“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matt 11:28
Often when we feel beaten down, the common response is either to work harder to FIX it or to QUIT and wait for something to change. Neither one are very effective. You can just look around and watch the results of both of this attempts. Marriages that are struggling quit in divorce or try to FIX their spouse by arguing and complaining. Parents push their kids into dozens of activities to fix their kids behavior or quit and leave it up to schools and society to raise their children for them. Adults want more possessions or pleasures and spend more hours working to gain money, or just give up and pay with credit expecting a bailout to save them. Politicians wait for the markets to change or go spend more money to fix what debt and entitlement have created. FIX or QUIT is the common answer to every struggle---an that's not a criticism or blame, it's true for all of us.
So when Jesus addresses that feeling of weariness and burdened lives, He offered a third alternative... Get off the couch or leave the desk and come to me. Instead of FIX or QUIT, COME! To come to Him means humbling ourselves to the truth--that we have messed up and need help. It means recognizing we don't know what to do and submitting to His plan of action instead of our own. And coming means WE have to go to HIM (not Him coming to us).
Burden makes us tired, and often the last thing we want to do is face a God who will change us. Change sounds like more burden. But Jesus says when we get up and go to Him, His change will actually give us rest---less burden! The answer is not to fix it ourselves but let God CHANGE us from our burden. It's not to QUIT but to COME!
Want less struggle and burden, then stop making excuses or justifying behaviors and come to Jesus. Go to church, make the changes that Jesus calls for in His Word, and watch the burdens be lifted. He will do it, He promised!!!
What if marriages started using COME and CHANGE... Or parents... Or even a country? Our burdens would just be bumps in the road of life.
The answer for our struggles is to get up & walk to God, not sit around and wait for change. So get up this week and find you way back to Him, to His body, to His rest.
COME and CHANGE.
A devotional on the Grace of Jesus from reading through the New Testament. Provided by Journey Christian Church of Tracy CA - www.journeycc.net
A Year of No Worry!
Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt 6:34
Some things need to be stopped cold turkey style. There are some things in life that can't be managed or reduced or medicated away. The only answer is to quit immediately.
That's the case with worry. Worry is predicting tomorrow based on possibilities. It's the absence of faith, because it bases outcomes on what a person can know or imagine instead of what is real. Worry makes me into God instead of believing in God's plan.
God's prescription for worry is to STOP immediately!!! Do not do it! He doesn't say we won't be tempted to worry, but tells us when we are tempted to not DO worry. That means quitting cold turkey. Throw away the package, flush it, run from it. Stop it!!! Every time we start to get concerned about tomorrow reroute your mind to what you are doing today.
Mature people realize that worry is a time waster. Worry actually takes energy away from what we can get done today...which then CREATES the worry even more. Instead, put our energy into what needs done today! If we invested an hour into our marriage/family today we wouldn't have to worry about losing them tomorrow. If we worked to put a little money aside today we would be fine with having something in the years ahead. And if we invest a little effort in our relationship with God today, we will lean into Him better for the future that is unpredictable.
Jesus also gives us some help with how to reroute our worry. He tells us to look at how the rest of creation operates. When we see seasons continue faithfully, and animals getting their needs met, and realize how we have been cared for all thru our lives, then we can have a little faith in God to do the same for us in the future too.
Make a commitment today---every time you feel like worrying you will reflect on your blessings and invest in today. Instead of wasting energy on worry, use it for results. What would a year of no worry look like? Let's find out in 2013!!!!
Some things need to be stopped cold turkey style. There are some things in life that can't be managed or reduced or medicated away. The only answer is to quit immediately.
That's the case with worry. Worry is predicting tomorrow based on possibilities. It's the absence of faith, because it bases outcomes on what a person can know or imagine instead of what is real. Worry makes me into God instead of believing in God's plan.
God's prescription for worry is to STOP immediately!!! Do not do it! He doesn't say we won't be tempted to worry, but tells us when we are tempted to not DO worry. That means quitting cold turkey. Throw away the package, flush it, run from it. Stop it!!! Every time we start to get concerned about tomorrow reroute your mind to what you are doing today.
Mature people realize that worry is a time waster. Worry actually takes energy away from what we can get done today...which then CREATES the worry even more. Instead, put our energy into what needs done today! If we invested an hour into our marriage/family today we wouldn't have to worry about losing them tomorrow. If we worked to put a little money aside today we would be fine with having something in the years ahead. And if we invest a little effort in our relationship with God today, we will lean into Him better for the future that is unpredictable.
Jesus also gives us some help with how to reroute our worry. He tells us to look at how the rest of creation operates. When we see seasons continue faithfully, and animals getting their needs met, and realize how we have been cared for all thru our lives, then we can have a little faith in God to do the same for us in the future too.
Make a commitment today---every time you feel like worrying you will reflect on your blessings and invest in today. Instead of wasting energy on worry, use it for results. What would a year of no worry look like? Let's find out in 2013!!!!
God First Actions lead to God Given Blessings
After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Genesis 15:1 NIV84)
Abram had just risked his life and family to go rescue Lot, then gave one tenth of the revenue to a high priest named Melchizedek. After that powerful moment, God approached Abram to confirm His covenant promises with three new blessings:
1). Security. Having God as our friend means we have NOTHING to fear! Nothing!! Who can defeat God? Who can hold back His blessings? With God we have security for life. So don't worry or be afraid. Most of our fears in life (including financial) is because we haven't established or maintained that relationship with the God over all fears.
2) Shield. Having just defeated a large enemy there was bound to be revenge on the minds of those kingdoms. Instead, God provides Abram a shield of personal and financial protection to make his enemies stay away. Making income is not that difficult...keeping it from being lost in accidents, thefts, repairs, maintenance, and greed IS difficult. When God is our shield, then our lives and livelihood is protected.
3) Reward. Our measure of reward these days is money. But money is temporary. God gives and He can take it away. But His Love is permanent, and He loves to bless His children with the best He has (including money at times). God is a permanent giver---and offers us eternally lasting rewards.
All of this was because Abram put God first in his life---in obedience AND in giving. Those are three good motives to make God first in our lives as well ... In our calendar and our paychecks.
I wonder what "after this" blessings are awaiting our God First actions?
Abram had just risked his life and family to go rescue Lot, then gave one tenth of the revenue to a high priest named Melchizedek. After that powerful moment, God approached Abram to confirm His covenant promises with three new blessings:
1). Security. Having God as our friend means we have NOTHING to fear! Nothing!! Who can defeat God? Who can hold back His blessings? With God we have security for life. So don't worry or be afraid. Most of our fears in life (including financial) is because we haven't established or maintained that relationship with the God over all fears.
2) Shield. Having just defeated a large enemy there was bound to be revenge on the minds of those kingdoms. Instead, God provides Abram a shield of personal and financial protection to make his enemies stay away. Making income is not that difficult...keeping it from being lost in accidents, thefts, repairs, maintenance, and greed IS difficult. When God is our shield, then our lives and livelihood is protected.
3) Reward. Our measure of reward these days is money. But money is temporary. God gives and He can take it away. But His Love is permanent, and He loves to bless His children with the best He has (including money at times). God is a permanent giver---and offers us eternally lasting rewards.
All of this was because Abram put God first in his life---in obedience AND in giving. Those are three good motives to make God first in our lives as well ... In our calendar and our paychecks.
I wonder what "after this" blessings are awaiting our God First actions?
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