Trust Relieves Anxiety

Anxiety and fear usually work together. The Bible has lots to say about both. How does it work? You are afraid of snakes. So if it is a strong enough fear, just thinking about snakes makes you fee anxious. But if one crosses your path, you could go into flight or fight mode or just freeze on the spot. In either reaction, you get some physical symptoms...acid stomach, heart palpitations, jaw clinching, mouth watering, etc. So be aware of the physical reactions you have to anxiety. These can result in illness over time.

In many passages, the Bible throws money or wanting what we do not have in the mix with fear and anxiety. We fear loosing our money or having them rob us. Or we spend every waking hour thinking about how to make money or working to make it. And often we are rewarded with anxiety and a resulting physical condition. What are we supposed to do? It take money to live. Everything we need costs money. Or so we think. It's not using money to care for our needs that gets us into trouble, is it? No, it's loving money more than we love the Lord; spending more time being concerned about money than we are spending time with the Lord and following him; or spending more time working for money than we do in using it responsibly like spending time with our family or accumulating material goods. It's the misuse that results in anxiety and worry which can lead to serious illness or more serious loss over time. So here is the solution:

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 ESV

So which is more important? Loving the Lord or loving money? Has he not promised you to provide for your needs? Then trust him more than the stock market or your the news.

Frozen by Anxiety or Freed by Christ

Have you ever had to take anti-anxiety medicine? What happens when you feel anxious? Have you ever felt so anxious that you just shut down, were completely incapacitated? What about when you just shut down on a test you had prepared for and could not recall any answers? Did you ever choke up at bat and couldn't connect with the ball when a run could make the difference between a win for the team or loss of the championship? When I was counseling, anxiety disorders were my favorite to work with. If you've never experienced severe anxiety that just shut you down, you can't appreciate what Jesus offers in the verses that talk about anxiety and offer a cure.

We usually skip verse 5 in Philippians 4 when referring to passages on anxiety. Yet, when you've experienced anxiety, were you reasonable or did you just act completely compulsive or not act at all?  Either response is destructive. I can result in a disaster. When we can react to a situation in peace the results are much better than when we freeze. So lets remember this verse and go to the Lord when anxiety threatens to shut us down. He is the best counselor and anti-anxiety medicine we can go to and the cost is very reasonable and results positive.

" Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 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."Philippians 4:5-7

Something New is Coming

It is already the second day of the New Year, Is 2015 moving as fast as 2014 did? We'd better hang onto our hats and quit procrastinating on the things we need to do and what needs to change. How are you doing on your list of resolutions? Where do you need to put more emphasis or just get started?
A new year can be a new beginning. What do you need to leave behind? Will you? Or will you go back and pick it up again and keep doing what hasn't been working? In Isaiah, the Lord is telling the people that things are going to change, He has a better plan for them and it is coming. It's the same with us. He has a better plan for our ives, but first we must be willing to let go of all that holds us back. What holds you back? Pray about it. Ask the Lord to give you strength and courage to let go and let him be in control. Give him the reins of your ilife and when he says "gee" go and "haw: stop. Your can relax, let go and let God.
"Do not call to mind the former things,
Or ponder things of the past.
“Behold, I will do something new," Isaiah 43:18-19 a

Good Enough for God's Love

Do you ever feel that you are not good enough to be loved by God? Throughout the Bible we are told of God's love for his people. We are given assurance time after time by his guidance and the leadership he sends to save his people from disasters. We have "blessed assurance" that Jesus was born to save us from the sin that condemns us. We are celebrating the birth of the Savior God sent us...Jesus Christ the Lord. His love is stronger than any doubt we may have and we are assured of our adoption into the family of God through his son's sacrifice for us. Instead of doubting, place out hopes in Jesus and strive to be more like him and not focus so much on being like the world around us. Listen for his voice and tune out the conflicting messages from those who choose worldly love and living.

"My loved ones, we have been adopted into God’s family; and we are officially His children now. The full picture of our destiny is not yet clear, but we know this much: when Jesus appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is. 3 All those who focus their hopes on Him and His coming seek to purify themselves just as He is pure." 1 John 3:2-3
(The Voice)

The Gift of Salvation

Salvation is God's perfect gift to us. It began with Jesus' birth. So we are celebrating salvation this Christmas. Salvation begins like an infant and over time it either grows within us or shrinks until we loose site of what the gift means to us. Who on your gift list either needs help in growing the meaning of their salvation or need to find it completely?

How can we give the gift of salvation?  One way is to live our lives in such a way that we are reflecting a positive Jesus so people will take notice and want what we have. We can invite our non-believing friends to attend Bible Study or church with us. Most importantly, we can pray for our non-believing friends that the Lord will come into their lives. We can ask him to use us to support his will in their lives. It is always God who brings salvation just as it is him who brought us Jesus. Salvation is brought to us through belief in Jesus as our savior. What a very special gift we can give through Christ.

"Here’s the point. God didn’t send His Son into the world to judge it; instead, He is here to rescue a world headed toward certain destruction." John 3:17 (The Voice)

"All we must do is to Believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and be saved. John 3:16

Giving Comfort

How about another free gift suggestion. We really have a lot to receive and a lot to give. Who do you know who needs to be comforted? Perhaps a friend who has lost a loved one or has become an empty nester or who has just been diagnosed with a serious illness. What about the neighbor who just lost a pet they have had for many years. Have you visited a homeless shelter?

How often do you hear of or experience a situation where you can say, "there but for the grace of God, go I?" Yes it is by His grace that we receive comfort. In John's Gospel we are told that Jesus promised that he had to go away to join his father in heaven so the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, could come to mankind. We are to share this comfort with those who are in need. And of course,  be thankful. When we experience any affliction, think about the following:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

The Gift of Healing

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Our next Heavenly Christmas gift is also an Easter present. The Jesus whose birth we celebrate this time of year, went back to heaven to live with the Heavenly Father on Easter.. His calling was to be God in human form and, after being hung on a cross, to go back to heaven for the forgiveness of our sins. What diseases and deaths are related to sin? What about sins like anger, jealousy, gluttony, greed, sexual misconduct, etch. What about cancers associated with smoking or murders caused by a moment of rage or jealously? What about diseases caused by over eating or wrong diets? What about car accidents caused by drinking? What about illness associated with environmental factors or those related to worry and emotions? The list goes on and on.

Yet, where do most of us go to be healed? Sure we use doctors and all kinds of medical and non medical practitioners. But when push comes to shove, we are usually on the prayer chain or asking friends to remember us in prayer. The Bible is full of references to healing by Jesus, the Prophets, the Apostles, etc. So we know that we receive healing from Holy Hands and Prayer. What a gift healing is for the patient and family. I'm sure you have a list you are praying God's healing intervention for you or you for them, including our beloved animals who have many of the same illnesses we have. Good health is wished for Christmas and the New Year in cards and greetings. So lets not forget to present the gift of healing prayers and wishes to those on our Christmas lists this year.

"So in life and in death he healed us. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds (stripes) we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5