Tonight is week number two in small groups and the chapter was once again very convicting and timely. It’s called “Content with Circumstances.” Here’s a brief summary and some thoughts on the chapter.
1) In life we all have a CHOICE of how to look at life. We can focus on the hard circumstances or “bad things” in life OR we can turn our focus heavenward and praise our God for His work. The author gives this quote to illustrate this principle:
“Two women looked through prison bars
One saw mud, the other saw stars.” (p. 29)
How often are we tempted to look at the “mud” in our life instead of the “stars” that the Lord provides!
2) Based on Philippians 4:6-7, contentment has 2 parts: 1) Our part and 2) God’s part. The verses say: “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.”
We can either choose to worry OR we can choose to pray and tell God our worries, needs, fears, etc. And we MUST remember to thank Him for His answers. We can always be thankful for the fact that God has His best in mind for us; He will take care of us and will guide us as He sees fit.
3) We CANNOT see prayer as a last resort! We must run to the Lord in prayer quickly and often.
4) Being thankful in circumstances that may not be our favorite or may not be going the way we hoped or planned is hard! But this doesn’t mean we should not still strive to be thankful. Psalm 116:17 says, “I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the name of the Lord.” There will be times that it will take a sacrifice on our part to gives thanks for what the Lord is doing. It is not always easy but it is the right thing to do. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 it says, “Rejoice ALWAYS, pray without ceasing, give thanks in ALL circumstances; for THIS [rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks] is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We are commanded to rejoice, pray, and give thanks. Again, it might not be easy but it is right.
5) Will we choose to PRAY or will we WORRY? Praying and praising is what we are called to do. If we are faithful to obey in that, God will give us peace that will comfort and protect us. If we are not experiencing peace, we need to ask ourselves if we done our part to pray and commit our way to the Lord? And sometimes, yes, we will find that we give it to the Lord one minute and then pick it back up and worry about it 10 minutes later…this is a process and a habit we need to strive towards. We are not perfect but we can ask the Lord for His help.
And what is really neat is that this peace given will guard us. It is a peace given that will protect us. Another translation of Philippians 4 verse 7 is: “And the peace of God which transcends all our powers of thought will be a garrison to guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” A garrison is a strong and impenetrable fortress; God will give us an impenetrable peace.
6) If our thought life reflects contentment, we will be content. “We must take control of our mind.” (p. 33) We must focus on truth as Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
When we are tempted to worry or think thoughts that are untrue, we must discipline our minds to focus on truth. Romans 12:2 talks about our minds being renewed. We need to “renew our minds when we take negative thoughts captive and dwell on the positive.” (p. 33) What has God told us to be true? We MUST dwell on that instead of the lies that Satan feeds us.
7) Practice makes perfect. Philippians 4:9 says, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Doing something over and over and over takes time and effort but it is worth it.
What do “these things” include as mentioned in verse 9? What are the things that we are to put into practice? They are those things talked about in verse 6-7:
-Choosing to give our anxieties to God
-Choosing to pray specifically
-Choosing to be thankful
-Choosing to dwell on the positive (p. 33)
8) Again, contentment is “a state of inner peace SEPARATE from our circumstances.” (p. 35) This requires a change in attitude often, not necessarily a change in circumstances. It is a conscious choice to not be anxious but to pray instead with thanksgiving.
9) The author includes a prayer that she tries to pray often:
“God, don’t let my pain be wasted. Use it to conform me to Your image. Use it to teach me how to be content.” (p. 35) Oh how much more affective for the Gospel would we be if we could keep this as our mindset at all times!!!
10) We MUST let God...
-Be the Blessed Controller of all things
-Help us surrender our hopes, dreams, desires, and wills
-Help us accept His timing
-Help us accept His ways
-Help us accept His outcome
-Help us trust in Him alone (p. 35)
11) Even when others do not understand our choices and even though these choices are difficult, we need to make them for God. It is part of our obedience in surrendering to Him.
It is interesting when the Lord teaches us lessons and then tests us in that very area we are learning about. I totally had that this afternoon as I re-read this chapter. I was faced with the question: Am I going to pray and praise God for this opportunity to trust Him? Or am I going to give into my worry and anxiety? Am I going to choose to dwell on contentment and to renew my mind with the truth of God’s Word? Or am I going to wallow in worry and lies? I definitely have a “love-hate” relationship to the “rubber-meets-the-road” moments that the Lord gives but I know that they are ultimately being used to refine me and conform me into the image of Christ. Praise the Lord!!! What more could I ask for?!?
So...
Will we choose to see mud or stars?
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
What to Do in the Midst of Worry (Part 2)
There also have been a whole other chain of verses that I have been meditating on as I go through my final semester of college. It is so easy to look forward to the next thing after graduation or to worry and dwell on the future and what might happen. The Lord has been gracious in reminding me of these various passages when I am overwhelmed or worried and I know they will be a comfort as the semester continues. Here they are…I’ll explain a little bit of my thoughts behind the flow of verses too:
“Trust in the lord, and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.” (Psalm 37:3)
Right now, the Lord has me here at Master’s. It is here that I need to be faithful and I need to not be looking other places to invest my time. I need to trust that He has me here for a reason. And, since He has placed me here I need to learn to be faithful in my present circumstances and not wish away the present. Cultivating vegetables and other produce takes hard work; so does cultivating faithfulness and contentment.
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8)
In cultivating faithfulness and contentment in my life, I will be able to see the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness towards me. I will be blessed and happy as I find my rest and comfort in Him.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)
When I am worshiping God properly and when I am finding joy and contentment in Him, I will be desiring His good for me. When He gives me His best I will be more open to accepting it.
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)
God protects me. If He sees something as good for me He will give it to me. If He knows something will not be good for me—even if it is just because of the timing—He will refrain from giving it to me because He knows that it is not good. I can rest then in His timing and work, knowing that He knows best and has a bigger plan in mind.
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” (Psalm 37:5)
I need to surrender my will and trust the Lord’s leading. He will accomplish His will without my help.
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” (Psalm 37:7a)
I need to wait on the Lord’s timing and to be still enough to see how He is guiding me. I need to be listening to Him through the Word of God.
“Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.” (Psalm 37:8b)
Worry only leads to sin. I need to keep myself from worry and instead think on those things which are true.
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 43:5)
I must hope in God and praise Him instead of falling prey to worry and anxiety.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
Instead of worrying and wondering what my life will be like in 6 months or a year and instead of worrying how the Lord is going to take care of me, I need to be seeking Him and His righteousness. Again, I need to be cultivating contentment and faithfulness in my own life. Instead of worrying and being “cast down” I must put my focus and gaze on Jesus Christ.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34)
I must focus on being faithful today and faithful with each moment the Lord gives me. I shouldn’t be worried what tomorrow or next week or 3 months from now will hold. God will take care of my needs.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice…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 minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)
I must rejoice and give thanks instead of worrying. God will give me peace to comfort me and strength to not worry.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, thing about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
So what is the perfect way to battle anxiety? Thinking on the things that we know to be true and actual. If I focus on what I know to be true and when I repeat Scripture—God’s truth—to myself I will not have time to worry. This takes vigilance and diligence, however.
“For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content…I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11b, 13)
Contentment is learned…it is a process…it is something that I will most likely be working on for the rest of my life. But…I have the hope and confidence in knowing that the Lord will give me the strength to be content…He will give me the strength to be faithful and obedient. Praise the Lord!
“Trust in the lord, and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.” (Psalm 37:3)
Right now, the Lord has me here at Master’s. It is here that I need to be faithful and I need to not be looking other places to invest my time. I need to trust that He has me here for a reason. And, since He has placed me here I need to learn to be faithful in my present circumstances and not wish away the present. Cultivating vegetables and other produce takes hard work; so does cultivating faithfulness and contentment.
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8)
In cultivating faithfulness and contentment in my life, I will be able to see the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness towards me. I will be blessed and happy as I find my rest and comfort in Him.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)
When I am worshiping God properly and when I am finding joy and contentment in Him, I will be desiring His good for me. When He gives me His best I will be more open to accepting it.
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)
God protects me. If He sees something as good for me He will give it to me. If He knows something will not be good for me—even if it is just because of the timing—He will refrain from giving it to me because He knows that it is not good. I can rest then in His timing and work, knowing that He knows best and has a bigger plan in mind.
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” (Psalm 37:5)
I need to surrender my will and trust the Lord’s leading. He will accomplish His will without my help.
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” (Psalm 37:7a)
I need to wait on the Lord’s timing and to be still enough to see how He is guiding me. I need to be listening to Him through the Word of God.
“Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.” (Psalm 37:8b)
Worry only leads to sin. I need to keep myself from worry and instead think on those things which are true.
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 43:5)
I must hope in God and praise Him instead of falling prey to worry and anxiety.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
Instead of worrying and wondering what my life will be like in 6 months or a year and instead of worrying how the Lord is going to take care of me, I need to be seeking Him and His righteousness. Again, I need to be cultivating contentment and faithfulness in my own life. Instead of worrying and being “cast down” I must put my focus and gaze on Jesus Christ.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34)
I must focus on being faithful today and faithful with each moment the Lord gives me. I shouldn’t be worried what tomorrow or next week or 3 months from now will hold. God will take care of my needs.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice…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 minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)
I must rejoice and give thanks instead of worrying. God will give me peace to comfort me and strength to not worry.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, thing about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
So what is the perfect way to battle anxiety? Thinking on the things that we know to be true and actual. If I focus on what I know to be true and when I repeat Scripture—God’s truth—to myself I will not have time to worry. This takes vigilance and diligence, however.
“For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content…I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11b, 13)
Contentment is learned…it is a process…it is something that I will most likely be working on for the rest of my life. But…I have the hope and confidence in knowing that the Lord will give me the strength to be content…He will give me the strength to be faithful and obedient. Praise the Lord!
What to Do in the Midst of Worry (Part 1)
I love how the Lord is so gracious and merciful! He is kind, gentle, and soooo patient with us!!! He gives us strength and the perfect amount of grace that we need for each day, each trial, each hard moment we go through.
I was particularly struck with this truth last week and it has been a constant reminder since then. One of my good friends sat me down and told me what her brother had told her to do when she was worry or anxious; she encouraged me to do the same. After she relayed what her brother instructed her to do, I realized that it was so very simple and yet powerful. It was to:
1) Pick a Bible verse or section that has to do with worry, anxiety, or some sort of verse that would be encouraging during a time of distress…a verse that talks about the power of God or His care for His children, etc.
2) Write down the section on a piece of paper or on a 3x5 card to keep with you and/or memorize the section.
3) Repeat that particular piece of Scripture to yourself over and over and over again when you start thinking about the situation, person, or struggle that is causing the worry, anxiety, etc. This will cause you to shift your focus from yourself onto God who is in control of all things. He knows the outcome of your situation; He cares about your future and His will for your life even more than you do. He will accomplish His will. We merely need to trust and be obedient to His leading.
The verse I picked last week is Psalm 43:5 which says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.” It has definitely been comforting to me.
I was particularly struck with this truth last week and it has been a constant reminder since then. One of my good friends sat me down and told me what her brother had told her to do when she was worry or anxious; she encouraged me to do the same. After she relayed what her brother instructed her to do, I realized that it was so very simple and yet powerful. It was to:
1) Pick a Bible verse or section that has to do with worry, anxiety, or some sort of verse that would be encouraging during a time of distress…a verse that talks about the power of God or His care for His children, etc.
2) Write down the section on a piece of paper or on a 3x5 card to keep with you and/or memorize the section.
3) Repeat that particular piece of Scripture to yourself over and over and over again when you start thinking about the situation, person, or struggle that is causing the worry, anxiety, etc. This will cause you to shift your focus from yourself onto God who is in control of all things. He knows the outcome of your situation; He cares about your future and His will for your life even more than you do. He will accomplish His will. We merely need to trust and be obedient to His leading.
The verse I picked last week is Psalm 43:5 which says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.” It has definitely been comforting to me.
Calm My Anxious Heart
This semester, just like last semester, I have my wing small groups on Wednesday nights. In particular, I was so encouraged by our time last night! We are going through a book called Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. At first I thought this book was going to be about learning to not worry—which it sort of is—but it is actually more about learning to be content in ALL areas of life. The first chapter is absolutely incredible and such a good reminder to me! Here are some outlining thoughts of it.
1)When we are discontent, evidence of this will “leak out” from our hearts. It not only affects our demeanor, body language, speech, etc. but also affects the people around us. If we are always complaining about our circumstances, people will not want to be around us and—more importantly—we will be dishonoring the Lord by being ungrateful. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 the writer says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
2)The state of being content is a “holy habit” and something that needs to be established and consciously thought about. It is so easy to establish a negative pattern of complaining and worry without even thinking about it. How much harder is it to establish a good pattern of praising the Lord and finding joy in Him! This takes work and effort!
3)Perspective is everything! By definition, perspective is the ability to look at things in their TRUE relation of relative importance. For a believer, having an eternal perspective is key because it is adopting God’s way of seeing life. Remembering that God is in control and that He has a bigger and better plan than we do will help us trust Him.
4)The author talks about her friend’s mother—Ella. Ella was a missionary to a third world country and her “prescription for contentment” was found in one of her old journals. I thought it was amazing!!! Here it is:
a. NEVER allow yourself to complain about anything—not even the weather.
b. NEVER picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.
c. NEVER compare your lot with another’s.
d. NEVER allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.
e. NEVER dwell on tomorrow—remember that [tomorrow] is God’s, not ours.
5)When we remember that our tomorrow’s belong to God we can be free to live one day at a time. In the words of the famous philosopher…Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda, “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” Today is the only thing we can do something about. This moment is the only thing we can do something about. How are we going to live it out and use it for the glory of God?
6)When we are internally content, it will “leak out” into our demeanor, actions, etc.
7)Do we possess a peace that is separate from our circumstances? TRUE CONTENTMENT is separate from our circumstances. It is a state of the heart and a state of being.
8) True contentment is rare yet precious. According to Paul it is learned! This means that it WILL take time to cultivate it! Praise the Lord that Philippians 4:13 tells us that the source of and strength of our contentment is God Himself.
a. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
b. Or another translation is: “I am strong for all things in the One who constantly infuses strength in me.”
9) To infuse is to pour, fill, soak, or extract. God infuses us with strength and this happens and takes place through meditating on the Word of God. When we are filling ourselves with God’s Word we are equipping ourselves to do battle against discontentment and worry.
10) Discontentment comes when we fail to trust God; we are believing the lie that we have a better way than God. When we push God to the side we are worshipping ourselves and telling God that He is insufficient for our needs and cares. Wow! How audacious is that thinking?!?!
11) God knows what is best for us. If He is not giving something to us when we want it, He is refraining from giving us something bad. He is being merciful to us! We need to remember Psalm 84:11 which tells us that God will not withhold any good things from those who are walking uprightly before Him. God promises to gives us that which He KNOWS is best and good for us.
12) Elisabeth Elliot said, “A quiet heart is content with what God gives.” We can know that He gives us His best and can rest in peace and contentment in that knowledge.
13) So, ultimately, contentment is “accepting God’s sovereign control over all of life’s circumstances.” It is letting go of our perceived control over our lives. It is letting God direct our lives. It is submitting our will to His and asking Him to change our desires.
I am so excited to continue this study with my girls!!! I know that I am going to learn a lot and I hope and pray that they will be learning lots too!
1)When we are discontent, evidence of this will “leak out” from our hearts. It not only affects our demeanor, body language, speech, etc. but also affects the people around us. If we are always complaining about our circumstances, people will not want to be around us and—more importantly—we will be dishonoring the Lord by being ungrateful. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 the writer says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
2)The state of being content is a “holy habit” and something that needs to be established and consciously thought about. It is so easy to establish a negative pattern of complaining and worry without even thinking about it. How much harder is it to establish a good pattern of praising the Lord and finding joy in Him! This takes work and effort!
3)Perspective is everything! By definition, perspective is the ability to look at things in their TRUE relation of relative importance. For a believer, having an eternal perspective is key because it is adopting God’s way of seeing life. Remembering that God is in control and that He has a bigger and better plan than we do will help us trust Him.
4)The author talks about her friend’s mother—Ella. Ella was a missionary to a third world country and her “prescription for contentment” was found in one of her old journals. I thought it was amazing!!! Here it is:
a. NEVER allow yourself to complain about anything—not even the weather.
b. NEVER picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.
c. NEVER compare your lot with another’s.
d. NEVER allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.
e. NEVER dwell on tomorrow—remember that [tomorrow] is God’s, not ours.
5)When we remember that our tomorrow’s belong to God we can be free to live one day at a time. In the words of the famous philosopher…Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda, “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” Today is the only thing we can do something about. This moment is the only thing we can do something about. How are we going to live it out and use it for the glory of God?
6)When we are internally content, it will “leak out” into our demeanor, actions, etc.
7)Do we possess a peace that is separate from our circumstances? TRUE CONTENTMENT is separate from our circumstances. It is a state of the heart and a state of being.
8) True contentment is rare yet precious. According to Paul it is learned! This means that it WILL take time to cultivate it! Praise the Lord that Philippians 4:13 tells us that the source of and strength of our contentment is God Himself.
a. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
b. Or another translation is: “I am strong for all things in the One who constantly infuses strength in me.”
9) To infuse is to pour, fill, soak, or extract. God infuses us with strength and this happens and takes place through meditating on the Word of God. When we are filling ourselves with God’s Word we are equipping ourselves to do battle against discontentment and worry.
10) Discontentment comes when we fail to trust God; we are believing the lie that we have a better way than God. When we push God to the side we are worshipping ourselves and telling God that He is insufficient for our needs and cares. Wow! How audacious is that thinking?!?!
11) God knows what is best for us. If He is not giving something to us when we want it, He is refraining from giving us something bad. He is being merciful to us! We need to remember Psalm 84:11 which tells us that God will not withhold any good things from those who are walking uprightly before Him. God promises to gives us that which He KNOWS is best and good for us.
12) Elisabeth Elliot said, “A quiet heart is content with what God gives.” We can know that He gives us His best and can rest in peace and contentment in that knowledge.
13) So, ultimately, contentment is “accepting God’s sovereign control over all of life’s circumstances.” It is letting go of our perceived control over our lives. It is letting God direct our lives. It is submitting our will to His and asking Him to change our desires.
I am so excited to continue this study with my girls!!! I know that I am going to learn a lot and I hope and pray that they will be learning lots too!
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