Our world is being bombarded by information overload every day. Most of this information can generate fear. The question is, “What do we do with this fear?” Do we let it fly over our head, or do we let it settle and make a nest within our life?

God would have us to acknowledge the information, discern the truth, and TRUST in Him for the outcomes. Trusting God for the outcomes doesn’t mean we are without responsibility.

Let’s look at each of these steps to avoid allowing fear to nest in our lives.

Acknowledge the Information

We cannot be uninformed and put our heads in the sand because the news is overwhelming. We may need to regulate the amount of information ingested per day and attempt to get a wide range of sources so as not to be one-sided in the “slant” of narratives that fill the airwaves.

In our modern world of technology we must take greater responsibility to realize that just because it is on TV or print does not guarantee that it is truth.

This leads to our next step of preventing fear from nesting in our lives.

Discern the Truth

We are told in 2 Timothy 2:15 (MSG) to “Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won’t be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple.” Discernment usually should include additional research on your part and continued prayer asking God to open the eyes of your heart. 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

We need to become mature Christians and “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12 NIV).

Maturity feeds our trust in God.

Trust in God

In one of my devotionals I found the following quote of Jesus speaking: “I am nearer than you think, richly present in all your moments….The more aware of my presence the safer you feel.”

What have we been doing in our life to cultivate the presence of God? His presence in our lives casts out fear. His presence is based upon us knowing His love for us. (1 John 4:18 NIV)

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Our job as Christians is to take what we see and hand it over to our God who is unseen. Our job is to gain confidence in God; above and beyond what we see. (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

The Bible goes on and gives us practical action to build and protect our faith against the flaming darts of fear. (Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Final Thoughts

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 8:13). Since we know that, we also have evidence that supports God’s declaration in Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Paul exhorts the Christians of his day with the following words (Philippians 4:4-9 NIV). May these words also comfort you as to the alternate thoughts that will assist you to not allow fear to nest in your life.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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Time Keeps on Slipping Into the Future and Time in a Bottle

Or what about the music groups Journey and Foreigner?

We have a certain attitude as we move through this journey of life. The attitude is either one of hope or hopelessness.  An attitude of looking at the glass half full or half empty.

Definitions:

Hope – (noun) the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best; (verb) to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence; to believe desire or trust.

Less – (adverb) to a smaller extent, amount or degree; most certainly not; (adjective) smaller in size, amount, degree, lower in consideration, rank, or importance; (noun) something inferior or not as important.

Full – (adjective) completely filled; containing all that can be held; filled to utmost capacity; (adverb) exactly, directly, very; (verb) to make full as by gathering, pleating, or tucking material.

Too often we place our hope in what we can see, things like our spouse, job, government, education, or healthcare.

However, our real hope to gain “fullness” rather than “lessness” is in looking to Jesus.  Colossians 1:27 tells us that the Christ within us is the HOPE of GLORY.  Our hopeFULLNESS is in “Jesus BLOOD and RIGHTEOUSNESS”

(Think of the hymn: “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less”).

HopeLESSNESS is when we look to “chariots and horses… governments and banks (Psalm 20:7)” to be our resource, rescuer, or our savior.

My hope is in King Jesus, and Jesus alone.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, not yet seen.”

(Hebrews 11:1)

Let us begin to believe what the Bible says, “God is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Let our faith arise to believe and then live as if we believe that God is FAITHFUL to Himself and His word. What He says He will do, will be done!

What promise in God’s word do you need to latch onto and hold on unwavering in hope until you see God moving on your behalf? Once you’ve seen God work in your life it stirs the inner you to have hopeFULNESS in God, not hopeLESSNESS in your circumstances.

In God’s economy Hope equals FAITH and Hopelessness equals FEAR. A Hope filled journey is not one without trouble. Jesus himself said “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!  I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b).

Jesus also said, “…for he (God) makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

Begin to look at God’s ability to create beauty for ashes in whatever the circumstance you are facing…God alone brings HOPE to the hopeless.

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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Start with prayer. 

You might already know that God did not design us for constant stress and anxiety. 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for us.” Ask God to help you trust Him and turn away from worry. This past blog has five other Scriptures to help you remember to give your worries to God: https://myhope1007.com/what-to-do-when-you-are-scared-and-worried/

Consider therapy. 

There are many benefits to seeing a counselor or therapist, but one of the major ones is that they can help you identify what’s causing your worry or anxiety and come up with a plan to manage it. Talking through your thoughts and feelings in a safe space can help you see things from another perspective and work through any unresolved issues that may be keeping you stuck in a cycle of worry.

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Thankfulness.

Keep a running list of things you’re thankful for. Worrying can be overwhelming and cause you to lose perspective, so it’s important to take a step back and focus on the things that make you feel grateful. Make a list of all the positive aspects of your life – no matter how small – and review it regularly. You could keep a journal or keep the list on your phone so you always have access to it.

Form healthy habits. 

Worry can cause physical symptoms like muscle tension, fatigue, and insomnia, so it’s important to maintain an active lifestyle. Exercise releases endorphins that can improve your mood and help reduce the physical effects of stress. Take a walk or join a dance class; any kind of physical activity will help you take back control of your emotional state. Also, be sure to get enough sleep. Unhealthy habits stress your body and can aggravate or even be the cause of anxiety.

Look for healthy distractions. 

Worry often comes down to ruminating on things you cannot control or change. It can be hard to just “stop worrying,” so it helps to have something else to focus your attention on. Exercise, hobbies, or even just talking with friends can be a great way to distract yourself and create some distance from the source of your worry.

Practice relaxation techniques. 

One of the best ways to overcome worry is to focus on the present moment. Worrying about what might happen in the future is often a reaction to feeling out of control, so take a step back and try to identify what has you feeling overwhelmed. Once you have identified the source of your worry, envision handing those things over to God. Take a few deep breaths, resting in His presence. Train yourself to stop and do this every time you start feeling worried and you’ll start building new pathways in your brain that make it easier over time.

We hope these ideas help you live a less-worried life. Do you have any go-to anxiety busters? We’d love to hear from you!

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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Trust in God’s Timing

I wonder how you feel about this saying:

“You’ll see why God made you wait.” 

You might feel hurt, you might feel frustration, you might smile and go, “Hey, I’ve been there, done that.” This past weekend, I wrapped up a season in my life associated with an organization that I had been volunteering with for many years, probably almost 10. And I just felt a peace recently from God saying to me, “it’s time to step away.” I don’t want to, and it hurts, but I have to trust Him. And that saying “one day, you’ll see why God made you wait,” I actually am kind of excited and have some anticipation of “what’s next?”

The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? 

Proverbs 20:24 NIV

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Trust in God’s Goodness

There are seasons in your life that will be good times. There’ll be some challenges, some trials. I know it’s difficult during those times- personally, it’s very difficult in the middle of the night, being awake and worrying or stressed out about some stuff. Consider this: it is crazy how a relationship with God can completely change your mood and attitude in an instant. Instead of worry, go to prayer. One worship song, one whispered prayer, one scripture verse can take you from the absolute worst mindset to a place of such peace and joy. There’s nothing like the presence of God. And my prayer for you today is to experience that.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4.6-7 NLT

Trust That God is With You

Today’s a great day to live by faith and not by sight. Sometimes what you see isn’t really the whole story. Faith will fill in all the gaps. I was spending time in the Bible this morning in the book of Luke, and Jesus was talking to the disciples about faith. It got me thinking about how faith is risky. I know sometimes I feel the risk; am I doing the right thing? Trusting God in this decision? Faith looks risky to others, maybe family members who don’t understand what’s going on in your life and how you are making decisions for you and your family. Especially in today’s day and age, where it seems like everyone is looking for proof of things to be true outside of God. 

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now. And don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 6.34 NLT

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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