In keeping with the theme of finding and claiming rest and peace from last week’s blog, Jesus Says, I would like to point us in the direction of what sustains us through the daily challenges that sometimes keep us from experiencing the peace and rest God offers – faith and trust.
One morning this week, I woke up thinking about my word for the year—joy. At times, my joy has been overcome by anxiety that I didn’t know I had, out of which comes excellent growth and a deeper dependency on God. I realized my previous words presented challenges that were in line with the word choice I always feel God gives me.
For example, one year, my word was trust. You can only imagine what I was presented with that year, which ultimately led to a deeper reliance on God. Hence, in my opinion, God gave me the word because He knew what I would face that year that warranted a deeper level of faith that I didn’t recognize I required, which, in turn, led to spiritual growth.
Isn’t that one of the goals as a Christ-follower—to continue to grow into a richer level of spiritual maturity? All growth comes with challenges, but knowing God more intimately and allowing our faith to soar as we surpass our perceived limits is worth it. I can escape the so-called nest and learn to fly only with God’s help and the Holy Spirit’s nudging. Without it, I would stay in my comfort zone, content with the cozy bubble I built for myself. As soon as I become contented, God shakes things up. There have been many good changes this year, but still challenging.
Likewise, Paul writes that suffering produces endurance, which produces character, that leads to hope through God’s love that He poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:3-5). We know he spoke from experience. Although not all growth comes from suffering, per se, I can attest to how my past pain and distress led to perseverance. A closer relationship with Christ is paramount to my healing. In turn, I experienced multifaceted spurts that sometimes felt like I was on the fast track toward spiritual growth, catching up for lost time.
I felt like a sleepwalker through most of my life, so when God rescued me, I imagined Him as the Good Father who couldn’t wait to share more with His daughter now that I was paying attention. I was once like the rebellious teenager who knew more than her parents and suddenly realized that she didn’t know anything.
There are also adventures and life experiences we may never experience, and we may miss the beauty of the journey without realizing it until it’s too late. Being a Christ-follower is a risky business. Jesus’ life shows us that firsthand. Still, God is in control, and He promises to always be with us (Matt 28:20, ESV). Saying yes to God is life-changing—in an amazing way!
My challenge lately has been not allowing the stressful, anxiety-filled moments to rule the day.
In the Bible plan, Stop, Drop, and Worship, by Roxanne Parks, she says that when we allow our emotions to take over, we participate with the enemy. It takes an intentional effort to tether our peace to God’s faithfulness and character instead of the circumstances that cause anxiety. Our focus on God instead of the issue is critical to not participating with the enemy who only wants to steal our joy (John 10:10). In the next verse, Jesus reminds us that He is the Good Shepherd, which also relates to last week’s message (John 10:11).
Parks says that when we can step out of our emotional self into the greater purposes and truths, whether in the moment, day, or season of life, we participate with God rather than the enemy. She explains, and I agree, that we need to have the energy to waste precious time on thoughts and feelings that do not add value to our day. We can choose ahead of time, when we first wake up each morning, to forgive anyone who offends us and ask God to help us release feelings that disempower us and instead choose options that empower by choosing to walk in life-giving truths (Parks, Stop, Drop, and Worship).
Paul offers excellent advice to the Philippians that we can benefit from as well: to think about things that are honorable, just, pure, commendable, lovely, and the One that is worthy of praise (Phil. 4:8). This is the life-giving thoughts that empower (Stop, Drop, and Worship). I know first-hand that it is not always easy to do – but the more I set my intentions each morning to release the bad and receive the good, the more my growth in this season becomes apparent. I can’t do it alone, and my dependence on God is paramount to my success – which is the point.
If we remember to focus on God, Jesus says everything else will be added to us, and there is no reason to worry (Matt. 6:33).
“Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:34, ESV, Emphasis added).
Faith Walk Ministries, Inc. 