Don't Worry?? Really??

"Be anxious about nothing..." (Phil 4:6)

Really???  Nothing?? There are instructions in Matthew and Luke to not worry about clothing, food and these types of provision. But this blanket statement seems impossible.  Note the word- seems. Isn't it true that my perspective is what triggers worry or faith?

I was having a conversation with a good friend today who is worried about her husband's health. As we talked she's sharing her feelings and I'm sharing my thoughts (this is normal for our relationship).  She admitted that if she stopped worrying about one person that there were a number of others in line that would step into place. I could relate, but the WORD says not to worry.  How do we do that?

Please understand that I am NOT sharing from a position of "already accomplished this."  This is a learning process that we get, then get again, then get another dimension of....and it goes on.  (Dimensions are the norm when we work with our supernatural Maker; this is the nature of relationships.)

Worry, from the pragmatic side, wastes time and emotional energy of mine and changes absolutely nothing. From the spiritual view, worry is sin. Yup, flat out sin. We have clear, unambiguous instructions from the Word telling us NOT to WORRY. Worry tells God that He's not big, strong, or intelligent enough to handle something. Worry says that I think I'm better at handling this than God is...hmmm, doesn't that make an idol out of me? (I know, ouch)

Faith is the antithesis of worry- the opposite thing that eliminates it. How do we activate faith to eliminate worry?  What does the WORD say?

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 20-21)

Speak the WORD of God out loud to yourself! Pray in the Holy Ghost!  Shift your perspective from the mundane to the supernatural, from me to Thee!  When my mind focuses on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith, I stop sinning and begin worshipping.

Yes, I know, it's too simple. Try it! I double-dog-dare ya!

Blessings in Jesus!

Teaching Moments from a Miscreant Goose

Last week I sent this out by e-mail to some friends. Thanks to all who sent me encouragement and some good natured teasing. 

These past few days have had some interesting challenges in them that the Lord is using to remind me of His love and care for me. What I'm going to share isn't one huge tragic incident that has rocked my world, rather a series of 'straws,' if you will, that threatened to break this camel's back!

Last week I took my truck to be inspected and get an oil change.  In return they called me to let me know they are ready to do $969 worth of work on brakes, wheel bearings, oil change including inspection.  HA!  Well, that sidelines the truck.  (I am getting a second opinion.)  So....Being emotionally low, I allowed myself to get over tired, I pushed too hard to sing one night and got cold. Add that to the incredible allergens flying around....voila!  I turn into a bass with a dripping nose and a cough threatening to bring up a lung. (NOT a pretty sight.)

For five days I was a dripping slug in my chair eating chicken soup, drinking water, and sleeping. I have some wonderful caretakers who made sure I had what I needed- thank the Lord. (Side note: I'm not a very good or easy sick person...there's a special grace for caretakers!  If you are one- BLESS YOU!!)

After taking Monday off, I borrowed my mom's car to get to work. As I was traveling in a pack of cars north on 481 at a decent clip, I watched a couple of geese come up and over the guard rail directly into my lane in front of the little, bitty car in front of me.  That driver braked and swerved to avoid them (almost causing a massive pile up) during which the lead goose got wise and flew away.  The second goose, a big one at that, was left standing directly in front of me.  I quickly reviewed my options and chose the least dangerous one: hit the goose.  So I did, twice with my right tires, sending that miscreant goose to his Maker.  There was a huge POOF of feathers behind my car, but otherwise no one else was affected. Thank you Jesus!  So I drove on thanking the Lord for His safety for us all.

All was well until after I stopped for the light at the end of the off ramp.  The car wasn't turning easily. It drove straight OK, but I had to wrestle the steering wheel to turn into the parking lot.  You know how your heart sinks and you just "know" the worst has happened?  Yup, that feeling.  I looked and saw something dripping...so now I'm grossed out on top of everything else.

I go inside to my office, sit down and just cry.  No, bawl is probably a better term. I'm mad, frustrated, tired, sick, and now I've killed mom's car. Totally pitiful. Thank the Lord more staff were coming in shortly, so I got myself together.  I called a friend to come check the car out and of course I hadn't killed the car.  However, there was power steering fluid pouring out of one of it's lines, hence the red dripping fluid. (I was a whole lot less grossed out then...whew.)

I called my mom, who woke my father, who then called the insurance company. They came and towed the poor car away. It turns out there was a bit of damage to the bumper and the beak of our infamous goose penetrated an aluminum pipe!  What are those odds? The car will be fine in a few days and I thank the Lord for insurance.

So, what are the teaching moments?  There are a few...just like our Lord to use every part of an incident to bless His kids! 
1) Being asked to come help and look at my car blessed my friend. He was struggling with being useless and then I call!
2) My father was going to rent a car and needed his license to do that. Turns out his license had expired 1 1/2 years ago. Since he discovered it less than 2 years out, it was a relatively easy renewal. (Don't ask, he doesn't know how he missed that either!)
3) My "melt down" was long overdue and I received comfort and reassurance from my Lord that I hadn't sensed before.

I have a tendency to "buck up" before I soak.  My instinct is to take things in stride, trust the Lord with the details, and go on with things.  Unfortunately, I often neglect to bring my emotional reactions to the 'straws' of life into my conversations with the Lord.  I am aware that we, women especially, are so self-aware that we stay stuck in emotional turmoil- so, I choose the opposite extreme.  However, my Lord requires all of me so He can minister to all of me.  Before I can quote Philippians 4:13,  ("I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.")

I need to process verses 4-7 FIRST

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Be encouraged, saint of God!  All the strange, weird incidents in our lives are awesome opportunities for our HUGE and AMAZING God to do His will in and through us.

Blessings,


PS: Check out this song...the words aren't perfectly rendered on the screen but they are close. http://youtu.be/hqeXuWrI7QY

Hebrews 12.5 overview

Grace and Life - What a name!

Life (Zoe) without Grace (Charis) would not, in my opinion, be worth living.  Jesus came to give us life- abundant life. He poured this Life of Spirit into His own so we can pour out His person to a dying and lost world. 

Tomorrow evening (Monday) I conclude my teaching from Hebrews in the Psalm 19 Institute of Biblical Studies (www.psalm19ministries.org).  We are beginning the night half way through chapter 12, starting at verse 18.

(18) "For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and the darkness, and tempest, (19) and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words.....(22) But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels." (KJV)

This is the final comparison/contrast that the writer is using to provide the 'finale' to this awesome book describing how much better the New Covenant is than the Old one was. This is not just another statement telling us that we are no longer under the Law of Moses, it is that and more. The chapter ends with these two verses:

(28) "Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: (29) for our God is a consuming fire."  (KJV)

There is a warning here for those of us seeking this heavenly Kingdom that echoes the warning from chapter 4: don't miss this! Don't be like those that come only so far and then fall short. Complete the race!!  

How sad it is to me that we, believers, settle for a covenantally confused Gospel. We mouth Grace and live Law. We are trying so hard to be acceptable to God, that we miss the fact that our Lord has MADE US that way. (Ephesians 1:4)  Our serving is out of obligation- a trying to make Daddy God happy with us and therefore He may give me something better than what I have.

The warnings in Hebrews are not to scare us into a relationship with Jesus- this is a book written to believers. These warnings are to motivate and encourage us to continue beyond the basics (Hebrews 6) into the fullness of what we have been given. Our inheritance is rich, full and BETTER than anything ever seen before.

It is out of the BETTER we then can serve acceptably. It is not by rote, obligatory or reluctant obedience that Jesus is seen. Rather, it is a joy expressed, grace filled, power flowing LIFE submerged in His Word and Presence that expresses the New Covenant- the New Jerusalem- the New, the Better....

O Lord, I crave more of You flowing out of me. As I study, converse with You (pray), and hang out with You, I trust that I will continue to be transformed from glory to glory as Your Word has promised. Thank you for your mercy and patience with me- thank You for Your Grace that continues to train me. You are awesome!! Amen.

Grace and Life in Jesus!