"Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ." (Philippians 4:6-7 TPT)
Worry can pull us into many different directions that lead away from the peace Jesus offers us. I find that as soon as something unexpected happens, usually challenging and sometimes with a negative impact, I find myself trying to figure out how to resolve it. I usually end up frustrated and anxious thinking the very worst possible outcome is on the horizon.
What if, I choose to run to Jesus instead of trying to figure out the situation? What if I asked Him what I should do? What if I chose peace regardless of what I am facing instead of spending unproductive time worrying and trying to fix it myself?
Today, I'm focused on living in the peace of God and not self-reliance. Today, I've chosen to bring anything that bothers me to Him first and just wait for His answer, His direction. What I've learned is my self-reliance has caused me to make emotional decisions that a lot of the time compounded the problem instead of making it better while adding to my overall anxiety.
Today I chose to pray and wait on the Lord expectantly. During this break from social media my phone decided it was no longer going to work. I've been unable to send texts, which is the primary way I share my daily devotions. This issue has been going on since September 26th! For the first two days I didn't even know people weren't getting the devotionals. Once I found out I panicked because I couldn't fix the problem and my phone provider had no solution.
I was on my own and my mind took me places I shouldn't have gone. I worried about people not getting the devotion, what they were thinking, if people would not be interested in receiving them if the problem ever got fixed, and so much more. Bottom line I worried.
Today I decided to just trust God. This did not catch Him by surprise. He's in charge and I am not. My devotions are written to encourage and bless others so I had to trust Him that they will get to whoever needs to read them.
This entire experience has been a reminder that I cannot make things happen. If what I do is about God then I need to be obedient to do what He says and trust Him with the results.
So, today, I took my phone to a repair shop that thinks they can fix it. I also had to go toe to toe with my insurance company and found out that it might be covered after a $149 deductible, but I won't find out until the bill is submitted. While I want to be anxious about the unexpected expense and the possibility that the phone won't be fixed, I have chosen to rest in God's peace, allowing it to guard my heart and mind. In the meantime, I am writing tomorrow's devotion and spending more quality time with the Lord so I can stay in a posture of peace while trusting God with the outcome.
MY FAITH CONFESSION OF PEACE:
Thank You for guarding my heart and mind when I choose anxiety in the moment instead of Your peace. Thank You for moving me closer to You and wrapping me in Your peace. Thank You for always reminding me of Your invitation to walk into the arms of Your peace any time I need it because You are always there. Thank You for Your patience when I choose everything but Your peace while keeping the light on and the promise of peace open to me. Just thank You Lord.
In the meantime. I will trust God and rest on these two Scriptures as I await the outcome:
"Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always." (Philippians 4:8 TPT)
"Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm." (Colossians 3:2 TPT)
I will control what I think about because I know this must work out for my good and God's glory!
"So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together for good, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose." (Romans 8:28 TPT)
Be Encouraged! ❤
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