It is Saturday at 10:27pm.
Back in August, I considered
choosing a topic for this Write31Days challenge. “Considered” being the
operative word.
So here I am, starting today’s
blog. To be sure, I have been rolling around subjects all day. Now I am inspired.
Or maybe just unwillingly to miss a day.
My beautiful dog is at the other
end of the couch, worried that I won’t get a good blog written. Worried that I
haven’t yet decided what to wear to church – what if I need to iron something??
What if I don’t have time to feed her in the morning? What if I don’t get
enough sleep and I get sick?
Okay, she’s not doing that. Dogs don’t worry. Birds don’t worry. Cats don’t
worry. Babies don’t worry. In fact, people don’t worry until they are taught,
generally by example, to do so.
Jesus certainly has words
regarding worry. Familiar words about birds and flowers.
Consider these words from the apostle Paul as
well:
“No unbelief or distrust made Abraham
waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong
and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God.” Romans 4:20 AMP
Abraham had waited a long time
for God’s promise to make him the father of many nations.
LONG
time. Decades. And he was an old man. Before the little blue pill existed.
Abraham had reason to worry.
Sometimes we fashion Biblical
characters as superheroes, different from us, immune to human emotions. Not
true. Abraham was a regular old dude, trying to obey God. Just like we are.
No unbelief or distrust made
Abraham waver…
Interesting that the text doesn’t
say no amount of years, no amount of watching other people have babies, no
amount of his wife’s questions.
It says Abraham did not waver in
his thinking. He did not allow himself to be unsteady by going back and forth
in his belief that God keeps His promises. He did not speak contrary to God’s words.
The verse does NOT say he never
had a moment of doubt. It doesn’t say the thought never crossed his mind that
maybe he misunderstood what God had promised. Abraham was, after all, human.
The key is when the thought came Abraham did not allow it to make him waver. He
made a choice. He grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave
praise and glory to God.
We make choices like that dozens
of times a day. Worry, grumbling, complaining, murmuring all choices that take
us away from the promises and the riches the Creator has in store for us.
At least one of you reading this
doesn’t like that statement. After all, everyone grumbles, right? And who doesn’t
worry?
I heard this statement recently
and it smacked my head so hard that I grabbed a pencil and wrote it down:
I can’t hold onto a pleasant
thought and feel bad and I can’t hold onto an unpleasant thought and feel good.
Did you HEAR that?
I can’t hold onto a pleasant
thought and feel bad and I can’t hold onto an unpleasant thought and feel good.
I could dig up a dozen quotes,
Biblical and secular, about the folly and futility and unpleasant consequences
of worrying, fretting, and complaining.
Do I need more than this: I can’t
worry or complain and feel good at the same time. I can’t worry or complain and give praise and glory
to God at the same time.
Do you need more than that?
There is nothing incredibly deep
here tonight. But someone needed to hear this.
You can’t worry and feel good at
the same time. Only one is allowed.
You can’t complain and feel good
at the same time. Only one is allowed.
You can’t hold anger and resentment
and feel good at the same time. Only one is allowed.
It’s your choice to waver or not.
Your choice to praise or not. Your choice is to believe or not. Your choice to feel good or not. Only one is
allowed.
No, no…it really is that simple.
It is. Not easy, but simple.
Thanks for reading.
We will talk again tomorrow… there
is much more to say about ALLOWING.
BP J
I am participating in Write 31
Days. Click here to read more about it and see
the other amazing bloggers.
You can see earlier entries below
this blog or in the sidebar under 2015.
Beth Painter is, among many other things, a
writer and motivational speaker. You can follow her on Facebook on the
“Think Big focus small” page.
Beth is available to speak to your group about
how to make your dreams and desires come to life!
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