Peace?

 Guilt - real or imaginary is a horrible burden. Apparently, if the last three weeks are any indication I'm suffering from imaginary guilt (according to Dan's diagnosis).

Let me explain, I'm one of those people who if you lose your cool or type out that belligerent email, I immediately question what I did to make you act that way. Even though logically, I know it is your problem.

So while you're sleeping like a baby, I'm wide awake wondering why you did what you did and replaying the conversations leading up to this disruption of my peace. 

In other words my peace is disturbed. 

And that's when I turn to Jesus (and Dan). I pray. I talk things out with my husband, who tries to understand this crazy quirk about me. Also, I immerse myself in God's Word.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, "“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.” 

So even though I pray, leave it with God, and then a few hours later I take it back up. 

Romans 8:6 says, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” 

So then, as in all things, it comes down to do I believe God will do what He says. It is always, in my life at least, - do I trust God. 

Jerry Bridges, author of Trusting God wrote, "Don't believe everything you think. You cannot be trusted to tell yourself the truth. Stay in The Word."

He further points out, "Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelms us."

The psalmist knew this and in Psalm 85:8 says, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” 

Oh Lord, help me be governed by the Spirit in all I do or say.

Lamenting

 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

We've all heard this verse but what the heck does it mean? I mentioned this morning that I off think of Frank Perretti's examples in one of his books where the demons sit on the roofs and dip their fingers in and stir the pot. They disrupt peace and trigger our minds. 

Petretti's books are fiction or are they.

How else do I explain things. I am prone to over think. If you send a hateful email, I take it to heart. I stress over it. If you send a colleague a nasty email, I stress why you would do that. 

So for the third or fourth weekend in a row I'm stressed over - emails and work. I'm suppose to be learning about Jesus, yet, I'm busy over thinking. 

However, right before Peter tells you the devil wants to devour you. He says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. "(vs. 6-7)

Could God be giving me a personal view of lamenting: crying out to Him for help and trusting that help is on the way?

Turn to God-

I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, and he will hear me.
In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord (Psalm 77:1)

Tell God what's wrong-

God, I feel torn in my spirit. I feel like I have caused stress to others. My spirit is at unrest. I forsee confrontation.

Ask Boldly-

Lord, I do not just ask for peace, I ask for you to resolve the conflict. To handle the situation. "Consider and answer me..." (Psalm 13)

Trust -

Your word says,

"But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalm 13:5-6, ESV)

Perhaps practicing lamenting restore a right spirit and renews our sight.

 Deaths ~ Births ~ Miracles

Social media is a strange creature, daily I'm reminded of the brevity of life as I read of someone's passing. I hurt with these friends and families that must say good-byes to their loved ones. 

Then interspersed between sadness, I see beautiful, precious new babies being born. Former students starting families and friends having grandchildren.

Now this would be enough to know that there's God, but no, this week we've seen miracles as well. A senior in a horrific wreck comes home in three days. A cancer patient who has not one but two brain surgeries in a week goes home. Nothing short of miracles.

And over all these events is God at work. 

In Bible we are studying the miracles of Jesus. Yesterday's miracle was raising Lazarus from the dead, but it was this verse that got me, "Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” (John 11:41-42)

"For the benefit of these people," and I looked around at my week full of deaths ~ births ~ and miracles, and wondered how anyone could doubt him when obviously he is still at work.