fear, we find strength we never knew we had. Strength from the One whose strength alone is all we need. In our weakness, He is strong (2 Cor.12:9-11).

Today, my daughter lives about 20 hours away from me, as she works in another country for the next three months. I’m learning and sharing with her that fear can be healthy when we give it to the One who can do something about it. Every time we give our fear to Him, He puts it to rest so we can move forward in His grace and for His glory. Every brave soul has faced fear. The brave just choose to give their fear to Christ, and then rest in His promise to “fear not (Is.35:4).

 

 

Fear and the Taboo

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Growing up there were several subjects that were taboo (not acceptable to talk about) in my home and at church.  All I concluded as a kid was that these taboo subjects were “bad.”  No one talked about them, so I was left to my own thought process and what I was taught by the world system.

Deuteronomy 6:7 instructs, “You shall teach them [God’s Word] diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up” (Cf. Deut.11:19).

Ephesians 6:4 teaches us, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

Genesis 18:19 tells us, “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice.”

Psalm 78:4 reads, “We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.”

With just this brief survey of the Scriptures, why do we allow any topic/issue to paralyze us in fear and anxiety? Why don’t we instruct ourselves with what the Bible says about money, finances, wealth, poverty, charity, debt, responsibility, thanksgiving, and provision? Why do we allow “others” to give their anti-biblical, anti-Christ honoring, anti-God fearing viewpoints to us and our children?

At this time, we as Christians need to humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways. Then God will hear from heaven, will forgive our sin, and will heal our land.

Perhaps you are reading this and you are struggling with finances. Perhaps you feel a lack or you’re in the position to be generous to others in need.  May I encourage you to search the Scriptures for several days?  May I encourage you to talk to a few mature Christians who do not stand to profit from any decision you make?  Then I want to encourage you to proceed in faith based upon the correct understanding of God’s Word.  Finally, be ready to teach and explain to your children and others about what you have learned and how you are seeking to honor God.