Blindsided

Friday, January 7, 2021 

Blindsided

In football, a receiver catches the quarterback’s pass, secures the ball, then runs for the goal line. His teammates legally block defensive tacklers to protect and make way for their ball carrier. The opposing team does all it can to catch that receiver and keep him from meeting his objective. Sometimes a confident ball carrier is blindsided and taken down, despite teammates running interference for him.

Ever been blindsided? It can be financial, vocational, physical, emotional. It’s like hitting a brick wall. When a Christian is running his race, any hit becomes a spiritual one. We think we’ve settled something in our minds or hearts, then ”that something” rears its ugly head. It challenges our faith, tries our patience, or tests our faithfulness. When the problem looms higher than life itself, we are most susceptible to forget about the goal ahead. All our energy and mental capabilities is spent dealing with this interruption. Before we know it, we are sitting on the sidelines. Aggravated. Confused. Weary.

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. 

Galatians 5:7-10

In Galatia, Paul saw people he had led to Christ being tripped up by another’s false teaching. He knew how to run interference for fellow Christians. He stood on the truth of Christ and did a bit of cheerleading: “I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view.”

Christ lives in our hearts. When we turn to, and rely upon Him, He meets our need and provides a way to accomplish what He calls us to do. He gives us clarity and discernment. Most times in football, the ball carrier is brought down before he makes the touchdown. However, those who run interference often are successful enough to help the runner make a first down. With a first down, the runner gives his team four more tries at the goal. So he gets up, and starts all over again.

Have you hit a brick wall? Remember Jesus is with you, in you. He is your advocate, the propitiation of your faith, your Redeemer. Will you get up one more time? Is He calling you to run for the goal? Do you know someone who needs you to run interference, to block the forces that seek to wear them down? Whatever God calls us to do, Paul gives words of encouragement: You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself. Gal. 5:13-14   A single command, love.

 Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity to get up. Let us be ever mindful that You, Lord, are in us, giving us freedom to move away from our sinful nature.

 

What To Do When You Are Overwhelmed

 Thursday, January 6, 2022

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things. As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4: 6-9

What To Do When You Are Overwhelmed
Considering that it is January 6^th - six days into the new year - and following all the holidays, I bet the feeling of being overwhelmed is something we can all relate to. It’s a new year which means new beginnings, renewed commitment, goals, vision casting, and new hope. Most of us start off the new year every time sincerely proclaiming, “This is the year!” And then life happens. Everything goes out the window when we start feeling the heat of debt, family issues, work related problems, etc. The feeling of being overwhelmed can cause us to panic at times and throw everything out we committed to and draws our attention completely to all that seems out of control. Somewhere along the way we lost the truth that God is good and His promises are true. 

The feeling of being overwhelmed and anxious steals so much of our lives from us and we don’t even realize it. We don’t realize it because we are in constant motion, successful at being busy, but missing so many targets. Anxious and active, but not accurate. We seek out distractions that become addictions because we don’t want to feel our lives. These distractions and addictions only add to the overwhelm we feel pressing down on us. Of course there is also the issue of what we are missing - we are missing out on the abundant life and the fulfillment of the blessings and promises God has for us. How can we possibly break free from this cycle? Paul gives us some very simple steps to take.

Release your worries and anxieties - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. v6
Paul tells us that the first thing we need to do is let it go. We are not meant to suppress our worries because that is when they turn into anxiety. Our anxieties about our problems are our biggest problems! Anxiety will keep us from living in our God designed purpose for our lives. Anxiety will keep us from claiming the promise and will make us miss our “Canaan-Land” opportunity because it whispers in our ear incessantly that we can’t, we aren’t good enough, we aren’t capable, and of course “the giants will eat you up!” Therefore, we take a step back, run the other direction, or stay right on the edge of Canaan, looking at it day after day. 

God wants us to give our requests to Him (specific requests) and not the world. He wants us to be honest about what our anxieties are. He is God - He cares about every single thing that stresses us and is the only one that fix them. He wants us to let them rise up to Him and not suppress them another day. 

We are to let these requests be made known to God with thanksgiving. Why thanksgiving? Why do I have to be thankful when I am asking for my loved one to be spared from a terminal diagnosis of cancer? Why am I thankful that my child has not spoken to me in years? Why am I thankful when I am praying over a drug-addicted or alcohol-addicted spouse or child? Or why am I thankful that my life is blowing up around me? In our desperation and brokenness we can be thankful because we CAN take our requests to Him. We don’t have to carry the burden and be anxious. We can be thankful because we have a Holy God who is more than capable of handling everything we lay at His feet. He is the ONLY one who can do something about it. What happens when we truly let our worries and anxieties rise off of us and to Him? 

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. v 7

Focus on God’s Word and Live Like You Believe It…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things. - v 8

Let your life be shaped by His word. Stop listening to all the other distractions of the world and focus on God and what His word said. Get still. Be quiet. Let Him fill you with His presence, love, and peace. Releasing our worry allows us to not be dominated by it anymore, but instead to embrace what His words says. We can then engage the world and live out the difference His presence and word have made in our life. It is His will and for His glory that we live this out in front of everyone else. He pours into us and it flows from us to those around us. Anything we learn is meant to practice or it is just information. When we put it into practice it changes our lives.  As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. v 9

I have included the Message version of the passage below because it is so plain and simple and would be good to memorize. The verse that is underlined - It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life - sums it all up. 1 Peter 5:7 says …having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you. And Psalm 55:22 says Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. -He is strong enough to carry us and loves us enough to want to. And when we let Him, this will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (v 8) over anxiety and worry. 

 

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.  Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Philippians 4: 6-9 MSG