The Sermon I needed to hear today.....

(from the archives) 

Sometimes I find myself in need of a sermon. Preached by me. Directly aimed at me. For my correction and rebuke and instruction. This was the case today. And when I found this old post, I knew it was meant for me. For today. 

But maybe, there is someone out there who needs it as well. So here it is.

Finding Joy in Your Story

 

Sitting here at my desk today, with the only sounds being the whir of the air conditioner and the occasional barking of a dog, I listened to a podcast, taking notes as I went. I flicked through old articles and read through devotionals in my inbox that I hadn’t had a chance to read, jumping from one thing to the next, not really able to focus on anything.

Picking up my phone, I began to scroll through my photos, and I came across a quote I had saved that seemed to jump right off the page at me, for want of a better term.

“Sometimes you have to let go of the picture of what you thought life would be like and learn to find joy in the story you are actually living.”

What a challenge!

Some days, life is just plain hard. Days roll into weeks and weeks roll into months and we feel like the roller coaster we’re on will never end, the struggles will never cease, and in the process, we lose our joy.

Sometimes in life, circumstances happen that throw our plans into disarray. We hit a bump in the road that sends us off the course we had planned. Unexpected things happen and before we know it, we wake up one day, realizing that this is not the life we planned and not the life we wanted.

We had a totally different picture in mind.

And suddenly, our joy is gone. Our happiness has been stolen away and we are left feeling discontent, disgruntled, joyless, and downright miserable.

The picture of what we thought life would look like is vastly different than the reality.

We only have one life to live and although it may not be the life we had planned and although there are twists and turns in the road that are unexpected, and with each new season, a new challenge arises, we have to choose to love the life we’ve been given and make the most of the God-given opportunities he brings across our path.

Loving life is a choice, and it should never be determined by your circumstances. The life you’re living today is the life God has given you, for this particular season, and the reason you’ve lost your joy is because of your attitude. You’ve chosen to hang on to your picture of what life should look like, instead of finding joy in the life you’ve been given.

Your peace, your joy, and your contentment depend on the choices you make.

I want to remind you that although you can’t choose the life circumstances you go through, you can choose HOW you go through them.

Are you struggling with the circumstances you find yourself in at this particular point in time? Are you fighting against the God-given difficulties in your life and feeling like you’ve reached the end of your patience level?

I feel like I’m not the only one in this season at present. Maybe I’m a little more vocal about it and I harp on it more than others, but I know I’m not the only one that has found myself in circumstances beyond my control, fidgeting and hopping from one foot to the other, battling the desire to take things into my own hands and fix it even though I have no idea how I would do it.

One of my favourite authors once said:

“Usually, the only aspect we can change about our circumstances is our outlook. So, we must adjust our attitudes, alter our actions, and put on a cloak of contentment in order to weather life’s circumstantial storms” Karen Ehman

We have to consciously make a choice to take off the cloak of discontentment and misery, and grab the garment of contentment, (being satisfied to the point that we are no longer disturbed or disquieted in our souls), wrap it around us and choose joy, knowing that God is in control, and that he will do what is best, and despite the storm raging around us, he will bring the peace that we need. 

I could very well be preaching to the choir here, as the saying goes, but I know that this particular choir member needs this reminder today, and if I need it, then I’m sure someone else does too!

So how do we learn to find joy in the story we’re living right now? In this season. At this time in history. With the people we are surrounded with. In the house we live in. With the job we have.

How do we find joy? We have to let go.

We have to let go of the picture we have painted in our minds, lay down the brush, tip out the murky water jar, wipe the paint smudges off our faces and hands, and submissively, and humbly, give our concerns to God.

It’s not an easy task, deciding to find joy in your current story.

It’s hard to look around and not feel discontentment rising inside. It’s hard to let go of all the ideas you had and the plans you had made and choose to find joy and happiness in what you’ve been given and how God has chosen to write the script of your life.

I confess that one of my biggest problems is fear. Fear of the future. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. And believing the lie that God is not in control and needs help with the planning.

I have begun to realise over the past couple of weeks, that my days will be miserable unless I choose to change my attitude and how I see the new picture that God has painted.

I have to choose joy. I have to diligently spend my days, looking for the little blessings God sends, looking for the roses amongst the thorns.

I can’t control everything. I don’t know what the future holds and my plans are fraught with mistakes and mess ups. Only God can organize them perfectly.

Why am I not spending every minute of my day finding joy in my new story? God’s story. God’s plans.

God has our best interests at heart. He loves us with an everlasting love. He knows our deepest longings, he hears our cries, he knows the dreams and desires of our hearts and he longs for us to live a joyful, victorious life.

But joy doesn’t come automatically. It requires some effort on our part. We have to make a choice.

So, how do we do this? How do we go from fear to faith and find the joy we have lost?

Now, speaking from experience, I am no expert at this. I am continually learning and failing and learning the lesson again. God is longsuffering with me of which I am very thankful.

I am constantly reminding myself that I have to do what I can and leave God the rest. I have to learn not to stress about all I can’t do and the things beyond my control.

God is big enough to handle it.

It really is pointless to waste all my energies and brainpower on the things I can’t change. I need to drop it and move on, seeking the Lord as I go.

I know that if my husband was reading this, he’d be saying, “that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you all along!” Praise God my darling husband has a steadying effect on me, and it never ceases to amaze me that he has the ability to have freedom over worry and fear. He doesn’t let stress cripple him. I would do well to learn by his example, letting go of fear and chasing joy and contentment.

I’m a work in progress. As we all are.

If I can encourage you today, to let go of your idea of what life should look like and embrace joyfully, the life God has chosen to give you today, you will find that your days, although they are often long and hard, will be more restful as you stop struggling and fighting against what God is doing, and submit to his will, going with his flow, not trying to swim against it.

He really is in control. He really is a good Father. He really does love you. He really does want you to rekindle the joy you once had and take pleasure in the blessings he sends.

John 10:10b

 I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 

 

 

 

Did you bring along your tambourine?

 

What do you know about living in hope? Hope is an interesting word. We throw it around quite casually. “I hope they have brownies to go with my coffee”, “I hope so and so will be there”, “I hope it doesn’t rain” etc.

But there was a time and a place when hope had to be held onto with both hands and a whole lot of faith.

Maybe you will have to cast your mind back to your Sunday School days or maybe you’ve read it recently but think with me of the Exodus of the Israelites. Think with me of the time when God’s people were finally released from their slavery and given freedom from the Egyptians who treated them cruelly and oppressed them for so many years.

We all know the story. We remember the 10 plagues God sent and the way God used Moses to speak to Pharoah, asking him to let the people go and then the death of the firstborn son which broke Pharaoh’s heart and caused him to finally give in and hand the people over to leave the land of Egypt and make their way to the promised land.

We remember what the Israelites took with them on their leaving. They took their unleavened dough (Exodus 12:34), they took jewels that they were given by the Egyptians (Exodus 12:35) and they took herds and flocks, cattle galore (Exodus 12:38). We are told they didn’t have time to prepare any food to take as they were thrust out of Egypt abruptly after the death of the Pharaohs son. In the middle of the night, he told them to “get up and go!”. (Exodus 12:31) So, no time to pack a lunch or a snack box.

So many people, so little provisions of what we might think necessary. And yet, off they went.

But is there a little detail that you might have missed in the story that I myself have missed for many years?

Skip on down with me to Exodus chapter 15. Approximately 31 days after leaving Egypt we come to the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. Pharaoh has a change of heart and decides to pursue the Israelites. And with him and his army hot on their tail, they come up against an impassable obstacle. A sea of water.

The Egyptian army bearing down on them, their dust visible over the sands of the desert, and a sea of water in front of them. What is to become of them? And right here, God makes a way where there was no way.

The miracle of the Red Sea passing is a favourite Sunday School story, and we have all used our imagination and wondered whether as they walked through, they ran their fingers along the wall of water, watching the fish looking out at them in wander. We see them shaking the dry sand out of their sandals as they climb up onto the other side only to see Pharaohs army storming after them.

But God was not finished with his miracle making. Pharaoh’s army comes a cropper in the middle of the pathway. Chariot wheels bogged to the eyeballs and looking up they see Moses with his rod stretched out over the sea and then all is finished. The waters returned to their place, swallowing the army and taking the pursuers down to their watery graves.

Now, back to chapter 15. Moses begins to sing a song. The children of Israel join in. It is a song of victory. It is a song of praise.

Exodus 15:1 KJV - Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

It’s quite the song. A ballad of sorts telling the story of their delivery. And then as we come down to verse 20, we see Miriam, the sister of Aaron and Moses. Miriam takes a timbrel in her hand and all the women after her, take timbrels (tambourines) in their hands and begin to sing and dance and play and beat on their instruments.

The timbrels in this culture were made of animal skin stretched over a wooden frame with metal discs or jingles that hung from the frame creating a more complex auditory experience.

These timbrels, or tambourines as we more commonly call them, are frequently mentioned in the Bible in the context of worship and celebration. And here in this passage is the first mention of them. They were closely associated with joy, dance and an expression of praise and worship to God.

So, what is the detail you might have missed?

The tambourine. The detail you may have missed is why in the world did the women bring their tambourines with them in the Exodus?

Why would they pack an instrument when they weren’t even sure they’d survive the night?

I mentioned before what they brought with them. Unleavened bread. Animals. Jewels. But musical instruments? What? Why? It makes no sense.

We often discuss what we would grab if we had to get out of our house in a hurry and although we all vary in what we would take, I’m not sure how many would grab their percussion instrument that could easily be replaced.

Think again about what a tambourine symbolized. They were used in worship. And in celebration.

Now, when the Israelites were leaving Egypt, they were fleeing an oppressive place, in the middle of the night, unable to pack a suitcase or an esky. With only the clothes on their backs, but somehow, the women managed to slip in a tambourine or two.

Did they believe something the others did not? Is it possible that they had hope?

The word hope in the Hebrew is tocheleth. It is not a passive hope. It is a word that means expectation. It has the idea of an expectation that looks forward. An active hope. This particular translation is used six times in the Bible. Here are a couple of examples.

Psalm 39:7 KJV - And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

Proverbs 10:28 KJV - The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

There is a Jewish tradition that says that the reason the women brought their tambourines along with them is that they expected God to come through. Before they saw the miracle of the Red Sea, they expected he would perform it.

Before they knew if they would make their escape from the Egyptians, they were expecting God to do something miraculous.

So, while they were still in the ‘battle’ they were preparing their victory song. They were planning their praise before the miracle.

I love this thought because it shows me what true expectation is. It means that I can have expectant hope even when I don’t see the victory. Even when the miracle has not arrived. Even when things look bleak. Even while the storm clouds are still overhead. I can be preparing my song of praise. I can even sing my song of praise while the storm rages.

I can bring along my tambourine in readiness for the miracle.

I can live in hope. I can trust and keep trusting. I can trust knowing that God will come through. Time and time again. Just like he’s always done.

Our expectation affects our vision. It affects what we see. It affects how we see. It affects our perspective.

Did these women look at their circumstances, see the concern on the faces of those around them and wonder if they would make it through? Did they worry that their freedom would be short lived? Or was there a glimmer of hope lying inside them that caused them to bring along their instruments of praise and worship in anticipation of a celebration ahead?

Let’s bring it a little closer to home.

Do you live like these women did? Do you live with their kind of hope?

I know that all too often I don’t. I wait and see what happens. Then my trust builds. Then I thank God and then I celebrate.

The tambourine comes out of the bottom of the bag once the storm is over.

But that’s no way to live. We ought to be trusting in the Lord. We ought to be planning our victory song long before we see God move.

We ought to be expecting something, even before we see it!

So, keep your tambourines handy,

 victory is coming!

 

 

 

 

 

Smile at the Storm

 

Does anyone remember the little children’s chorus, With Christ In My Vessel?

With Christ in my vessel I can smile at the storm,

Smile at the storm, smile at the storm.

With Christ in my vessel, I can smile at the storm

Until He takes me home

Sailing, sailing home, sailing, sailing home

With Christ in my vessel, I can smile at the storm

Until He takes me home

Have you ever taken notice of the words? Smile at the storm. Smile. At the storm. Yes, it literally says smile. Often, we sing this little chorus, happily performing the actions along with the song, stretching our mouths with our fingers into a smile (is that because we can’t make a real smile?) and riding the storm with our hands in the shape of a boat.

What really strikes me is that the song encourages us to smile at the storm. It doesn’t say, be fearful, fret, worry, get depressed, be anxious. No. It says smile.

How many times do I find myself going through one of life’s storms with a smile on my face? Not very often I have to admit. Okay, so if you stand me on my head, it might look like a smile. But, no, it’s often a frown. A creased forehead from worry, the corners of my mouth turned down, my bottom lip dragging.

We’ve had some storms here lately in our little town of Katherine. And there have been some big storms in my life over past years, but this little chorus reminds us to smile. At the storm! Smile at it! 

Do you know what the key to the smile is? The key to being able to smile at the storm is who is in the vessel with us. Christ.

It's not about how big the storm is, it's who you have in the boat with you! 

With Christ in my vessel, I can smile at the storm. When we have Christ in our lives, walking beside us each step of the way, leading us through stormy times, we can have that smile. Not a fake smile, not a forced smile, but a real smile! We can have a heart of peace and true joy. ((Don’t confuse joy with happiness. They’re not the same thing)

True joy comes from within. It comes from the hope we have in Christ.

Why can we smile? We can smile because we’re on our way home. Sailing home to the place the Lord has prepared for us, where we will live with Him forever, worshipping at His feet, praising Him all day, every day. We have an eternal home. We have a home ahead to look forward to.

We can smile because we have Jesus with us in the storm. 

The storms we face here on this earth are only temporary. Eventually the calm comes.

Often in the Bible we read, “And it came to pass…” usually meaning, ‘and then this happened’. But I like to think of this phrase as I’ve heard others refer to it, “It came to pass, it didn’t come to stay”. Things come to pass in our lives, but they don’t come to stay. God brings us through the trial, testing our faith, shaping and moulding us and then the sun peeks through the clouds, the rainbow appears and he moves us forward.

Sometimes it feels as if we are hit by one storm after the other. Never getting any relief. But the Devil would have us focus our attention on our circumstances, on the rising winds around us. He doesn’t want us to trust in the Lord. He wants us to blame the Lord for our problems and give up on our faith. The Devil NEVER wants us to smile at the storm.

I love this verse found in 2 Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

I think the Lord is trying to remind us that we can be troubled, we can be confused, but we don’t need to be distressed or in despair. He is in control. There were many storms in the Apostle Paul’s life, and yet he could say with confidence, ‘I am not distressed or in despair’.

James tells us to count our trials and testings as joy. Make that make sense!

James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

I love how in the book of Mark we read of the great storm that arose on the sea as the disciples were sailing across, and we find the Lord Jesus asleep in the boat.

Mark 4:37-38  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow…..

That’s right. Asleep. The storm was raging all around Him, the waves so high that the water was in the boat with them, and we find the Lord asleep. During the storm. Not AFTER the storm. DURING.

That’s how God would have us be. Asleep in the storm. I don’t mean physically asleep. I know that would be nice, to be able to just sleep right through the trial and wake up to find everything okay again. But no. Asleep. As in, at peace. Resting in peace, knowing that God is at work and directing the way the storm manifests itself. Being able to smile at the storm, with true joy in our hearts.

This verse in Psalms has always been a comfort to me.

Psalm 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

The storm you may be facing right now is there to make you stronger. To help you to grow. To purify you. And often, God sends a storm of affliction into your life so that you may be able to help someone along the way that will go through the exact same thing and will need someone who has walked that path before them to help them through their storm.

Relating your personal experience with them and encouraging them with the words of Scripture may be just the comfort they need.

Smiling at the storm is not an easy thing to do. But it is a choice. And we can choose to smile or to frown. We choose how we respond to each of the storms in our lives. We choose whether we want to bring glory to God’s name by our response or whether we want to tarnish our testimony and drag God’s name through the mud by our lack of faith.

Storms really can make or break us. It’s up to us. God is still faithful, never changing. Always present. Never forsaking us. The smile on our face is decided by the peace in our hearts. And that peace is determined by how much we are trusting in the Lord. Trust requires faith. It requires us to let go. To step out into an unknown future and trust our lives to a known God.

How much do you know God? Do you know Him well enough to know you can trust Him? Through every storm that He sends your way? Do you know Him enough to be able to smile at the storm and sail home in His boat of protection and love?

Don’t let the storm break you. Let it make you!

Smile at the storm, until He takes you home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you smell like smoke?

 (This morning, our pastor preached on the story found in Daniel 3, and I was reminded of something I wrote a few years back. So, here is one from the archives that I pray will be an encouragement to you) 

One of my favourite things to do is to sit around a campfire, the sweet aroma of smoke permeating the air around me, leaving its scent on my clothing and in my hair.

I’m one of those people that will actually look for the smoke to sit in. I want to breathe it in. I want the smell of it to linger on my person long after the fire has died down and the hot coals have cooled and turned to ashes.

Our family have been on many camping adventures and the thought of building a campfire and sitting there staring into the flames or leaning back, gazing into the beauty of the milky way while the smoke trails rise in swirling patterns around me, fills me with great pleasure.

A very, very long time ago, during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, in the book of Daniel, we read of a fire that told an impressive story of God’s Almighty power.

The amazing story of three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to bow to the King’s golden statue, because of their obedience to God, has been told over and over again in Sunday Schools, churches, Youth Groups and the like for centuries.

And one of the most astonishing things about the story, has to do with the smell of smoke.

Let me take you back six years to a time and place where I found myself going through my own fiery trial.

My days were dark, and my nights were even darker. I found myself drowning in a sea of depression and crippling anxiety like I had never experienced before.

For 6 months I fought an internal battle. An unexplained battle with depression, anxiety and panic attacks that literally took my breath away, threatening to take me out completely. They had made themselves at home and nothing I could do seemed to shake it. Everything I tried failed.

And then Jesus came.

Just like in the story of the three Hebrew boys, Jesus stepped in.

As I struggled along, fighting attacks of the devil, fighting within myself, crying out to God, letting my emotions overwhelm me, I began to let the Word of God wash over my soul. I began to read my Bible more. I began to pray like never before. I wrote out countless verses on little note cards and plastered them all over the place. I cried through more worship songs than I can count, I played the piano for our church through tears, eyes closed, the turmoil raging inside of me.

God was trying to bring the impurities in my life to the surface so he could purge them from my life and make me more like him. He wanted to create in me a compassion for others hurting and struggling. He wanted to throw out the critical spirit that I harboured inside and replace it with love.

God was doing a purifying work in my heart. He saw something in me that needed refining. I had to be taken down into the pits of despair in order to rise up in praise, thanking Him for His amazing goodness to me.

In the story of the fiery furnace, we read how that as the boys refused the bow to the golden statue that Nebuchadnezzar had made for the people to worship, he was filled with rage and ordered his men to heat the fire seven times hotter than it was already heated.

And as they bound them and cast them into the fire, the men throwing them in were burned up and perished, and yet, the boys began to walk around in the fire and a fourth man appeared alongside them.

Jesus stepped in.

In their time of dire need, Jesus stepped in. He saw the fire, and he saw their hearts.

And we know the rest of the story. Nebuchadnezzar commanded them to come out of the fire and we see a second miracle happen.

Daniel 3:27 KJV - And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

Now, to me, it is absolutely astounding, firstly, that they made it out of the fire alive, but secondly, that there was no smell of smoke on them at all!

They had not only stood by the fire, but they had been IN the fire and yet the smell of smoke did not even touch their clothes or bodies.

Can I tell you, that although you may be going through difficult times right now and the fire is hot and the smoke is swirling, when you make it through to the other side, (when and not if) and Jesus steps in and rescues you, it will be one thing to come out alive but it will be quite another thing to come out without even smelling like what you went through.

The fire that everyone thinks will destroy you, and tear down your belief and trust in God, can be the thing that makes your faith grow even stronger.

The trials you go through can be the very instrument God uses to change you from the inside out.

Don’t you think that those Hebrew boys went into that fire one way, but came out another? They came out changed. Their testimony grew to a whole new level. Their faith levelled up!

Those looking on marvelled at the strength of their faith and their confidence in God.

Even grand King Nebuchadnezzar himself was so affected that he commanded his people to become worshippers of this God that these boys claimed as their own.

Daniel 3:29 KJV - Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

When I struggled through my dark days, the fire seemingly hotter than I could bear, instead of destroying my faith, like the Devil wanted it to, it solidified it. It strengthened it. It grew it.

My time of not being okay, changed my heart and set me on a path of soul searching and digging into the Word of God regularly, longing to hear from him. 

Somebody, somewhere, is watching you go through your fire. And when they see you come out, not just alive, but not even smelling like what you just went through, not just alive but more alive than you’ve ever been in your life, they are going to want what you have, and they are going to want to know how to get it.

When Jesus sets you free from what enslaves you or grips your soul, somebody loses. That somebody is the Devil.

The enemy does not want you to be free. He knows that you have the potential to do great things for God and his kingdom when you are freed from what holds you down.

If you let him transform your life and you no longer identify by your pain, the enemy loses.

You have to be bold enough to say, “Jesus came into my story, he redeemed me, he pulled me from the fire, and I’m going to keep sharing it because I want other people to be free.”

Let your testimony of God’s goodness be a shining light to all those you come in contact with. Don’t let even the hint of the smell of smoke linger on you.

Come out alive. Come out stronger. Come out with an unshakeable faith. Come out with a powerful confidence in God that can’t be moved. Come out CHANGED!

I am not the same person I was six years ago. I now get excited about my past victories and long to share them with others every chance I get.

You never know what an encouragement you might be to someone in a dark place, longing to know if there is hope and life after pain.

Let me tell you, from someone who has been there and come through and up into the light, there is life after pain and hurt and depression and anxiety.

God has given me new breath in my lungs, a new song in my heart, new promises to hold to, and a thankful spirit that wants to shout his praises for all to hear.

You don't have to smell like the smoke of the fires you’ve 

been through!

Psalm 145:2 Every day will I bless thee;

 and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HAND IT OVER!

 

 

Floods. Rain. Potholes. Impassable roads. Power outages. Mud. Mosquitoes. Humidity. Loss.

It seems that in many parts of Australia right now, this has become the norm.

 

We, here in Katherine, have not been immune to the disasters so many are facing. The past couple of weeks have been interesting to say the least.

 

If you read the news at all, you will know that our little town was hit by a flood 2 weeks ago, and we are currently, thanks to Cyclone Narelle, on the verge of a second one, possibly bigger than the last.

 

As devastating as this has been for many people, I didn’t come on here to talk of floods. But I did want to mention them in leading up to what God has put on my heart to share.

 

I’m sure you are all familiar with Philippians 4:6?

 

Philippians 4:6 KJV - Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

 

A couple of years back, in our Ladies Bible Study, we took just over 10 months to work our way through the book of Philippians, verse by verse, word by word. It was such a blessing to dig into the book so intensely and we all learned so much through studying it. But, for me personally, chapter 4 was the ultimate highlight, so much so that I am in the albeit slow process of memorizing it. It is so full of treasures and exhortation and comfort.

 

When we come to verse 6, we are met with an all too familiar phrase and well memorized verse.

“Be careful for nothing”.

 

Some of your translations will read, “be anxious for nothing” and I think that the word anxious is a word that resonates so strongly with us as it holds more meaning in our modern understanding.

 

When you read this phrase, have you ever gotten just a little frustrated with Paul because, I mean, seriously, “don’t be anxious”?? What is even meant by that? Are we supposed to never have a care in the world? Are we never to be bothered with worry?

 

Look with me at how the word is defined in the Greek text.

 

The word “careful” is the Greek word merimnao. Ok, so what, you say. Stay with me. This word doesn’t just mean, anxious, distracted, worried, troubled, concerned. It doesn’t mean to never feel stress or never worry.

 

This particular word literally means to be pulled in different directions. It means to be mentally divided. It means half in today, half in tomorrow.  

 

When anxiety grips our soul, we are pulled in different directions. So, Paul was telling his readers not to have a divided mind. Not to allow themselves to be pulled in different directions. He wasn’t telling them never to have a worry or care. He was reminding them to stop living tomorrow today.

 

Something I read recently really convicted me and hit home a little too hard.

“Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it”

 

OUCH!

 

Anxiety says, “I have to figure it out”

Prayer says, “Hand it over”

 

So, what does this mean?

 

The antidote, the cure, to anxiety, is NOT calm. IT IS SURRENDER!

 

Yeah, I know. Hard right?

 

This is something I struggle with on a daily basis. If I’m being completely honest, I think I’m a bit of a control freak. I find it really hard to let go. I find it hard to surrender my will. And I find it hard to release control, loosen my grip, and rest in the Lord, in the full sense of the word.

 

But I’m here to give you some really good news. The verse doesn’t end at “nothing”.

It ends with prayer. Prayer, petition, thanksgiving. Go ahead, read it again. I’ll wait.

 

Philippians 4:6 KJV - Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

 

If you’re struggling with anxiety today, as you face life’s difficult circumstances, there is a process and maybe you’re skipping it.

 

Often, we use prayer as our last resort. When we have exhausted all our options, leaned a little too hard on our own understanding, tried walking uphill through the mud in a blinding thunderstorm.

 

Why? Why? Why? Why do we continue in our determined efforts to ‘fix’ it ourselves?

 

We need to read the end of the verse. Do you see that little word, ‘but’? Now, I’m no grammar student, but I do know that this word is a powerful conjunction, that in the Word of God introduces contrast and divine intervention. It often marks a pivotal moment. And here in this verse we see that we are told, don’t be anxious, but – and here is the answer! Prayer!

 

Did you know that you can’t just think your way out of something? Who’s tried it? Does it work? Nope. Not for me either.

 

You can’t think your way out of it; you have to pray your way through it! And you are promised verse 7.

 

Philippians 4:7 KJV - And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

That’s right. We are promised peace. And not just any peace, but a peace that is beyond human comprehension! That means it won’t make sense to you. It won’t make sense that you can be in such trying times and yet, still have peace!

 

Let’s just backtrack a little to a needed order. How do we do it? How do we remain stayed? Not pulled in different directions. By prayer. Firstly, prayer.

 

Not firstly, going to others. Not firstly, trying to fix it ourselves. No. Going to God first. Through prayer and supplication. This has to do with asking in sincerity. Bringing our requests to God. And then, after our asking, thanksgiving.

 

If you know me at all, you knew I’d end up here. GRATITUDE IS KEY!

This is the important piece of the puzzle. Don’t just take my word for it. Look for yourself. The scripture is full of exhortations to be grateful. (Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:15-17)

(If you would like to read more on this subject of how the brain works in relation to anxiety and gratitude then please read this post.... FLIP THE SWITCH)

 

Practically speaking, Philippians 4:6 gives us a model for how we should deal with our anxiety. Now, I know there are many facets to dealing with anxious thoughts, and I have written and spoken about them many times, but I think what we have in this verse is a simple, laid out formula for peace.

 

First, we reject worry. (make it a point to take your thoughts captive, name them, see them for what they are, and then reject the lies- 2 Corinthians 10:5)

Second, we ask God for what we need. (Pour out your heart to him and specifically name what it is you desire- don’t be afraid to be honest with God)

Third, we take time to be thankful. (Spend time praising him and thanking him for what he has done and is doing in your life and be grateful for all his blessings – be specific!)

Finally, we rest in him, knowing that he will bring the peace we need. (Surrender to him)

 

We are not anxious because life is hard. We are anxious because we are still trying to hold onto it.

 

What are you carrying right now that you need to give to God? Ask yourself the question, “Did my heavenly Father ask me to carry this?” And if he didn’t, then surrender it. Lay it down.

 

Don’t continue to be pulled in different directions. Surrender. Stop trying to control. Trust in God’s plan. Trust his hand. Rest in him.

 

One of the hardest parts of our faith is not believing. It’s surrendering.