Truly Living By Faith
It's one thing to say you're living by faith. Truly living it is an entirely different matter. I named this blog Living By Faith because that's exactly what I try to do. What I want to do. Easy to do when times are great. Easy to tell others when they worry and fret, "Have faith. Trust in God." But when things go wrong, as they inevitably do, it tends to become "O me of little faith."
I'm stuck in a holding pattern right now. I'm not sure if there is a lesson to be learned, I'm being tried by fire, or the devil is seeing just how little it takes for me to topple over, but here I am. The main problem I'm mostly okay with. It's the small blocks that keep the tower growing until it falls that trips me. Instead of remembering that God has me and keeping my eyes on him, my eyes are on these worldly problems and I go into panic mode. This isn't how it should be!
22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things[c] shall be added to you. Luke 12: 22-31 NKJV
Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
See ye first the kingdom of God.
I'll be honest. My first thought at problems I can't handle is panic. Have you ever seen the movie Inside Out? It's the story of a girl whose family moves halfway across the country and nothing seems to be going right. Her parents are stressed but trying to be positive so she's trying to be positive too. Inside her head, her emotions show up as different characters. Happiness is a pixie faced little cutie who sees everything as wonderful. Disgust is a green little teenager. Theres' also anger and sadness, and this poor, skinny little worry wart called fear. He's running around just knowing we're going to be doomed.
Yup, that's me. Full on panic. Then when I remember to take a step back and take a breath, and think clearly for a second, I remember that God is in control. He has not left me nor forsaken me.
When I try to deal with all my problems by myself, I'm that little Fear guy. My blood pressure rises. I get headaches. Depression and Anger try to take over. It's not a pretty sight, even for me.
But when take my problems to God, do they automatically disappear? No. The problems are still there, but I realize there is an answer and it will be taken care of. I may not always like the answer, but God is with me the entire time as long as I let Him do His job while I do mine. I have peace when I take care of what I can control and let God handle what I can't.
I'm probably never going to stop being concerned over life's problems, but I don't have to let worry control my life.
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