Perspective on Anxiety

Timothy Keller points out that, “Anxiety is always the result of a collapsing false god.” Too often we focus on our perspective of status, seeing ourselves as rich or poor, graceful or clumsy, beautiful or ugly, athletic or unfit, respected or disliked, or whatever we allow to be assigned to us.  No matter our status, soon to follow are its fruit:  doubt, fear, pressure, anxiousness … which is anxiety. 


Anxiety is the hole of emptiness in one’s soul, dug by whatever reason we accept as the fact of our status in life.  That is what replaces God with the god of emptiness and anxiety; the evil one who takes pleasure in destroying you.  

Beth Moore adds, “The enemy of our souls is a false prophet. Don't let him taunt you with graceless dread and doom toward your future if you belong to Jesus.”

Living life in a way of truly enjoying the peace and fullness of Christ begins when you are not “anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil 4:6).   When faithfully focused on God as provider, as our all and all, we begin to follow Jesus’ teachings, that there is no need to "worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear” (Luke 12:22-23), nor is there need to “worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt 6:34).   Be confident in the one true God, He who has filled your emptiness with his Spirit, removing all that induces fear.  Don’t empty yourself of God by filling yourself with the promises of the false prophet, the wants and desires of the deceiver’s lie of satisfying peace – that’s your false god.

Owen <><

Influence the World (Part 1)

Jesus said, let “all the world” hear “the good news” and, that “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…,” (Mark 16:15-16).  In saying this, Jesus expressed his desire that His followers are to be change agents for the Kingdom of God — our purpose in this world we live.  

But, do you and I really want to change this world that we not only love but complain about?

Do we what change so bad that we are willing to share with someone what it takes to be changed? 

 

Change in Christ is a way of life that isn’t burdensome, in fact Jesus says it is a gentle life when we follow his ways (Matt. 11:30).  As His followers, we have a burden that is not heavy, but a complete joy, that burden is to change the world by sharing the good news, the gospel, of Christ – that is to tell someone about salvation in Christ, being a witness of Jesus.   

 

 

We cannot keep the good news Jesus Christ a secret in our minds, our private place, our close community of people.  It is not a matter of your personality either, because “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Tim 1:7). 

 

A follower of Christ is promised “power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses,” said Jesus, in your home town, to nearby nations of people you accept or hate, in fact an ability to witness to share the good news of Christ, even to “the ends of the earth” – the whole world (cf., Acts 1:8) when opportunity arises or when specifically sent by God.    

Owen <><

 

Do you want world change, or your own security?