Wading through worry

How many days have you woke up with worry? Too many days to count?

I love the charge that Jesus gives in Matthew 6 about the worry waters of life. Ever notice how He gives us instructions about what to do about worry?

Side note: when there is a "Therefore" in God's word, it's a red flag to see what it's there for.

Jesus gives us specific instructions on how to wade through the worries of life. He makes it sound so easy in two words actually..."do not".

What are you worried about today? Yes, I know today is full of full list of things that are weighing your heart down. And tomorrow? A new batch of worry comes along. How do you deal with the worries of life?

Do you store it up and let it seep into the corners of your heart? There are plenty of worries that plague us on a daily basis inside our homes, not to mention our current world situation.

How many times have you caught yourself worrying about something that never happens?  I learned worry from my mom. She would speak worry after worry about everything that never happened. She taught me how to be a good mom one worry at a time.

Do you think that God is wringing His hands with the worry that hit your mind this morning?

Tucked into the obvious therefore, Jesus gives us a guard against the things that we like to wade through daily. Simply put...Jesus says..."Trust me."

He points out his creation and how wonderfully dressed it is, and how plentifully he cares for their needs. He even uses the comparison of Solomon's splendor to bring His glorious riches to mind.

So you of little faith...why do you worry?

How do you guard yourself from wading through those worry rapids that escalate quickly into churning turmoil? Matthew 6:33 says, "BUT seek FIRST his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

See the promise here... oh you of little faith?

If we are seeking God, His kingdom, and His righteousness, then we won't have time for worry. When we seek God we are are trusting God in everything and for everything. We are obeying His truth. We are submitting to His sovereign will for our lives, we are putting God first over worry. We are not bowing down to the idol of trying to fix ourselves or trying to control our lives. We are not worshiping the lurking pitfalls of sin that swirl around our ankles and draw us into the enemy's dark pools of "what if's". We are looking to Him to take care of us. We are looking to God to be our Provider, we are looking to Him with a faith-filled heart that believes He is who He says He is.

So you of little faith...why do you worry?

Therefore, there should be no "But God?" questions.

Do not worry.

There is no future in it. Tomorrow will bring plenty of worry. Each day has it's own agenda that knocks on your heart's door and asks the "what if" question of the day.

But seek God.

I have trusted God with the most important decision of my life, I have trusted Him with my eternal life. Why do I think He can't handle my husband's next medical crisis? Or my own? Or the bottom line of my bank account? Or your next worry here...

But seek God. When I worry I am rebelling against the promise of God. When I am not seeking God but seeking to fix my own worries then that's not trusting in faith that God will take care of whatever it is weighing heavy. I am not looking with big faith that says God is greater than my problem. I am not believing that He is bigger than the worry itself. I am forgetting that He already knows my yesterday, my today and my tomorrows. I am forgetting who God is.

When I forget who God is...well, now THAT is something to be concerned about.

But seek God. Do Not worry. So you of little faith...why do you?

There is no future in it. God already knows. Why should I worry about the things that He is in control of?

Five Minute Friday [Wisdom]

Einstein was a genius!

Solomon asked for one thing...wisdom.  
God gave him wisdom more than riches.  

Solomon was sought out by the wise for his wisdom.  
He wrote inspired wisdom in Proverbs.

Wisdom is at the heart of God.

David was wise to seek God's heart.  Wisdom lives there.  
It starts with the fear of the Lord.  See Proverbs 111:10

Wisdom is hidden inside His.

Paul prayed for wisdom and understanding.  Not only for himself but for others. Because he knew where it was kept and experienced it's worth.  
By doing so, he lived a life worthy of the gospel.  
Paul lived a life that pleased God.  
In praying for wisdom, he produced, grew in knowledge and gained strength,faith, trust, endurance, patience, peace, and joy.

Wisdom is knowledge and understanding.  
Seeking wisdom is the wise thing to do.  
Wisdom is relevant, keeps God close and it keeps us close to God.  
It is something to discover, uncover, and recover.  
It calms and restores fractured faith.  

Where is wisdom?  Start in Proverbs...it's wise reading.

Such a Hoot!

Have you ever wondered why the owl is the universal symbol for wisdom? This mug to the right must be for a uber-Mensa coffee addict. Look at him.... sitting so pretty on his stack-o- books. In this life, where successes are measured in your IQ and credit scores, I don't really get this wisdom connection of an owl, sitting on a stack of books on a coffee mug. Perhaps I am over-thinking this.

Who of you lacks wisdom? Um…that would be me. It's been said that there are wise people. Reality tells me it’s a little more elusive than that. Maybe I need one of these owl coffee mugs. Truth is we need to do is ask God for it. But first, we must humble ourselves and fear God. We must worship Him as our Holy God instead of considering Him our “homeboy”.

I’ve always said it’s better to be smarter than to be richer because if you were smarter the “rich” part would eventually come. But lately, I have been challenged to seek true wisdom. Solomon was the richest and smartest man in the world according to the Bible. I wonder how long he thought about his one request that God would grant? It seems an obvious choice.

Proverbs says wisdom is better that gold. We certainly have a need for more wisdom with the decisions that have to made on a daily and sometimes hourly basis. We make our decisions and our decisions make us. How many times have you made a list of the pros and cons about a big decision you had to make? If you are like me, the pros plus prayer give weight to the right choice.

But wisdom is really not about the pros and the cons but it’s about what our Creator and Sustainer says is best.

How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver! Proverbs 16:16 

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7 

One who lacks wisdom is a fool. Now that might seem a little harsh...but.. 

Fools act before they think….open mouth insert foot. We’ve all done that. Wise people think before they act; fools don't—and even brag about their foolishness. Proverbs 13:16 NLT

Fools spend all they earn. Spending paycheck to paycheck sound familiar? Most of us need some "plastic" surgery according to Dave Ramsey. In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20

Fools hurt those they love. Guilty as charged. The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Proverbs 14:1
Fools think they know it all….news flash…we don’t. Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. Proverbs 12:15 NLT

So how you get wisdom? It’s as easy as 1..2…3! 

Fear God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

Ask God. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 

Hang out with wise people. He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20 

How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver! Proverbs 16:16 

So what are you waiting for…what am I waiting for? Fear God, pray for wisdom, get wisdom, obey! Proverbs 31 day challenge starts now!

Solomon's Folly + The Twinkie Principal

Reading through 1st Kings, Solomon enters history with his attempt to fill the "big shoes" of his father David.  He settles into his duties and sets to work on building the biggest, most magnificent architectural masterpiece the people of Israel had ever seen.

But first, Solomon seeks God and asks for wisdom.  God imparts genius.  1 Kings 4:29, "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore."  That's a whole lot of Mensa, Solomon must have been smarter than Albert Einstein.  Now wise, rich and famous…he builds. 

Solomon builds the promised temple, the palace, his kingdom.  As he builds, he also fills his home with foreign wives.  He builds more wonders to other gods, on top of poles in the high places.  I find it interesting the smartest man in history isn't "smart" enough to follow God.  That is an interesting conundrum really.   As he grew older, he drifted away from God.  "His wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not devoted to the Lord, his God".  He was tempted, he listened to lust.  He fell into folly.  One day at a time.

Why does this story impact me?  I, too, have fallen into folly.  My daily journey is full of choices that either take me towards God or away from God.  When you lose your focus or have no set default, then there is the chance for wandering.  Folly attracts, invites, and romances.   

What wisdom can we gain from Solomon's follies?

Guard your heart.  God has rules in place for your protection.  He knows there will be distractions. He gives us His wisdom in the Bible.  Read His rules, read the playbook.  Know your King, study your Coach.  Our hearts were designed to belong to Him, don't give it away to idols.  Protect it.  It only takes a thought to get the spark of sin started.  Eph. 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”  

Defend the default.  Don't let down your guard. Always know the answer to temptation.  "Just say NO"...."RUN"..."TURN AWAY”.   When your default is set, you don’t have to think twice. Set your purity-meter to 11 and to Eph. 4:27 “and do not give the devil a foothold.” 

Tackle temptations.  Don't tempt the taste buds.  I call this the "Twinkie principal".  If you love the taste of the delicious sugary, creamy-filled sponge cakes and know that you shouldn't eat them because they cause your hips to expand like spray foam insulation, then perhaps you shouldn't load your entire house with boxes of Twinkies.  In fact, don't even go down the snack cake aisle at the grocery store.  Don't listen to sin’s alluring din.  Don't invite trouble into your home, into your heart, into your soul.  Just don’t.  1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Make Margin.  Build yourself a fortress against whatever it is that is causing you to stray.  Seek God in building a strong heart against pleasures that cause sin.  Ps. 119:9-10 "How can a young man keep his way pure?  By guarding it according to your word.  With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!"

Solomon exhibited a lot of wisdom, yes, but didn't consider all of the consequences of his actions when he set out to build his kingdom from the inside out.  He was driven by an appetite of pride, idolatry, and selfish pleasures.  Let his example be a lesson to us all.  We must check our choices, keep our hearts close to God and follow His path to achieve His best.  James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”