Defeat Fear of Failure: Choose Faith - Part 3

Most children grow up planning to achieve their dreams. Young children tend to have big dreams because fear of reaching to the very edge of their capabilities has not become a reality. A young man's parents told him he was not intelligent enough to be a physician like his grandfather, who had assured him he could do it with commitment and hard work.

This young man graduated from Princeton University and medical school, and now serves as a physician with a large practice. He had to overcome self-doubts and fears as well as negative voices that were determined to diminish his enthusiasm. However, greater were the encouragement of his grandfather and the voice of God's love and purpose.

Deliberately choosing to be less than you're capable of being because of fear invites unhappiness. Self-doubt and fear are temptations. The Apostle Paul assures you that God will provide an escape from temptation's power so you can rise up against it. Believing God’s promises and acting upon them is God’s provision for defeating fear’s power. 

Stress Management: God's Gift of Insight - Part 1

Surviving from trouble in this world unscathed emotionally or physically is impossible. Yet some people believe they should be exempted from hardships. When the struggles of living surface God's goodness is questioned. Stress overload may cause the toughest personality to react in ways that are contrary to personal values and beliefs.

No matter what your status in life is, stress will seek you out because stress is a natural part of living. How it's managed determines whether it has a positive or negative effect on you as a person. God gives insight plus emotional and physical stamina for coping with stress, regardless of its source.

So how do you cope with unwanted stress? One way is to shift your focus from the source of agitation to whatever God has provided that makes your life worth living. Secondly, give thanks to God with a sincere, appreciative heart. "Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what God has done." This will put a productive spin on stress management.  

Resisting Stress: God Empowers - Part 1

The word stress can be defined differently for anyone managing a difficult situation. "I'm stressing," is a negative expression known to everyone who believes stress is undesirable; yet without stress there would be limited motivation to make needed and necessary changes. Stress challenges us to reach outward and inward for solutions to bad situations.

While it's true that stress can be overwhelming, it doesn't have to be disastrous. If your attitude encourages surrender and defeat, then stress can be devastating. It's your attitude that supports the will to challenge difficult situations. The readiness to challenge and change situations determines the negative or positive influence stress has on your life.

When Jesus called his disciples, he endowed them with resilience that made it possible to challenge and change what they previously believed was impossible to do. When troubles came, their faith prevented stress from becoming overwhelming. They believed Christ Jesus was on their side and was the source of their empowerment. This is what he offers to you.  

Positive Change: Resist It or Embrace It? - Part 3

The word apprehend brings up images of police officers' taking into custody those who deliberately violate the laws of our country. My childhood years were spent in a small Texas farming community that employed one deputy sheriff, who in all those years took into custody only two teen-aged boys for violations of the law.

The Apostle Paul used the word apprehend to express a spiritual desire. His goal was to be apprehended by Christ Jesus; to be filled with his power so he could complete the mission for which Jesus had called him. He asked God for strength, endurance, resilience, and maturity to spread the word that God sent Jesus to save all humanity.

Paul's encounter with Jesus changed how he perceived himself and how he would serve God for the rest of his life. As God created in Paul maturity which enabled him to do his work, He also established in him resilience to stand up and fight every attempt to distract him from his calling. The Lord Jesus Christ will do this for you. 

Repentance: Letting Go of Sin - Part 2

Tragedy forms troubling images in our minds because it can be so painful. Most people tolerate tragedy and eventually heal from its wounds, but consider  those who invite tragedy by refusing to change certain attitudes and behaviors. They have an inner tenacity to hold on to a way of life, regardless of the destruction it produces.

Repentance is sincere remorse for sin and is accompanied by a  desire to forever change old behavior patterns. God creates in those who truly repent an unrelenting desire to avoid the sin that's so easily besetting. God constructs in each of us a resilience to fight off sin and its consequence.

God, through Christ Jesus, creates in us a new person equipped with His armor to manage tragedies we will face. Repentance is a deep-seated regret for sin and opens the way for God to renew a right spirit within us. God is constantly giving you strength to survive and the capacity to change, so give thanks and praise to him.  

Choosing Reality: For Today and Tomorrow - Part 2

Each of us has thought, "That may work in the movies, but not in reality." We may not like the face of reality, especially when it appears hard or unkind. Reality can be scary, challenging, and nerve-racking. However it can be calming and give its beholder a sense of hope and confidence for the future.

God gives us power to make decisions, to be creative, and to change. Power is a strange phenomenon. Once acquired, it's very difficult to give up. Power can become an addiction. John Dalberg-Acton observed, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The healthiest use of power comes as we seek to share it with others.

The issue is not to seek more control and power in order to compensate for our limitations, but to trust that God is at work in our lives for our good. Psalm 62:8 confirms that we can go to God any time and pour out our hearts to him, for he is our refuge and hope for change. This is God's reality and the way for peace and confidence in a world that is ever-changing.

Facing Tough Realities: Pressing On - Part 2

Some realities of life seem impossible to accept. A common response is to deny their existence. Dealing constructively with reality requires admitting all is not well. A popular song put it this way, "I never promised you a rose garden." God does not promise us a life absent of problems and harsh realities.

However, believing life is manageable with God's help opens the door for healthy change. Power struggles most often center around denial of reality. For example, striving with others to change their behavior or personality creates an attitude of hopelessness. Only Christ Jesus can change a person, but he will do so only with their consent and submission.

Ask yourself, "What do I need to see and hear to make sure I'm facing God's crucial realities for my life?" Dealing constructively with whatever those realities happen to be and asking God to empower you to change are choices you can make. Permitting God to speak to you through his word and by spending time in prayer are reliable sources for help.  

Choosing Persons or Power: It's Up to You - Part 1

The craving for power often is provoked by a personality that needs to dominate. The desire for power also can be driven by motives designed to bring about healthy change. Power is often entrusted to those who offer hope for that change. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, "All power is given to me in heaven and on earth". He shares that power with those dedicated to completing the task he assigns them.

The desire for power can superimpose a hostile attitude or be expressed directly in a style revealing deceptive methods that are hurtful and offensive. This approach uses crafty and cunning means to gain control. What ultimately matters is how responsible a person is in the exercise of power.

Power should be complementary in relationships in ways that strengthen the union between people. Giving power to those who are trustworthy is a choice that illustrates how God intended his people to manage their lives. Living together in peace, respect, and love is God's way.  

Power Struggles: Choose to Step Back - Part 2

Power struggles seem to be a never-ending issue. Ingrained in human nature and empowered by self-centeredness and basic insecurity, the fire is fueled in the fight for dominance. There is, however, a healthy side to conflict, but it requires those involved to be willing to communicate openly and honestly so that practical resolutions can be discovered.

God gives us power to love, hate, repent, and forgive, but he holds us accountable for how we manage conflicts and disagreements. Benjamin Disraeli, a former prime minister of England, stated this truth: "All power is a trust, and we're accountable for its exercise." How power is exerted depends on maturity, feelings of security, and the capacity to love others.

We're created by God to be dependent in healthy, positive ways. Threats to that dependency create insecurity, which then encourages arguments. Choosing to change begins by entrusting yourself and others into God's care, which means to trust in the Lord for wisdom and to do as wisdom instructs. God then will give you the desires of your heart.

Family Peace: Putting God in Charge - Part 3

Most people desire enjoyment and pleasure which derive from many sources. Pleasure also is derived from knowing you're independent and able to provide for yourself and those you love. What brings peace and joy to a person or family is believing in God's word, worshiping in private and in community, taking time to pray, and having good clean fun.

British philosopher Bertrand Russell gave us this perspective. "Next to enjoying ourselves, the next greatest pleasure consists in preventing others from enjoying themselves in the acquisition of power." By voting, we grant power to individuals of integrity and trustworthiness, not for their enjoyment, but for what keeps our nation safe and prosperous.

God holds his abounding power over us. Yet his unconditional love gives us power to choose how we live. Is St. Paul's prayer from Ephesians 3:16 something you desire? "I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner self." By God's power you choose to make a life in which you are secure in your inner self. 

Facing Evil: Choosing Survival - Part 3

Survival is paramount for everyone. I'm not referring to our physical survival, but to whatever causes anxiety and worry and feelings helplessness. Dark days of the soul come periodically. Grief triggered by a loved one's death, an unwanted divorce, an unhappy marriage, or a debilitating disease can be responsible for depressive days.

When your life space is threatened physically, emotionally, socially, or spiritually, survival becomes an issue. If tragedy strikes a family, relationships may become vulnerable. The death of a child can cause guilt and blame, even hatred and anger. Relationships can begin to disintegrate if emotions become toxic.

This is not God's intent, for he is a God of comfort and compassion, so be receptive to his love and mercy. Isaiah portrays Jesus as a "man of sorrows, acquainted with grief." What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief to bear, what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. Activating this privilege is a wonderful choice.

Facing Evil: Choosing Survival - Part 1

Evil will always be a contender for the hearts and souls of men, women, and children. Evil is not an easy or popular subject to discuss. In the 16th century William Shakespeare noted the disastrous effects of evil on society and on individual lives. Commenting on the assassination of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare wrote, "The evil that men do lives after them, the good is often buried with their bones."

1 Corinthians 15:33 reminds us that evil communications or bad company corrupts good character. It was Caesar's most trusted advisers and best friend who plotted and carried out his murder. Every business, home, and automobile has devices to prevent crime that is done by human beings.

Surviving evil is a personal choice, a choice that permits the power of God and his word to hold a prominent place in your life.  Evil creates war within you, but can be defeated by putting on God's armor that's designed to empower you to claim the Good News of Christ Jesus in the face of evil. This choice insures your survival.