Do you ever have the broken feeling? You know the one. It feels like the rest of the world is marching forward, but you're just spinning your wheels. You watch as others celebrate the victories you wished you had. You know you should rejoice with them, but you can't help but wonder what is wrong with you.
Maybe you feel like your prayers aren't being heard, or worse God has chosen to leave you in your rebellion.
You feel your soul shrinking by the hour. The light of hope wanes, and the darkness begins to close in on you. You feel alone in a crowd, and have to struggle to get through the day. You're always worried that people will see your brokenness, and reject you.
You hunger for change, but dread that it will take you to places you don't want to go. Or worse, if you attempt to change, you'll only fail (again). So you fold your expectations away, put them in a box, and stuff them in the darkest corner of the closet of your heart.
You just keep messing up. You're starting to wonder if you were ever truly saved. Why hasn't Jesus stepped in to save the day? Even as the words enter your mind, you know they are wrong, but you can't stop thinking them.
You feel like you're backed in a corner. There is no one who can help you. If you tell anyone, they only confirm your worst fears--you are a deceived hypocrite without any hope of salvation.
What if that broken feeling was meant to make you stop running? What if it was meant to bring you to a place of surrender? What if God is really telling you, "Stop flopping around, I have got you. I won't let you go."
The truth is there are people to whom you can talk. The Lord has not nor will he forsake you. There comes a time during those broken moments when we have to stop thrashing around in our self-pity and limited perspective. We just have to yield to the wisdom of the Lord, and cry out, "Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord be my helper" (Psalm 30:10).
Showing posts with label Anxiety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anxiety. Show all posts
Friday, December 7, 2012
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Able and Worthy
Have you ever spent the better part of a day anticipating bad news? Or in some cases, days or weeks? I don't know about you, but my nerves get on edge. I imagine dozens (sometimes hundreds) of crazy scenarios that go from bad to worse. I'm easily agitated. I get snippy or snappy or crabby.
At times like that I find myself caught between the intense, raw emotional experience and my faith in God. Intellectually, I know that God is good and merciful. I also know that he is righteous and just. I know that a believer is not excused from hardship, and that God often allows us to experience the consequences of our sins.
I find myself caught in the tension of these truths. I want grace, not justice. However, I know that God doesn't bend to my will. I want mercy, not consequences.
I moments like these, I am confident in God's ability. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he can deliver me from them, but I am not always certain he will (or that he should).
A lack of certainty, is not doubt. Take Daniel's three friends: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When faced with the fiery furnace, they responded, "We don't need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serves exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up" (Dan. 3:16-18, HCSB). It didn't matter what happened, they rested on two important truths: God is able to deliver, and He is worthy of service even if he doesn't deliver.
The problem with worry is so much of it is wasted. We fear things that never actualize. They feel real in our minds, but they never come to pass. To often, we worry about all the wrong things. Things that should concern us, we ignore. Things that don't really matter, we blow out of proportion. Either way, it's wasted time.
When God delivers you from that thing you feared, I encourage you to spend time in praise. Then, reflect on the opportunity he has given you. Seize your moment, make the necessary changes, and slay that fear that drove you to worry. If God has chosen to allow you to face that which you fear, rest in his grace, and he will strengthen you for the days ahead. But never forget, he is able to deliver you, and still worthy of your worship if he doesn't.
At times like that I find myself caught between the intense, raw emotional experience and my faith in God. Intellectually, I know that God is good and merciful. I also know that he is righteous and just. I know that a believer is not excused from hardship, and that God often allows us to experience the consequences of our sins.
I find myself caught in the tension of these truths. I want grace, not justice. However, I know that God doesn't bend to my will. I want mercy, not consequences.
I moments like these, I am confident in God's ability. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he can deliver me from them, but I am not always certain he will (or that he should).
A lack of certainty, is not doubt. Take Daniel's three friends: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When faced with the fiery furnace, they responded, "We don't need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serves exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up" (Dan. 3:16-18, HCSB). It didn't matter what happened, they rested on two important truths: God is able to deliver, and He is worthy of service even if he doesn't deliver.
The problem with worry is so much of it is wasted. We fear things that never actualize. They feel real in our minds, but they never come to pass. To often, we worry about all the wrong things. Things that should concern us, we ignore. Things that don't really matter, we blow out of proportion. Either way, it's wasted time.
When God delivers you from that thing you feared, I encourage you to spend time in praise. Then, reflect on the opportunity he has given you. Seize your moment, make the necessary changes, and slay that fear that drove you to worry. If God has chosen to allow you to face that which you fear, rest in his grace, and he will strengthen you for the days ahead. But never forget, he is able to deliver you, and still worthy of your worship if he doesn't.
Friday, April 9, 2010
The Trouble with Anxiety
"Anxiety in a man's heart weights him down, but a good word makes him glad" (Prov. 12:25, ESV).
It is a dangerous thing to give into anxiety. Anxiety strips the heart of its strength. It causes the colors of life to fade. Anxiety forces us to fixate on potentialities. We play games like "what-ifs" and "if-onlys," and in the end our time is wasted by the games we play.
Anxiety only makes sense in a world without a sovereign God. Once we acknowledge that God is sovereign, we must realize he is in control. Providence is a term that applies to the practical outworking of God's sovereignty within history. When we speak of providence, we speak of God's unseen hand that moves history along toward the appointed consummation.
Anxiety suggests that we do not believe (trust) in God's sovereignty, or that we believe him to be in control, but untrustworthy. Anxiety exists because we are unconvinced of God's ability to care for us, his willingness to help us, or both.
I need to say here that anxiety and concern, while related, are not the same thing. We may be concerned with situation, because we cannot see all ends, yet still trust that God is in control. However, anxiety is absence of trust. The anxious person doesn't know how things will unfold, but they are certain it won't be good.
Friends, anxiety will weigh you down. Put your trust in the Lord. He has demonstrated that he is willing and able to save you. Be still and know He is God.
It is a dangerous thing to give into anxiety. Anxiety strips the heart of its strength. It causes the colors of life to fade. Anxiety forces us to fixate on potentialities. We play games like "what-ifs" and "if-onlys," and in the end our time is wasted by the games we play.
Anxiety only makes sense in a world without a sovereign God. Once we acknowledge that God is sovereign, we must realize he is in control. Providence is a term that applies to the practical outworking of God's sovereignty within history. When we speak of providence, we speak of God's unseen hand that moves history along toward the appointed consummation.
Anxiety suggests that we do not believe (trust) in God's sovereignty, or that we believe him to be in control, but untrustworthy. Anxiety exists because we are unconvinced of God's ability to care for us, his willingness to help us, or both.
I need to say here that anxiety and concern, while related, are not the same thing. We may be concerned with situation, because we cannot see all ends, yet still trust that God is in control. However, anxiety is absence of trust. The anxious person doesn't know how things will unfold, but they are certain it won't be good.
Friends, anxiety will weigh you down. Put your trust in the Lord. He has demonstrated that he is willing and able to save you. Be still and know He is God.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Speak a Good Word to an Anxious Heart
"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad" (Prov. 12:25, ESV).
Solomon offers sound advise. When anxiety has plagues a person, they need a good word to make them glad. Anxiety often drives us to depression, fear, anger, and the like. It causes us to be weighed down.
Jesus states, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or drink, nor about your body, what you will put on . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matt. 6:25, 33).
Isn't that a good word? Doesn't lighten your heart? Jesus expressly tells us that we have value to the heavenly Father. He tells us that anxiety is pointless, because it is rooted in a lack of trust. If we will seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, that is, if we will cling to Christ by faith and walk in obedience, God will never fail to provide for us.
The human experience is such the anxiety is a common occurrence. There are so many variables in our life, that it is difficult to know the outcome of any given situation. However, knowledge of the Lord takes most of the guest work out of life. Now I don't mean to sound naive. Trusting the Lord does not mean that our lives will be devoid of trials and tribulation.
Jesus promises us that we will have trials and tribulation in this world, but he also promises to be with us.
We don't have to guess if the Lord loves us, he has already proven it. We don't have to guess if he desires what is best for us, he has already affirmed that to be the case. We don't have to guess what tomorrow holds, because we know who holds tomorrow. We can stop worrying and trust the Lord. We can speak his good Word into our heavy hearts and find the burdens lifted.
Solomon offers sound advise. When anxiety has plagues a person, they need a good word to make them glad. Anxiety often drives us to depression, fear, anger, and the like. It causes us to be weighed down.
Jesus states, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or drink, nor about your body, what you will put on . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matt. 6:25, 33).
Isn't that a good word? Doesn't lighten your heart? Jesus expressly tells us that we have value to the heavenly Father. He tells us that anxiety is pointless, because it is rooted in a lack of trust. If we will seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, that is, if we will cling to Christ by faith and walk in obedience, God will never fail to provide for us.
The human experience is such the anxiety is a common occurrence. There are so many variables in our life, that it is difficult to know the outcome of any given situation. However, knowledge of the Lord takes most of the guest work out of life. Now I don't mean to sound naive. Trusting the Lord does not mean that our lives will be devoid of trials and tribulation.
Jesus promises us that we will have trials and tribulation in this world, but he also promises to be with us.
We don't have to guess if the Lord loves us, he has already proven it. We don't have to guess if he desires what is best for us, he has already affirmed that to be the case. We don't have to guess what tomorrow holds, because we know who holds tomorrow. We can stop worrying and trust the Lord. We can speak his good Word into our heavy hearts and find the burdens lifted.
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