Dealing with difficulty: Overcoming fear

Sally Bull shares from her own experience about how God has helped her through a difficult few weeks...

Psalm 112 is all about what attributes a person has if they love God and fear only Him. It talks about riches and blessings, generosity, loving others, having a firm foundation in God and blessed children. Then in verse 7 it says this: “He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

The last few weeks have not been the easiest for me and I’ve struggled with carrying the burden of bad news, but not just that, it was news that I didn’t really understand. I decided I needed to find out more and clarify what was going on. I had to wait over a week before I could properly do this and during that time I had managed to work myself up so badly that the thought of the whole situation became pretty unbearable and mostly reduced me to tears. I convinced myself that the absolute worst was going to happen and my whole outlook on the situation was bleaker than bleak. I hadn’t read my bible in ages but when I eventually did pick it up (rather half heartedly I have to admit!) I was drawn to Psalm 112, and it was verse 7 that really challenged me: “no fear of bad news”? At that time, fearing bad news was all I was doing but God had spoken to me through His word and told me I didn’t need to do this at all! I was reminded that THE ONLY THING TO FEAR IS GOD HIMSELF.

Somewhere in the bible it says that God is above all things, which means he has complete control over every situation no matter how big or small. What a relief! But what did this mean for me? Well the situation didn’t and still hasn’t gone away, BUT I know that I can trust in God that he will work it for his good and for his glory, and as long as that happens, well I’m happy, because at the end of the day, as a Christian I’m not living my life for me anymore anyway; I’m living it for God.

The next verse goes on to say: “his heart is secure, he will have no fear...” I know that ultimately my heart, my mind and my soul is secure in God and I will trust him through the good times AND the bad. And you know what, when I did finally properly find out what was going on, it wasn’t as bad as I had told myself it was going to be anyway which just proved to me even more that I need God in my life to show me the truth that I have become blind to seeing, and to put things back into perspective for me. Why put myself in control when God is all knowing? I just freak out!

So my point in writing this blog is this:

What are you fearing above God at the moment?

Challenge yourself to hand it over to Him... even if you have before, keep recommitting it to him because “the Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18. And I can testify to that being true!

Sally

What have you done today?

Our lives were meant to be full of adventure and excitement. The trouble is that too many of us have given up on thinking that life is anything more than what we're currently living.

Bored? Feel as thought you're going no where?

Over the past few weeks we've been pushing the book 'Do Hard Things' and have been trying to stir ourselves to live a life that is counter-cultural, that is - different from the norm.

Here are the 5 hard things that you can challenge yourself to do and be like. Think about what you could do for each one, write it down and ask a friend to challenge you on whether or not you're doing it.

1) Something outside my comfort zone:
2) Something that goes beyond what is expected or required:
3) Something that’s too big to accomplish alone:
4) Something that doesn’t earn an immediate pay-off:
5) Something that challenges the cultural norm:

Let me tell you quickly about a man who did somethings that were especially hard. George Muller, a German who lived a century or so ago. He moved to Bristol to be a missionary where he was confronted by a real need - street kids and orphans. In a day where children who lived rough were being rounded up and sent to work in factories and institutions similar to labour camps George Muller felt provoked by God to do something about it. What did he do? He opened his home and welcome them in to live with him and his family.

Over time the number of children who found themselves coming to him for accomodation grew and so the need for a bigger house and more money to to provide for these children became more and more evident. George prayed. He trusted God and time after time he saw God do incredible things, providing meals/money/support anything that they were in need of.

A man who lived near the house where the children were housed is quoted as saying 'whenever I doubted the existence of God or wanted some evidence of his existence I would look up the hill to the house that George Mulle used to care for the children. Seeing the lights on in the windows proved to me that God does answer prayer and is at work in people's lives...'

What will you do? How will you go out of your way to prove God? I'm asking myself the same question, I want to live for God more than I currently am. Let's partner together to prove God, to follow Jesus, to dare to believe that God can use us in the lives of the people we're surrounded by.

The truth is that you're as close to God now as you want to be. He has made himsefl available to us, all we need do is trust him and follow him wherever he leads... please God, don't let us waste our lives

Once you're in - YOU'RE IN.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22
“And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

Seal: stamp, authentication, assurance, confirmation, ratification.


Guarantee: promise, word of honour, pledge, oath, bond, covenant, security, surety.

Reflections

Jesus’ sacrifice for us was not incomplete. It is not as though Jesus died to save us, and now sneaks us into God’s presence like we’re an uninvited guest at a party; like we’re the geeky kid who doesn’t quite fit in with everyone else there. Christ’s sacrifice was totally complete; totally transforming! It took us from dirty to clean; from stained to white; from having no seal to having God’s seal of approval!

God puts His seal on us! Our rescuing is a very public thing. It’s not hidden away. This is important because it helps me to see just how secure I am in God. God sets me up before all the angels and demons, before Satan and all the sleeping saints, to show them that I am in Christ. He raises my spirit to life and enables me to breathe the pure air of God’s love and presence because I am in Christ.

God also puts His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee! As a guarantee of what?! Of our ‘forever-and-ever-ness’, in Christ; so that we know we will eternally bear His seal. It’s not dependent on certain conditions which, if not met, discontinue the guarantee. No! It’s an eternal guarantee. Once it’s made, it can never be broken; kind of like the unbreakable vow in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (just with no penalty of death if someone doesn’t follow through, because God is always faithful – and no wands either).

God has forever established me in Christ.
God has forever anointed me in Christ.
God has put His seal on me in Christ and I am always to bear the mark of being one of God’s; His seal is never to be rubbed off.
In Christ, God has put His Spirit in my heart as a guarantee of this; an unbreakable guarantee!

This will always be true of me since I am intimately, completely, and intrinsically united with Christ.

What God does He doesn’t regret, He doesn’t undo, He doesn’t take back. God’s work is permanent.

Come on. This is great news for those of us in Christ. Allow this truth to resonate in your hearts this week. Once you're in - you're IN!

it's who we are...

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Euangelion: News or Advice?

Euangelion. (u-an-gell-eon)

It's the word the Bible writers' used to described the Christian message. It's a Greek word, they spoke Greek. It means 'Good news'.

Have you ever thought (or understood) that Christianity is essentially news. It isn't advice, it's a report of something that's happenned. Advice tells you 'do this and you'll be happier' or 'try this and you can be better.' ADVICE is offered and rejected, ADVICE can be taken or left, news is different. NEWS is static, NEWS reports, NEWS isn't concerned primarily with your response but with the facts of what's happened.

Here's some Bible quotes that back that up:

Peter talking to the crowd on Pentecost 'You handed him over to be crucified but on the third day God raised him to life.' NEWS

Paul tells his closest friend 'Christ Jesus died for sinner's of whom I'm the worst' NEWS

John tells the religious leaders 'There is no other name under heaven given to men by which they must be saved' NEWS

Paul writes to a church 'Jesus defeated the powers of darkness and triumphed over them at the cross.' NEWS

NEWS, NEWS, NEWS... Our world is full of news. We have 24hr news channels, daily newspapers, news apps. on our phones and news bulletins on the radio.

Some pieces of news lasts for only a day (like the fact that George McCullen won first place in the school cake baking contest), some pieces lasts for a few weeks (like the suicide of a prominent politician), whilst some pieces of news dominates our papers for years (like the death of Princess Diana). It is BIG news this week that Osama Bin Laden is dead and we're told it'll change the world quite considerably. News plays a big part in our lives. Good news travels especially fast:

'It's a boy!'

'She said yes!'

When Riley arrived in the world I delivered the news to my family and friends and my life has never been the same since. The event of his birth has set my life in a new direction. I have a new routine, a new priority and even a new name 'dad'.

The Christian piece of news that has been talked about throughout history, the world over is this:

'Jesus has beaten death, our shortcomings have been forgiven, God is offering friendship and new life to all who want it.'

The event of Jesus' resurrection is one of the most historically verifiable events of all time. The implications of that event are innumerable; life, the history of the world, the purpose of our lives have been set in an entirely new direction.

That's the difference that news can make.

The next time you're tempted to think that Christianity is basically about behaving well or living right or that the church exists to tell people what to do, stop and remember:

Christianity is good news, not good advice.