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by
Max Lucado
Read between
January 26 - March 28, 2018
Celebrate. Ask. Leave. Meditate. C.A.L.M.
And Philippians 4:6–7 is the most highlighted passage.
In fact, for some of you God’s healing will include the help of therapy and/or medication. If that is the case, do not for a moment think that you are a second-class citizen of heaven. Ask God to lead you to a qualified counselor or physician who will provide the treatment you need.
“Rejoice in the Lord.” This verse is a call, not to a feeling, but to a decision and a deeply rooted confidence that God exists, that he is in control, and that he is good.
If your belief system is strong, you will stand. If it is weak, the storm will prevail.
To change the way a person responds to life, change what a person believes about life. The most important thing about you is your belief system.
Sovereignty is the term the Bible uses to describe God’s perfect control and management of the universe.
In the treatment of anxiety, a proper understanding of sovereignty is huge. Anxiety is often the consequence of perceived chaos. If we sense we are victims of unseen, turbulent, random forces, we are troubled.
The formula is simple: Perceived control creates calm. Lack of control gives birth to fear.
That’s why the most stressed-out people are control freaks. They fail at the quest they most pursue. The more they try to control the world, the more they realize they cannot. Life becomes a cycle of anxiety, failure; anxiety, failure; anxiety, failure. We can’t take control, because control is not ours to take.
“The things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in
Christ” (Phil. 1:12–13).
“Who can act against you without the Lord’s permission? It is the Lord who helps one and harms another” (Lam. 3:37–38 TLB).
God calmed the fears of Isaiah, not by removing the problem, but by revealing his divine power and presence.
Your anxiety decreases as your understanding of your father increases.
“[He is] the Creator, who is blessed forever” (Rom. 1:25). “[He] is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). “[His] years will never end” (Ps. 102:27 NIV). He is king, supreme ruler, absolute monarch, and overlord of all history.
The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD. (Lam. 3:21–26 NASB)
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of
am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us” (Phil. 3:13–14 TLB).
Your future matters more than your past.
There is a reason the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror. Your future matters more than your past.
In the great trapeze act of salvation, God is the catcher, and we are the flyers. We trust. Period. We rely solely upon God’s ability to catch us. As we do, a wonderful thing happens: we fly. Your Father has never dropped anyone. He will not drop you. His grip is sturdy and his hands are open. As the apostle proclaimed, “And I know the Lord will continue to rescue me from every trip, trap, snare, and pitfall of evil and carry me safely to His heavenly kingdom. May He be glorified throughout eternity. Amen” (2 Tim. 4:18 THE VOICE).
Perpetual anxiety is amygdalae with an itchy
trigger finger.
What we don’t need is to live in a state of high alert.
“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything” (Phil. 4:5–6 NIV).
The contagiously calm person is the one who reminds others, “God is in control.”
2. Specific prayer is an opportunity for us to see God at work. When we see him respond in specific ways to specific requests, our faith grows.
Specific prayer creates a lighter load. Many of our anxieties are threatening because they are ill defined and vague. If we can distill the challenge into a phrase, we bring it down to size. It is one thing to pray, Lord, please bless my meeting tomorrow. It is another thing to pray, Lord, I have a conference with my supervisor at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow. She intimidates me. Would you
please grant me a spirit of peace so I can sleep well tonight? Grant me wisdom so I can enter the meeting prepared. And would you soften her heart toward me and give her a generous spirit? Help us have a gracious conversation in which both of us benefit and your name is honored. There. You have reduced the problem into a prayer-sized challenge.
As you sense anxiety welling up inside you, cast it in the direction of Christ. Do so specifically and immediately.
God invites you—yes, commands you—to remind him of his promises. Populate your prayer with “You said . . .”
“Prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters” (Eph. 6:18 THE MESSAGE).
The path to peace is paved with prayer. Less consternation, more supplication. Fewer anxious thoughts, more prayer-filled thoughts.
As you pray, the peace of God will guard your heart and mind. And, in the end...
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Gratitude is a mindful awareness of the benefits of life. It is the greatest of virtues. Studies have linked the emotion with a variety of positive effects. Grateful people tend to be more empathetic and forgiving of others. People who keep a gratitude journal are more likely to have a positive outlook on life. Grateful individuals demonstrate less envy, materialism, and self-centeredness.
Gratitude improves self-esteem and enhances relationships, quality of sleep, and longevity.1 If it came in pill form, gratitude would be deemed the miracle cure. It’s no wonder, then, that God’s anxiety therapy includes a large, delightful dollop of gratitude.
And since the race is unwinnable, you are setting yourself up for anxiety.
Here is an interesting detail about his letter to
what you have in Christ is greater than anything you don’t have in life. You have God, who is crazy about you, and the forces of heaven to monitor and protect you. You have the living presence of Jesus within you. In Christ you have everything.
Anchor your heart to the character of God. Your boat will rock. Moods will come and go. Situations will fluctuate. But will you be left adrift on the Atlantic of despair? No, for you have found a contentment that endures the storm.
Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7).
Reduce your request to one statement. Imitate Jesus, who taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). Engage in specific prayer. And engage in promise-based prayer. Stand on the firm foundation of God’s covenant. “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence” (Heb. 4:16 NIV). Having done so . . . Leave your concerns with God. Let him take charge. Let God do what he is so willing to do: “Guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).
