During the last few weeks I have been teaching as series called "Care•less" - not meaning not careful, but living free of worry and anxiety. In the world today it seems like it's impossible to avoid worrying about something. Life brings so many twists and turns. Some are expected and some are a complete surprise. But know this, God was not surprised by what you are going through. As a matter of fact, He saw it coming. Now you might be wondering, God why are you letting me go through this?? However, there is one thing that we should consider before we point the finger at God: He has already prepared our rescue package. That's why God is good, because He didn't leave us alone or forget about our needs. He saw what we needed ahead of time and made reservations for us. All we have to do is receive His strategy, wisdom, direction, and provision that will prove to be the answer to whatever life is throwing our way.
God says in a passage found in 1 Peter 5:5-10 that you can cast all of your cares (worries, anxieties) on Him because he cares for you. BUT there is a specific strategy that this passage outlines, giving us steps to follow so we can live worry free. Here we go!
God says in a passage found in 1 Peter 5:5-10 that you can cast all of your cares (worries, anxieties) on Him because he cares for you. BUT there is a specific strategy that this passage outlines, giving us steps to follow so we can live worry free. Here we go!
STEP 1 - Humble Yourself
In order to live worry free, we have to first admit that we don't have all of the answers. Sometimes it can feel like God is against us, but He is not because He said he will never forsake us. He does, however, resist the proud. So in times that I feel like I'm not on the same page with God, it could be my pride that is the thing standing in the way. Pride says that I can do it my way. Humility says I don't know it all, so please teach me. The problems of life don't magically disappear. They get solved. Who best to lead us to the solution than the greatest teacher of all time? In order to be taught, or shown the way, we have to be teachable. I mean, teachers don't teach students who won't show up to class right?.... #Imjustsaying
STEP 2 - Resist the suggestions of the Enemy
Suggestions of the Enemy can often be very deceptive because it makes sense to the natural mind. It's based in logic. But God operates on a higher level, faith. That means that sometimes we are going to have to do things that don't make sense to us, but we have to trust God's wisdom. Whenever you are being required to trust God, you will be tempted to compromise. God might be telling you to leave your job, but you stay because it doesn't make sense to leave right now. You get reminded that you have expenses coming. But what you may not know is that there is something else that God has lined up for you, and if you are not in the correct position, you won't catch the better opportunity. Also, something else to note - the word resist is and active word. God's Word doesn't say ignore the devil. It says resist! You resist the devil with the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit. That means that what you choose to say with your words can either agree with the devil, or oppose the devil. You can agree with the devil and say "I'll never get a better job".....OR..... you can agree with God and say "I am going to be blessed with a much better job." Always remember, worry has a language, it's called complaining.
STEP 3 - Build Your Faith in that Area
Your faith is going to commission and commit God to act on your behalf. God doesn't move based on feeling sorry for you. God responds to your believing on Him. It says in the Bible that our faith is built by hearing the word of God. So the more we hear it, the more faith is being built. If you are anxious because of sickness, hear what the Word of God has to say about healing. If you are worried because bills are due and money is short, hear what God has to say about prosperity. If you are worried about your family being safe, listen to what God has to say about protection. You can do this by reading the Bible for yourself, or by listening to some good bible-based teaching. (example: Crazy Faith by Dr. Bill Winston). Soon you will start to believe more and more that God's promises could be your reality. Then the last part is to start saying the thing that you are now believing - "I have more than enough money to pay ALL of my bills, because God you said you would provide."
STEP 4 - Pray & Agree With Someone About It
God tells us not to be anxious for anything, but pray about every situation. We are promised peace if we do it. Why would peace be the result? Because prayer secures your future, and transfers the battle from you to God. The best thing to do is find someone who will support you and agree with you for God's best in your life. There is power when 2 or more people pray about something together. Think of it as multiplied effort leading to exponential power!
STEP 5 - Decide to Believe God, Then Stand Strong & Obey
You have to obey what God says to do. This is one of the most crucial steps because this is how you get the desired result. If you have ever made homemade cookies, this would be the part where you put the cookies in the oven. None of the other steps matter if you don't put the cookies in the oven to bake (unless you're like me and like cookie dough lol). Don't quit! Stand strong and believe God independent of any natural evidence. The proof of your believing Him is your behavior. I always say that your behavior is indicative of your belief. Many people want to sit back and make God solve all their problems without any participation from them. That's not how it works. You participate in your own success. God leads, but you have to get off the couch and follow. You have to be willing to do something. When you follow all the steps outlined above, God will lead you to do something. It may seem strange. It may feel uncomfortable. But you must do it. Whatever instruction comes from God will always have an element of faith interwoven into it. That's God's way. I will put it to you like this: A sports team can't win the championship without playing in the game, neither can we live worry free without following God's instructions.
I personally have been following these steps and it has truly caused me to live a worry free life. That doesn't mean that my life is easy-peasy or free of problems. It just means that I've learned how to respond to those problems. People ask me all the time, "how do you manage all of your responsibilities, situations, family, and challenges - and look so calm??" This is how. You don't have to worry anymore... God's got you! Follow the 5 steps and you can experience the same feeling I get when a problem comes to my door: PEACE.
~David
RSS Feed