How do you introduce yourself? Who do you say you are when people ask? Who or what do you tie yourself? Career? Family? Spouse? College? Political affiliation?
My husband and I actually stayed up past 9pm the other night and had an opportunity to talk about a lot of deep stuff. We talked religion, politics; you know, the stuff you aren't supposed to talk about. When talking about our faith, Scott made a point (a valid point, might I add) that I always knew but needed to hear again. He explained to me how he and his faith are not attached to a pastor or a church. Meaning, his faith does not rest in the hands of our pastor nor does the church we attend have ownership. Now, we love our church and our pastor. However, for Scott, his faith is right where is should be: between he and Jesus.
This got me to thinking: Where is my faith? Where do I put my trust? Where does my faith land? How do I introduce my faith to someone? Do I talk more about where I attend or what I believe? Does it land in the hands of Jesus or in the hands of my church? I believe in our church and it's mission wholeheartedly. Who wouldn't believe in the phrase our pastor says often: "If lost people matter to God, then they should matter to us"? But my faith does not rest in his hands. It rests in the hands of my Savior.
I am learning that all this faith stuff, life stuff really, comes down to trust. Whom or where do you place your trust? In our political system? In our government? In your paycheck? Where does your trust fall? Where are you tied up?
Much of the angst and anxiety we feel in our crazy world today can be completely avoided. We are up in arms over our disastrous political state (even Christians) because our trust is tied up in the wrong things. If our trust is in Jesus than we would ease up in knowing that the fate of our world does not reside in the hands of two candidates. We are sheltering our kids from so much forcing everything to be fair for them so that they can avoid any pain or turmoil possible because our trust is in the wrong place. We are terrified that our rights are going to be ripped out from under us because our trust is tied up in the wrong place.
We have completely lost sight of where I trust comes from. We put it in everything, in everyone, and in anything else thinking that is going to settle the internal battle within our soul. What we find, is that the anxiety just keeps creeping in more and more and now we are lashing out at others because somehow someway it is their fault we are feeling this way whether we are slandering our government or a friend on Facebook.
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.…" Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." Psalm 62:8
"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation."Isaiah 12:2
"But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence." Jeremiah 17:7
Do not place your trust in your church or your pastor for they will fail you. Do not put your trust in the government for the only righteous trustworthy leader is God alone. Do not put your trust in your own abilities for your pride will take you down. You will be in bondage to whatever or whomever you place your trust and you don't need any of that. Your trust is bound up somewhere. Your peace, or lack there of, feeds off of where your trust lies.
Our eyes, our hearts, our minds gravitate towards the tangible. We ask God to give us substantial things to ease the burden of our lives. What we don't realize is that we already have freedom from that bondage if only we place our trust in Him.
Where are you going to place your trust today? How will you identify yourself? Do you rest in the Truth knowing that this trial, this challenge, this election is not the end or is your stomach in knots? Trust Him for He is trustworthy even in the storm.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
My husband and I actually stayed up past 9pm the other night and had an opportunity to talk about a lot of deep stuff. We talked religion, politics; you know, the stuff you aren't supposed to talk about. When talking about our faith, Scott made a point (a valid point, might I add) that I always knew but needed to hear again. He explained to me how he and his faith are not attached to a pastor or a church. Meaning, his faith does not rest in the hands of our pastor nor does the church we attend have ownership. Now, we love our church and our pastor. However, for Scott, his faith is right where is should be: between he and Jesus.
This got me to thinking: Where is my faith? Where do I put my trust? Where does my faith land? How do I introduce my faith to someone? Do I talk more about where I attend or what I believe? Does it land in the hands of Jesus or in the hands of my church? I believe in our church and it's mission wholeheartedly. Who wouldn't believe in the phrase our pastor says often: "If lost people matter to God, then they should matter to us"? But my faith does not rest in his hands. It rests in the hands of my Savior.
I am learning that all this faith stuff, life stuff really, comes down to trust. Whom or where do you place your trust? In our political system? In our government? In your paycheck? Where does your trust fall? Where are you tied up?
Much of the angst and anxiety we feel in our crazy world today can be completely avoided. We are up in arms over our disastrous political state (even Christians) because our trust is tied up in the wrong things. If our trust is in Jesus than we would ease up in knowing that the fate of our world does not reside in the hands of two candidates. We are sheltering our kids from so much forcing everything to be fair for them so that they can avoid any pain or turmoil possible because our trust is in the wrong place. We are terrified that our rights are going to be ripped out from under us because our trust is tied up in the wrong place.
We have completely lost sight of where I trust comes from. We put it in everything, in everyone, and in anything else thinking that is going to settle the internal battle within our soul. What we find, is that the anxiety just keeps creeping in more and more and now we are lashing out at others because somehow someway it is their fault we are feeling this way whether we are slandering our government or a friend on Facebook.
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.…" Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." Psalm 62:8
"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation."Isaiah 12:2
"But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence." Jeremiah 17:7
Do not place your trust in your church or your pastor for they will fail you. Do not put your trust in the government for the only righteous trustworthy leader is God alone. Do not put your trust in your own abilities for your pride will take you down. You will be in bondage to whatever or whomever you place your trust and you don't need any of that. Your trust is bound up somewhere. Your peace, or lack there of, feeds off of where your trust lies.
Our eyes, our hearts, our minds gravitate towards the tangible. We ask God to give us substantial things to ease the burden of our lives. What we don't realize is that we already have freedom from that bondage if only we place our trust in Him.
Where are you going to place your trust today? How will you identify yourself? Do you rest in the Truth knowing that this trial, this challenge, this election is not the end or is your stomach in knots? Trust Him for He is trustworthy even in the storm.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
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