Change It Up!

I struggle. I am my own worst enemy. I go straight to my version of the bleak possibilities of the future rather than taking one day at a time. I think “what will I do if this happens” instead of living in the here and now. I overthink everything…or do I…no, I don’t…maybe… If someone doesn’t respond promptly to a text or email that I’ve sent, I automatically wonder what I might have done or said to make them mad at me. I imagine that some of you are reading this and thinking – WOW! I do that, too. 

Matthew 6:34 (ESV) – “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” 

I have found myself having to make certain choices to protect my mental health during this time more than ever. The news is typically on the television at my house every morning and evening so we can keep up with current events. Nowadays, not so much. We all know the situation of this pandemic, but we don’t have to dwell on it by watching and listening to every report. That tends to drag me into a dark hole quicker than anything. 

Philippians 4:8 (ESV) – "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." 

Instead, I find myself reading more, listening to positive and uplifting music, focusing on God’s Word and praying more, intentionally reaching out to people whether by phone calls or notes sent in the mail. That sounds old-fashioned, but who doesn’t love to actually hear another person’s voice or read a thoughtful handwritten note letting you know that you are cared for?

Do something you never have time to do. Get out your paint brushes and capture the beauty that this season has to offer. Cook some of those recipes you’re always too busy to prepare. Start writing that novel you’ve been putting off for years because there’s no time. Play games with your kids. Go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. Have meaningful conversations with friends and family. Whatever this looks like for you, change it up. 

Genesis 2:18 (ESV) – “Then the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” 

These are very trying times for all of us. Maybe your thoughts get the best of you. Maybe you feel alone and cut off from your people. 

My daughter lives out of state, so we’ve been FaceTiming a lot. This doesn’t replace physically being together, but at least we are staying connected. A friend and I met at our local walking trail earlier this week and enjoyed being together while still maintaining social distancing. That little bit of time spent with her made a huge difference in my day. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV) – “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 

No matter what you’re going through or what stage of life you’re in, someone cares about you. Someone thinks you are special. Don’t wait for people to reach out to you. Go ahead and take that step to reach out to them. You never know what that phone call or handwritten note might mean to a person. It might be just what they need to lift their spirits. We can all be the hands and feet of Jesus. 

Change is hard for some. It certainly isn’t easy for me, but we need to understand our circumstances and adapt so that we can do our best to stay mentally healthy. These times are very uncertain and can be scary, but the most important thing to remember is that Jesus is victorious over all of this mess. 

John 16:33 (ESV) – “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” 

If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, I pray that today will be that day. Don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t mean that you will not experience trouble, but you will have a peace and joy like you’ve never known. 

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) – “Do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The Discontentment of a Pastor

How about that title for an attention grabber? Yes folks, it is true that even pastors experience discontentment. That is not to say that it is right to be discontent. Actually it is quite the opposite. It is sin, and one that we all too often excuse and even embrace. In my life, I have seen how sinful and troubling discontentment can be. See if this resonates with you.

Anxiety Starts It All

I have anxiety when I worry about the uncertainty of the ministries I lead. Will people sign up for events? Will folks come to church? Will the folks I lead day-to-day follow where I am trying to lead them? All these are my fears and my sinful worrying over things that I have no control over and have not even happened yet. God speaks directly to this in 1 Peter.  

1 Peter 5:6-7  6Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Anxiety Leads to Frustration

I am frustrated when my hopes and dreams don’t pan out. I find my mood and attitude towards the rest of life is dictated by circumstances that I don’t always have control over. All of this frustration is rooted in my desire to please men. I am not seeking to please God first when these frustrations rule my life. I want to be seen as important. I want to be someone that leads big things. I want to be exalted. I want to have no weakness and no difficulty. That is the essence of sin! God speaks directly to this as well.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10  7 So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. 8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Frustrations Left Unchecked Create Discontentment

At times I live in the mire of discontentment. I forget to cast my anxiety on God with my job, my family, my friends, my hobbies; you name it, I have been discontent with it all. Unless I confess my fears and my frustrations, I will never see a way out of this discontentment.

What about you? What are your fears? Those fears lead to frustrations when what you hope would happen doesn’t happen. Maybe you have to kill yourself to get the job done, the promotion you are wanting doesn’t come, you don’t have the money and the bills are coming in, you don’t know what to do in a tough time in your marriage, you feel set aside by folks that you want to be closest to. You have to think through these questions. You have to deal with what is really going on in your heart. If you cannot do that, pray what the Psalmist prayed.  

Psalm 139:23-24  23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

When as children we were afraid of the monster in our closet, we were comforted by the words of our parents assuring us there was nothing to fear. When as children we were frustrated over some disappointment in our lives, it was the assurance and love of our parents that showed us there would still be tomorrow and that perhaps God had another way. In the same way, we must listen to the words of our heavenly Father.

Dear friend… You must understand that lasting contentment will never be found in your desires or in your ability to avoid frustration. It will only be found when your desire is for God’s will. Discontentment will always be our problem when we refuse to hear what our loving heavenly Father says to dispel our fears and frustrations. We must begin to see past what we want to what God is doing in our lives.  

Philippians 4:11-13  11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 

Are you discontented? Do you feel like I have felt? Discontentment is a sin because it takes our eyes off of the eternal truth that God is sovereign and is at work in His world. Your circumstances aren’t random, and they are not a surprise to God. Your path to freedom today begins when you confess and receive God’s grace in forgiveness. Then you begin to obey what we see in God’s word and joyfully follow your loving Father in His plan and work in His world.

Read more from Matt Smith HERE

How to Defeat Anxiety

Anxiety is an inappropriate fear. Now before you completely check out on me, give me a minute and follow me through the full argument. The dictionary definition of anxiety is as follows:  "Anxiety: a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome." 

You see, anxiety is simply fear of an outcome that we cannot control. Because we cannot control the situation, we are gripped by the fear of what may or may not come to pass. Fear in and of itself is not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, we see in scripture that it is a good thing when put in its proper place.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all those who practice it have a good understanding.
    His praise endures forever!" -Psalm 111:10

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction." -Proverbs 1:7

There is no worry or unease when we fear God. God is perfect and just, forgiving our sins and giving us new mercies every day. When we fear him we actually become wise and have true incorruptible knowledge. There is an “equation” that will help us understand this better.

God’s Sovereignty + God’s Purposes = Our Good and His Glory

When we understand that God is sovereign and that He has a purpose in all He does, we can truly trust that is it for our good and for his glory, and there is nothing to fear in what we cannot control!

Philippians 4:4-9 says:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

The Secret to True Peace: Prayerfully Trust in God.

Our action -our call to duty- is to reject the worry caused by dwelling on our own wants and desires, but instead to constantly think on the true and life-giving properties of God’s nature. We have to trust Him, and we will have peace!

We don’t often seek God in our troubles. We look to fix them ourselveS…

Where are the places that we seek to escape our inappropriate fear? How do we manifest our anxiety? We chase lustful desires and turn to pornography. We escape the world and turn to the virtual world of video games where we can control everything. We lose ourselves in TV and movies that only reinforce our fears and anxieties. Perhaps we even self medicate with alcohol and drugs looking to forget the anxiety for a time...

Do NOT seek refuge or peace in the world. There are no actions and habits that you cultivate today that will not affect you in the future. Becoming a person of prayer and seeking refuge in God when you have crushing fear is the only true peace giving habit and escape. You see, peace is a fruit that is born out of trust. We must stare straight into our doubt and worry and remind ourselves that God is on his throne. He loves us and His peace will guard our hearts when we trust in Him.

Prayer Guide for You Today:

• Praise God for the peace that he provides. Praise Him for the things He has done and will do in your life.
• Confess the things that you worry about. Spend time telling God about the weights that hold you down and thoughts that plague your mind.
• Ask God to forgive our nation and heal our land. Pray for revival in our hearts and the hearts of the people of Newnan. Thank God for the good in your life. What can you praise Him for?
• Pray for members of your small group and their daily needs. If you don’t have a group or know their concerns, pray for yours.

Fogged In

Fogged In

I woke up...got ready and went to the kitchen to get some coffee. I looked out the window to take in the view of the lake and to my amazement, it was GONE! Vanished overnight! All that I saw was the back deck and shadows of trees emerging from a dense white fog. Okay...so the lake didn't actually vanish. It was just hidden by the fog that moved in overnight.

We were heading to church, so we hopped in the car and headed out. I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. TWD fans know what I'm talking about. Anything could be lurking in that fog! It was so dense that we were left with very little visibility. Our car was surrounded by this dense fog. The trees that were just feet away were merely shadows hidden by the white wall of fog that seemed to engulf the world around us. I had to slow down a little and really watch out for deer and other unexpected obstacles. Seriously...I could only see a few feet ahead. Even traffic lights were hidden until I was right up on them. YIKES!!!

I don't know about you...but I really like to see where I'm heading. It is not enough to see the road right in front of me. I want to see what's happening behind me, what's coming from the side and what lies far down the road ahead. I want to be able to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Do you ever feel like your life has gotten FOGGED IN? You go to bed seeing clearly...knowing exactly what lies ahead, but then you wake up surrounded by a dense white fog. The only thing you can really see with total clarity is the road right in front of you. Times like these can leave me feeling uneasy and on edge. I want to be prepared for whatever is going to emerge from the fog. I want to be able to plan and prepare for the days...weeks...months...years ahead. I don't want to have to worry about all the things I can't see yet....I want to sit back and enjoy the journey.  

I really think that "FOG" is God's way of slowing us down and helping us learn to trust Him more.

I really think that "FOG" is God's way of slowing me down and helping me learn to trust Him more. It puts me in a position where I am no longer charting my own course...planning out every detail of my life. No...I have to truly trust God to show me the way. It teaches me to rely on Him and trust Him completely. There is a song that I absolutely love. It says;

"I know who goes before me

I know who stands behind

The God of angel armies is always by my side

The One who reigns forever

He is a friend of mine

The God of angel armies is always by my side"

( “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)”

Written by Ed Cash, Scott McTyeire Cash, and Chris Tomlin)

When you can't see the path ahead, focus on the One who can. God is there...He alone goes before you and stands behind you at the same time. He knows where you have been and he knows where you are going...not just the here and now....He knows it all....AND He is ALWAYS by your side.

When you can't see the path ahead, focus on the One who can.

 

Next time you get fogged in, don't keep traveling full speed ahead. You also don't want to stop because you are afraid of what you can't see. Sure you need to slow down...but you also must keep moving forward. You will quickly notice that as you move forward you can see a little further down that road.   

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Trust the One who is always by your side, then sit back and enjoy the ride.