Reflections on the Book Winning the War on Worry - Lie #3

 My Mother and Father were both major-league-worriers.  They spent all of their lives while I was around, worrying about something.  My Mom was afraid of everything, which caused her to worry constantly.  My Dad never really made much of a distinction between a big problem and a little problem.  To him, all problems were equally bad and required an equally extreme reaction.  Worry framed his face.  Neither of them really knew how to relax.  Every single afternoon after dinner, they would both sit on a swing on the front porch of our house and ponder the day's issues.  To the regular passerby, they looked as if they were chillaxing.  We knew, though, that they were quietly mulling over problems and worries.  I don't think either of them ever heard anyone say to them anything like:  give it to God.  He is in control.  Let it go.  Trust Him.  Worrying won't solve anything.

Sigh...

I grew up in that environment.  It never occurred to me to think that there was some choice involved in worrying.  I never thought about the fact that there are levels to problems: some are big and some are little...what? no way...a problem is a problem, is a problem and I need to worry no matter what.  I can't choose not to worry!  That's crazy?  Who could possibly control their emotions in such a way? NOBODY! Once a worrier, always a worrier, especially if you were born that way and into a family of worriers.

Well, apparently, that way of thinking was forged by a tradition of believing a big lie the enemy wants to spread on unsuspecting people like me.  As stated by Pastor Giglio, the devil's #3 lie is precisely, "I have no choice-I'm born a worrier."

OK...I guess my lifetime of blaming genetics for my inability to exercise self-control in the arena of worrying is coming to a very abrupt end...because if Pastor Giglio is right...I've just been duped into believing that I was born this way and there isn't anything that I can do about it.  In reality, even though we might have a genetic tendency toward worry...we are born again into a family whose Father does not worry or has ever worried or will never worry EVER!  Like Pastor Giglio says, "there's no doubting the fact that He is concerned for us..." but He does not worry in the same sense we do.  We belong to a new family where worry is a sign of mistrust.  

The truth is that God's got us and all our problems.  He is in control and our job is to surrender and to trust His plan and His will.  HE IS ENOUGH!

When we indulge in worrying, we fall for the enemy's trap that tells us we are the ones in control.  He knows we are NOT enough...so he deceives us and manipulates us into believing we are in charge because he knows we will fail and be even more miserable than when we first started worrying.  The enemy knows we will forget we are not enough and will dupe us into buying the idea that we can take care of things on our own...and the vicious cycle starts and never ends...or it ends with us defeated.

Pastor Francis Chan said something similar:  "Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is Big Enough, Powerful Enough, or Loving Enough to take care of what's happening in our lives." Therefore, instead of wasting our time worrying and circling around our fears over and over and over again in a most inefficient way...let's make sure that at the first sign of worry we start moving closer to the Word so we can be under the protection of the Most High as we focus our energy and efforts on surrendering and trusting on the Center of Life, Power and Love that is Our Great God.

No matter how long we have been believing this lie, we can change our mind frame by the Power of The One Who Makes All Things New! Let's put our faith in Him and start believe the truth!

Reflections on the Book Winning the War on Worry: Lie #2

I have been watching many crime-style-movies lately.  The "who-done-it" hooks me, and before I know it, I'm playing homicide detective.  In these shows, "motive" is always an important key.  The detectives are always looking for it. Until they find it, they can't build a solid case around a suspect.  In many of these shows, we find out at the end, the motivation to commit the crime stems from a lie.  The culprit ends up usually not being a serial killer, but a misguided individual who told a lie and has to cover it up or was told a lie and believed it...which caused him/her to an extreme reaction...usually a murder.  Even serial killers' motivation and M.O. are often linked to some sort of lie in their past.  

At any rate, as I continue my careful reading of Louie Giglio's book Winning the War on Worry, chapter 1 tells us "worry is a liar."  And the second lie the enemy uses on us is: "the more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."  So, "the motive" for worrying is to avoid or keep "it" (whatever "it" might be) from actually happening.  At first glance, this statement didn't seem to apply to me all that much.  But then, as I started to look at worry in terms of a "crime" I started to look at what my motivation for worrying might be.  And the funny thing is, many, many times, I just worry for the sake of worrying.  It's my M.O.  I don't even know why I do.  I just worry because if I'm not worried, I start worrying that there's something I need to be worried about, but I'm not sure what it is, so I start digging around until I find something I need to worry about and then I'm like, "see? I knew it!"

However, what if my incessant need to worry emerges from the fact that long ago, longer than I can remember, I believed a lie from the enemy who made me think that the more I worry, the less likely it is for that worst case scenario to happen.  Therefore, I began to worry motivated by this lie I had believed in, and worry became my M.O. and it has been my habitual way of acting ever since.

How diabolical...

The truth is, worry doesn't keep anything from happening.  In fact, worrying only makes things worst.  It makes us panicky and when we panic, we can't think rationally.  Fear makes us act erratically, and mistakes are made because we go on "survival" mode.  And I don't know about you, but my survival mode is terrifying, especially to those around me.  I become hysterical and destructive.  I can't think and I often hurt everyone I cross paths with.  The enemy knows that about me.  Hence, the lie.  Making me believe this lie will ensure that I am in a constant state of fret and disarray, unable to calm down and think...and pray...

What to do?

First step, like Pastor Giglio says, "become adept at spotting the lies worry tells you" so you and I can become experts at dismantling them, rendering them ineffective. Then, "lean in and trust God." Pastor Giglio continues on page 6, "one of the greatest tools to help counter the temptation to worry is recalling the faithfulness of God"...the faithfulness of God tells you, "today I will do for you what I did yesterday, and the day before, and the days before that.  Faithfulness is the fuel of peace for today."  Remembering God's Faithfulness and recounting all the instances in which He has delivered us and blessed us is the antidote against worry and the key to regaining His peace.  

I know it is hard for someone for whom worrying is the default reaction to life's hurdles.  That's why we need back up.  Just like in the crime-style-movies, detectives who have the presence of mind to call for back up before engaging in something that is potentially going to end in harm, usually survive violent encounters...we worriers need to make sure we reach out to our back up at the first tingle of fear.  And the first one to call, the one on your #1 spot in your speed dial is:  The Holy Spirit.  A quick 911 to the Holy Spirit to make His presence manifested in the situation will make the difference between succumbing to the weapons of the enemy or staying firm on solid ground.  Then, reach out to your prayer warriors.  Establish a small circle of sisters in Christ to whom you can always place emergency calls or texts and recruit them to lift you up in prayer and serve as a sounding boards on your struggle.  And of course, go to Jesus in Scripture.  Stay in the Word always.  The same way the enemy does not rest or get distracted on his mission to disrupt our lives, we must stay in the Word every day, making it part of who we are, memorizing and praying without ceasing.

Well, I guess it's time to go find out who's done it this time in my current movie I have on pause :) but before that, I pray that we can stay connected to His promises of peace like a river, beyond our understanding, trusting He is the Faithful One who walks with us and tells us, fear not.  In the Precious Name of Jesus, The One Who Has Overcome Every Trial for me.  Amen!

   

Reflections on the Book Winning the War on Worry: Part 2 - Lie #1

 "You always have to go to the worst possible case scenario!"

Boy, have I heard that often in my life...sigh...I always attributed that nasty quality of mine to my negative nature.  I never thought it was something I could control.  I mean, how much can you force yourself to be a positive thinker, really? To me that would be like me forcing myself to be 4 inches taller than I am.  I mean, how do I do that? I guess I could fake it by wearing 4-inch-heel shoes and pretending to be able to walk on those.  At the end of the day, though...I'm still not 6-foot tall.

Pastor Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry tells us how worry is not from God.  Worry is a tool of the enemy and he uses it to manipulate us and to make us drift away from The Almighty.  When the enemy uses worry to enslave us, he employs 4 lies, and the first one is:  "something really bad is going to happen."  It's not that bad things don't happen.  They do.  We have experienced that reality.  We live in a fallen world and of course bad scenarios are often unavoidable.  However, the trick is to remember that not because we are facing something seemingly terrible, the worst possible thing is actually going to be the outcome.  Sometimes it will be and what we fear most will come to pass.  But, more often than not, the horrible thing we fear might happen, does not happen.  

The point is, why worry? I remember one of my first bosses a thousand years ago, used to say, "keep calm and do your job.  There's plenty of time to panic later."  And if we think about it, it's true!  We don't know what the future holds.  We may have a sense...a feeling...but we don't really know for sure.  God's plan is perfect, and He has a way to make everything work out in the end.  We might have to go through some tribulations for a while, but we know how the story ends: we running to the arms of Jesus...so, come what may!

There is a supernatural peace that comes to us when we surrender our fears to our Lord...and as such, precisely because it is supernatural, it doesn't come naturally.  It comes by allowing the Holy Spirit to take over our thoughts and by filling our minds with Scripture.  So when the hard times do come, we are prepared and we trust that Jesus will equip us to face it, and above all, that He will be going through the fire and high waters with us.

I don't know how effective I will be at modifying my perspective from worst-case-scenario to "I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength." But I am glad to hear that by being aware this is a lie from the devil, I can recognize it when it threatens to overtake me with its darkness.  Once I recognize it is the enemy trying to defeat me, I can invoke the Holy Spirit to guard me and lead me back to His Light.

In the meantime, I cling to the hope that is Jesus.  And as I learn to immerse myself into His Word and trust it more and more each day, I know He will rescue me.  In the Precious Name of My Lord and Savior Who is Truth.  Amen!

Reflections on Book Winning the War on Worry

 "You worry too much.  Just enjoy the ride!" 

Someone told me that many years ago.  To tell you the truth, I had no idea what that meant.  I still don't think I'm 100% sure I understand the idea of seeing life as a "ride" which I should enjoy and not as a valley of darkness and fears that I must constantly fret about.  How does one even begin to approach life like that?  I have no idea.  I guess, maybe, looking more closely to the analogy of a "ride" could bring some light into this matter...let's see...a ride...a ride...

Well, I don't ride horses or motorcycles or skateboards. I have not been on a bicycle in decades.  I do, however, ride in cars...but better yet, my mind just went to rides at amusement parks.  I do enjoy those very much!  We didn't have amusement parks in Panama when I was growing up down there so I never really experienced the thrill of a good ride until I was in my early twenties.  I still remember the first time I rode in the Steel Phantom at Kennywood!  WOW!

I think I passed down my love for amusement park rides to my sons.  They practically grew up riding them.  I remember pushing Grant and then later Dylan on our little umbrella stroller around many parks, and as soon as they were tall enough, they began to ride.  One of my favorite memories was of the first time we took them to Disney.  Dylan was only 5 years old.  We were in line to ride the Tower of Terror and Dylan asked Dan:  "Daddy, are we going to die?"  Poor child...it was terrifying, indeed, but he did it and we all survived.  It was exhilarating! We still continue to go to amusement parks as much as we can.  Last year we went to Universal and we stood in line for 2 hours to ride the new Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.  It was probably the best ride I've ever been in.  It was surprising and unique.  Not much like any other.  Of course, now I have to take something like Dramamine or Bonine to keep my lunch steady inside my tummy...but I enjoyed every bit of that ride...hmmm...

Why am I able to enjoy these crazy rides without worrying one bit about anything?

Let's see...I don't worry about a thing because I trust that the amusement park has taken every precaution to make sure the rides, while scary, are totally safe.  I trust that even though the climbing is steep, the turns are crazy, and there are many bumps along the way, at the end, I will land without harm.  Well...I wonder...if I can trust the corporations that own the amusement parks (which only care about profit) to keep me safe...why can't I trust My Amazing God, who wonderfully and carefully made me and loves me so much that He sent His Only Son to save me?  

Perhaps the reason I can blindly trust Kennywood, Disney, and Universal but have a hard time fully trusting the God of All Creation is because I'm believing the lies the enemy feeds me about God and His Goodness.  

Louie Giglio in the book, Winning the War on Worry points out something in chapter 1 that really got to me.  He says:  "We've already established that the root of worry is fear.  And fear doesn't come from God.  Thus, at the heart of worry is the devil.  And Scripture is clear - the devil is a liar." (page 1)

He adds:  "worry isn't just a bad habit.  Worry is an enemy tactic - a strategy built on lies that are designed to rob you of peace and tear your mind to pieces." (page 1)

There you have it.  I don't think I ever heard this message any clearer.  Worry is NOT from God.  On the contrary.  He wants us to trust Him completely to the point that we worry about nothing because He is in charge...our lives are in His Hands...the most capable and trustworthy hands ever.  But we do worry.  We worry because the enemy is skillful and he knows how to infiltrate our defenses in ways that are often imperceptible to us.  And if we are not aware of this truth, or we allow ourselves to forget it, we begin to believe all the lies he feeds us and worry takes over.  

Well, I am deeply grateful to the Holy Spirit for guiding authors like Pastor Giglio to write about this topic.  And I'm deeply grateful to my dear friend for bringing this book to my attention.  And, above all, I'm most gratefully delighted for the love of My Lord and Savior, whose patience is inexhaustible and whose care is unending.  I pray that as I read this little book I can finally understand that it is possible to worry less and enjoy the crazy ride of this life more.  In Jesus' Precious Name, the Name that deserves all of our trust.  Amen! 

Struggle with Worry? Maybe the Next Series of Posts Can Help

 Struggles with worry? Me? 

Nah!!!

HA!  I don't struggle with worry.  I embrace it...I look for it.  I worry even when there's nothing to worry about thinking, why...thinking, maybe I should be worried about something.  Yep, worry is me, alright...deep sigh...

When my dear friend brought up the book Winning the War on Worry by Louie Giglio, my first thought was..."yeah right? like that's a war I can win...sure..."

I'm ashamed of my inability to trust God's power completely.

But, I bought the book.  I've read the introduction. And I'm ready to put on the Armor of God to fight in this war, because I'm sick of being oppressed by fear and worry.  It's about time I stop my defeating attitude and dive into the arms of Jesus, the One Who Has Defeated evil and exposed all his tricks.  It's about time I surrender to Christ, trust His promises, and let Him scoop me out of the pit I've dug for myself.

As I read this little book, I'm going to try to use this space to process my reflections and sort my thoughts.  I hope it is useful to whoever is reading my musings and maybe we can walk together on this road to freedom, guided by the Light of His Presence.  In the Precious Name of Jesus we pray.  Amen!

Fellowship: 2024 Word of the Year

 I'm not sure what happened, but I blinked and 2023 was over.  The last few months went by so fast that my head is still spinning.  In the whirlwind of things, I have not had very many moments to sit down and write...and I'm not sure as to why...but there's no time for regrets, right? So here I am...on the second day of 2024 talking about my word for the year.  And the word is:  fellowship.

My word for last year was "genuine."

Unfortunately, I have to admit that I was not able to keep to it 100% of the time.  However, I can honestly say that I did have very special moments of genuine fellowship which made me realize the importance of this practice.  The moments that stand out the most revolved around book chats.  I was blessed with being a part of two book chats, one over the summer and one in the fall, which gave me plenty of opportunities to fellowship with dear sisters in Christ and see friendships blossom as we grew closer to one another and to Christ.  I also had chances to fellowship with my own family as we shared super special moments driving through Arizona, surrounded by a beauty so intense that moved us to worship.  

But, what is fellowship, and why is it important?

Well, briefly, the word fellowship is derived from the Greek word koinonia. Koinonia can be defined as “holding something in common” and is specifically used 20 times in the New Testament (e.g. Phil. 2:1-2, Acts 2:42, 1 John 1:6-7). Koinonia describes the unity of the Spirit that comes from Christians’ shared beliefs, convictions, and behaviors. When those shared values are in place, genuine koinonia (biblical fellowship) occurs. This fellowship produces our mutual cooperation in God’s worship, God’s work, and God’s will being done in the world. (Grace Theological Seminary)

Fellowship is an integral part of Christianity and it is a tool that the Holy Spirit uses to help us grow in our faith.  Through that unity that emerges when Christians gather together and share their beliefs, convictions and way of living, the body of Christ, the church becomes stronger and so do individuals.  Think about it.  Has it happened to you that sometimes you are at a Bible study or maybe even just casually having a conversation with some sisters in Christ and there is a discussion of a topic or a passage of Scripture that you thought you were very familiar with, and all of a sudden, you hear insights on that topic or particular passage that you never thought about before, making the whole thing completely fresh and new?  That is the gift of fellowship.  

There is a reason the Bible calls us to fellowship with other believers.  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1: 9, "you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."  We are invited to partake in the divine fellowship of the Trinity between Jesus, The Father and The Holy Spirit, our most perfect example of perfect Koinonia.  It is in this unity that we experience a glimpse of paradise here on Earth.  

Well, 2024 is here, and it is my prayer that I can be intentional about participating more intensely in Christian fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ.  May we all walk in the Light together, as 1 John 1: 7 says,

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

And as we walk in the Light, may we encourage one another, bear each other's burdens, and make each other better, as iron sharpens iron.  In the Precious Name of Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith.  

Happy New Year!!!

Keeping the Sabbath Holy

 With the falling leaves comes the season of busyness.  School is well underway, sports banquets are planned, festivals and craft shows crowd the weekends and endless errands usher in the holidays.  Believe it or not, the end of the year is near and before we wrap our heads around the fact that 2023 will be history soon, 2024 will be here.  As I'm thinking of all this, I decided to re-read chapter 7 of the book Holy Hygge. Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow, by Jamie Erickson...the chapter on rest.

Who has time to rest when Thanksgiving is just 2 weeks away?

Well...according to Our Maker...we better carve out time to rest, because it is not a suggestion.  It's a command!  A command that He modeled, Himself when He finished creating.  Like author Jamie Erickson reminds us, "for six whole days, God masterfully crafted a sanctuary that would reveal His glory.  For six whole days, he worked.  But by the seventh day, His work was finished.  It wasn't just done.  It was complete, lacking nothing.  In response, He rested.  With purpose, God set aside His work, and in turn, set apart the day.  The seventh was unlike the previous six; it was holy.  In the same way He had blessed the animals and humans, God blessed the day of rest." (p. 169)

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2: 2-3

The seventh day was, indeed, like no other during the creation process.  It was a blessed day...a holy day...the first holiday ever! The only day we can be certain that God actually rested. He is the God of order.  Everything He does is purposely done.  Nothing is random in the Hands of God.  He rested, perhaps not so much because He was tired, but because He wanted to show us what a balanced life looks like: working diligently and methodically for 6 days and setting aside a day to be restored in mind, spirit and body.  

How hard is it to achieve this balance?  VERY! Just ask a working outside-the-home Mom of young children...

But...how necessary is it?  VERY!  Just ask a working outside-the-home Mom of young children...or...anyone?

Like the author of Holy Hygge suggests, we live in a hurry-up/rush, rush society.  You drag your feet, you get replaced.  You don't hustle, you stay on the bench.  You don't get busy, you don't get promoted.  You don't move, you don't get noticed.  But there is an antidote to the madness: being intentional about setting aside a day to say no.  

Some of us cannot keep Sunday as our day of rest for different reasons.  However, we need to take a good, intentional look at our calendar and see which day would be our sabbath.  Then, work in creating a routine that allows us to accomplish the critical things that need to be done around that day we set apart, so when questions about commitments come up, we can say, "not on my sabbath." Easier said than done, I know.  But not impossible.  And we probably won't get it perfectly taken care of right away either.  But we need to strive for it.  It's God's commandment...and the reason this, seemingly curious idea made it to the law was because God knows us, He knows our limitations and He knows we need it in order to function properly.  Let's not forget about it.  Let's not skip it.

As we rake the last autumn leaves on our yard, and get ready to jump into the holidays, let's remember to keep the holy day, holy...even if the best we can do to start is to set aside part of it, until we figure out our routine, always under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, cooperating with Him, as He shows us the way.  

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I know I can't do this alone.  I need Your strength to help me figure out how to keep the Sabbath Holy.  I am often overwhelmed by all the responsibilities that seem to fall on my shoulders.  Help me open my eyes to realize the truth of what I really need to do and to discern what you have placed on my to-do list.  May my work be done unto You, Lord...not unto me.  Give me the understanding to know what You have designed for me to do as supposed to what my pride decided it was my lot.  Show me what I need to release, and what I need to receive in Your Precious Name, Lord Jesus, so my life can reveal a glimpse of Your eternal desire to restore us.  Amen!

(prayer inspired by the prayer found on page 191 of the book Holy Hygge)