Once we really begin to think about our life and the way we are living, it should become pretty obvious that faith, not fear should be calling the shots. While it is obvious that this is the way we should be living, it is not usually the way we are doing it. We know better, but we still allow anxiousness, doubts and fears to have more power in the say of our life and living than we should.
Feed Your Faith!
It is important to feed our faith through daily Bible reading, prayer and fellowship with fellow Believers, but that is not enough. We need to also at the very same time that we are feeding our faith, make sure that we are starving our doubts, fears, insecurities, worries and anxious thoughts.
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? -Luke 12:28
Look at it this way: Part of feeding your faith is starving your doubts, fears and insecurities! The two go hand in hand and work together to help you experience victory in taking back control of your life, so that you can experience the blessings you were created for.
We’ve already talked about some of the spiritual disciplines we can practice to feed our faith. Another thing we can do to feed our faith and starve our doubts and fears is look back on our life at what we have already survived. That’s right remind your body, mind and spirit of what God has done and if God has done it, then we can trust that God will do it again and again and again as many times as it needs doing…
God created you to do more than survive – God created you to thrive! Do not allow yourself to be satisfied with anything less than God’s absolute best for you and yours. God loves you and has an amazing plan of blessing and growth for your life. Believe it, claim it, experience it and give God the glory!
There all kinds of different things that come into our lives to do battle against us and try to rob us of all the good things we were created to benefit from and experience the blessings of. And out of all of those things, I believe one of the most destructive is worry. I think worry is is such a destructive enemy, because we underestimate it’s ability and power to do damage and often when we realize the damage it’s done, it’s too late to do much about it.
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” -John 10:10
Worry Is The Real Enemy!
Worry is one of our greatest enemies, but it does not get to call the shots in our life, unless we empower it to do so. To defeat worry, we have to decide to not allow it any power in our lives. To overcome worry, we have to choose to trust something or someone else above worry. I would suggest that the One to trust is the One, Who created us, loves us and has a plan to bless us with an abundant life.
Worry Is Sneaky!
Worry sneaks into our life and begins to steal, kill and destroy! It steals our happiness, kills our joy and destroys our life. Often it is in, doing damage and wreaking havoc, before we know what has hit us. It often starts out as a legitimate concern, but then turns into a hideous and ugly monster that wants more and more real-estate in our life and living, Before you know it concern has turned into worry and worry is calling the shots.
Worry Is Only Interested In Itself!
If we are not careful, worry will actually take our life away from us! For worry to survive, it has to feed and it get’s it’s nourishment from the negatives in our life. The great tragedy is that often worry starts out as a very small thing, but before we know it, worry has morphed into something that takes control of our thoughts, influences our decisions in negative ways and causes us to actually lose seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months = life.
The Dangerous Game Of Worry!
Worry starts out making you think that it’s looking out for you, but then some where along the way, it slips into self preservation mode and our process become more about the survival of worry and less about looking our for ourselves. The result is that “our best life” had now drifted even farther away from us. We think that worry is harmless, but we know better! In a lot of ways, worry is like a drug that we get hooked on. Before you know it, you don’t think you can do life without it, but that is one of the greatest lies of the enemy, because the truth is: Most of the time worry is nothing, but a BIG DISTRACTION.
The time we waste worrying is time we lose trusting. Every minute spent in worry is a minute taken away from growing our faith and living a life that gives God glory. God has blessed us with this amazing gift called life. God has given us everything we need to enjoy His blessings that will flow to and through us, but worry causes us to miss out on this grand plan of God.
Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in it. If you are worried about something, then here are a few ideas to shake yourself free:
1.) Have A Conversation God! Remember that a good conversation involves talking and listening.
2.) Make A Plan! Do what you can and then let go of the rest and believe, have faith and trust in God. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it, if you will love and trust Him. Do your part, trust God and I promise you, He will do His…
3.) Live And Learn! Looking back on my life, I have discovered that so many of the things that I wasted time worrying about never happened. Out of the things that did happen, most of them were not near as bad as I convinced myself that they were going to be. And from everything bad that flowed my way, as I lived through it, I grew from it. I am a better person and I am enjoying life better today, because of everything I have been through.
One of the most simple and great reminders that keeps me on a good path is simply this: God’s Got A Plan And It’s To Bless Me!
There have been times in my life when I have had to go through some very hard stuff. Some of the stuff was of my own making and some of the stuff was because of the evil doings of others. I know what it means to live in the light and I totally understand wandering around in the darkness trying to find your way.
Live your life long enough and all of us are going to have struggles, challenges, difficulties and set backs. I’m not talking about just having a bad day. I am talking about trying to figure out if you even want to continue on with this day or not?
I decided a long time ago that if I did not have something positive or encouraging to say, then I would just keep my mouth shut, but don’t let that make you think for one minute that I have not had more than my fair share of dances with the devil.
For most of my life, people have seen a guy that is happy, fulfilled and excited about life and most of the time that is who I am, but there are moments when the dark clouds roll in, when I begin doubt everything that I thought I was sure of and this is when the real battle of faith takes place.
I’m not going to get into the gory details, but trust me when I tell you that I know darkness, fear, the loss of desire, sin, defeat and depression. I know all to well about the long dark nights of the soul and had more than my fair share of times that I did not think I was going to make it back from that trip.
Why would I tell you this? Because I want you to understand that the guy you see, so full of life and sure of himself is a guy that has to battle to get to that place and stay on top of that hill. I tell you this, because when I talk about God the difference he makes, it is not from story that I learned as a boy growing up in Sunday School, it is from personal relationship, an up close and very personal experience of struggles made up of victory and defeat.
I tell you this, because I am only here today by the GRACE of GOD. I understand what it is to lose it all. I know how it feels to think that everyone has left you and you are all alone. I know the excitement of being celebrated one minute, only to be cast aside and forgotten the next. I know the battle of getting lost inside of your own head, of getting beat up and beat down by your own thoughts. I know pain and can tell you that there have been times when she was my closest friend.
That is why when I say: “God’s Grace Is Sufficient!” I know what I am talking about. I have always loved motorcycles and back in 2008 my dream of having my very own Harley Davidson came true. A fresh off the showroom floor 2008 Heritage Softail. Apart from my family, it is about the only thing of any monetary value that I have left from the first half of my life. There have been many times that I threw my leg up over the seat, grabbed the handle bars, started the motor and rode into the wind, not knowing if I had a future. But after a little time of seeing the pavement flow past my feet, hearing the strong rumble of the motor, while smelling the freshness of the air I breathe, I could feel the touch of my God, reminding me that He will never leave me or forsake me and I could taste and remember that “GOD IS GOOD!”
Michael Joe Harvell 