God is the Owner, We are the Stewards.

When I think of the many things the Mullins family possesses it’s easy to think we are owners of it all; stuff like our minivan, clothing, furniture, food, appliances, and money. These things have been paid for by us, given to us to keep, earned by our work, or are in our possession free and clear of anyone else. My wife and I own these things, right? We say, ‘that’s mine’ or ‘that’s our stuff.’ Well, according to the law of the land, yes, but what about God’s Word?

Consider these Bible verses:

1 Chron. 29:11-18 ESV Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. ¹² Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. ¹³ And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. ¹⁴ “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. ¹⁶ O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. ¹⁷ I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. ¹⁸ O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.

David wrote this; Ps. 24:1 ESV The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,

All that is in the heavens and the earth is the Lord’s. He rules over all. And He is an amazing provider (see also Mt. 6:33) to us. Even the ability to earn and receive wealth is from God (see also Deut. 8:18).

Here is what God said about His ownership of everything; Job 41:11b ESV Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.

         

The Bible also points out some specific examples of things that God owns:

Lev. 25:23 ESV The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me.

Ps. 50:10-12 ESV  For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. ¹¹ I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. ¹² “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.

Hag. 2:8 ESV The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts.

All people belong to the Lord also, in the sense that we are all created by Him and in His image and He is sovereign over us. Note however, that those who are redeemed by God for salvation, from sin and God’s eternal wrath, belong to God in a special way, in relationship with Him now and for eternity.

Rom. 8:9b ESV ..Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

1 Cor. 6:19-20 ESV Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Even though God has given human beings some dominion over the earth (i.e. Ps. 8:6) He has not given up His ownership of all things.

“God has never revoked His ownership of everything, nor has He ever surrendered His claim to all treasures. He didn’t die and leave the earth to me or anyone else.” (Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle, Pg 24).

God has not given us ownership of His stuff nor has God left us alone and abandoned us with all His stuff.

We exist because of Christ and for Christ.

Col. 1:16-17 ESV ¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

This “for Christ” part is about knowing, loving, serving, and worshiping the Lord God Almighty, glorifying Him. We are to glorify God with our lives and the stuff He has provided. This is where stewardship comes in.

What does it mean to be a steward? This is a person who is entrusted to care for a superior’s goods, someone else’s stuff, to be a blessing to the owner. The steward has no sense of entitlement that such stuff actually fully belongs to the steward. The steward is to figure out what the owner wants and then seek to please the owner according to the owner’s will.

Early in our marriage, Kym and I made plans to stay at a bed-in-breakfast near the Poconos. We had a couple young children at that time and wanted someone else to take care of our kids for two days. We asked a young adult female friend (thanks Natalie!) from our church to stay in our home and care for our children while we were away. She was totally responsible for our kids as if she was their own mother watching over them; however, the Mullins kids did not belong to her. This woman was a steward of our children for our benefit, our children’s benefit, and we compensated her for this stewardship role. She honored us by taking good care of our children for two days. During that period, they may have seemed to her to be her kids. She had possession of them and was caring for their needs, but she was only a steward of the kids. The children belong to Kym and me (and ultimately to God). This is a picture of stewardship and this woman was found faithful to us by being a good steward of our precious Mullins children.

Here are some Bible verses about stewardship:

Luke 12:42-44 (NKJV) And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? ⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

1 Cor. 4:1 ESV This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 ESV but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

In 1 Cor. 9:17, Paul calls being ‘entrusted with the preaching of the Gospel’ a stewardship.

1 Pet. 4:10 ESV As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

Years ago, I heard and read about Christians being stewards of our three T’s; treasure, talents, and time. I can think of a couple more as well.

Your Treasure: This refers to the material blessings and money you have in your temporary possession. Be sure to be rich toward God, invest in godliness. Luke 12:16-21; Mt. 6:24b ESV you cannot serve both God and money; Hebrews 13:5 ESV Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Your Talent: This refers to your God-given spiritual gifts and capabilities. An example of talent would be having a natural ability to hear and write music and to sing well. An example of a spiritual gift is to effectively teach the Word of God to a mixed group of people. You could also add your developed skills to this talent category of personal stewardship. Gods wants to bless you and others through how He has wired you. See 1 Pet. 4:10, Mt. 25:14-21.

Your Time: This refers to your effective use of the 24/7 time that God has given you; regarding your prioritization and decision making. Time is fleeting. You can’t get past time back. Make your use of time count and matter for what’s God-honoring. See Eph. 5:15-17 (..making the best use of the time).

Your Testimony: This refers to your Christ-following/Gospel witness and influence upon the lives of others, especially nonbelievers, to the ends of the earth. Christ-followers are salt and light in Christ in this world. Our personal walk and talk in and for Christ matters and makes a difference in this world. See 1 Cor. 4:1, Acts 1:8.

Your Temple: This refers to your body, your life. What goes in and what comes out and how you use your body matters in the eyes of God. A Christ-follower’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and he or she is called to present their body as a living sacrifice, as holy unto the Lord. See 1 Cor. 6:19, Rom. 12:1-2.

Any treasure, talents, time, testimony, and temple we have is from God’s gracious blessing in the first place and we are to honor God with these things, all to His glory.

Prov. 3:9-10 NKJV Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

1 Cor. 10:31b ESV whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

This is a key principle for us to live by: God is the Owner, We are the  Stewards. Even more so, for the redeemed, God is the Faithful Owner, We are to be the Faithful Stewards.

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 ESV

Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 

1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Matt. 25:21 ESV

First, acknowledge God’s ownership. Recognizing God’s ownership of all things will help you on the road to peace, joy, and contentment regarding what you temporarily have. It will line you up better with God’s order of things.

Secondly, we are to be God-honoring faithful stewards of God’s stuff. Our faithfulness is required regardless of how much stuff we temporarily have. Faithfulness to God, even with the little things, matters.

Are you stressed related to personal finances, material possessions, debts, lack of contentment, etc..? If we are to get our financial, material, and spiritual lives in order with God, we must acknowledge and live out this key principle; God is the Faithful Owner, We are to be the Faithful Stewards.

Getting this right will help us make good financial related and life related decisions, be more content with the basics of ‘our’ material goods, be more generous, serve the Lord more fruitfully, and give praise to whom it is due (to God).

What do you think about God’s ownership of everything and our responsibility to be faithful stewards for His glory? What do you think about what I’ve posted here?

Mike 

God’s Riches through Christ

Often, the first thing we think about when we come across the word ‘riches’ is ‘lots of money and material things worth lots of money.’ We think of really rich people in this world like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump, Lebron James, Oprah Winfrey, and Carrie Underwood. These people have networths in the billions or millions. They certainly have access to a lot of liquid assets, cash, and material blessings. Some of us dream about being rich like this or have goals to be rich like these people. Having a lot of money and valuable resources are thoughts all of us have probably had more than once.

The Lord recently showed me something interesting about ‘riches’ when I was studying in the Bible book of Ephesians during our pastor’s message series. I noticed that the word ‘riches’ or ‘rich’ is a recurring key word in Eph. 1-3. It occurs six times and none of them refer to worldly riches like money and valuable physical resources. Instead, they are about abundant spiritual blessings based on who God is and what God does, especially toward born again redeemed Christ-followers. Here are the six verses.

Eph. 1:7 ESV In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

The Greek word for ‘riches’ here is ‘ploutos’ and it can mean fullness of wealth, money possessions, or figuratively mean abundance and valuable bestowment; enriched with something that is good. The occurrence here is not about worldly wealth. It’s about spiritual abundance of grace in who God is and what God does. Notice the phrase ‘According to the riches of God’s grace’ not ‘of’ the riches of His grace. If it were of the riches then the amount could be any amount including a very small amount like if Donald Trump only gave a dollar tip or just 15% of the bill at a restaurant. But if Donald Trump tipped according to his riches, the server would be rich with money. God is unbelievably spiritually rich with grace and according to that richness of God’s grace comes forgiveness in Christ. Amen! When you receive/trust Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, by God’s grace through faith you receive His forgiveness for your sins whether your sin is or seems minor or major. Praise God!

Eph. 1:18 ESV having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Through the Word of God, the Gospel, we learn that Christ-followers have an eternal inheritance in Christ and they are also an inheritance to the risen and glorified Jesus Christ. They are the Lord’s church here on earth. He is at work in and through them and the time will come, His Second Coming, when Christ returns and claims His inheritance here on earth. The spiritual blessings of eternal life are already underway in and around genuine Christ-followers as the Body of Christ. They experience the blessings. They are to be a blessing to others and they are to be a blessing to God.

Eph. 2:4 ESV But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

This is the only singular version of ‘rich’ in these 3 chapters and the Greek word here is based on the same one used in the other five occurrences.

How do we distinguish between the Lord’s grace and mercy?

- grace: undeserved favor and blessing

- mercy: compassion/pity or withholding punishment

This combination of God’s grace and mercy are found in the Gospel. We don’t deserve forgiveness and eternal life and He is compassionate on us as sinners and He withholds the ultimate wrath of God from those who are redeemed by Christ. God is abundant in mercy and He displays this through His great love toward us as seen in Christ’s atoning death on the cross for our sin.

Eph. 2:7 ESV so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Here, Paul refers to God’s grace again; this time describing it as immeasurable riches of God’s grace displayed in kindness toward Christ-followers. Throughout eternity God will display His gracious kindness to His redeemed and they will be a testimony of His amazing grace and kindness toward other redeemed people that while they were still lost in their sin Christ redeemed them. Amen!

Eph. 3:8 ESV To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

This grace mentioned here is the Gospel of grace; the Gospel of Christ; the great news of Christ, God’s plan of redemption for us sinners. This grace was given to Paul, who personally experienced it, and Paul proclaimed it to the Gentiles, the Gospel, the unsearchable riches of Christ. In one sense there is a simplicity to the Gospel that a child can trust in but there is also a depth and magnitude to Christ that is more than we can comprehend and find in full understanding at this time but I believe Christ-followers will know much more about Him when they get to Heaven.

Eph. 3:16 ESV that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

This is similar to ‘according to the riches of God’s grace’ in 1:7, although here the word ‘glory’ is in place of grace; God’s glory. This is the Greek word ‘doxa’ meaning honor, praise, splendor, greatness, majesty; esteem given. God is glorified in who He is and what He does. He will be glorified. He deserves to be glorified, and we are to give Him glory with our lives and good works. The riches of God’s glory pours out of His nature and works. It is out of this spiritual abundance of God’s glory that Paul prays to God the Father that these Ephesian Christ-followers would be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit; for what? To know the love of Christ better and better, to experience the fullness of God in your life through Christ.

There you have it. Six occurrences of the word ‘riches’ or ‘rich’ in Eph. 1-3 and they all point to abundant spiritual blessings in who God is and what God does, especially toward Christ-followers. How about you?  Do you believe in these spiritual riches rooted in God through Christ and are you personally being blessed by them?

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,

so that you by his poverty might become rich.

2 Cor. 8:9 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, Eph. 1:3 ESV

What are your thoughts on the riches referred to in Eph. 1-3 and what I’ve written about here?

Mike

Dealing with Worry and Anxiety

In the early nineties I was a computer professional working for EDS. They had an industry leading Phase II Systems Engineer Development Program that was very intense.  It was filled with technically difficult time-pressured assignments.  For example, we heard technical instruction all day long and then in the early evening, we would be given an assignment to create a large complex program flow chart or computer program that was due the next morning.  Hello! This was obviously going to take several, if not all, nighttime hours.  One time, I was in the office until 3AM trying to do an overnight assignment correctly and others were there even later or all night.  Of course, sometimes in the real computer world you are ‘on call’ and you do have to work through the night.  Any way, we averaged 80 hour training/work weeks for several weeks in a row. We were all drained and tested to the limits.  My co-employee roommate during that training, whom I had just met, was having difficulty keeping up with his assignments.  By the second week, he was vomiting in our apartment from the stress and worry of failing in Phase II.  A week later, he was out of Phase II training and EDS altogether.  My roommate experienced high stress, worried about outcomes, and experienced anxiety which led to unhealthy symptoms. That was a very challenging two months for all the employees in that training.  Praise God, I endured this and overcame the pressures I experienced.

Everyone has experienced some level of worry and anxiety. I’ll unpack these terms a little bit and then point to some practical and biblical help for coping with worry and anxiety. This blog entry is a highlight to the subject matter and not intended to be comprehensive in treating and coping with all forms of worry and anxiety.

Worry is mentally meditating on negative things, over and over again in your head, while dismissing positive things. You fret over tormenting thoughts. You dwell on bad things that did happen or could happen. If something already occurred, then no amount of worrying will every change that fact. If it’s something that could happen, it may never happen. Worrying, like fear, can be of something real or imagined.

It’s okay to have a realistic concern about someone or something. It’s okay to be concerned about danger. It’s foolish not to be. When you walk near a high mountain ledge then be concerned about falling. You should have a healthy fear in such a case because of the law of gravity and the sanctity of human life. If I notice an unusual non-round black spot growing on my skin I should be very concerned that it may be cancer and I should prayerfully see a skin doctor about it. It is not needless to be concerned about such a thing. It is a concern that needs to be addressed. But I don’t need to freak out and panic about it. I don’t need to run through many negative what-ifs in my head about it. When you swim in the ocean it’s okay to acknowledge the possibility of a shark bite/attack but thinking about it over and over again while you are in the ocean will have a negative effect on your experience. When I’m out there I do my best to never swim alone and I pray to God to help protect me. I admit though, the older I get, when it’s deeper than I can touch I have an increased nervousness about sharks so I shy away from those circumstances.

Needless worrying dwells on the negative which will hinder and hamper you and can even paralyze you in fear. Examples of needless worry: thinking regularly that there won’t be any Social Security money when you retire (Note: be a saver.); that you will get cancer one day and die (Note: invest in your health but getting cancer is often out of our control and not everyone who gets cancer dies from cancer); that the world will end soon; there is no world peace; something horrible will happen to me or my loved ones today; there are too many ants in the back yard, etc… Some issues are out of your control and some issues are not important. If there is a legitimate concern, then do something about it but don’t keep re-hashing and churning in your mind negative thoughts.

Needless worry is unhealthy and God’s Word teaches us to not do this (See below). Worry can become a sin issue when we don’t trust God and don’t have faith in God but instead wallow mentally and emotionally in negative thoughts and bow to unhealthy fears. Needless worry, like needless fear, is counter to having faith in God and living joyfully in Christ.

“It is distrust of God to be troubled about what is to come; impatience against God to be troubled with what is present; and anger at God to be troubled for what is past.”

Simon Patrick (1625–1707)

“If only we would stop lamenting and look up. God is here. Christ is risen. The Spirit has been poured out from on high. All this we know as theological truth. It remains for us to turn it into joyous spiritual experience.”

A. W. Tozer

Things to do when you struggle with worry:

- Identify what is worrying you.

- Distinguish between legitimate concerns and unhealthy/needless worries.

- Be mindful of unhealthy thoughts that won’t help you. Focus more on uplifting, joyful, truthful, hopeful, optimistic, and God-honoring thoughts.

- Don’t live by fear, instead, live by faith in God and enjoy His grace, mercy, and truth.

There are some additional helpful activities to try in this next section related to anxiety.

Anxiety is a heightened sense of nervousness and distress. Anxiety often occurs because one is living too stressed, too fast and/or too hard on their body. In some cases, anxiety is caused by some sort of fear. In other cases, it’s about eagerness and a strong desire or there is an apprehensive tension related to a mental/emotional health concern.

I experience some brief mild forms of anxiety from time to time like the night and morning before my son wrestles in a tournament or sometimes just before I preach. These are examples of normal anxiety that people experience: concern for my son’s safety and emotions as well as my upcoming public speaking moments. I want us to both do well and not mess up. Everyone experiences some general anxiety from time to time, but anxiety can also become something very unhealthy and wrong morally.

Anxiety and worry (as with stress) can have a negative impact on our emotional and physical well-being. Blood pressure can go high. Headaches can linger. Quality sleeping can decrease. Symptoms of depression can occur. There can be a panic attack of some sort which may have physical symptoms like an increased heart rate, dizziness, hyperventilation, trembling, or sweating.

When panic attacks continue and regularly occur then perhaps it is more of a disorder than a ‘small potatoes’ concern. The medical community recognizes multiples types of anxiety disorders. Some people who are overly anxious, especially on an ongoing and regularly occurring basis, could benefit from professional help like from a pastor, counselor, therapist, physician, and/or a psychiatrist. Sometimes medicines are used and can help, but mostly the help comes by way of modifications to the thought life, attitudes, and behavioral patterns. I also believe that faith in God and consistent holy living, based on God’s Word for His people today, are essential.

When addressing possible anxiety in one’s life, I like the twelve actions that Dr. Archibald Hart identified under the title ‘Personal Empowerment for Anxiety Sufferers (from his book, The Anxiety Cure; W. Publishing Grp. 1999, p50-51); written specifically for Christ-followers.

1.   Claim your strength in Christ.

2.   Feel the power that Christ gives you.

3.   Take control of your fear.

4.   Drop the ‘what ifs’ in life.

5.   Overcome your personal passivity.

6.   Increase your power by finding out all you can about your disorder.

7.   Don’t be demoralized by helplessness.

8.   Be compassionate toward yourself.

9.   Don’t let your problem dominate your life.

10. Beware the pitfalls of self-pity.

11. Find a good support group.

12. Never, never give up.

Also, consider these activities when dealing with worry and/or anxiety:

- Search God’s Word and apply relevant passages to your life and needs.

- Get an accurate diagnosis. Journal when the episode/experience occurs. Is there a common denominator among the occurrences? What precedes the anxiety? Was there a key event issue in your life that possibly led to the anxiety or are there ongoing stress issues or is there some kind of physiological issue in the body (in the mind, emotions, or physical body)?

- Identity and cope with any stress factors in your life. The subjects of worry and anxiety often overlap with the issue of stress. I have written about coping with stress in a separate blog entry (you can read that here: http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2014/07/coping-with-stress.html). Some of the ways to cope with stress can help you cope with worry and anxiety.

- Seek out God-honoring wise counsel from others. You can receive help diagnosing your symptoms and causes and you can receive encouragement and accountability in coping with, enduring, and experiencing relief from various worries and anxieties.

- Admit anxiety and take personal ownership of your path to recovery.

- Learn about natural tranquilizers. For example, learn techniques for resting and apply them to your life. Learn to take it easy, slow down, relax, breathe, meditate (dwelling on God-honoring truth and thoughts). Enjoy some clean humor.

- Commit your fear(s) over to God.

- Give attention to helping/serving other people. Avoid a pre-occupation with yourself.

- If a Christ-follower, know that your identity is in Christ. What are the truth statements in Scripture about you (read this: http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2013/09/identity-in-christ.html)? If you are not trusting Christ as your Savior and Lord then consider the great news of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture (read this: http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2013/09/great-news-gods-plan-for-true-life.html).

- Listen to some uplifting music with God-honoring lyrics.

- Live one moment and one day at a time.

- Engage in some regular basic exercise and physical activity.

- Get some regular quality sleep. Learn techniques and tips to help you do this like sleeping at a similar time each day in a dark room and relaxing your thoughts and being careful what you eat and drink later in the day.

- Evaluate your diet related to unhealthy eating and beverages and any allergies and digestive issues. Make good adjustments and stick to consistent healthy habits.

- Get a regular dose of sunshine and fresh outside air.

- Take some time off from work and your regular routine to have some down time, recreation time, some enjoyment time.

- Understand your general purpose as a human being created by God to glorify Him (see http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2013/08/why-am-i-here.html). Also, seek to learn how God has wired you for life, for vocation, for helping others, etc…

- Consider how your own beliefs, thought patterns, and habits can cause anxiety.

- Evaluate the boundaries in your life so you are not engaged in too much activity too often or in wrongful things.

- Seek peace in relationships.

- Avoid alcohol, drugs, nicotine, and even caffeine (basically, avoid stimulants).

- Keep adrenaline to a minimum.

- Simplify your lifestyle.

- Count your blessings not your troubles! Have a God-centered attitude of gratitude. Listing in a journal on a regular basis all the many things you are thankful for and give God the glory.

- Don’t fuss about ‘small potatoes.’

Here are some relevant Bible passages on the subjects of worry and anxiety:

Proverbs 12:25 (ESV) Anxiety (worry) in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

A ‘good word’ here can be affirmation and praise from another person or truth from God’s Word.

1 Peter 5:6-9a ESV Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. ⁸ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, firm in your faith,

Psalm 55:22 ESV Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Jesus warns people not to be anxious about the things of life but instead seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and your needs will be met.

Matthew 6:25-34 ESV “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

See also Luke 12:22-31

Matthew 13:22 ESV  As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Luke 21:34 ESV But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

Mark 13:11 ESV  And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

John 14:27 ESV Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Colossians 3:15 ESV And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Psalm 56:3 ESV When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Realize that God is sovereign and that we are responsible for aligning our lives with God’s will for us.

Job 12:10 ESV In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

Acts 17:24-28 ESV The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, ²⁵nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. ²⁶And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, ²⁷that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, ²⁸for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’;as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.

1 Chron . 29:11-13 ESV ¹¹Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. ¹²Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. ¹³And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

John 14:1 ESV “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. ⁸ He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

1 Peter 1:16 ESV  since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Gal. 5:22-25 ESV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

And my favorite passage for encouragement with life’s issues:

Phili. 4:6-8 ESV Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

What are your thoughts about what I wrote and included here about dealing with worry and anxiety? How do you deal with worry and/or anxiety?

Mike

Jesus is the Answer to ‘Why Pray?’

Years ago, a Christian man asked me, “Why should Christians pray to God?” This is a valid question. This guy had a fatalism background and the Bible does teach that God is in ultimate control so why ask God for help? Why talk to a spiritual being you can’t see? Why speak to someone who rarely seems to talk back?

From my studies in the Holy Bible, I believe the intent of prayer in our lives is to worship God for His glory, to cultivate one’s dependence on God and one’s spiritual intimacy/communion/fellowship with God, to confess sins to God, to praise/thank God for who He is and what He does, to ask God for help (petition/supplication) in one’s life and to ask God for help in other people’s lives (intercessory prayer).

There are several biblically based responses to this question, ‘Why pray?’, but I only want to point out three, in this blog, which are all clearly centered in Jesus Christ Himself. I believe Jesus is the answer to this question. Jesus is the One we must depend on and cry out to for help and He is also the One we look to for instruction and guidance and He is the One we should long to fellowship with. Here are three Christ-centered answers to the question, “Why pray?”

1) Jesus prayed

Prayer was a very prominent activity in the earthly incarnated life of Jesus Christ.

Mark 1:35 ESV And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

The preceding day had been a very busy and exciting for Christ. He was doing a lot of teaching and healing many people who came to Him, but Jesus shortened the hours of needed sleep that night so He might arise early and give Himself to more needed prayer. After a draining day, do we turn to prayer soon after or do we wait awhile or until things get hard again or there is a crisis? While pastoring a church, I recall one night I felt spiritually and emotionally drained after a church business meeting. When I went home, my wife and I talked about the meeting, we both prayed out loud and I called a spiritual mentor of mine and asked for prayer. I also got out of bed around 3am to talk to God and study His Word directly related to what was discussed in that business meeting. And I continued to pray related to our spiritual health and issues related to that particular meeting.

Luke 5:15-16 ESV But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. ¹⁶ But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Jesus often withdrew to pray. How about us, can we use the words ‘often’ and ‘pray’ in the same sentence about our prayer habits?

Luke 6:12-13 ESV In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. ¹³ And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:

Christ found it necessary on one recorded occasion to take a whole night for prayer. Wow! That’s quite a duration of prayer. The next day, He made a very important decision. He chose and called twelve disciples unto Himself, naming them Apostles. When we have a really important decision to make, how much quality prayer goes into it? During one season of pastoring a church, I was wrestling with whether to stay or leave and I engaged in a prayer/worship journey for eight hours one day and then a few weeks later I also did something similar overnight.

Other examples of Jesus praying: After the miraculous feeding of 5000+, Luke 9:18a; just before Jesus walked on water out to His disciples and had a great teachable moment with them, Matt. 14:22-23; Jesus prayed after He was baptized, Luke 3:21; Jesus prayed with some disciples during His transfiguration moment, Luke 9; Jesus prayed for Peter about Peter’s denial in advance of his denial and Jesus prayed in the garden just before He was arrested, Luke 22; Jesus prayed over little children, Matt. 19; John 17 contains a recorded prayer of Christ to God the Father. He prayed blessed thanks over eating occasions, e.g. Mt. 14:19; and prayed to the Father when He raised Lazarus (for the benefit of those nearby who could hear Him, John 11:42).

The words ‘pray’ and ‘prayer’ are used some 25 times or more in connection with Jesus Christ in the brief account of Himself found in the four Gospels in God’s Word. And His praying is mentioned where the words are not used. It is evident that prayer was an important part of His life and ministry. If we say we are Christ-followers, is prayer an important part of our lives? My life?

Prayer is a great spiritual fellowship moment with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God the Son, Jesus Christ, desired to spend quality spiritual time with God the Father and we should to in the name of Jesus Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit. The born again Christ-follower has been spiritually adopted by the Creator Redeemer God. God becomes the saved person’s Heavenly eternal Father. As a human father myself with four young children, I very much want regularly ongoing relationship fellowship moments with my children. I want them to talk to me, reach out to me for help, and enjoy time with me. I would be hurt if they rarely spoke to me or came to me for help and counsel. I want to connect with them relationally on a regularly basis. When you love someone you want to spend time with that person. You want to share your thoughts with that person and enjoy their presence. How is your relationship and fellowship with God? Spend quality genuine time with God through prayer.

Jesus prayed (which is a great example to us) and

2) Jesus exhorted all people to pray.

Luke 18:1 ESV And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Note that the use of the word “they” (or “men” in the NKJV) here in the English translation doesn’t pertain to just one gender or the small few Jesus was probably speaking to at this moment. In the original language and context, this word can and does refer to all people kind of like ‘mankind.’

The English word ‘ought’ doesn’t do this exhortation justice since it can mean ‘obligation’, ‘advisement,’ or ‘natural expectation.’ This word in the original Greek of the New Testament is translated ‘must’ 58 times. The primary meaning of this Greek word is ‘it is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper.’ It also means ‘a command and a necessity established by the counsel and decree of God.’

In Luke 17, Jesus taught about the End Times and their difficulties. We are to pray always and not lose heart or grow faint even during the tough times now or when things are really tough in the End Times.

Jesus taught of our need to pray and to never give up praying. This is not always easy. We naturally drift toward laziness and faint heartedness in this matter. We may not be in the right mood. We may be busy. Genuine earnest praying is draining. How seldom we really pray things through until the end. The enemies of God don’t want us to engage in God-honoring prayer. The enemies of God and weakness of our flesh nature try to weary us and distract us when it comes to praying, but regardless of how challenging quality prayer can be, prayer is an impelling spiritual activity which Jesus taught His followers to engage in.

Jesus also taught us here to pray ‘always.’ Paul wrote something similar later on. 1 Thess. 5:17 ESV pray without ceasing, This is not about literally praying 24/7. This is about talking to God often and regularly throughout your day and night including carved out times and spontaneous moments anywhere, anytime. It’s about a lifestyle of prayer that is a regular consistent part of our lives. I don’t know about you, but this is something that I periodically have to fight to uphold in my life.

Jesus prayed (which is a great example to us) and Jesus told us to pray always without losing heart and

3) Jesus continues to pray for His people.

During His incarnated earthly ministry Jesus prayed for His followers (including future followers); Luke 22:31, John 17. And praise God, His intercession ministry did not cease with His death and resurrection. After His appearances and ascension He ascended to the right hand of God where He continues to this day praying for His followers.

Hebrews 7:23-28 ESV The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴ but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. ²⁵ Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. ²⁶ For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Jesus Christ is the only perfect High Priest, the one we all truly need. He has made atonement for our sins. And those of us who trust in Him as Savior and Lord, He is able to completely save from our sins and He continues to pray the complete salvation of His people. Born again Christ-followers, Jesus Christ carries our salvation on to completeness, through His perfect intercessory prayer. This word “uttermost” in the Greek means all complete, perfect. The verse also tells us that His current intercession for His followers is a key part of His ministry now.

The same thought is found in Romans 8:34 ESV Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

And long beforehand Isaiah wrote down some prophecy about the suffering Servant (the future Messiah) who makes intercession for sinners (Isa. 53:12) and this is what Jesus Christ fulfilled and is fulfilling now.

What does Christ’s current intercessory ministry for Christ-followers mean for His followers today? Check out what R.A. Torrey wrote. “If we then are to have fellowship with Christ in His present work, we must spend much time in prayer, we must give ourselves to earnest, constant, persistent, sleepless, overcoming prayer.

I know of nothing that has so impressed me with a sense of importance of praying at all seasons, being much and constantly in prayer, as the thought that this is the principle occupation at present of my risen Lord. I want to have fellowship with Him, and to that end I have asked the Father whatever else He may make me, to make me at all events an intercessor, to make me a man who knows how to pray, and who spends much time in prayer. This ministry of intercession is a glorious and a mighty ministry, and we can all have part in it. The man or the woman who is shut away from the public meeting by sickness can have part in it. The busy mother, the woman who has to take in washing for a living can have part, she can mingle prayers for the saints, and for her pastor, and for the unsaved, and for foreign missionaries, with the soap and water as she bends over the washtub, and not do the washing any more poorly on that account. The hard driven man of business can have part in it, praying as he hurries from duty to duty. But of course we must, if we would maintain this spirit of constant prayer, take time and take plenty of it, when we shall shut ourselves up in the secret place alone with God for nothing but prayer.” (How To Pray; R.A. Torrey; Moody Press; pg13-14)

Praise God, Jesus Christ prays for people who trust Him for salvation and for those who have yet to trust Him for salvation.

Why pray? Well, Jesus Christ is the best answer to this question. Jesus prayed. Jesus told us to pray. Jesus prays for His people. Jesus Christ is our example and our exhortation when it comes to prayer.

There is much to learn in the Holy Bible about prayer but we don’t have to become experts in knowledge about prayer before engaging in God-honoring prayer. When it comes to praying to God, just do it, get started and learn and grow in prayer over time. Let’s be humble students of prayer, learning from God’s Word about prayer and most importantly, praying, and praying often, anytime, anywhere, praying alone and praying with others and praying according to a daily schedule, if you don’t already. Get right with God through prayer. Worship God through prayer. Fellowship with God through prayer. Pray to God for others. Pray to God for yourself. Pray to God!

What are your thoughts about what I’ve included here about Jesus being the answer to the question, ‘Why pray?’

Mike

Coping with Stress

Stress is some factor that causes something in our body to be tense, to feel pressure. In some cases there are good stress factors and at other times there are negative stress factors we should avoid, diminish, and/or remove. Who hasn’t been stressed? You can’t totally eliminate negative stress from ever happening in your life, but you can learn to cope with stress in a God-honoring way so it doesn’t rule you, rob you of joy, or destroy you.

We actually benefit from some stress factors. For example, weight lifting can stress your body, mind and emotions. Proper regular weight lifting, for many people, can help burn calories, develop strength and muscle tone, but if you engage in ‘improper’ weight lifting (e.g lifting too much, too often, and in bad form) it will lead to problems like injuries. Another common example of good stress is reasonable academic requirements. For each college class the student is given due dates for graded assignments. This causes some pressure in the student’s life to be prepared and turn assignments in on time in order to achieve a desired grade. Such academic stress is good and can help motivate one to do well in a timely manner. The stress can become overwhelming though when the student overloads their personal schedule, becomes too busy, doesn’t get enough sleep, and/or procrastinates with assignments.

Most of the time when we think of stress it’s about the unpleasant stress issues in life. Over the years, I have been stressed about many things like my personal insecurities, bullies, financial debt, unemployment, illnesses, failure, relational conflict, being late, burning dinner, fast-paced/over-extended living, and on and on.

Such stress can lead to negative consequences.  Perhaps one’s health declines, there are feelings of panic, foolish decisions made, withdrawal, symptoms of depression surface, loss of self-control, anger issues, etc... In my twenties, a young adult co-worker of mine was so distraught and stressed over his girlfriend breaking up with him, he went to the hospital because his physical heart was in pain. Last summer, I worked lots of extra hours remodeling the home we were soon to move into. I was not sleeping much and was over-extending myself and stressing out about running out of time. When I became very irritable with my family, began losing my focus, and not making good decisions I realized (and my wife called me out about it) that I needed to slow down and rest more. I was doing too much and it caused lots of stress which negatively impacted my family as well.

We must realize that we are limited as created human beings. We are not God. We are not supreme beings. We are not unlimited in ability and capacity. We must be careful not to overextend ourselves too much or too regularly. Our bodies need down time. We need self-care time. We need slow times and restful times. We need recovery times. We can’t and shouldn’t take on too much.

Here are some biblical passages to help you cope with stress:

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! Ps. 4:1 ESV

Pray to God for help, for relief.

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Ps. 46:10 ESV

Slow down and focus on God. So often in our culture we are overly active and busy and this leads to much stress. Let’s slow down regularly to commune and connect with the Lord God Almighty.

 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Mt. 11:28-30 ESV

We can experience holistic rest for our lives in Jesus Christ.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Rom. 12:2 ESV

Renew your thoughts time and time again with God-honoring thinking and living.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philip. 4:6-8 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 ESV

Don’t be anxious or worrying about things. Pray to God for help and be thankful to God; then comes God’s promise of peace and protection in Christ. Remember to live by and think with a Christian worldview. Be careful about what you see, watch, listen to, expose yourself to and fantasize about.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation. Ps. 42:5 ESV

Don’t allow stress to beat you down with discouragement. Trust God and put your hope in God.

Here are some biblical and some practical ways to cope with stress:

- Diagnose the situation; is the stress factor out of your control, not important, or is it something important that can and should be changed?

- Pray to God about what to do.

- Search God’s Word and apply relevant passages to your life.

- Seek out God-honoring wise counsel from others. You can receive help diagnosing your symptoms and causes and you can receive encouragement and accountability in coping with, enduring, and experiencing relief from various kinds of stress.

- If a Christ-follower, know that your identity is in Christ. What are the truth statements in Scripture about you (read this: http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2013/09/identity-in-christ.html)? 

If you are not trusting Christ as your Savior and Lord then consider the great news of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture (read this: http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2013/09/great-news-gods-plan-for-true-life.html).

- Engage in some regular exercise and physical activities.

- Evaluate your diet related to unhealthy eating and beverages and any allergies and digestive issues. Make good adjustments and stick to consistent healthy habits.

- Get a regular dose of sunshine and fresh outside air.

- Have your thoughts dwell on God-honoring things instead of unholy and negative things.

- Take some time off from work and your regular routine to have some down time, recreation time, some enjoyment time.

- Learn when to say ‘no’ to people and busyness.

- Evaluate the boundaries in your life so you are not engaged in too much activity too often or in wrongful things.

- Seek peace in relationships.

- Keep adrenaline to a minimum.

- Don’t rush into major decision making, especially when stressed.

- Simplify your lifestyle.

- Avoid alcohol, drugs, nicotine, and even caffeine (basically, avoid stimulants).

- Get some regular quality sleep. Learn techniques and tips to help you do this like sleeping at a similar time each day in a dark room and relaxing your thoughts and being careful what you eat and drink later in the day. 

- Consider how your own beliefs, thought patterns, and habits can cause stress. For example, being perfectionistic, thinking failure is always bad, and checking your body weight every day will cause stress.

- Count your blessings not your troubles! Have a God-centered attitude of gratitude. Try listing in a journal on a regular basis all the many things you are thankful for and give God the glory.

- Don’t fuss about ‘small potatoes.’

- Learn about the many possible stress factors in life; determine which ones are present in your life and address them.

Know the difference between a tension to balance verses an issue to remove. For example, working many hours a week for earned income compared to spending quality weekly time with my wife and children is a tension to balance and manage. This is not an issue to remove from my life. I am not going to only work long term or only spend time with my family long term. I plan to do both long term so I need to find a balance between them. If however, I stepped on a splinter piece of wood that drove into my foot I would want that splinter removed. I don’t want long term balance between keeping a splinter in my foot and walking with a limp. The splinter is a problem I want removed from my life soon and hopefully after some recovery time I can walk normal again and without the pain.

Stress is not inherently sinful. I believe Jesus Christ was feeling very stressed in His humanity the night before He went to the cross because of spiritual warfare and He knew that He would suffer greatly for our sins, especially being separate spiritually for a time from God the Father. He experienced great stress but He did not sin. In our lives, if we are stressed and tempted, for example, to try to control matters instead of giving control to God, or to not have faith in God, or to develop insecure fears, then the stress issue becomes a moral issue.

Recognize that there is a difference between feeling some stress over something and being ‘stressed out’ about something. The latter includes worry, anxiety, panic, and frantic emotions. Everyone feels negative stress from time to time but don’t allow the stress to control you, defeat you, and lead you to things that are not God-honoring. In this blog entry, my focus is coping with stress and in a separate blog entry I write about dealing with worry and anxiety (read that entry here: http://mikesmorals.blogspot.com/2014/07/dealing-with-worry-and-anxiety.html).

When you are stressed about something, consider and apply some of these biblical and practical ways to cope with stress. Ultimately, continue to give your concerns, cares, and your life over to Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ⁷ Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Pt. 5:6-7 NLT

and he (Christ) died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 2 Cor. 5:15 ESV

What are your thoughts about what I’ve written and included here about coping with stress? How do you cope with stress? 

Mike