Having a foothold
on a long-term problem is something all of us would gladly embrace.
Stability
is a welcome mat that everyone wants at the door of his or her heart and home. Stability
provides security.
Being
strong when no one is looking can be a challenge especially with unsteadiness
in your finances, family, or health.
We develop
character through the hands of trial and suffering and never in the ease and
quiet of life. Only through an arm
of tried experience can the soul be strengthened, perception corrected, prayer
increased, and lives’ inspired to excel as Believers.
Are you a character
or do you have character? What we do
in private eventually surfaces on a public level.
My husband was admitted to ICU where he stayed for nine days. It was a fight. God was so very good to us. The beauty behind the veil of a hospital curtain was the solid testimony to God’s grace in our own lives.
My husband was admitted to ICU where he stayed for nine days. It was a fight. God was so very good to us. The beauty behind the veil of a hospital curtain was the solid testimony to God’s grace in our own lives.
You have a
platform in a trial. Our performance hinges on every individual’s perception of
how good God is regardless of the circumstances that prevail or the outcome.
God was not on trial during our trial. He is the author and finisher of our faith
and He alone knows the commencement and conclusion of each storm that enters
our arena.
Storms will
come. How else will we learn to lean on Him and remain fixed on our focus of
serving Him?
“And we
know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who
are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
The strength of your Christian character
is not always about how much you can handle before you break; it is also about
how much you can handle after you have broken.
Faith must
be our foothold.
Do not use your yardstick of prayer success or failure to
build confidence in whether God will answer your prayers or not. That kind of
level will demean His ability, forfeit peace, and temporarily please your need
to substantiate control.
God is still in control even when
our lives are out of control.
“But
without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh
to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
Focus on
God’s love. It is a trustworthy foundation for lifting your spirit and building
your confidence.
Regardless
of what happens, God is with us and we can be full of joy. This is a correct
perspective on the Believer's telescope of life.
According
to the Bible, when life is tough, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
“In
everything give thanks" is not a request; it’s a command.
Billy
Graham in Approaching Hoofbeats
notes: “Grumbling and gratitude are, for the child of God, mutually exclusive.
Be grateful and you won’t grumble.” So true!
Obtaining the peace of God
“Be careful
for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6
There are
3-Ingredients necessary to obtaining the peace of God from the God of peace:
- Prayer
- Supplication
- Thanksgiving
“Be careful
for nothing,” means “Stop Worrying.” Philippians 4:6-9 provides your systematic
peace protocol.
Peace
Protocol
Pray
Stop
fretting! Imagine never worrying about anything. It seems impossible. We all
have worries on the job, in our homes, at school, and life in general. Paul’s
advice in Philippians is to turn our worries into prayers. Do you want to worry
less? Pray more! Whenever you are anxious, stop and pray. Your faith will grow.
Pray More: This is described as supplication in the Bible - A mode of prayer peculiarly
arising from your sense of need
Most of us
are not willing to pray the price.
Faith must be
an exercise in our God-given ability to uncover an element of His strength and
power. Faith is like a muscle. The more you put it to use, the more you will
develop your faith physique.
When we appropriate faith, it attracts the right kind of attention. We become irresistible magnets bonding the fear of ungodly men and women to the faith of godly men and women. The power of an exercised faith is unforgettable.
Be thankful
It is hard
to be grateful when fear has you by the throat.
What begins
with fear must conclude with tears and a heart full of gratitude. You will
not find God’s peace in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good
feelings. Real peace comes from knowing who is in control. Because God is in
control, our citizenship in Christ’s Kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and
our victory over sin is certain.
“Peace I
leave you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27
How we
program our minds determines our actions. Our words and ways reflect what we
think at our core level.
Philippians
4:6-9 provides our blueprint for peace. Those who choose to meditate on the
things of God and to trust His Word (vs.8) find themselves at peace (vs.7) with
the God of peace (vs.9). As Christians, we can choose to worry or we can choose
to pray (vs.6).
Worry does
not empty tomorrow of its troubles; it empties today of its strength.
From the Heart of Deborah Choma
Corporate Trainer | Conference Speaker
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