Category Archives: SPIRITUAL INTEREST

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ANGST, WORRY & FEAR: A TERRIBLE TRIO

Biblical Context Matters

Fret Not: This is Not the End

Last Sunday the pastor spoke about how we get anxious about problems in the world. He brought us to Psalm 37, a favorite biblical passage. I’ve derived comfort from Psalm 37 ever since I was freshman in college struggling with a heartache from a recent break-up. Its words said to me, “Fret not,” this is not the end; life still has promise.

“Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

In my line of work, I like to keep up with current events. To do so means I daily read Facebook, Twitter, and Newsfeeds. Some of the content shocks me. Evil is out in the open. Hate, too. I fear where society is headed. I worry about the mindset of godless youth and adults. I fear the Christian voice is being silenced and eventually will be confined behind closed doors.

The heaviness of the burden is like a gray blanket surrounding me. Its weight threatens to rob me of my joy. I wonder if I should step away from my writing to be free of it. Rather than escape, God tells me to not fret about that stuff. He says to trust in him and there-in enjoy safe pasture.

“Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

God is in control. The best thing I can do for myself is to commit my way to God. He makes my path straight. No matter the hatred or troubles, my vindication is complete in the Lord. I can let the evil of the day confuse my ability to access joy. It is natural to let it overwhelm me. However, God waits for me to trust him for the journey. What a blessing when I choose to do so.

“Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

Powerful words are these. We are given what we need, when we need it. Going through a heartache? Trust in the Lord and do good. Fearing about the future? Delight in the Lord and rest in him. Look to God for that with lasting value: hope, life, and eternal promise. Sigh. Yes! We don’t have to give in to the cultural angst. We have something better.

I do not always like my circumstances or the problems I face. I get discouraged. God asks me to give it to him. Sometimes I do that easily. Other times it takes a series of steps to get there. The world’s mess, however, gets to me in a much heavier, worrisome way. I feel its darkness enclosing the world. I can’t solve this problem. Like it says in the first two verses, this isn’t my worry. This is God’s deal.

“Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Scripture text is from Psalm 137:1-7  NIV

My responsibility is to commit myself to the Lord and to trust in him. God reaches deep down in me as his presence ministers to my soul. He encourages me to pray and to surrender everything to him. The burden lifts once this process is complete. As a result, my friendship with God flourishes as it tenderly flowers within my being. Praise God for this.

To God Be The Glory

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WHAT IF?

WHAT IF you could change the world by doing your little bit?

Did you tighten up? Not me. I can’t do that, you reacted, that would be scary! That’s my natural instinct, too. I don’t believe in myself. I like to control my options. I like everything safe and secure.

I get that. To be realistic, you can’t change the world, either. But you can change you. Absolutely, yes! What changes you for the better–then influences your associations. Substantial change develops love, notices positives, overcomes hate, empowers you, and invites opportunities for God’s grace to shine through you.

We can be thankful. We can speak praises to God. We can voice gratitude. We can reach out to others in genuine kindness. We can be supportive, affirming, and helpful. There is so much we can do if we just care enough to do it. Loving God with our heart, mind, and soul spills out by loving others with what we have.

Christians get a little extra help from the Holy Spirit. All they have to do is ask and then the opportunities present themselves. God knows who means it and helps them accomplish the undertaking. I believe it takes a willingness to take action when the Spirit prompts. This happens by listening for the prompting. It’s then a decision, to act or to not act. Will we or won’t we? Often the battle is won or lost before the situation presents itself.

We can predetermine our response by promising in advance to follow God’s lead. Then we can’t go wrong.

This breeds on-going replication, which over time reproduces in kind. I love being around people who live close to the center, where Christ is in command of the person. They are quite sensitive to the Spirit’s prompts. One friend gives financially when the Spirit says to whom she should give, and she has very humble circumstances. I have watched her do it. Often her needs are greater than the person she’s giving to,”God told me to give you this $60,” she says. Her obedience is a witness to living faith. Another friend helps people out, even offering them a place to live for a while. She and her husband amaze me.

We can’t hold anything too tightly.

Some of us have a hard time with that. It’s hard to let go. Whatever you give to others you cannot keep for yourself. We do get from this; though it’s not like the prosperity gospel theme. This is how we live the abundant life. The widow with the mite gave her everything. God counted her gift as more than the rich that gave greater amounts. God sees the heart. He understands the motive. He proffers the blessing accordingly.

Change you and you help make the world into a better place.

What are you changing? What am I changing? We are changing our attitudes about our time, resources, abilities, and capabilities. By choosing to be salt and light to the world, we allow God to use us without conditions, and without our reserving some areas for only ourselves and off limits to God. Do life God’s way. Let him consecrate what you have and do. Give it to him. I don’t believe you will regret it if you do.

You don’t have to be well-off to be a servant of God and to have a servant’s heart. As the old lyrics say, “Little is much when God is in it.”

No one is unable to follow the Master.  Follow Christ. Be blessed.