How Does Anxiety Weigh a Person Down?

Procrastination can become a habit comparable to an addiction when it takes control of a person’s life. A wheelchair-bound movie director, dependent on an oxygen tank for breathing, continued smoking against his doctor’s advice. He promised his family to quit smoking but would not keep his promise.

Procrastinating gives rise to others losing confidence in you to keep your word to do what is right. David in Psalm 39:2 said, “My suffering grew worse and I was overcome with anxiety.” David’s delay caused his burden to grow heavier.

Proverbs 12:25 affirms, “Anxiety inside in a man’s heart weighs him down.” But is there a better way? The answer is, yes! 

Ask God for courage to act immediately, and step up to the plate to do what is right. Believe you’re worthy of God’s help, and he will empower you to overcome procrastination. Trust in God to keep his promises.    

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When I am afraid, I will put my confidence in you, [O Lord]. Yes, I will trust the promises of God. And since I am trusting in [you, my God], what can mere man do to me?

~Psalm 56:3-4 The Living Bible

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You are invited to listen as I will be the guest on "Vital Issues in the Christian Home" tomorrow morning (Thursday, November 14) from 10:30-11:30 Central Time on KHCB radio at 105.7 FM in the Houston area. To stream it live or for a listing of sister stations in TX, OK, LA, AR, and FL, please go to www.khcb.org.

Can Negative Effects of Procrastination and Anxiety Be Defeated?

While anxiety is helpful at appropriate levels, it can be harmful if allowed to build where it sabotages daily objectives. Anxiety can serve as motivation to study for exams or to complete a task for recognition at work. Anxiety prompts individuals to take seriously the important issues of life.

A negative example is that of a young man who related how he had avoided calling a friend to apologize for comments that had produced hurt feelings as well as an ongoing conflict between them. Embarrassment, combined with shame and guilt, produced the anxiety that fueled his procrastination.

God’s word can defeat the negative effects of procrastination and anxiety. Listen to Philippians 4:6: “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Procrastination can be defeated by asking God for help and by thanking him for his guidance.  

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Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Psalm 55:22 New Living Translation

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 You are invited to listen as I will be the guest on "Vital Issues in the Christian Home" this week on Thursday morning, November 14 from 10:30-11:30 Central Time on KHCB radio at 105.7 FM in the Houston area. To stream it live or for a listing of sister stations in TX, OK, LA, AR, and FL, please go to www.khcb.org.

Is There an Answer for the Anxiety Created by Deception?

Habitual procrastination will ultimately produce a negative identity. Procrastination promotes a negative identity which cannot be hidden from yourself. It’s also embarrassing because you cannot deny the guilt and shame caused by deception and broken promises.

With many individuals anxiety is responsible for delays in getting started on a given task. Ivan Goncharov, the Russian novelist, wrote that anxiety provoked complaints which quickly evolved into weariness and indifference known as procrastination.

The solution for anxiety associated with procrastination is to pull yourself together and begin the task to be completed. Simply trust that God cares for you and will enable and strengthen you to do what’s before you if you sincerely desire to change your attitude. Permit the Holy Spirit to change your thoughts and attitudes and replace the anxiety with courage.  

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Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

~Ephesians 6:10-11 Revised Standard Version

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Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week. 

________________________________

You are invited to listen as I will be the guest on "Vital Issues in the Christian Home" next week on Thursday morning, November 14 from 10:30-11:30 Central Time on KHCB radio at 105.7 FM in the Houston area. To stream it live or for a listing of sister stations in TX, OK, LA, AR, and FL, please go to www.khcb.org.

What Makes Apathy So Debilitating?

The danger of procrastination is that it can evolve into apathy. Apathy can be described as a lack of emotional caring about whether life is good or bad. Apathy can produce a lack of passion for life. 

When a person has passion for life, there is motivation for what has to be done.

The first step in turning procrastination into achievement is to change your attitude. God desires for you to achieve and be successful, so take ownership of what’s causing you to procrastinate. By your taking ownership, God is in a position to heal you spiritually and emotionally.

God designed you to achieve and care about your future. He never intended for you to be apathetic and uncaring. Listen to God’s word from Galatians 6:9: “So let us not become tired of doing good, for if we do not give up, a time will come when we will reap a harvest of blessings.” This attitude and the resulting action open the door for a new life filled with achievement.  

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Love sincerely. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Love one another tenderly as fellow Christians. Outdo one another in showing respect.

~Romans 12:9-10 Beck – New Testament in the Language of Today

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Can You Refrain from Procrastinating?

Edward Young, the English poet and playwright, advised his readers that “Being wise today is madness deferred.” Seemingly, there’s always a better time for the procrastinator to begin a task. To defer means, delay doing whatever until later. Edward Young says it’s foolish to defer what you can do now.

Do you know why it’s foolish? A college freshman had to face the consequences of delaying writing term papers and studying for exams. He was busy enjoying a new-found social life. Opportunities and blessings go by the wayside by deferring responsibilities.

Only when he ceased blaming others and confessed to his irresponsibility one year later did he become a successful student. The words from the  prophet Ezra are relevant today: “Confess to the Lord and do what pleases him.” It pleases God for you to be wise and refrain from procrastinating. So be thankful for that opportunity.  

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He who troubles his household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.

~Proverbs 11:29-30 Revised Standard Version

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What Value Is There in Confessing Irresponsibility?

I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the youngster who came to class empty-handed proclaiming, “My dog ate my homework.” A teacher might excuse a student once for concocting such a story, but if procrastination is the issue, then blaming the dog will cease to be acceptable.

Why is it so difficult to own up to procrastination and say, “Yes it’s my fault. I put off finishing the task until it was too late to finish. This is a bad habit.” Confessing to a fault is painful, and courage is required to be honest, but taking ownership to procrastinating is necessary for change.

God’s word assures us that confession of irresponsibility is what God honors. Listen to James 5:16: “Admit your faults and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Pray for courage to be the kind of person who is honest in all things.          

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For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

~2 Peter 1:5-7 New International Version

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What Makes Self-improvement Challenging?

Novelist Patrick White penned these words, “Few people take easily to a plan of self-improvement.” We will discover procrastination attempting to dislodge our commitment to accomplish what we know needs to be done. Self-improvement is an easy target for procrastination.

So many individuals in their thirties and forties discover they’re no longer satisfied with their work or career. It fails to provide the joy and fulfillment of earlier days. Because they are fearful of new challenges or even failure, self-improvement opportunities are delayed.

The Lord Jesus Christ did not come into the world to save perfect people. He came because all people are imperfect and blemished. Nor does he expect you to be perfect after you have been redeemed. God wants you to be in the process of maturing, to trust him for faith to stretch the limits of who you are. You don’t have to be perfect to be loved by God or for the Holy Spirit’s power to help you mature. 

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We receive from him whatever we ask because we [carefully and consistently] keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight [seeking habitually to follow his plan for us]. This is his commandment, that we believe [with personal faith and confident trust] in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and [that we unselfishly] love and seek what is best for one another, just as he commanded us. 

~1 John 3:22-23  Amplified Bible

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How Is Procrastination Outside of God's Perfect Will?

Overcoming procrastination takes determination. It also requires believing in your heart that absolute perfection is not required. The true perfectionist falsely believes he or she will be judged harshly by oneself or others if whatever needs to be done isn’t done perfectly.

The procrastinator tends to be in conflict at some level with family, friends, or fellow employees. This often leads to delays in completing a given task. The procrastinator will predictably lead a life of dissatisfaction and underachievement.

It is difficult to change, so it’s imperative to believe it is God’s will to do so. 

God is the giver of hope and strength to put into action what he intends for you to do. Let God’s word from Hosea 10:12 speak to you: “It’s time for you to turn to the Lord and he will come and pour blessings upon you.” By believing God’s words, you can defeat procrastination.  

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Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

~Galatians 6:9 New International Version

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What Is Needed to Repair Broken Promises?

Are you putting into practice the changes you promised to make so you would be free from all guilt and shame for delaying to complete a task? You may be someone who has learned the art of procrastination, meaning you put off until later what could be done now.

The procrastinator wants to wait until everything is perfect to begin a task. If you’re a perfectionist who needs everything to be predictable, that expectation may be out of bounds.

Have you made promises to God and others but failed to keep your promise?

Deuteronomy 23:21 has this to say about forsaking promises: “When you make a vow to the Lord, be prompt in doing whatever you promised; it’s a sin not to.” One step in overcoming procrastination is to promptly do whatever you promise. It doesn’t have to be done perfectly. Pray for strength of character to do it.

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We don’t enjoy being disciplined. It always seems to cause more pain than joy. But later on, those who learn from that discipline have peace that comes from doing what is right.

~Hebrews 12:11 God’s Word Translation

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What Is Difficult about Confronting Procrastination?

A wise person made this observation, “The best time to do something worthwhile is between yesterday and tomorrow. What that leaves is today.” The procrastinator will invent reasons to delay. Proverbs 27:1 warns us not to “boast about tomorrow, for we know not what tomorrow will bring.”

What causes a person to procrastinate? John Peck, the author of The Road Less Traveled, says he avoids trying to repair something because he’s afraid he will mess it up. He asked a neighbor who was repairing his lawn mower how he knew what to do. The man replied, “Well, I try to fix things and I’m usually successful.”

Confronting procrastination involves a commitment to deliberately make a concentrated effort to move forward on a task rather than choosing to delay. Remember, God is there to help and encourage you. He provides understanding, insight, and wisdom for completing a given task.    

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Work hard and [you will] be a leader; be lazy and[ you will] never succeed.  

~Proverbs 12:24 The Living Bible

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How Can the Tendency to Procrastinate Be Overcome?

You may have seen the cartoon strip where a person is asking a friend, “Would you like to join the procrastinator’s club?” The friend replied, “Catch me next year, OK?” Putting off indefinitely is the typical procrastinator’s attitude. Good intentions do not compensate for the tendency to delay.

God’s word in 2 Timothy 2:15 faces off with the tendency to procrastinate. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who feels no shame when he is examined.” This means doing the right thing now instead of putting it off.

This may mean committing to being a more productive employee or living up to your potential as a student or changing the way you behave as a parent or spouse. Taking actions on what you know to do now will help you live without regret. Change is challenging, but with God’s help all things are possible.  

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Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord.

~Colossians 3:23 Amplified Bible

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Can Procrastination Be Overcome?

Procrastination! We hate the tendency in ourselves to procrastinate. Apparently, procrastination is a big problem for lots of people. When we procrastinate, we tend to get bogged down in passivity, so procrastinating steals away our time.

What commitment or goals are you ignoring because you feel inadequate or ill-equipped for a task?  Listen to Ephesians 5:15-16 for becoming the person God intended. “Be careful how your live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.”

God promises to help those who take responsibility to do what is right. The first step is realizing and accepting the fact that you must have God’s help to be successful. 2 Corinthians 6:2 is clear-cut: “Now is the time of God’s favor; now is the day of salvation.” Ask Jesus for help so you can achieve what he intends for you to be and do.           

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Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.

~Colossians 3:23 New International Version

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What Incentive Is Prompting You to Change?

New beginnings are often a matter of choice so if you could make a new start in your life, what would be your choice? Feeling trapped by circumstances could initially be perceived as a barrier, but this can actually be the incentive for making a change.

Early in Jesus’ ministry he saw Matthew sitting in a tax collector’s booth doing work most people despised. In Matthew 9:9 Jesus issued Matthew a summons, “Follow me,” and Matthew made a choice that changed his life. Evidently Matthew was ready for a change, and this could be you.

God’s word gives us a formula for feeling confident when change is necessary. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all of these things will be given to you.” This basic step is supported by Jesus in Matthew 7:7. “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door shall be opened for you.” Are you prepared?

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Turn to the Lord! He can still be found. Call out to God! He is near.

~Isaiah 55:6 Contemporary English Version

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Can Old Behavioral Patterns Be Changed?

“I long for a new beginning in my life because I’ve made too many bad choices. I went with the flow of life so many times, knowing it wasn’t right for me. I seem to be following the same patterns. Is there hope for change?”

We’re all subject to making regrettable choices, as this person exemplifies. Yet it’s facing and living with the consequences that produce sadness and depression. Is it possible to change basic patterns of life that haunt you like a bad dream?

Proverbs 2:3-5 suggests “if you will cry out for discernment and lift up your voice for understanding, if you will seek wisdom and search for it as a hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Did you hear those ifs? “If you cry out... if you lift up your voice... if you seek.” Humble yourself because fear of the Lord breaks old patterns of behavior. 

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“Fear God and give him glory…  Worship and honor God! ... Kneel down before the one who created heaven and earth.” 

~Revelation 14:7 New International Version/Contemporary English Version

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Which of God's Promises Are More Important to You?

“So many unfortunate things happened to me last year, and it’s hard to believe the rapid sequence in which they occurred!” These words came from a positive, energetic believer who is a person of faith. The parade of troubles pushed to the breaking point the person's ability to cope.

When troubles permeate your life, it’s important to believe that God is not necessarily singling you out for punishment. God is not responsible for bringing every bad and painful experience into your life. It may be the result of impulsive choices that would now be judged as inadvisable.

Philippians 2:13 is God’s promise to you: “It is God who works in you, helping you to want to obey him and then helping you to do what is required.” Keep in mind that “all things work together for good to them that love God, who are called according to his purposes.” With this attitude, better choices are possible, so praise God for being active in your life.  

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When you obey me you are living in my love, just as I obeyed my Father and live in his love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy.

~John 15:10-11 The Living Bible

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What Helps Us Remain Steadfast in our Faith?

It’s never been easy to keep a healthy perspective on true and lasting values. The story of Mary and Martha from Luke 10 tells us Martha was upset by all the preparations for meals she planned for Jesus and his disciples, who were guests in their home.

Martha became angry with Mary for listening to what Jesus was teaching rather than helping out in the kitchen. Jesus gently explained to Martha that Mary had chosen the right thing to do at that moment. For Mary, what Jesus was teaching superseded kitchen duties.

Have you allowed yourself to get so caught up with activities that you neglect your relationship with Jesus? Perhaps Jesus is telling you to take an inventory of your lifestyle. Are you out of sync with what truly counts in your relationship with Christ Jesus and your family? Jesus tells you to lay up your treasures in heaven so they’ll remain incorruptible.

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Take care to live in me, and let me live in you. For a branch can’t produce fruit when severed from the vine. Nor can you be fruitful apart from me. 

~John 15:4 The Living Bible

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What Makes Jesus' Narrow Gate So Difficult?

How committed are you to becoming the person you know you’re capable of becoming at this moment? Here’s how to do your part. Guard against a negative or pessimistic attitude that’s so discouraging. Jesus points to the narrow way, which guards against discouragement.

David in Psalm 119: 71 said, “When you corrected me, O Lord, it was good for me because it taught me to listen and apply your word to my life.” What is God teaching you and where is he leading you today?

Tragedy befalls each person, but for those who trust in the Lord Jesus, there is hope for help and healing. The worst thing life dishes out will ultimately produce good for those who love God. Listen to his word: “Trust in the Lord and wait patiently for him.” Don’t give in to worry or anger. God will take care of you, so wait patiently for him to provide what you need. 

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Jesus replied, “…I will only reveal myself to those who love me and obey me. The Father will love them too, and we will come to them and live with them.”

~John 14: 23 The Living Bible

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Is It Possible to Change a Pessimistic Attitude?

Are you wishing for a new beginning is some area of your life? While it’s true there are routines that must be followed, each day can bring a sense of newness by permitting yourself to expect it. But what barriers must be hurtled in order to experience the freshness of a new beginning?

One barrier that affects countless individuals is the attitude that life cannot be different. That mindset defines being stuck or trapped with no way to change. Pessimism clouds the mind with distrust and doubt and robs the heart of the joy God intends for you to experience.

Let Psalm 118:24 give you hope for a new beginning. “This is the day Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Say these words until they become true for you. Another way to attack a pessimistic attitude is to “praise God from whom all blessings flow.” God’s word will transform your disposition into a joyful outlook for your life.

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[Your beauty] should be the inner disposition of the heart, consisting in the imperishable quality of a gentle and kind spirit, which God values greatly.

~1 Peter 3:4 International Standard Version

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What Attitude Is Required for Winning with God?

Each day, world news broadcasts the struggle of people seeking their independence from a government that has diminished their freedom. Most people stand ready to encourage those who defend their freedom. We have admiration for all who are brave enough to protect what is good and right.

Change is part of God’s plan, even when it comes so fast that it’s hard to keep up. To make it personal, what do you sense needs to change in your life? Perhaps you have a ready answer and resolutions because God consistently creates in you the desire to change what is not good or right.

Jacob in Genesis 32 wrestled with God throughout a long night. Jacob knew he was ill-equipped for what he must do without God’s blessings and transforming power. In verse 26 Jacob insists, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Can you position yourself before God as Jacob did?

         

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Therefore if anyone is in Christ Jesus, a new creation has come. The old is gone, the new is here.

~2 Corinthians 5:17 New International Version

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What Is God Calling You to Change?

Since the earliest days of recorded history, there has been evidence of man seeking new beginnings. The Bible continuously chronicles God’s calling his people to follow him on new adventures. What could be his reason for this? Whenever we become too dependent on the status quo, we tend to stagnate.

God told Noah to build the ark, for mankind had regressed into a low, decrepit moral state of being. God called Abraham to leave his people and move to a new place. Listen to God’s promise in Genesis 12. “I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you and you will be a blessing to others.”

Could God be calling you to make changes? Change is not easy, so consider this one step. Clearly define what has to be done to reach your objective. Then focus on each aspect of the change. Remember, Noah built the ark one board at a time.

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The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. 

~Psalm 9:9-10 New International Version

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What Motivates Us to Strive for the Best We Can Be?

During transitional moments, we’re given the chance to make changes that benefit ourselves and others as well. What is it that motivates us to achieve our very best? We were created to strive for something beyond ourselves, and that motivation is fueled by love for God and others.

In order to stay on track, it is necessary to establish a structure for staying focused. We have a propensity to fall into old patterns of behavior,  so it’s necessary to set reasonable goals and objectives to maintain a sense of hope for being successful.

Romans 12:12 reminds us to be “joyful in hope, patient when troubles arise, and faithful in prayer.” We feel a sense of joy when we reach out for possibilities beyond the expected. 

Joyful hope found in Christ Jesus helps us overcome obstacles that would prevent us from achieving God’s plan for us.           

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Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God – what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.

~Romans 12:2 Good News Bible

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Have You Reached for What Seemed Impossible?

Remember the story from Genesis 22 that relates how God provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice in place of his son Isaac? Consequently, he named the place Jehovah Jireh, meaning "God will provide.” Hebrews 11:8 reminds us that, when challenged to do the inconceivable, faith motivated Abraham to obey God.

In a transitional moment, God may call you to reach beyond life’s expectations and stretch for the unimaginable. 

When God calls you to a unique task, he enables you to accomplish whatever that assignment happens to be. God will provide.

Permit God to expand your faith by trusting that all things are possible with him. Be ready for any temptation by allowing God full access to your conscience so all hidden sins will be exposed, confessed, and forgiven. Refuse to compromise your high calling by keeping your eyes fixed on Christ Jesus. God will provide.           

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God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourself and more than enough for every good cause. As the scripture says, “God gives generously to the needy; his kindness lasts forever.”

~2 Corinthians 9:8-9 Good News Bible

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What Is Required for Making Transitions Successful?

Making significant transitions in life is difficult because any change demands concentration and dedication for a new way of thinking and behaving if a perspective change is to bring success. We often feel hopeful and excited that life will be better.

The responsibilities that come with a transitional moment may seem frightening because the future is not always clear. Imagine Jesus leaving  his job at Joseph’s carpenter shop, where he had worked since childhood, to secure his destiny as the Messiah and Savior of all mankind.

Here are some practical ways to rise to the level of your high calling. Nurture yourself with the thought that God designed you for a remarkable future that is yours to discover.

Throw off old behavior patterns that are a deterrent to living up to that higher calling. Continuously seek knowledge, wisdom, and guidance from God’s people and God’s word.  

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“Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already – you can see it now!” “I am the Lord who created you; from the time you were born I have helped you. Do not be afraid; you are my servant.” 

~Isaiah 43:19; 44:2 Good News Bible

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How Is It Possible to Sustain Your Higher Calling?

Family gatherings are scheduled to celebrate special events in individuals' lives. These gatherings give family members a chance to connect and renew attachments that may have faded because of geographical distance or weakened emotional bonds.

We know there is a higher, more complex connection we are capable of sharing with God and a limited number of other people. We also know we can lose that connection through neglect. Listen to David’s plea from Psalm 61:2. “From wherever I am, though at the ends of the earth, when my heart is faint I call to you, O God. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

David knew that only in God’s power was he capable of sustaining his higher calling. So hold firm to your faith and instantly seek God when you sense you are slipping away. Yoke yourself securely to Jesus each day and learn to live with the rock that is higher. God bless you.  

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“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Without me you can’t do anything. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers… If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” 

~John 15:5-7 Beck – New Testament in the Language of Today/New International Version

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What Makes It Difficult to Keep Your Eyes Fixed on Jesus?

Every family gathering may present challenges and opportunities that are unexpected. How we respond depends on our old baggage or the emotional trappings related to our identity and self-esteem. Baggage can be connected to guilt from which forgiveness has not been received.

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to throw off everything that burdens us down, including sin that clings so closely, and then run with perseverance the race God sets before us. How can this be done? “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”

Keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus means staying focused on Jesus to prevent discouragement from overtaking you. Philippians 3:14 reminds us to “forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead to win the prize for which God has called us.” May God turn his face toward you and cause his light to create a clear path for you. 

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My eyes are ever looking to the Lord for help, for he alone can rescue me.

~Psalm 25:15 The Living Bible

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What Important Lessons Are Learned from Past Distresses?

If preparing for a family gathering has created apprehension and worry in you, then it’s time to wind down and let go of all negative expectations. Calming yourself is a necessary emotional task for experiencing the potential happiness a family gathering can deliver.

If past gatherings have not produced the happiness you expected, whatever you now allow yourself to anticipate can set you up for what has always been. The alternative is for God to use you to gradually change an old system into a joyful reunion.

Many important lessons in life are learned from experiencing numerous disappointments and hardships. Yet we as humans strive to make life easy. One way to make life meaningful is to make it your objective to love God with all you’ve got so that all things work together for good because you do love him and are called according to his purposes. Think about it.

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I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

~Psalm 32:8 Revised Standard Version

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What Make a Family Gathering Joyful?

A young woman told me recently that she regrets going to her in-laws for family gatherings but feels obligated to do so or else her husband and children would be sad and confused. This clearly identifies how difficult it is to tolerate the lack of mutual compatibility between some family members.

Incompatibility creates negative expectations, even at the thought of sharing time together. If this is your situation, focus on what created the love your spouse’s family feel toward each other. Is this similar to how you feel toward your family?

Look for the loving attributes in each person and in yourself, and stay focused on those throughout a gathering. So consciously commit to loving others as God loves you and you will be blessed. 

While God’s way is not always easy, eventually attitudes will change prompted by the love of God that resides in you.                  

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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

~Romans 15:13 Revised Standard Version

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What Is the Primary Source for Joyful Living?

Family gatherings, for whatever occasion, elicit expectations that range from happiness and joy to anxiety or even a sense of dread. So much depends on the maturity level of each family member and the degree to which old conflicts and disagreements have been resolved.

Being willing to permit past troubles to remain hidden so peace can abound is possible. Accept the fact that each person has the potential to grow and mature with passing years and responsibilities. Instead of focusing on the past, ask God to help you see the person now before you who has matured.

Remind yourself that joy is found in loving fellowship with family and friends. Joy comes most abundantly in our union with the Lord Jesus Christ, who makes expressions of love and joy possible. Keep your expectations centered on God’s presence in you, so his peace can fill your heart and soul.                     

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Let us come near God with pure hearts and a confidence that comes from having faith. Let’s keep our hearts pure, our consciences free from evil….as we must hold tightly to the hope that we say is ours [in Christ Jesus].

~Hebrews 10:22-23 Contemporary English Version

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