Fear v Faith- Being Courageous

Every day we face moments that allow us to be defined by our next move.  In business sometimes we have to have that courageous conversation with an employee who is not performing satisfactorily.  As educators we have to talk with parents of an under performing student. Coaches tell their athletes where they need to improve.  And there are even those times when we have to tell be completely honest with a friend or family member about their behavior.

The bottom line is choosing the right conversation for the right time.  Sometimes remaining silent is the easy thing to do.  Other times it is exactly what needs to happen.  But the times when you need to speak up are sometimes the hardest.  Usually, when we choose to remain silent it is because we fear the outcome.  The scenarios of what will happen run through our head.  " Will she hate me?"  "Will I get fired?" " Will they ever speak to me again?"  None of that matters though if remaining silent will cause more harm than to take the chance to change someones life by simply telling the truth.

When we think about the first scenarios we understand that an under performing employee has a negative impact on business.  If we ignore an under performing student and say nothing, he or she will fail.  Coaches want their athletes to be the best and must, in some instances, be brutally honest.  And in relationships with friends and family, to remain quiet strains everything.

Pastor Joyce provides us with a great teaching on fear vs faith.  As you read  her words today, think about a time when fear may have stopped you from something that you are absolutely called to do. Maybe its a conversation that will be extremely difficult.  No matter what, FEAR NOT.....

Fear vs. Faith by

Joyce Wyrostek April 27

Fear by definition is: a distressing negative sensation by a perceived threat; it is an innate emotion that almost always relates to future events such as worsening of a situation, or continuation of a situation that is unacceptable.  God says, “Fear not” 365 times in the scripture, so obviously it is an emotion that can be overcome.

Fear is the antithesis of faith and only the faith of God, that which is born in us at our spiritual re-birth can overcome it.  Faith is a characteristic of one who is justified and made righteous by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We do not overcome fear by the works of the flesh as the world would have us believe by proclaiming that we must face our fear if we are ever to overcome it.

When the just walk by faith as declared in scripture it means that fear has been cast out, and we can walk in complete confidence and trust that God is willing and able to do all that He says He will do; “With man it is impossible but not with God for with God all things are possible.”(Mark 10:27)

Every time fear overtakes our emotions it causes us to be anxious and we are hindered from doing the will of God in our life.  God does not ask us to do anything that He is not capable of doing through us.  Our fear then comes from thinking that God wants us to do a thing that we cannot do, and thus He cannot do.

What we often fail to realize is that faith is a gift from God.  The minute we say, “Yes Lord” he gives us the ability and capability to perform whatever feat it is that He is asking. And more often than not it is supernatural and bypasses our natural thought processes.  If we ponder a thing long enough we can always come up with logical reasons not to follow through with the original God breathed plan.  

Double Minded

We all know that person who we would call "wishy washy". They can never seem to make up their mind about anything.  They seem indecisive, and question themselves constantly.  There is that moment when they are constantly angst, second guessing everything, and you want to yell, "Stop!  You know what is right.  You've  got this!"

It is so odd that I write this, because this is exactly who I have been as a runner lately.  I have been a runner since I was 12 years old.  Never in my life did I worry.  I just trusted the coaches, God, and used the gift of running to Glorify him.  Somehow, somewhere I lost sight of that.  What is even more interesting is that Pastor Joyce has passed away her words seem to be ready for this very day.  Right there to say- Stop! You know what to do!  You've got this! I'm sure they are not only helpful to me, but I am guessing they are helpful to someone else as well.  She never wrote a blog without praying first that it would be exactly what the reader needed.  

What is even more interesting is that as I write each of these blogs, I am taking Pastor Joyce's writing in chronological order.  I do not choose one writing to fit my mood for the day, but rather allow my writing to fit her words.  Her writing about faith in God and trusting his promises is unwavering.  She was a woman who never seemed to worry.  Though I know that when she did she would sing.  One of her favorite songs had the words, "Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, lift up  your voice to God.  Pray in the spirit and with understanding, Oh magnify the Lord".  You see, even when she doubted, she would shake off the doubt and focus on God and his promises.

As you read her teaching today, I encourage you to reflect on an area in your life where you are "wishy washy" aka double minded.  And give it to God!

Double Minded By Joyce Wyrostek April 21

In the first chapter of James we read, “If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who give to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6)

It is quite comfortable for us to quote the word back to God and remind him of His promises to us and perhaps even expect that we will be perpetually blessed. Our faith is often activated by a powerful message from the pulpit and we are ready to receive only to be left unsatisfied at the altar.

We need wisdom to discern what it is that is hindering the appropriation of our blessing and so we go to God and hear nothing.  Somewhere lingering in the subconscious is a deceptive spirit that has caused us to doubt in our heart, which according to James makes us double minded tossed like the waves in the ocean.

A double minded person leans on their own understanding and confuses their own wisdom or the wisdom of others as that of God.  We can’t decipher the voices instructing our heart and peace escapes us; confusion takes over and we abandon our search of truth.  It is in this state that we are ineffectual and cannot be used by God to advance His Kingdom.

This may be caused by iniquity hidden in our hearts over past offenses, disappointments (even with God), unforgiveness, or other strongholds in the recesses of our hearts.  The Holy Spirit is on call 24/7 to reveal anything and everything that we need to come undefiled into the throne of grace and receive the instruction needed to have perfect fellowship with the Father and acquire the wisdom that only He can give.  Let’s quiet ourselves before the Lord with a humble and contrite spirit so we can activate Kingdom principles in perfect love.

The Future

I've come across many people in my life as an athlete.  Those who were so afraid to try something that that they defeated themselves before they even started, and those who knew absolutely no fear.  Regardless of their disposition, their thoughts catapulted them to a future of athletic success or athletic failure.

Today I came across a preacher who summed up our future outcome in one sentence.  "Our habitual thoughts about ourselves are our identity". He basically summed up the verse, "for as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7).  In non-Christian circles this is often referred to as the self-fulfilling prophecy. He did not tell us anything that has not been preached, researched or pondered over the years.  But he did remind us that whatever we focus on will direct path throughout life.

As a chubby little girl, I learned how to run.  Not just run, but run fast.  My goal was to win.  Never in my life did I think I would go on to be a regional champion, an all-conference runner, nor did I think that the times I ran were really fast.  I just wanted to run fast and win.  I had several people in my life tell me that I couldn't do "you name it".  Had I believed that, I would truly not be who I am today.  Instead I believed that I could do anything God set before me as long as I trusted him to bring me through.

Pastor Joyce writes a fabulous piece on achieving what God has set before us in the future.

The Future

“For I know the thoughts I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”(Jeremiah 29:11) We are on a brief journey through life on earth; in the process of learning to rule and reign with Jesus Christ.  This is a perilous trek through land mines, and booby traps, with arrows flying in every direction.

To make it through God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us (John 14:16), armor to shield us (Ephesians 6:10-18), a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) that can discern the tactics of the enemy, and a powerful weapon to bring total victory.  During the fight we must ever be mindful that there is always a future ahead of us.

At times we are tempted to think we can coast up a mountain, or drift up stream; neither can happen because when we lay our weapon down, or cease to engage in the battle we will lose our focus on the hope that lies within us and the future that has been prepared before the foundations of the earth were laid.

The future doesn’t just fall on us or overtake us in time; we are called to make the future happen by engaging in the now with every bit of energy bestowed on us by God our maker.  Daily we are to cultivate a relationship with the King.  It is in the step by step process that we learn what the future holds and what part we are destined to play in it.  As long as we have breath there will always be that great hope within us.

 When we place our faith and trust in God and know that what He says He will do, we strike a blow against the enemy and  promised peace in the midst of every storm. If we allow ourselves to get lazy, lethargic, or apathetic we will become pathetic representative of the destiny driven purpose of the Kingdom of God.  The future is what we make it, in His strength, and the power of His might – Thus we must be fully engaged in living.

Presumption

That moment when you are too smart for your own good.  Yes that moment happens to all of us regardless of our gifts.  This past weekend I ran the Big D half marathon.  I ran horribly.  I was trained well enough to run a good race.  But I got in my own head.  You see, there is a danger to being accomplished in anything.  We start to trust our own knowledge and the things we've studied.  And while this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it can certainly get in our way.

As I was running I was calculating my splits, as I began to  tire I quickly started to think about the lactate thresh hold that I had been reading about this past week.  I thought for sure that was happening to me.  So.. I got discouraged. Dumb! Next,  I began to reflect on my recent runs that were exactly race pace.  My 15K race the week before provided an indication that there would be no problem.  As a matter of fact I calculated that if I ran my 15K pace exactly and ran my last 3.8 miles in 34 minutes I would have run a PR.  Instead I began to doubt my training.  Then I started to worry when my legs felt like they were cramping.  Finally, I walked twice totaling a half mile which robbed me of my PR.

What I did though, was defeat myself in my own thinking at mile 8.  Why?  Because I was literally over-analyzing. At mile 10 my sister's words ran through my head, " Quit over-analyzing and just run!"  Once I did that, I completed my race just fine.  2:05.27.  This is 8 minutes slower than my best.  A race I truly had not trained properly for, but one that I clearly didn't know better. So I didn't have a chance to get in my own head.

This can often be the problem with us when we are well versed in areas of our lives.  We begin to think we know everything (presumption) and often get in our own way.  Story of my life! Sometimes we even take the things we know about God like his holiness and his grace or his expectations for us,  and we make up our own rules.  This can be very dangerous as we run the risk of becoming moralists rather than being Christians.  Moralists tend to follow rules and impose sanctions on others while losing sight of God's plan.  Jesus did not tell us to go ye therefore and judge one another.  Instead he told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel, baptizing in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit (Mark 16:15).  By presuming, we lose sight of the purpose for whatever we are doing.

When that happens and we reach that area of presumption, sometimes we need to step back and just simply ask God for guidance, wait for the answer, and be patient.  Like my race, in which I knew what to do, but instead of trusting a process (my training), I presumed I was failing, thus I employed all kinds of stupid thinking and simply defeated myself.  Pastor Joyce writes of Presumption at it's finest in both the old and new testament.  Her words are bold and give us pause. As you read today, think about areas in your life where you just "presumed" because you forgot to be patient and simply trust in the plan.

Presumption- Joyce Wyrostek April 11

God was very specific when He gave instruction to Saul, through the prophet Samuel, about how He wanted the Amalekites dealt with.  Saul did what He was commanded to do with one small twist; he made an executive decision that cost him the throne.

God knows what we do not know and when He gives a command He wants it done His way.  We do not know the hearts or obvious wickedness of the Amalekites, all we know is that judgment was pronounced against them when the Israelites were in the wilderness and it led to their ultimate destruction.  It is difficult for us in our finite wisdom to understand the righteous judgment of God so presumption could get us in trouble.

Imagine if Jesus while in the Garden of Gethsemane had decided that divine intervention would have proven to the world that God is all powerful.  In Matthew 26:53-54, when Peter came to His defense against His accusers Jesus said, “Do you suppose that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will immediately provide me with twelve legions (about 80,000) of angels? How then should the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must come about this way?”

At any time Jesus could have asked for a plan B, but there was no other way, and He was totally

submitted to the will of God spoken in the word of God.  God has not changed and is never changing in the sovereignty of His plan for all mankind.  He has a people (those who place their total trust and faith in Jesus) in whom He has made righteous to carry out His will on earth.

If we presume to know more than God as Saul did; he chose which of the enemy should be destroyed and saved the good for a sacrifice to God. All seemed right until he heard the words, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (good luck images).” I Samuel 15:22-23

Obedience is Key!

Youth Renewed

 Spring is a time for renewal and rebirth.  Trees begin to bud, flowers begin to bloom, we get allergies... I kid! Actually, it is a time for everything to begin anew.  In the mid-west and north east the snow  begins to melt, the air begins to smell fresh and beautiful, and the sun shines for more hours in the day.  In the south the flowers begin to bud and everything gets much greener.  The weather is perfect as it isn't too hot yet to enjoy, and its a perfect time of the year for outdoor activities. 

Sounds like a facebook post doesn't it?  Everything is perfect.  No one has any struggles, and life is picture perfect.  All of us know that isn't reality though.  We know that good things aren't simply free.  As a matter of fact, if we want to earn something good or great, we need to put in effort and hard work to achieve our goals.  Some might call this our passion.  Our passions can take pain and sacrifice that no-one ever really sees.   Whatever we choose to become requires dedication and time.  Not to mention sacrifice and possibly even some pain.  

Pastor Joyce writes of this in Youth Renewed.  she discusses the pain, dedication, and sacrifice one must take for renewal and growth.  As you read her word today I encourage you to ponder which race you choose to run.  Are you renewed daily?

Youth Renewed by Joyce Wyrostek-April 4

The Psalmist says of the Lord in Psalm 103:5 it is He who, “satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.”  Every promise of God is yes and amen, but they don’t automatically fall on us from heaven so we can live a struggle free life; biding time until we have run the course of life.  We are called to go in and possess the promises. This requires the process of thought captivity, study, mediation, and dedication.

Consider this about the eagle: It can live up to seventy years. But to reach this age the eagle must make a hard decision in his forties.  It’s long and flexile talons can no longer grab prey which serves as food. Its long and hard beak becomes bent. Its old-aged and heavy wings due to their thick feathers become stuck to its chest and make it difficult to fly.

Then the eagle is left with only two options; die or go through a painful process of change that lasts 150 days. The process requires that the eagle fly to the top of the mountain and sit on its nest. There the eagle knocks its beak against the rock until it plucks it out. After it is plucked out the eagle will wait for a new beak to grow back and then it will pluck out its talons.

When the talons are gone, new ones grow in their place at which time the eagle will begin pulling out its old-aged feathers and after five months the eagle takes its famous flight of rebirth and lives for another 30 years.

Like the eagles we can choose to live a life that is long vibrant and productive.  And like the eagle we must go through the process of change. Ours is not one every so many years, our renewal is a daily process; some of the changes are painful and we struggle to continue until the process is complete.  But as we persevere we will see the effectiveness of renewal.