Crippling Fear

One of the biggest emotions that can cripple a person is fear. We all have experienced fear at some point or another. Fear can keep us from going after our dreams and aspirations.

In the Word- Digging deep into the book of Joshua we can get a glimpse of how fear can spread like a wild fire. Caleb was a faithful servant unto the Lord. Caleb was one of the nine men that was sent to scout out the promise land. When the other men reported giants within the land and expressed their fears, their fear spread through the camp like a fire. Joshua 14: 8 “but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.” Caleb was filled with hope that with God on their side, the land could be taken over. Caleb wanted the people to have faith on God’s promise of deliverance.

What did Jesus have to say about worrying? “Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?’” (Luke 12:22-26, NIV)

Life Application

-          Surrender to God

       The only answer to conquering your fears is by giving them over to God. God will carry every one of your burdens. Caleb acquired this particular skill successfully. Caleb surrendered his fears to the Lord and followed the Lord’s vision for his life. The Lord placed all your burdens on the cross when He died for your sins. 

-          Perfect Peace

      Through Jesus Christ there remains perfect peace. Bring all your worries and fears to the feet of Jesus. He wants us to seek after Him and come to Him in our time of need. Once we become filled with the Holy Spirit we have allowed God to not only transform our souls, but we have allowed Him to penetrate every area of our lives. God does not want an entry pass to one area of our lives, He wants a VIP pass into every corner that we may be hiding from Him. Exposing yourself to the Lord allows you to be set free. Perfect peace is able to overwhelm your heart.

-          Daily Life

              “Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom – Oh how true this is! Worry can consume us. You can spend an entire day circulating your thoughts around what you are worried about. You can sit and watch people walk by laughing and having a good time, while you sit there a prisoner to your own self. God did not want you to be a prisoner to your own thoughts. Our thoughts have the ability to encourage us or defeat us.

-          What will fuel your day?

              Will fear cripple you or will faith consume your soul? Choose to walk steadfast in the faith of the Lord. Overcome your fear with the way of Christ. Do not accept defeat as the final answer. Defeat is nothing, but a roadblock. Defeat is a test to see how much you are willing to fight for what you know is right. Become a believer and leave the doubt at the door. Be thankful for your position within the Lords kingdom. He has given you knew life and has never given up on you. He is your number one fan. The Lord wants to be the energy that pumps through your veins. He wants to be what gets you motivated in the early morning hours.

Confession of the Day: I declare that today is the Lord’s Day. I pray that God will strip away any fear that may be trying to cripple my spirit. I pray that you drive away any negative thoughts that may be trying to consume my thought pattern. I can face anything with the Lord’s help. Lord give me faith in the midst of my doubts.

Key Verses: When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? – (Psalm 56:3-4)

“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears”- (Psalm 34:4).

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6).

Thankfully Content during this Season

What does it really mean to be content you may ask? It isn't a feeling of everything is fine and it isn't having all your needs met. Being content in the season that the Lord has placed you in is a series acceptance.

1. The Lord's Process
     
             The Lord's timing is indeed perfect timing. The Lord hears the prayers of His children. He also knows what we need and when we need it. Often times, the Lord's process involves trials that shape us into what we need to become in order to be able to handle the nest season the Lord has prepared for us. During a trial, it is important to remember that through these hard times the Lord might be sending you through a type of "basic training". Trust in His process.

2. Faithfulness in the Now
         
             There is no chance that the Lord has made a mistake within your situation. We often lack taking the time to understand our circumstances. Being faithful in the midst of the storm is tough to do, but oh how rewarding it truly is. Not only is being faithful glorifying to God, but you gain the ability to withstand hardships. God will show you the way. Let God fight your battles. Remaining faithful will allow God to fully work within your situation.

3. Life is Short

            Life is too short to worry about every little issue that arises. Every morning I think of two things that I'm thankful for. This has trained not only my mind, but it has also trained by heart to search for things to be thankful for. Remember to smile and look for the good in every outcome. Connect with others and share your story of redemption. Joy comes to those that welcome happiness. I have realized over the years that life will pass you by if you let it. I try to be intentional about making plans to take adventures with friends, going to church, visiting family, and truly making time for others. A job is a crucial factor in life, but in the end all that truly matters is the relationships that you carried through life.

4. Trusting God to Provide the "ONE" 

          Being a girl in her early 20's leads to the ever pressing question of so many family members....have you found a man? Nope. God is taking His time preparing whom ever He has called for me. I have peace within this area of my life. I realize that my career and adventurous heart is enough for me to handle right now. I trust that there is a man after God's own heart out there that would be compatible with my lifestyle. Until then, I will continue praising the Lord for all His blessings in my Life.

Thanksgiving break! 

         Thanksgiving break is filled with seeing friends, family, baking, and singing songs around the fire. I love coming home to the mountains and being in a crowded house with family. My family is a very loud, joke cracking, and full of life family. We gather around the kitchen and living room (because there is so many of us) we say a prayer and dig into the food! Afterwards, we always break out the board games and the laughter continues for hours. I love this time of year. Family from out of state and the cousins come in from different colleges to gather together to make memories. I'm thankful this year for all the memories we are making.

Key Verses: 

( Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18) - Being truly content during every season that the Lord has given you is what God desires of us. We are far more blessed than we even realize. 

(And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3:15-17) - Being thankfully content during this season of your life is when peace from the Lord has filled your heart. God has called us to be filled with peace. When we are content we are able to experience joy, even when we may not have full understanding. 

A Prayer to Pray

Lord thank you for your unending blessings and for your guidance through every season of my life. I pray that you have continue to remind me that I must be content when when I may not have all the answers.  

No Longer Living like the World

      What you expose yourself to has the potential to alter the way you think and act. The people that you surround yourself with is often times a reflection of your values. As my parents would tell me as a teenager, "you are the company that you keep." It took me a couple years to realize that all the advice and warnings that they gave me, about hanging around the wrong group of friends, was what I wish  I had listened to. Flashback to a couple years ago.....

Double Life

        Oh how easy it truly is to slip into a lifestyle that is spiritually empty. Doing things that I'm not proud of, and hiding the truth was something that became the norm. If all my friends could do it and get away with it, then I could easily do the same. After a while, it started to become so draining on my life. Week after week of living it up and then sitting in a church on Sundays become so hard to emotional deal with. As a teenager, there is so much pressure to fit "in" and be "Miss Popular." Until you truly sit yourself down one night and lay your heart out to God, will you have that peace. 

Decision Time

       Papers were scattered all over my bedroom floor as I tried to think of what to say to my friends. I had been writing out all the things I wanted to say to them. I wanted to explain to them why I didn't want to participate in their activities anymore. I wanted to express how Jesus Christ not only saved me as a child, but how He also welcomed me back home as a teenager that was full of regrets and a repenting heart. 

LIVING FOR THE RISEN!

      Oh, how prosperous this life is living for the Lord. Living a life for God is one journey that is a never ending ride all the way into eternity. Though many of the friends walked away due to me not conforming to their ways, I am at peace with God. The only approval in life that truly matters is the Lord's approval. It still can be difficult at times to realize the value that you held within those friendships. God's grace is sufficient, God's grace IS ENOUGH. God is above all things. Christ forgave me, Christ renewed me, Christ breathed His breath of life into my lungs so I could breathe new life. Christ will help you overcome any battle that you may be facing. 

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2

Staying on Track

It can be so hard to stay on the right track sometimes. We all will make mistakes and stumble along the way, but we must not make a habit out of it. Staying on track with the Lord is about becoming intentional with staying close to God and keeping your life pointed towards His Glory and His ways! I have a list below of some ways that might help you stay on track with the Lord. 

      

•  Stay Plugged into the Word of God - daily devotionals is a great way to become engaged with the Holy Spirit. In order to grow and learn you must continually feed your soul. 

• Christian Music - "Oh be careful little ears of what you hear" - this is such a true statement! What we allow our hears to be exposed to will overflow into our hearts and minds. Christian Music has all kinds of genres too! 

• A Church Family! - A solid church will not only fill your heart with passion, but it will inspire you to go out and change the world! 

• Godly Friendships - This one might be the most difficult one to overcome. A friendship that is based on being uplifting and encouraging is one that will last a lifetime. I never truly knew what a friendship was until I was given some of the most amazing friendships ever by God. Being able to truly enjoy another persons company is a blessing. 

• Positive Thoughts! - “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”  ~ Robert Louis Stevenson ~ The way that we view certain outcomes from situations will affect not only our emotional health, but our physical health also. Take care of your mind and body by providing yourself with positive thoughts.