Worry was like a prison for me. Over the last several years, bit by bit, I have been able to let God transform my mind to the point that things that would have sent me into a tailspin before are not that big of a deal.
It's all in the mind.
The apostle Paul says we have the mind of Christ, which I believe would be evident in the Fruit. However, he also urges us to test ourselves to see if we are in the faith. So I've been testing.
I find that lately I have many more questions than answers, but the one thing I do know is that all that the opposite of the fruit is not the way of Peace.
And Peace is what we all want, right?
The first area was love. I decided I was going to put my prejudices and goody-goodiness aside and just love people where they were. It is not my job to be the Spirit and in many ways my lack of love was bad ambassadorship.
Next on my plate has been forgiveness.....no I don't hold unforgiveness of others at all. It is me. I decided once and for all that I do forgive myself and that that is the only way to go on. No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit....
And that all ties into worries. If we are going to believe what God said about worry then we are not to do it. How? I am taking the whatsoever is lovely approach and filling my heart and mind with those things that would lead to peace.
I turned off the news and the brimstone and hellfire sermons and speculation of the end of the world and am trying to LOVE, LIVE, FORGIVE, and be JOYFUL.
We as believers have work to do and the fear of the above was paralyzing. We are to believe on the ONE that God has sent and to be ministers of reconciliation.
The Good news is that Jesus came to give life and to give it more abundantly. I don't know what all that means, but I do know that we are to overcome the world just as He did.
He leaves His peace with us, so I'm taking it.
Defeat your worries with a hope in Jesus! Have a glorious day :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Delvalina, you too:)
DeleteHi Ma,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Delvalina. No matter what happens, we need not keep our heads in the sand in order to be happy. We need to keep our eyes wide open, see what is happening, try to warn others, understand our depravity, so that the wonder of God's love and redemption is so much more astounding.
I'm not at all worried when I see these things happening, because it confirms that Jesus already knew it and already prepared for it, and is preparing us through seeing, and understanding.
We can go from one extreme to the other, I do it too. Either we try to do (keep the commandments, work ourselves into a happy place, etc) or give up (pretend it's not there, the sin, the evil, whatever bad things are "out there"). Jesus said to "watch and pray". That means we need to pay attention, and all the while understand that all forgiveness and comfort and blessing are still from Him.
God bless you, Ma. :)
Falling into extremism one way or another is always a danger, I suppose. It's so comforting to know, though, that when we do, He's still got us.
DeleteGod bless you too my friend!
I agree: We as believers have work to do! But is is sometime hard to defeat my worries. I try it do do in the name of Jesus :-) Love this post, ma!
ReplyDeleteI once heard it put this way (about worries), just let them die from lack of attention. That is so simple and I love it!
DeleteI really enjoyed this one!
ReplyDeleteWe're given an allotted amount of days to live in this world before we're promoted to the next. Worries bog us down and prevent us from enjoying and seizing every moment of those days. Not that we won't have worries - but I found that when we allow worries to have us, they steal our moments, days, weeks... I don't want them having that kind of power over me. That's God's position.
Carpe diem my friend!
Deb
Thanks Deb, great thoughts. Bogged down is a good term for it. Jesus said his yoke is light. :)
DeleteWith all the violence that has happened lately directed at kids I have been filled with worry. I keep having to remind myself that God is in control. Great post Ma!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Joanne
I know Joanne. I just did not get immersed in the news coverage about the school shooting. It is impossible to not hear about such things nowadays even when you're trying to avoid it, but I can assume it played pretty much 24/7 on the TV in the days and weeks following. I watched none of it. It's one thing to know that the world is fallen, but to dwell on it can really steal your peace. Jesus will right the wrongs and all will be well.
DeleteWONDERFUL!!!! I hope tons of people read this!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ginny:)
DeleteHi Ma,
ReplyDeleteChristians need to be well rounded, knowing and seeing ALL that God has given us. If we have to much of fire & brimstone then we become hard and can get frozen in our tracks and no use at all.
1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:16b
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
Since God is love and God should go before us, then love should go before us into all things we do. Fire and brimstone needs to be kept in line as this also is God's character but Scripture defines God as love.
Blessings,
<><
Well said Child of God.
DeleteVery good! I have a book recommendation - The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproll. It is so good and very helpful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gretchen.:) I am familiar with Sproll's work and have studied a bit of his stuff in the past.
DeleteHey, you're back! I was wondering if you were ever going to use this blog again! I am learning to rest in the peace of Christ...it's a process.
ReplyDeleteIt's a journey, not a destination, hmmmm?
DeleteAmen, amen.
ReplyDeleteHello Denise. I hope you're doing well today.
Delete"I have many more questions than answers"
ReplyDeleteI resonate with that Ma!
I find that questions aren't bad. It keeps us learning.
DeleteIt's hard not to worry about those who do not know the Lord and His Gospel. It is difficult for me to wrap my mind around compassion without worry. I know that God is in control and I am trying to learn more to know Christ more. We live in a fallen world. Sin and darkness exist and rear their heads - violence is out of control, but they do not define me. In Christ, we are redefined. I'm going to let the Bible be my dictionary, encyclopedia, road map and day-planner. You quoted from 2 Corinthians 5, which drives me to serving the Lord and seek the lost with His word of reconciliation and redemption. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5) is what people need and truly desire, not the sin nature of the flesh. Our heavenly Father put us here now for a godly purpose. Fear is not that purpose. Love you Ma! You surely do not live at the surface level and you challenge us to not live there either. Blessings, Brian
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult for me to wrap my mind around compassion without worry.
DeleteI totally understand that. It is freeing to know that His perfect plan will play out in His perfect time. We just have to Trust and go with it.
Dear Ma, reading your words is like reading my own. We have a lot in common. It's all still very hard sometimes but if I could put the 'me' now and the 'me' then side by side, I would be two different people on all counts. God's not done with me yet (far from it) but He is pruning bit by bit, chopping away...
ReplyDeleteIn His love and peace
I have changed so much too. Being conformed to His image is more wonderful and difficult, but wonderful, than I ever thought. I am so grateful that I can trust and follow even if I don't always understand. AND if I do get off course, He knows where I am:)
DeletePeace to you too, friend.
"AND if I do get off course, He knows where I am:)" Beautiful grace! :-)
DeleteHi Ma, I haven't read any comments here just your post and wanted to let you know you are still one of my favourite bloggers:).
ReplyDeleteYou have truly matured since I started reading too, hope I have too.:). I support your thoughts here and agree completely. I am this morning for some reason reading your blog first instead anything else after my Bible study with my DH on
Luke 17: 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
32 Remember Lot's wife.
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
DH lead us to focus upon the 'let things of this life go' aspect of this passage. And we closed our study with the dedication of ourselves to accepting once again, as we have to do, this day's events and blessings and situations and being willing to drop everything to follow God's call where ever He leads, not doubting God's judgments and doing all we can without looking back in doubt.
It is His daily bread that sustains us for our daily walk through this present world that we inhabit in this imperfect flesh that is inhabited with the Holy Spirit Himself as believers in Jesus our Christ. We therefore worship Him in spirit as He IS Spirit and Truth and the Word. He leads, we follow leaving all our resources and depending daily upon Him alone, not looking back in doubt as Lot's wife because of Jesus Words in,
Luke 17: 33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
I knew you'd appreciate these encouraging words and I am so glad to see your peace in Him that has shown in your last year's postings on your blog. Keep on keeping on keeping the faith.
I love in Jesus, dear Ma.:)
matermuse
Hi Matermuse:)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your kind words. I have changed a lot since I first started blogging. I am so grateful to you and so many others who have helped me on our journey. Peace to you friend!