Tag: #trust

The Intentional Pursuit

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV, emphasis added).

What does it mean to acknowledge God in all our ways? The New Living Translation reads, “Seek his will in all you do.” It’s an intentional pursuit, not something that happens overnight.  

The word used in the old text is yada, which means to know relationally or to be aware, knowing what to do with respect to God (Key Word Study Bible, 1732). In other words, to know God’s will in our lives, we must know him relationally.

This also relates to a time when David gave his son, Solomon, some great advice – to seek God with his whole heart and a willing mind (1 Chronicles 28:9, ESV). He went on to finish the verse by telling Solomon that “The Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought.” 1 Samuel 16:7 also speaks of this concept when the Lord tells Samuel that He and man see differently: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” In short, a person’s actions flow from the heart, where our inward moral and spiritual life stems, which is why it is vital to seek God with our whole heart.

Solomon faithfully built the temple but did not serve God wholeheartedly during his reign (1 Kings 11:4). This reminds me a Psalmist’s plea for a cleansed heart after turning away from God: “Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10). This heartfelt prayer reflects genuine repentance. Such a heart longs for a renewed awareness of God’s presence, aiming to restore the joy and gladness that come from being in God’s presence, as noted in the ESV Study notes.

Thankfully, through Christ, we are faultless before the throne of grace (Jude 1:24). Still, that doesn’t mean we don’t fall short and need repentance that brings us closer to God so we can experience that joy and peace and therefore, know Him more intimately, which in turn, helps us understand His will for us more clearly.

All aspects come together—God’s love for us and His wish to be in a relationship with us— help us in trusting Him with our next move, even when we don’t know where it will lead.

The foundation for making God-honoring decisions in everyday life is a relationship with our Creator, built on reverence and awe for God Himself. This is reflected in the verse: “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7 NLT, emphasis added). In this context, ‘fear’ signifies respect and awe. It also recognizes that all knowledge and wisdom stem from complete dependence on God, fostering humility and discouraging pride. It is more than just an attitude – it represents a way of life that acknowledges God’s power and authority, as well as our accountability to Him (Prov. 3:7; 15:33, NLT Study Notes).

Let’s transform these verses into a grateful prayer to God, affirming our trust in Him, our effort to align with His will in all things, and our thankfulness that He guides us.

Decision-making has always come as a challenge in my life. I think it stemmed from being a people-pleaser. I often made the wrong choices over the years, some with life-altering consequences. My fears of making the wrong choices have followed me into my later years and plagued me even in simple decisions. I’ve shifted from being a people-pleaser to a perfectionist, and I’m hard on myself when a decision doesn’t go well. Something I am working on, with God’s help.

However, I only recently realized that God is using my difficult circumstances to teach me better decision-making. Sometimes it seems like He’s pushing me, but maybe that’s just my stubbornness showing. To flip the script, I started thanking God for helping me. Even though it is painful and challenging, I trust Him with my whole heart and know it is a much-needed spiritual growth spurt that will help me in all aspects of life.

Not so ironically, I had been praying for God to help me make wise, godly decisions with confidence that align with God’s will. I ask for this not only in major decisions, but also in my daily life, whether personal or business-related. God answers prayers. The answers often come in strange ways – at least to us – because our understanding is clouded while we are going through it. But in the end, God makes it worth it and shapes our character through it.

The lesson is about decision-making. In every decision, I now pause, pray, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide me. Intentional prayer is crucial. There’s always time to pray, even if it’s just a quick ‘help me, Holy Spirit.’ Preparing beforehand is essential to facing challenges, and making daily life choices involves seeking God’s will and requesting wisdom early on, before a situation arises.

I’m still learning, but with daily practice, it becomes a natural response to any decision.

What Rules Your Day?

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

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).

Lost and Broken Protection

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

Last weekend, I saw a sunglass commercial. It proclaimed to have “lost and broken” protection. I immediately thought that is what Jesus is to us: lost and broken protection.

Are the struggles and challenges of this life getting you down? Don’t let the devil have his way and rob you of your joy. We can change our perspective and experience joy in our hearts – no matter our circumstances. For believers, joy comes from the Holy Spirit through praise and thankfulness, as a fruit of the spirit, when we are in proper relations with God (The Holman Bible Dictionary).

We can find joy and peace with God’s help and a little intentional gratitude—a daily choice. Some days, it’s not easy when challenges come our way. But God designed us to depend on Him. He will provide everything we need, even during stressful, anxiety-filled days. We just need to focus on Him, be thankful in all circumstances, and not allow our perspective to get clouded by fleshly emotions.

I am speaking to myself here as much as anyone. I am a planner and organizer. The business I am in challenges me. After I have worked the puzzle with the schedule, sometimes the weather, cancellations, or other unforeseen circumstances tip over the proverbial table, and all those pieces I worked so hard to put together are now on the floor, requiring me to put them back together in a much shorter timeframe.

This naturally causes me anxiety. So, I have been taking it to God every morning before I start work and praying for help. I am also going through a three-part Bible plan by Roxanne Parks, The Voices and the Choices. Roxanne observes Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonians and concludes that he says to “give thanks in all circumstances”—not “for all circumstances” (I Thess. 5:18, ESV). We have much to be thankful for in all circumstances. Parks says gratitude opens our eyes to see blessings (The Voices and the Choices). It’s all about perspective and what we focus our attention on.

Eleven years ago, I was in a car accident, which changed my perspective on everything. I was grateful God spared my life. Still, it was more than that. It opened my eyes to a new life that I never knew existed. It was beyond me or anything I had ever known. I was spared, rescued, and given another chance at life – the life of God’s plan and purpose – with goals and dreams I never saw for myself.

When I was flying home from the accident in a wheelchair, cast, and back brace on a red-eye flight, I realized I wasn’t worried about anything. As I watched the anxiety of others at the airport build, my new perspective allowed me to experience peace beyond understanding. God provided every step of the way, placing kind and caring people in my path on both flights who helped me with off-boarding and grabbing my overhead bag to get me to my next wheelchair waiting at the gate.

I had to rely on strangers, thousands of miles away from home, in a situation that would cause anyone to panic and be anxious – yet my eyes were opened for the first time, allowing God to provide – something that eluded me previously. My new perspective led to gratitude and peace – even in my brokenness. At that time, I was broken in every sense of the word.

The NLT Study Bible notes explain that our relationship with God defines Christian joy. God is sovereign and can redeem any situation (Rom. 8:28). Jesus’ mission was to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10, emphasis added). God uses my painful past to help others. I hit a wall, literally and figuratively, when the car slammed into that rock wall. It was a wake-up call of epic proportions. God redeems all my broken pieces and covers my scars with Christ’s.

A grateful heart knows many blessings.

So, how do we adopt this philosophy of having an attitude of gratitude every day, “even if” our puzzle is flipped over? This is my sincere prayer each day. A grateful journal may help. We can also be mindful of praise and thankfulness each morning and throughout our day. We can intentionally claim God’s promises to provide everything we need, including rest and peace. Take deep breaths. Pray a lot.

All these things are good, but deepening our relationship with God is crucial to a new perspective and finding gratitude in all circumstances. Don’t give up. If you haven’t yet, take out a “lost and broken” protection plan in the name of Jesus Christ. Your perspective is sure to change. For those of us who have – we still need a reminder, at times, that God is still in control and promises to always be with us (Matt. 28:20).  

The enemy wants us to think otherwise and hopes our fleshly emotions, stress, and anxiety will take over our spiritual truths. This is where intentionality comes in – to keep Christ in our focus – and the devil in our rearview. A battle is only won by placing God first over everything.

Nobody is perfect. Don’t let your mishaps keep you down. Do the best you can with what you have today. As my wonderful husband reminds me almost daily, I should go at the pace of grace and stop being so hard on myself. I am still learning this. Thanks be to God, I am happy to report fewer stressful workdays, even when they present challenges. Being battle-ready doesn’t hurt.

“And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:29, emphasis added).

Don’t Follow Your Heart

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell

You don’t often hear that statement in a world where people look for what makes them happy to fulfill their inner desires. It is more popular to tell people to follow their heart, which generally means making decisions based on emotions or personal desires rather than solely relying on logic or reason.

But what if I told you this life is not about being happy? It’s about finding joy. There is a difference. Circumstances drive happiness, but joy happens regardless of circumstances. This concept can bring hope and optimism, knowing that joy is not dependent on external factors but can be found within through our connection with God and His love. Jesus said when we keep His commandments, we abide in God’s love, as he did. (John 15:9-10).

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11, emphasis added).

Joy is derived from a spirit-filled heart. In the Bible, the heart refers to human will and emotions. Anytime our feelings are involved, we must be cautious, warned, and prepared not to allow them to take over and disregard reality. The Bible says the heart is deceitful and desperately sick (Jer. 17:19, ESV). Allowing our emotions and desires to override the truth is easy without spiritual discernment.

While following your heart can be rewarding to the flesh, it’s essential to balance it with rational thinking and consider the practical consequences of your choices. Prayerful consideration in decision-making is critical to logical thinking since our emotions can lead us astray.

I remember a season after becoming a Christ-follower when I didn’t trust myself with making decisions because I knew the consequences of my past mistakes. I was reminded that I am not the same person as I was when I made such poor judgment, although I was still valuable and worthwhile in God’s eyes; I am wiser and make better godly choices.

With God’s help, I made a list of all the things I am now that I wasn’t then and came up with eleven things. Such as honesty/truth (I am not hiding secrets anymore), respect for my body, I have boundaries, morals, and a voice to say no, and on and on the list goes.

This is an excellent exercise for anyone questioning themselves, especially for a new Christ-follower. I can trust myself to make decisions because I do not rely on myself. I take all my decisions to God, and this makes a huge difference. So, let’s stop following our hearts, allowing our emotions to make decisions without taking them to God first, and praying for spiritual discernment and the wisdom to stay in step with the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:25).

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24, emphasis added).

“Walk by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16, emphasis added).

“A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones” (Prov. 4:30. MSG, emphasis added).

Triggers

by Angela K. Crow-Mitchell



According to The
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in their Campus
Health newsletter, “A trigger is a stimulus that elicits a reaction. In the context of mental illness, “trigger” is
often used to mean something that brings on or worsens symptoms. This often
happens to people with a history of trauma.”

Triggers can show up when we least expect them. The above article
also provides more information about triggers and responses to them that may be
helpful. Someone recently said that a trigger is an area where healing must
occur. That can be true for some, but for others who have received healing, it
can be a warning – perhaps it is like when we touch a hot burner – if we’ve been
burned before, our reaction is imminent.

Triggers can also act as signals, alerting us to potential
harm. With self-awareness and discernment, we can heed the messages our body
and brain are sending. Often, a red light flashes, indicating a situation that
mirrors a past experience of pain or hurt.

That is not to say that the person or thing triggering the
alert always intends to harm us, but spiritual discernment is necessary. So,
how do we know if the situation is harmful or if the trigger is negatively
affecting our emotions and causing the reaction?   

Our emotions can sometimes lead us astray, but we can always
take a step back, breathe, and seek the truth. Are the person’s actions and
words in harmony? Do they align with the principles of love from a biblical
perspective (I Cor. 13:4-7)? If these truths are evident, are we allowing the
fear of being hurt again to cloud our judgment? This is a tactic of the enemy.
Satan would love to sow discord in godly relationships. If you give him an
inch, he’ll take a mile. That’s why it’s crucial to recognize his strategies
and ask God to remove anything not of Him – or, as I like to say – shoot him in
the foot.

Reminding ourselves of God’s promises and who He is also
helpful. There are many, but three things immediately come to mind: peace,
comfort, and trust. Our God is an everlasting rock (Is. 26:4,
ESV), whom we can trust.  He comforts those
seeking Him and pursuing righteousness (Is. 51:1-3). He offers perfect peace to
those who have faith in the promises of God (Is. 26:3).

The promise of God finds their Yes and Amen in Jesus Christ
(2 Cor. 1;20).

Jesus told His disciples – “Peace I leave with you; my
peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your
hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27, emphasis added).
 That is also a promise for us. Instead
of worrying, we can be thankful and pray in all circumstances (I Thes. 5:18), releasing
it to God, who can carry the weight. I often find myself praying for God to take
all the things that are too heavy for me, which ends up being most things – but
that is okay – He is a good Father who delights in lifting our burdens and
giving us rest (Matt. 11:30).

When the Lord comforts Zion through Isaiah, he reminds them
to look to the rock from which they were hewn and to the quarry from which they
were dug (Is. 51:1). It may seem like a strange statement, but those seeking
the Lord can take great comfort in these words, knowing that we are secure in
the One who created us. We can be reassured that “Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). The Rock is a source of protection.

If you have sensitive triggers from past hurts, like me, take
time to sift through your emotions, ask God what is true, look to the Word for
comfort, and pray for discernment. Use your spiritual weapons to cut off
anything not of God, and cling to His promises for ultimate peace and relief as
you put your trust in the only One who can carry the burdens for you.

Triggers are not all bad, but they must be discerned as we
keep our emotions in check, not allowing them to take over our thoughts and
keep us from living our best lives in the moment without worrying about what
might happen tomorrow. As a friend recently said at church, ‘Tomorrow is not
promised.’ (His mom said it when he was growing up, and now he can relate). What
a fantastic perspective to adopt.

Triggers are real, and I am not dismissing them or the
painful emotions they cause. Instead, I want to share these truths and the hope
that we can overcome them through a relationship with Christ, our Rock, and
Redeemer of all things. It’s not always easy – but it is possible with God’s
help.  

“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” (Phil. 4:6-7, emphasis added).

“Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my
path” (Ps. 119:105, emphasis added).