Chill out. Trust God

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?" ~Matthew 6:25

If you are anything like me, you have had the issue. You mind wanders around with all the stuff you want to do, or need to do, or can't do, etc. When you are doing one thing you are thinking about another. You switch to the other, but you then cannot stop thinking about what you were doing. You struggle to fall asleep at night, as you mind constantly wanders to everything you have on your plate. Budgets, grocery lists, work commitments, church functions, homework, your kid's homework, your pets, your cars, your relatives (oi vey...) - the list can be endless sometimes.  Though we are told to be good stewards of all that we have in our life, we are also explicitly instructed by God Himself not to worry about these things.

I am not saying that we should not be concerned with the comings and goings of daily life. I am not suggesting that we wander aimlessly around, assuming God will pick up the slack for our laziness. What I am saying is this: take no thought. You have not been equipped by your Maker to take on the burden of your provision. You are not designed to be the provider of your household. It is not laid upon you to "take care of yourself." That title belongs to God. That is His "job description." And He is exceptionally good at what He does. Therefore, if you are not in a place where you are capable of addressing a situation, just shut your brain off. At bed time, go to sleep. You cannot tackle any of life's situations while lying in bed, so don't try. Sleep. What did Jesus say? "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (verse 27). You can't. So stop! 

The money may be tight. So what? Jesus promises provision (and not crappy, holes in the roof, stale bread, provision like religion teaches. He promises excellent provision, the likes of which you can't even dream up). You may in a hospital bed with a bad report. So what? God is The Healer (and not just sometimes, depending on the mood He is in, or the "plan" that He has. As Healer, He heals - always). You may be stressed. Stop! He promised you He would supply everything you need, and that He would always fight on your behalf. What is there to be stressed about when God controls the situation? 

This is not a holy suggestion, or a nice idea found in an ancient, religious text. This is a command from the mouth of the One Whom we all call Lord, Master and King. His Word is law. Every statement of faith in every church in America says that the bible is the final authority for the life of a believer. Therefore as a disciple of the Lord Jesus, you do not have the right to worry. It is not an option for any of us; because worry removes things from God's Hands and places them back in ours. Our limited abilities hinder us from the best that God has in store for us. We are instructed (nay, commanded) to remove the burden of worry from our lives, so that our God is free to handle them the right way. He may do it all on His own, and He may have a role for you in the situation. That is why it is so vitally important to not only pray, but be quiet afterwards in order to hear Him layout the plan. Our lives would be a lot more peaceful and productive if we stopped assuming that, since we are "believers," everything we do or go through is God's plan for our lives.

The casting off of the worries and anxieties of life is what the Bible calls humility. Being humble before God is done by exalting the former sinful nature or current failures we have in our lives, but it is rather done by truly casting the cares of life into the loving Hands of our God. It is done by acknowledging that He is smarter than us and that He will handle our situations better than we could. Humility is found in believing God's promises that He will provide/heal/remedy, our situations - then resting in that peace. If you do not currently have peace about the situations in your life, there is a very good chance that you do not trust God concerning them. That's the first adjustment that needs to be made, because without faith in God you cannot get anywhere. 

I think that it should be a requirement that Hebrews 11:1, where we learn about the Biblical definition of faith, should only be read using the Amplified translation of the Bible. It says that faith, "is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]." Faith and trust in God requires us to rest in the knowledge that our circumstances are taken care of without evidence to the prove that fact. If my wife promises me that she will handle something, I believe her - even if I never actually see her do it. She may handle phone calls, lists, budgets, etc., when I am not around to see her do it. However, I trust her when she says, "I took care of that." Jesus is saying the same thing to us today: "Don't worry. I will take care of that. I got that covered. I already provided." 

I am not saying this is easy. However, it is doable. We have been given the power and might to do what I am saying. This is not something we "try" to accomplish under our own strength. This is a command from God, and He has already provided us His Spirit to assist us in doing it. Stop worrying about your life. Because worry contaminates your faith.

When we worry, our actions are saying, "Lord, I don't believe You." Ouch. We cannot do that anymore...

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

~Matthew 6:33-34

Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things."

~Luke 12:22-30 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God

~Philippians 4:6

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

~1Peter 5:6-7    

Throne of Tribulation(?)

I have heard it said, seen it written, and even addressed it with people in various ways before. However, more depth is been shown to me, and I see that this issue must be addressed again - both for my sake and for others.

God is not the author of our rough patches, our difficulties, our sicknesses, our financial struggles, or any other tragedy in our lives.

Maybe you have seen something similar to what I have. It is often found on social media outlets: where someone posts responses to their hardships, saying things like, "Lord, I know that this trial is from Your throne, and that I will be better for it in the end." Or perhaps you have heard the words from someone who has dealt with, or is dealing with, a crisis of some kind. They say phrases like, "God decided I needed a trial," or, "The Lord decided it wasn't yet my time for deliverance/provision/healing/etc." These phrases sound good, religiously speaking. However, the are Biblically inaccurate. In fact, they are lies that contradict the very words of Jesus Himself. They make Him a hypocrite.

Every church website has the same sentence listed on their "beliefs" page: "we believe the Bible is the supreme and final authority of the believer." If that is the case, then let's go to the Word and find out what the Lord has to say concerning the tests and trials of life.

First of all, I am in no way saying that life should be easy for Christians. No one says that. Not even those TV preachers many Christians can't stand say that. It is not true and it is not taught by anyone. The question is: what do you believe about trying situations in life? Jesus put us on the alert for tough times: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Jesus has made it known that, in the world, we will have troubles. But, He has already given us His peace. When do we walk in and experience that peace? When we stay in Him. So, if we are going through times of distress and we are not experiencing peace, we know that we have broken off fellowship with our Master. The peace is in Him, so get there.

What I want you to realize is that Jesus isn't harming anyone. John 16:33 in the Amplified Bible makes that very clear: "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]" No question about it: Jesus isn't responsible for our hard times. He has empowered us to overcome them all, and He fully expects to do just that.

I know that James 1:2 says, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials." I'm sure that verse went through your head already. However, we need to set the record straight on what is really going on in this verse. The word translated "trial," is often translated "temptation" in many translations of the Bible. I pulled out my concordance and looked up the Greek word used in this verse. It is "peirasmos."  It comes from the Greek word "peirazo," which means to test. This word "peirasmos" is defined in my concordance as, "a putting to proof (by experiment [of good], experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline, or provocation); by implication adversity." It is a word that is translated, "temptation," "test," or "trial." I know this is way more "heady" than most people go for when reading a random blog, but it is very important that we get this. This Greek word for temptation is used in each of the following verses:

~Matthew 6:13 (The Lord's Prayer) -> "And do not lead us into temptation (peirasmos), but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

~1Corinthians 10:13 -> "No temptation (peirasmos) has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted (pierazo) beyond what you are able, but with the temptation (peirasmos) will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

~James 1:2 -> "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials (peirasmos)."

~James 1:12 -> "Blessed is the man who endures temptation (peirasmos); for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 

Isn't it interesting that Jesus teaches us to pray to the Father to keep us out of the very situations that many Christians claim He brings upon us all? Jesus told us that He has deprived the world and the issues of this sinful age of the power to harm us, yet we teach that these very issues are God-ordained from the throne, itself. Though we are told to walk in joy through these trials, we are never told to thank God for them. We are actually told from the Lord that if we remain faithful throughout the issues of life, that we have a reward in this life (Luke 18:29-30). Now, for the single-most important verse of them all...

James 1:13 -> "Let no one say when he is tempted (peirazo), “I am tempted (peirazo) by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt (peirazo) anyone."

It is the same root word! In other words: God and the devil are not in Cahoots. God is not contracting Satan and his minions to do God's dirty work in order to teach us things. Jesus said in John 10:10 that He is not the author of stealing, killing or destroying. In fact, we learn in 1John 3:8, that Jesus came expressly to destroy all of Satan's work. He did not do this so that He could go sit at the Father's side and use that very satanic power against us. God is not an abusive Father; He is not making life hard on anybody in order to prove a point. 

Once we get this solidified in our thinking, we will be more adequately prepared for all that the enemy throws our way. You cannot have faith to combat something if you think God is authoring its existence. Our faith becomes severely stunted when we believe God is authoring our sickness, disease, poverty, addictions, depressions, and so-on Our faith is severely limited if we think the He is taking "the long way 'round" in providing for us our Covenant rights to freedom, healing and prosperity. God has been ready to provide us the very best this life has to offer. He paid an exceptionally high price to grant us those rights and privileges. For Him to withhold anything from us, we be for Him to be made a liar. Enough people think that about Him already. Don't add to their number. 

Remember what Jesus promised: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne." ~Matthew 11:28-30, Amplified.

So, why do these bad things happen in our lives? Check back later... 

 

My Rights

In such an individualistic society, we often think it “wrong” or “evil” to believe that Christians have rights. After all, we are “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20), taking up our cross daily to follow Him (Luke 9:23), with our life being no longer our own (1Corinthians 6:19). These are all true statements; however, we have been led to believe that these passages indicate that we have no right to anything from the Lord. Growing up in the church my whole life, I have heard countless teachings and phrases at go something like this: “How dare we think we can demand anything from God? How dare we think we are indispensable to God? God owes us nothing…”

            

 To be honest, years of being involved in and around the church and the people of God has left me rather depressed. How is it possible to be full of joy when serving a God that you believe doesn’t actually care that much about your life? How can we be excited about a God that is portrayed as egotistical and self-centered? This God tells us to pay in faith (James 1:6), and yet a vast majority of His people believe ‘sometimes He does; sometimes He doesn’t. It all depends on Hs will.” Ladies and gentlemen, this line of thinking makes no sense. We have been so trained to believe that God’s sovereignty means he can do whatever He wants, whenever he wants, no questions asked, that we openly contradict ourselves in the way we think and speak about Him.

             

God says that anything is possible to anyone who believes (Mark 9:23). We say that God does what He wants. Jesus told us that when we ask anything in His name, we will receive it (John 14:14). We say that only applies to situations that are under His will (which we don’t know). The Holy Spirit speaks through the apostle James that when we pray in faith, the sick will be healed (James 5:15). We preach that sometimes God heals, sometimes He doesn’t. The Scripture tells us that Jesus took sickness and disease upon Himself on the Cross (Isaiah 53:4-5). We teach that He uses it as a means of gaining glory. The Scripture tells us we are Blessed (Galatians 3:13-14) with a Blessing that causes financial prosperity (Proverbs 10:22). The church often teaches that anyone who preaches that Blessing is a heretic. Jesus told us to take up our cross (Mark 8:34). Religion dictates that we should be taking His.

             

Get the picture?

             

Our God separated Himself, suffered and died, went to the furthest depths of Hades, itself – all so that we could have our lives put back right, to the state that it was designed to be at before the Fall. Yet, because we cannot help but look at the circumstances of life around us, we are not living that way. Rather than look to the Holy Word of God Almighty, we look to our lives, our friends and loved ones, the economy, politics, and all the mess that is going on globally, in order to ascertain the will of God. My friend, that ought not to be. It violates the very nature of faith.

             

Let’s settle this in our minds, once-and-for-all: God will always do what He promised us.

God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

~Numbers 23:19

My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.

~Psalm 89:34

 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

~John 15:7

God said He will do what He said he will do. He said that if we remain in Him and we go to Him, He will answer us and grant us the prayers that we ask of Him. He instructed us to approach Him with boldness (Hebrews 4:16) and great confidence. I have, through the work of my God and his great love for me, a right to his promises.

Correct. I said I have a right to the plans and purposes of God being accomplished in my life.  I have a right to healing and abundant provision (it is part of salvation, look up the Greek word and see for yourself). I have a right to the mind of Christ (1Corinthians 2:16). I have a right to His wisdom (James 1:5). I have a right to know His will (Ephesians 5:17). Through the work of the Cross, through the work of salvation, itself, I have a right to live the highest life there is. That runs contrary to the world’s ways of thinking.

Unfortunately, the world’s way of thinking has infiltrated the church. We contradict ourselves and our God without even realizing our error. We are painting our God to be double-minded and inconsistent. If we believe the words He has handed down to us, then we must put an end to this idea that God will do whatever He wants at His Own discretion, and that we have no right to question Him. We don’t have the right to tell Him how to be God, but we do have the right to expect Him (reverently expect Him) to do what he promised He would do. Otherwise, we unknowingly and unintentionally call Him a liar.

God has given us all the information we need in His Word as to why we do not yet see all the manifestations of His promises in our lives. Go find them. Believe them. Implement them. They are yours by right as a born-again child of God, co-heir with Jesus Himself (Romans 8:17)

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits – Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

~Psalm 103:2-5, Amplified