I don’t know about you, but I amaze myself with my ability to get all anxious over “stuff” in my life sometimes. How about you?
Then, in the midst of all this anxiousness, I remember—oh, yeah, I’m not supposed to be worrying about these things! I’m supposed to be trusting God to take care of them. How did I forget that?
“And besides, what’s the use of worrying? What good does it do? Will it add a single day to your life? Of course not! And if worry can’t even do such little things as that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?"
Well, I do trust God – completely. I trust his ability and desire to see things go right and well in my life. So, what’s my problem? Well, I’m just a great worrier, I guess. Note, that is not a typo – it was not meant to say “warrior.” No, I meant worrier. Darn.
Ye-e-a-a-h, so, we are not supposed to be worriers. In fact, we ARE supposed to be WARRIORS. So how do we go from being a world class worrier to a world class WARRIOR?
Isaiah 26:3 says:
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Well, those seem like comforting words on the surface, but what do they mean for you and me? Let’s break the verse down, word by word:
You – meaning, God
will keep in perfect peace – meaning God will (without fail) keep complete peace within
ALL – this means everyone, without exception
Who trust – what does trust mean?
firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
in you, – in God
all whose thoughts – everyone, without exception, whose constant thoughts
are fixed on – what does fixed on mean?
fastened, attached, or placed so as to be firm and not readily movable; firmly implanted; stationary; rigid
you! – meaning, God.
To sum it up:
God will, without fail, keep complete peace within everyone who trusts in him, and has a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, and strength of him; everyone whose constant thoughts are fastened, attached, and placed on him so as to be firm and not readily movable.
Okay, let's put this in simplest terms:
Wow! I love this truth, how about you? Can you envision not having to worry about anything in your life, knowing there is someone out there taking good care of everything for you? It's true - there is! And his name is God. Heavenly Father. Abba. El Shaddai. Emmanuel. And he wants us to be WARRIORS, not worriers!
So, how do we become WARRIORS instead of worriers? By simply giving ourselves a daily dose of reading God’s Word and trusting in what it says. Also, spending time talking to him. You don't have to read any particular verses, and you can just talk to God like he's your good friend. I feel happier and more at peace when I start each day talking to God, asking him to lead my life and to speak his directions into my mind and heart . If you're not already, you should give it a try!
The more we practice reading God’s Word and praying, or simply talking to him, the more natural it becomes to trust him. Yes, there will still be times when it’s hard. And that is when we dig in, read more, pray more, talk to other devoted Christians or leaders, and ask others to pray for us. It is in these hard times that, as we persevere, our faith grows stronger.
For a complete Biblical description of God's Warrior tools, click here.
Digging Deeper
WARRIORS go to battle, right? So, if we want to be WARRIORS, and not worriers in our Christian living, then we go to battle too. And the way we win, is by knowing and quoting Scripture – even boldly out loud! And by prayer. Quietly by ourselves, fervently out loud, or even with a group. And when we make these tools a habit, peace will flow through our minds like a placid ocean, and we won’t be tossed within the waves of worry. Yay!
Note: There is something to be said for spending time with other dedicated Christians who will know and accept, and even uphold your faith. Sharing our faith together goes a long way in strengthening our resolve to be WARRIORS, and not fall prey to the daily temptations that throw us on the rocks.
“Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on.”
Hebrews 10:25
Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for your powerful Words that teach us and lead us.
I want to be a Warrior, not a worrier. Please help me remember to dig in, read and
quote your Scripture Words, and talk to you so that I become and remain strong.
Also, will you please put some good, Christian people in my life to hang out with?
Thank you for loving me and giving me your perfect peace to help me through each day.
I love you.
Amen.
Thanks for staying with me through this longer devotion today. I caught myself beginning to worry, and wondered how many of you also struggle with this. I think we all have times we struggle with the uncertainties in our lives. I am determined, though, to be and stay a WARRIOR and not a worrier! How about you - would you determine to be a WARRIOR with me? Let's make a pact to let God do the worrying and get on with our lives - the way God intended, okay? Are you in?
Let me know in the comments, or contact me. I’d love to hear about your WARRIOR pact!
Love & blessings,
Mindy 💗
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