4GIVEN

Internet’s largest independent mental health online resource, Psych Central reported that medical studies have demonstrated some hereditary links to anxiety. I believe there’s an “anxiety gene” in our maternal family line that makes us more predisposed toward anxiety and worry. With that said, there are many ways of battling anxiety disorders and some of them are very useful. I have read/skimmed several newspaper articles recently about the fact that exercise can help ward off anxiety during stressful events. Although, we have many strategies to help overcome anxiety issues in our lives, the best therapy/remedy is Biblical therapy. Getting into the Scripture is a powerful treatment program for anxiety/worry, because so many passages in the Bible deal with this subject. One scripture in particular is found in Philippians 4:6 (MSG) Paul reminded us; “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” It is only God’s anointing that breaks the yoke that try’s to keep us in bondage (Isaiah 10:27). The only true lasting remedy is to “turn-it-over to God”! Replace anxiety/worry with praise/worship. This is so important that God put it at the beginning of the Bible in Exodus (17:1-7), in the middle of the Bible in Psalms (95:1-7) , and at the end of the Bible in the book of Hebrews (3:5-4:13). Read these scriptures and sow them into your life today!

When it’s hot 🥵 outside most of us put on less clothing in an effort to beat the heat. However, you should never 🛑leave home without clothing yourself with a few essential garments. Paul knew the best dressed Christian should always operate out of the spirit of love ♥️. Therefore, he said in Colossians 3:13 (MSG), “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”

Whatever you may be facing today remember the words spoken by Isaiah in Chp 59 V. 1, “Listen! The LORD’s arm [hand] is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.” If God has not answered your prayers don’t grow weary because at the proper time a harvest of blessings awaits those who don’t give up (Galatians 6:9). Like you and I sometimes do, Moses also doubted God’s power. When God said that he would provide meat for the traveling (and grumbling) Israelites, Moses’ response was nothing short of mocking. In Numbers 11:22 he said, “Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?” To Moses and the Israelites it just didn’t seem credible that in the middle of a desert that God could provide them with a regular and abundant supply of meat when there was no meat to be seen. You got to remember they hadn’t had meat since leaving Egypt and now here’s God promising to give them so much they’ll actually grow sick of it. Yes, It sounds like crazy talk …Ridiculous! But the Lord’s response reminded Moses (and reminds us) of an important fact – with God there are no limits to his power: “Is the Lord’s arm too short?” says the King of creation. (Numbers 11:23). God’s track record is incomparably flawless and one things is certain nothing and no one (not even you) could ever stop God’s power, plan,and promise from manifesting in our lives!

The enemy is a liar! Just because you may experience some struggles in life doesn’t mean you’re failing in life!! James 1:2-4 (MSG) reminds us to, “Consider it a sheer gift when tests and challenges [struggles] come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” God takes everything crappy thing about lives and He turns them for his glory and our good. Can I get a witness? Y’all know their stories and y’all also know their conclusions were far better than their dilemmas. Coming to the witness stand: Job and his trifling friends, David’s plight and fight, weeping Jeremiah, and 3x denying Peter? Many of us sojourn through struggles that test our faith however; there is no faith worth having that is not tested by fire. As our faith becomes more refined it becomes more precious than gold because it lasts. I Peter 1:7 confirms, “These trials [sufferings] show that your faith is genuine. It has been tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise, glory, and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world!”

According to Dr. Art Lindsley, “C.S. Lewis believed that (agape) love is not primarily a matter of feeling but of will. Obviously, it would be ideal if both duty and desire are fully present in our emotional and spiritual life. But we need to remember that love is commanded. We are obliged to love whether we like it or not. Thus Lewis says, “Christian love, either towards God or towards man, is an affair of the will.” In another place, Lewis amplifies this thought further, “Love in the Christian sense, does not mean an emotion. It is a state not of feelings but of the will; that state of the will which we have naturally about ourselves, and must learn to have about other people.” Jesus, our greatest example of love taught, exampled, and demonstrated to his disciples and the world how to put love in action. In this same article C.S. Lewis said, “The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less.” My point is love is a matter of the will not emotion so if you say that you love someone but if it doesn’t line up with 1 Corinthians 13 then I invite you to re-examine the biblically rewarding prerequisites of true love in action!

If what’s ahead of you scares and what behinds you hurt you then just look up above and remember that God never fails to help you! Psalm 46 says God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. The reality is that there will be difficult times, but God promises to be our refuge. When buildings crumbling and our world is rumbles Psalm 62:1 reminds us that our soul will always find rest in God and our salvation comes from him and him only. God is our rock, salvation, fortress and HE (unlike us at times) WILL NEVER BE SHAKEN!

The Message Bible’s paraphrase of Psalm 103:13 make is REAL plain because, “GOD makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel. GOD is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins. As parents feel for their children, GOD feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud. Men and women don’t live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here. GOD ’s love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him, Making everything right for them and their children as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever he said.” In this passage of text David is simply comparing our love for our children to God’s love for [us] his children. God doesn’t throw us in the trash rather He shows us compassion, mercy, and grace when we are sick, weak, and have fallen short of his glory. I too have to remind myself that I am made of mud….humbled!!

The immutable God we serve is a way-maker, and a rain-maker. He will fix-it, shift-it, and turn-it for His glory and your good! Therefore, stand in agreement with Him, maintain your faith in Him, continue serving Him, and be patient with Him. One thing is certain everything God is preparing for you will be worth the wait….I guarantee it!!!

There are many who believe the mark of a true follower of Christ is found in their church membership/attendance/giving. However, this is not completely true in its entirety. There are several distinguishing marks of a true Christ follower and a few of them are found in the Beatitudes recorded in Matthew 5:1-12: Peacemakers (V9), pure hearted (V8), merciful (V7), and thirsty for righteousness (V6). Make note, the Beatitudes are not telling you how to become a Christian as salvation is a gift that you merely accept by faith through grace (Eph 2:8). In point, the Beatitudes tells us what a true Christian looks like. Yes, learning to be a Christ follower is taught/preached/ministered at church but it must be lived outside of the walls of the church. Let’s be honest, it’s easy to profess our Christian status but what happens when someone cuts you off in traffic and shoots you the ‘bird’?? The reality is Christians are not perfect people because we all fall short of God’s glory ( Rms 3:23). But, we ALL need to regularly examine ourselves to see how we are lining up!

When you are feeling lost, discouraged, and broken remember that Christ is right there to bring you through it. In fact, you can never be completely broken because God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, his promises is likewise unchangeable (Hebrew 6:18). When the walls of life closes in, it’s not the time to give up and turn away from God. Rather, it’s the time to draw nearer to God; he acutely knows how to operate the ‘jaws of life’! God is our solution and for every problem he has prescribed an irrevocable promise. This is why we should all incessantly seek God all the more for direction, clarity, help, and strength especially in times of trouble. It’s in these times we should ask God to remind us of his plan and purpose, because sometimes we lose sight of his perspective as we journey through the valley of ambiguity and uncertainty. However, when we come out on the other side, we’ll have more faith, more joy, more strength, more hope, and a closer relationship with Him. So, don’t give up. Let Ps 31:24 encourage you: “Be strong, and let your heart be courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord.” Take heart, you have a purpose to fulfill and much work to do. We should cleave to the beauty in our brokenness because we can never ever be completely broken!