Overcoming

A prayer at the pump

3 Comments / Overcoming, Prayer /

With the advent of yesterday’s big jump in gas prices and the fear of increasing costs for everything as summer approaches, I offer this prayer and confession of faith:

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of freedom from fear about gas prices; I will say of the Lord He is my transportation provider, My God in Him will I trust. Surely He will save me from snare of lack and from the deadly pestilence of sticker shock. (Psalm 90:1)

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He makes my car to rest more in the garage and leads me to drive more sensibly. He guides me to the cheapest filling stations. Even though I drive through the valley of $4 and $5 gas marquees, I will fear no evil. He is with me. His wrench and his tire iron keep my car running. He anoints my automobile with oil and my tank runneth over. Surely His goodness and mercy will propel me down the road all the days of my life. (Psalm

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Answering objections to serving God

Overcoming, Relationship with God /

There is a strange dichotomy when it comes to serving God. We want to serve Him, but often it is on our terms and not His. We want to be used by God and would love to distinguish ourselves by doing something great for Him. But our desire is often based on our own idea of how we can best serve Him and what we think we have to offer Him.

God however does not choose us to serve Him based on our desire nor our self estimation of our usefulness to Him. In fact to the contrary, God usually chooses us when we are least likely to want to do it and are feeling totally inadequate and unqualified to do it.

Moses is the poster child for this dichotomy. As a young man he set out in his own strength and timing to be God’s man of faith and power to deliver the Israelites from Egyptians. His ill conceived plan backfired on him and he ended up fleeing for his life. Ironically it took forty years of desert exile to divest him of all spiritual ambition in order that God could finally use him.

When God interrupted Moses’ comfortable life with the burning bush and called him to return to Egypt Moses balked. “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” he protested. (Exodus 3:11) This was just the first of four major excuses that Moses sought to use to wiggle out of God’s call to use him. God’s responses to these objections give us insight into what serving God is really all about.

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Putting a stop to nagging religious guilt!

Overcoming, Relationship with God /

“For I do not do the good I want to do … “ Romans 7:19

Religious guilt is like a tooth ache that has no cure. There are different types of guilt. Most guilt is good in the sense that it is motivated and empowered by the conviction of the Holy Spirit. It is resolvable. It leads us to repentance, change and ultimately spiritual life. Jesus’ offer of forgiveness and the cleansing from all unrighteousness through the confession of our sins is a hope-filled promise. (1 John 1:9)

What I have chosen to call religious guilt is not as easily resolved. It is a guilt that masquerades as a call to holiness and righteousness but in reality is a lure to religious bondage and the seeking of righteousness by works rather than by faith. This type of guilt is a hard task master. Rather than offering hope it enslaves people in frustration and discouragement.

Religious guilt is unique in that it typically stalks people who love God and want to please Him. It is a guilt that is best categorized as relating to sins of omission rather than sins of commission. Sins of omission are failing to do those things that one can and ought to do

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The prayer antidote for anxiety

2 Comments / Life Balance, Overcoming /

The high-stress, fast-paced lifestyle in which we live is the source of many forms of anxiety. In today’s world, finding rest for the soul is a premium pursuit. My very informal survey has revealed that there are at least twelve categories of things that cause anxiety and keep people awake at night. I formulated the list by looking at a variety of websites conveying research and discussions related to causes of insomnia. For simplicity’s sake I chose not to include physical, medical or dietary reasons for sleeplessness on the list.

In the process of analyzing the causes of anxiety and looking for antidotes I made an amazing discovery. There is actually one prayer in the Bible that addresses every single aspect of these anxiety producing thoughts and fears.

It is God’s prescriptive cure summed up in just five simple verses. Fittingly, it comes from the teaching of Jesus who is the only one who can ultimately give us rest for our souls. The prescription for anxiety induced insomnia is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray which we call the Lord’s Prayer. It is found in Matthew 11:9-13.

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What keeps you awake at night?

4 Comments / Life Balance, Overcoming /

What keeps you awake at night? The answer to that question could be a key to unlocking a new found freedom in your life. It gets to the very heart of where you struggle the most in trusting God. Carefully considering that question is like taking a diagnostic test, it reveals your growing edge of faith.

I recently spent an evening doing an informal poll of as many websites as I could find that provided lists and discussions addressing that insomnia related question. The following list of twelve categories is a compilation and condensation of all the things people admitted were keeping them awake. For simplicity’s sake I have not included dietary (food and caffeine) or medical reasons for sleeplessness.

As you read through the list, which ones can you admit are things that keep you awake?

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