Tag: faith

Categories
Uncategorized

Anxiousness

Our dog Daisy hates rain and stormy weather. She responds by going under our bed or in the corner behind our end table. She barks in fear and shakes uncontrollably. I try to hold her and tell her it’s going to be okay but she continues to shake. Even hours after the rain has stopped she has serious fear and anxiety.

God reminded me that I have been much like Daisy in the past with my anxiety. Granted I didn’t respond exactly the same, but I’ve been inconsolable. God has tried to comfort me through His Word. Doctors have tried to diagnose my condition. Friends have said words of love and care. Though, when you are in the midst of anxiety and fear, you have no idea how to stop it and make yourself feel better again. It’s as if your fear and anxiety take over and rob you of truly living a joyful happy life.

For those who may have never experienced anxiety, these are some things that can happen to a person when they feel anxious over a period of time.

1.) They sometimes feel like they can’t get a full breath, which is scary. I went to the hospital quite a few times because I couldn’t breath well.

2.) They have racing thoughts that keep them from resting at night.

3.) They feel like their life is out of control. So they begin doing things to try and gain control.

The times in my life that I experienced the most anxiety were when we first moved to the Philippines. We were only there three weeks before my husband Wade began traveling for work in South East Asia. My children were 5 and 7 at the time. We were all trying to adjust to a new culture, language, a huge city, and extremely crazy drivers.

In the first year there, we experienced a bombing five minutes away from our home. This shook our home and terrified us all. Wade was traveling at the time, so it was even more scary.

We found out that the main road we lived off of was nicknamed, “The Highway of Death”. There were many car accidents and deaths that took place of this road. This made me feel afraid to get in our Toyota Revo and drive even close by.

I began to realize that we were really alone and stuck on an island half way across the world. No one really wanted to visit us because it took 24 hours or more to get to Manila. Wade’s sister Donna was the only visitor from the US we ever received in our 9 years of living overseas. I found out over time how much loneliness isolates you.

I care about how anxiety has effected your life. When have you felt the most anxious? How did you try to console yourself? How did others reach out to you at that time?

Let me leave you with this quote. “Anxiety was born in the very same moment as mankind. And since we will never be able to master it, we will have to learn to live with it—just as we have learned to live with storms.” Paulo Coelho

Categories
Uncategorized

Say The Word

This passage come from a wonderful section of scripture that talks about the amazing faith of a man in leadership. This man was a centurion. He was a soldier in the Roman army and had 100 men under him that he instructed and lead. Can you imagine being in charge of such a large number of people and having them under your authority?

Let me give you a brief look at this story of the centurion and Jesus. The centurion comes to Jesus with with a plea for help. His servant is sick, paralyzed, and is suffering. Jesus responds to his need for help by saying, “Shall I come and heal him?” Then the centurion responds, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word and my servant will be healed.” He says to Jesus that he is a man under authority. “I tell this one, ‘Go’, and he goes and that one, ‘Come’, and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this’, and he does it.” Jesus responds in amazement. “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such faith.” “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.” (Matt. 8:8-10,13)

I along with Jesus was amazed by the centurion’s faith. He put his trust in the authority and power of Jesus. He knew from his own experience of telling others what to do that Jesus could do the very same thing with his servant’s sickness. The centurion was also a humble man. He said I don’t deserve for you to come into my home. I see him here elevating Jesus and placing himself in a more submissive role.

There is a lot we can learn from this Roman official. How can we have similar faith that he exhibited with Jesus? Think on the things you pray for and take to God on a daily basis. Do you believe that Jesus can move, work, and heal in your situation?

How can we have the same submissive posture that the centurion showed? Reflect now on your own posture with Jesus. Do you elevate Jesus in the way you respond to Him or how you speak to others about Him. Is he in is rightful place, enthroned on high, the name above every name?

Let’s be men and women of true faith and humility. Let us come to Jesus believing that He can do anything we ask according to His perfect will. What a wonderful Savior and King we can come to who modeled perfect humility to us. (Phil. 2:5-8). Let’s learn more about His submission to the Father so we can become like Him in every way.

Categories
Uncategorized

Take Courage

I came to the realization yesterday that the character quality I most admire in another individual is courage. Courage is “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, or pain without fear: bravery.”

I would encourage you to read Matthew 14:22-31 as it gives you the context to this particular verse. I will attempt to condense it down into a short paragraph. The disciples were sent out on a boat by Jesus who stayed behind and found a quiet place to pray. When Jesus finished praying, he sees the boat is a far distance away. Sometime between 3 and 6AM, Jesus walks out on the water to the boat. The disciples see him and are afraid. That is when Jesus says, “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” Then Peter boldly says, Jesus if it’s you tell me to come out on the water. Jesus calls for Peter to come to Him. Peter begins walking, looks around at the waves, becomes afraid, and begins to sink. Jesus reaches out his hand to catch him. Then Jesus remarks to Peter, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

This segment of scripture is jam packed with a lot I could write about today but I will choose to focus on how Jesus encouraged his disciples to have courage and how Peter walked on the water courageously. I absolutely love that Jesus said to his disciples to “take courage.” How many times in your life have you been encouraged to “take courage”? For me it is when we moved our young family over to the Philippines in 2007. We had never lived overseas or lived in a mega city. A couple that were instrumental in us moving there encouraged and challenged our faith and believed in us. It was as if they were saying to us Take courage Wade. Take courage Christine. You’ve got this.

So Peter steps out of the boat and crazily walks on water to Jesus!! Can you imagine what that must have felt like? He was stepping out in faith to Jesus. How is Jesus compelling you today to climb out of the boat and walk on the water? For me, it actually is in my writing the blog daily. Some days I am filled with self doubt and think, I can’t get out the boat today. I don’t think I have anything to offer others. This can paralyze me at times. What challenges keep you from stepping out in faith? I would encourage you to write out todays scripture and put it somewhere where you will see it daily. Let Jesus’s words help you to get out of the boat and take courage. I know you can do it. Write to me today and let me know how Jesus is calling you to TAKE COURAGE.

Categories
Uncategorized

Children of the Day

You and I belong to the day if we are children of God. What does it mean to belong to the day? We do things in the light and do not participate in evil things that take place in darkness. But instead, we are the LIGHT of the world. (Matt. 5:14). The very light of Christ resides in believers. The light illuminates and penetrates wherever it shines. We are to faithfully shine out His light by our words, deeds, and our actions.

“Let us be sober.” If we aren’t sober, then we are drunk. If you have ever been in that state, then you know you are no longer in control of yourself but are controlled by whatever alcohol you are consuming. This makes you very unstable and unable to think clearly. You willingly do things you would never do unless under the influence. We need not only to be sober physically, but spiritually too. Sober minded and showing self control.

“Putting on faith as a breastplate.” When I hear the word breastplate, I immediately think of the armor of God found in Ephesians 6:10-17. These are passages that tell us about the different parts of armor that every believer needs to be wearing. The breastplate in a physical sense protects your vital organs. In a spiritual sense we are to put on faith a like a breastplate over our hearts. Faith an important part of a christian’s walk. Faith is our belief and trust in Christ and God. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Heb. 11:6) Faith activates our actions.

“Love as a breastplate.” Love is what Jesus commanded us to do in the gospels. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:37,39) Love is a powerful thing when focused on these two commands. I would challenge you to think today how you can express your love to God and to others. Put LOVE into action!

“Hope of Salvation as a helmet.” Hope is such a beautiful word. Hope is an expectancy of what is to come. We have hope of our salvation. One day we will see Jesus face to face. Oh what a day that will be! Revelations 12:10 tells us “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of Christ have come!!” Tell someone today of this hope of salvation that you have and stand amazed at what the Lord will do.

Categories
Uncategorized

Trust In Him

Morning, there is something life giving and hopeful about a new day.  Psalm 5:3 tells, In the morning, O Lord you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.  How is it that you begin your day?  For me it’s with a cup of coffee, journal, and a bible study.  I find myself running to the Father into His arms of unfailing love.  I know he has things He wants me to know so I will be ready to face the day.  

This communicates to God my trust in Him.  Trust is the “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, and surety.”  What are other ways we can show God that we trust Him?  Obeying His Word and stepping out in faith are two that I can think of.  How have you done these 2 things this week?  

For me, it was stepping out in faith.  I was challenged to take a cohosting role for an online conference that we are having very soon.  I didn’t say yes immediately, I wanted to pray about it and see what a God had to say.  He lead me to some verses on the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives.  How He teaches us what to say, encourages us, and gives us wisdom in what to do.  God revealed to my heart this wasn’t about what I would do but instead what the Holy Spirit would do through me.  This gave me confidence to step out in faith and say yes!  The old Christine would have said no right away, but the new Christine sought the Lord’s direction and He clearly revealed what he desired for me do.  

This week let’s entrust ourselves to our loving Father and see what incredible and faith worthy things He would have do or communicate to another.