Worried? Scared? Afraid?
You may be thinking about the title of this post and you may be saying well Paul is going to talk about the current shape of America. Well this is not what I am going to talk about. The question or the discussion today is why is it that these are feelings that we have when we have trouble in our lives? Again this is my blog and to those of you that know me know that I am a passionate person and do not think that this is the final answer. There is only one answer His name is Jesus. So this is merely my opinion and believe me opinions can change,but the Word never changes and this is my source for this blog. So let’s talk about this worry,scared and afraid thing.
Hopefully this will help you in your walk with Jesus. These are some of the reasons I feel we (christians) have these things in our lives.
1. Lack of prayer- The Bible talks about this topic a lot and I think that we need to really look at what we call prayer. It is not a moment of silence. There should be quiet time involved in prayer ,but this is a relationship and it is a conversation so you must speak out loud. Husbands try not talking to your wife when she has something she wants to talk about and see what happens. Yet we sit down and we call prayer our quiet time and we sit for a moment and then we get up and say I prayed today. That is not it. It is a conversation between you and the Lord. I have found in my life that the best time to pray is early. It is hard,but so worth it. Jesus taught His disciples to do this. David talked about seeking Him early. With this lack of prayer comes a lack of confidence in God. I have found that when I have not been praying like I should I find that my problems seem to be so Huge. This is the most important thing that you can do. We have to seek Him while He may be found.
2. Lack of Fasting- Any time that our flesh is stronger than our spirit red flags will start coming up. We must deny this flesh. We cannot let our flesh rule us. We have to take control of our bodies and align them with the Word of God. This is very important for us to do and do it frequently to really walk as Jesus walked on this earth. This flesh is bad and their isn’t anything good about you or me,but it is Christ that lives inside of us. If you get caught up in glorying in your flesh you will fulfill the lust of it so this is very important to making sure that we crucify our flesh so that Christ can be exalted in our lives.
3. Lack of studying the Word- I am talking about getting you a Bible and a good commentary and studying it. Not my 5 minute devotion with the Lord stuff. I believe this is something that will further you in who Christ is. The truth is the only thing that we can bank on. Facts even bow down to truth. You can ask me about that in person because its to hard to write it out. We have to be people of the Word. If we get our eyes off of the Word we will start believing in the news and people. This is a faith walk,but the truth is the Word so I would encourage you to learn the truth.
You may say today well Paul all you told me to do was pray,fast and study the Bible. Yes that is exactly what I am telling you. Get back to what got you here. This is basic and we need to get back to those basics. This is what keeps you saved and it keeps you from backsliding. This will keep you from being worried or afraid. I am sorry I didn’t have some big word for you that will confound your mind. Maybe you wanted me to tell you about eschatology or the end times,but we can’t get our eyes on the times we have to get our eyes back on Jesus.
Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path. Proverbs 3:5
Paul
December 8, 2008 at 12:16 am
Proverbs 3:5 is one of my favorite verses. Thank you for writing this. It may have been simple, but it makes so much sense. I have been way to worried lately
December 10, 2008 at 2:44 am
For the next 5 months I fear for my family. I’m worried about my mother, father, brother, and sister. It’s scary watching the way my brother acts when my father isn’t around. Which is why I’m making some of the hardest decisions i’ve ever had to made.
Within the next three months my dad will be moving. He will be working for my Uncle Chris in NY. The question both my mother and my father asked each other and me as well is, “Does my dad go alone, or with the rest of my family, without me?” Knowing that without my father around my brother’s anger issues would rise up again. My mother wouldn’t feel safe in our own home. She’d be getting late night phone calls from my father and stressing herself out. You’d see it in her attitude. You’d see it in how low her level of being able to handle things would become. The last time my father was away from us I hated watching my family react like this. This is why I decided to tell my mother seriously to leave before I do. She wanted me to finish out my schoolyear in Grace Academy since it would be my last.
Yes, this means I’m moving. Where? Well -since my dad will be working in NY- New York of course. For those of you who read these comments and blog posts of Pastor Pauls that do not know me well then you wouldn’t know that I moved from NY 3 years ago unexpectedly to NC. You wouldn’t know that I joined vertical for at least a year and a half now. You also wouldn’t know that moving here was one of the hardest, but most rewarding things i’ve had to endure ever. So why move back to the place that I havce come oh so far from? Because it’s best for my family.
That scares me, worries me, and makes me very afraid. Thankfully Pastor Paul has just explained what I’ve been doing wrong while facing this. I ask of you who will read this to do one small thing for me. After reading what he wrote do not be offended. Listen to him. While you’re listening to him, that whole “lack of prayer” part that you need to fix supposedly? Yeah well while you’re keeping that conversation with God could you please possibly pray for me? Just as moving here was one of the hardest things i’ve ever had to do; so is moving away.
I will not be going to the same school with all my old friends from NY. In fact, I will be going to a brand new school that’s most likely smaller than the school i’m in now which has about 500 middle schoolers and highschoolers put together, and -probably 300 or not even- K-5 graders also besides that 500. It’s frightening. I’ll be new again for the fourth time. I’ll have no clue what’s going on and for the third time, I won’t know a soul. I need all the prayer I can get for me and my family.
I’ve loved Freedom House so much. It has been a home for me from far away. Vertical alone made me finally accept moving here. I will never forget any Freedom Housers that I have come in contact, nor those who I have grown close to. Vertical is a home like no other and is a privilage that many will not understand.
Thank you Pastor Paul for writing this. It absolutely goes along with what is going on in my life and if I do not step up and do these few things you mentioned, I know that I will continue to worry, feel scared and afraid. But by simply growing in my relationship with Jesus, it’s reassuring to know that this will all change.
I love you all. Kayla
December 10, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I am with you Kayla. I am so saddened by tghis because we love you so much. We will be praying for you and know that you always have a place to stay while you are here. I know this is a rough time ,but just know that Jesus never stayed in the same place too long. We love you so much!!
December 11, 2008 at 3:11 am
Thank you. I love you guys too. Vertical has been such a wonderful experience, and I have grown so much in my faith because of it. I will never forget you all and I know that I will visit. Vertical will be in my heart and mind wherever I go.
December 19, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I really needed to hear this, I tell myself that I’m not worried, scared, or afraid of just about anything, but my actions do not convey this. I’m guilty of all 3 – lack of prayer, lack of fasting, and lack of studying the word.
“Any time that our flesh is stronger than our spirit red flags will start coming up. We must deny this flesh. We cannot let our flesh rule us”
- Pastor Paul Wilson…..these are your words right
December 20, 2008 at 12:52 am
Yes Michael these are my words,but really this is my life. Any time I preach or write something believe me i have spoke this to myself and I have made sure that this is something God woul have me to say not just something He is teling me. Love you man!!!
January 8, 2009 at 3:21 pm
This is PT not PP, but we can’t forget 1 John – “Perfect Love casts out all fear”. Love is a lifestyle. Love is the result of Prayer, Love is the result of reading God’s word, Love is the result of fasting. God is LOVE! Love is the oil on the wheel of obedience. Mature Love and an understanding of how much God loves us deals with and casts out FEAR!
January 9, 2009 at 6:05 am
So why are you on my computer? You got your own!
He he he! I like what you said though Punkin about love.
January 9, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I am with ya PT,but you can’t know love unless you spend time with the greatest lover of all. God is love and He is the one that we must follow in the way He loves. Your life style reflects whether or not you have spent time with God or not. When fear is present love is lacking. Which is a secondary consequence of lack of prayer.
January 10, 2009 at 4:32 pm
I like to look at it like a great sandwich:
LOVE – OBEDIENCE – LOVE
Our love for God causes us to seek Him, Seek Him through His word, through prayer, and through other spiritual disciplines – As a result of that seeking and pursuit we discover His PERFECT, COMPLETE, MATURE Love that God has for us. Fear and Worry are rooted in a misunderstanding in how much God loves us. When we understand (Stand-under) His unfailing, everlasting, all knowing, all providing, comforting, responding Love – How can we worry? He is…. How can we fear? He is…..
Great dialogue Paul keep it up!