A Choice to Cure Anxiety

Anxiety is treated with prescriptions and counseling but another proven choice should be the front line treatment.

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Anxiety is everywhere. Anxiety is in your home, office and it’s reached epidemic proportion. Everyone suffers from anxiety at one time or another. No one is exempt. It can kill productivity, relationships and steal your joy. Where your anxiety comes from and how you deal with it is what matters most.

There is no longer a stigma attached to anxiety and the search for treatment has led to opiod addiction, a boom in counseling and whatever else will work. Anxiety is worry and nervous concern over the unknown that stems from a lack of control. Anxiety is the fruit of many ills but a lack of faith in God and His sovereignty is the deeper problem that has resulted in widespread anxiety.

Mainstream treatment of anxiety is medication and counseling. Anxiety is so widespread even psychics advertise on TV. Psychics promise to relieve your fears and provide a glimpse of things to come. Pharmaceutical companies blanket the airwaves encouraging you to self diagnose. It is acceptable to tell your physician the medication you need to relieve your anxiety.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), prescription drugs are the number one cause of death in the U.S. and 60-70% of emergency room visits are attributed to side effects of pharmaceutical prescription drugs. Real problems need real answers but in many cases emotional and physical pain is a reflection of spiritual pain. There are real physical issues, but many of today’s social ills result from a lifestyle that separates us from God. In Christianese, much anxiety and physical ill is the result of sin.

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Medication and counseling are a legitimate prescription. The Holy Spirit and the Bible should be the first line of treatment when you’re anxious. If you think another prescription, a psychic or eastern holistic methods are options, then turning to God should not be so far-fetched. It may be hard to tell if your anxiety stems from a disease or a spiritual problem. In the New Testament, ‘…Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.’ Luke 7:21.

Jesus cured people from disease…and demons. Demons haven’t gone away they’re just not mainstream headlines and everyday conversation. The mere word just made some of you anxious. There hasn’t been any resistance and intolerance built up to demons, only a lack of faith and belief in God’s word. Maybe the starting point with anxiety is to ask for greater faith and help with your unbelief.

The Bible gave a prescription for anxiety thousands of years ago. ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.’ Philippians 4:6-7. God is the counselor, go to Him. Thank Him…for everything. Tell Him…what you’re anxious about and ask Him…to heal you. His remedy is peace. The peace of God is the cure to your anxiety about anything and everything. God gives peace and it doesn’t come with negative side effects.

The gorilla in the room is that a lot of anxiety comes from the fact we are children of God but choose to live as children of the world. ….’We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.’ 1st John 5:19. Being a child of God can mean you have to make unpopular choices…AND if you choose to live as a child of the world and not of God, the consequences for those choices will separate you from God and cause anxiety.

Some of the choices that separate us from God have become socially acceptable. ‘But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity or greed because these are improper for God’s holy people….For all this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person -such a person is an idolater- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.’ Ephesians 5:3-5. The world says sex before and outside of marriage is fine, homosexuality is a legitimate lifestyle, sexual orientation is a choice and greed is good as long as it helps you retire early and doesn’t hurt anyone. These are lies that can cause anxiety and separation from God.

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The stark dichotomy between the life we were created to live and the choices people make leads to anxiety, alcoholism, stress and opioid addiction. Everyone has anxious thoughts about your job…finances…kids…sexuality…mistakes in the past that led to divorce, broken relationships, abortion? If you’ll take a pill or a drink when you have anxious thoughts regarding these things, why not give God a chance to help? The key is the choice we make to deal with our anxiety.

‘Search me God, and know my heart: test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.’ Psalm 139: 23-24. Submitting and trusting God is cheaper than the mainstream alternatives the world is advertising. Repentance is easier and much more effective.

Either God is a liar or He is a cure for your anxiety. Try this Rx. ‘Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast ALL your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1st Peter 5:6-7. This advise comes from a man who made enough mistakes to be manic depressive and have a lifetime prescription for Xanax; but he wasn’t. In the next verse, Peter also pointed out the main culprit behind so much anxiety and social ills. ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.’ If you’ve seen the devastating effects of anxiety, alcoholism or opioid addiction you recognize someone being devoured.

If you have anxiety regarding where to send the kids to school…how and when to expand the business…managing a personal life and work, politics, whatever, turn to the Holy Spirit and meditate on His Word. ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously without finding fault, and it will be given to you.’ James 1:5

God is the great healer. The Holy Spirit has cured anxiety for centuries. Take a knee and not a pill. Make a relationship with God the choice to get rid of YOUR anxiety.

It’s All About the When

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Timing is everything. Time is your most valuable asset. Time is money. If we only see time as something to be measured by a clock, calendar or dollars and cents we limit our enjoyment and understanding of the valuable gift of time itself. Time IS a gift from God not a curse of life on Earth. You can read in Genesis 1:3 when God created time by making day and night. Time is such an important gift, He gave it immediately after He created the earth itself. Time is so critical to life He didn’t waste any time in creating it.

Time is not only a quantity it is a quality. The Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. It is imperative to know the difference between the two so that ignorance does not rob and enslave you. Chronos time is measured in minutes, days and years. Kairos time measures moments…like ‘right’ moments and ‘perfect’ moments that are ‘opportune’ times. Chronos time can be a taskmaster that enslaves whereas kairos time can free and liberate.

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I have a friend who recognizes a special kairos time and refers to it as ‘goldentime’. Understanding and living in the differences of time is critical to enjoying life, being content and fulfilling your God given purpose. Yes, I believe we are all here for a purpose and fulfilling our purpose in life is more important than retirement or health. Jesus proved this by living his life with a primary focus on kairos time. Once when addressing his immediate family, He stressed the importance of living with kairos time being the driving force for his actions. ‘Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here: for you any time will do. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that it’s works are evil. You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival because my time has not yet fully come.”‘ John 7: 6-8.

The story in John 7 provides a few key takeaways. One, the world’s timing will often be in opposition to God’s timing. Understanding and operating under God’s direction and timing is critical to fulfilling HIS purpose for your life. If we operate by worldly standards there may be more worldly gains, but it may also be in opposition to God’s plan. You have to decide if you want your time to be for worldly gains or heavenly rewards. Understand there IS a difference in time and don’t allow the clock to dictate what is the best course of action without consulting the Holy Spirit. But, that begs the question if you are living for yourself or living for God. Learn to discern the differences in time to get the most out of your life and whom you serve.

The Bible is full of teachings about kairos time. ‘But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son…’ Galatians 4:4. ‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.’ Romans 5:6. It is important to recognize the role kairos time plays in our everyday lives because these moments are rich, provide clarity, depth, texture and meaning to life. Kairos moments are outside the confines of a calendar or a clock and take us deeper into life revealing things God wants us to know. ‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:’ Ecclesiastes 3:1.

Yes, God created time with different meaning and purpose. The world we live in tries to get us to focus solely on chronos time. Chronos time can more easily enslave than kairos. Chronos time reminds you life is fleeting and our days are numbered. Save for retirement, time is money, don’t spend your time without a return in mind. On the other hand, God does not exist in chronos time so kairos can give us a glimpse of the divine and free us from this world. ‘But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.’ 2 Peter 3:8.

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Without discernment, kairos moments can be confused and seen as ironic and coincidental. Discernment and maturity is helpful to see into and understand the meanings of kairos time. In the movie Dances With Wolves, a relationship bonding a soldier and an Indian develops in the 1860’s. The two characters are enemies to begin with but the soldier becomes a brother to the Indian warrior. Near the end of the story, the warrior tells the soldier he now believes his best friend died in order to prepare the way for the soldier to come into his life and heart. Understanding there is more to time than measuring it, gives clarity to how God works through moments in time. God uses kairos time to reveal how He develops character and fulfills your purpose.

The importance of living with a full understanding of time is critical because we have an enemy that wants to steal, kill and destroy your time. If you only see time as money, then money will become your god. If time is strictly measured in weeks and months then controlling your calendar will become an obsession. Death will be a ticking clock to create fear, anxiety and regret. Focusing on chronos alone can rob you of growing closer to God. The clock becomes an enemy instead of an opportunity to experience the gift of life.

In 2019, if you want to live life to the fullest, if you want a glimpse of the divine and eternal, if you want to be free and experience the gift of time God has given you, learn to see the ‘whens’. This year, focus and discern the kairos moments and not just the passing of time.

Weltanshauung

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The holiday triumvirate of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years is the time of year to rest, relax, and reflect. I suggest taking a further step to check priorities and reassess the condition of your heart and world view. We all have a weltanshauung. A weltanshauung is a big picture, world view that shapes how we think and act. A world view helps us celebrate the holidays and live each day. Our daily activities, relationships, communication and emotional well being stem from what is at the core of our personal weltanshauung.

MY world view starts with a fundamental belief expressed in Hebrews 7:7, ‘And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater.’ This verse is a reminder I am not the center of all thought and judgement. There is a greater and there is a lesser in this world. This logic dictates there is also a GREATEST. There is a God and He is the God of the Old Testament. MY world view begins and ends with an awe, reverence and fear of that which is greater. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;” Proverbs 1:7.

The Bible teaches that God created the world ex nihilo, out of nothing. “By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what is visible.” Hebrews 11:3. MY God is at the center of how I view everything from education, politics and relationships to the movements in the Earth’s crust. Since He MADE the world, I don’t separate God from His creation. ‘The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.’ Psalm 89:11.

In fact, I try to exercise more faith in Him, His ability and sovereignty every day. Why? Because I believe that “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6. At the core of my weltanschauung is who and what I define as God. These days ‘God’ is being defined differently by many people. My God is easy to identify, is yours?

Senseless death at the hands of a terrorist in the Strasbourg Christmas market shouting “God is great”, demands everyone resolve your faith and beliefs. Politics demand you define your God and ask IF He is at the center of your world view or the latest elected official. You can ignore the reality of God but you can’t ignore the consequences of ignoring the reality of God. An underlying weltanshauung that doesn’t begin with a higher power than yourself results in anger, hatred and self absorption. Wait, what do we see in Washington and on the pages of Facebook and Twitter?

Christmas reinforces faith and belief in God. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. This is a weltanshauung that leads to peace, contentment and love for people. Jesus didn’t come so we can all co-exist, He came to save mankind from a worldview that does not start and end with God…His love, power, mercy, grace and wrath. Jesus came to save mankind from a worldview that was self centered and independent from God. Jesus came to reset a worldview where God expresses his love in a way for people to be saved from themselves, not by themselves or elected officials. Jesus came to remind us that the problem is not politicians, fascism or the Russians. The problem is a world hardened by the deceitfulness of sin and putting self before the Creator.

If Jesus is not at the center of YOUR weltanshauung, it’s only a matter of time until your heart hardens to the world around you. During Christmas, check your heart and your world view. Have you written off the uncle who voted for Trump…the cousin who can’t talk about anything other than his job or latest purchase…the friends who don’t share your beliefs…the family member you can’t forgive?

Too many issues are causing people to take their eyes off core beliefs that are needed to shape a healthy world and world view. “Therefore,…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith….Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3.

Before Christmas comes and goes, before the New Year pulls you into 2019, take time to re-establish your personal weltanshauung. Throw off everything that is hindering you and the sin that has perverted your true world view. Revisit your faith…reestablish contact with God…establish a relationship with his son, Jesus.

Commit to a world view that will shape you into the person you want to be, the person God wants you to be, the person Jesus gave his life for you to be. Then, live each day of 2019 with a renewed conviction and purpose. Live with a weltanshauung that starts with Jesus.

I Vote For….

The mid term elections are a reminder there is a battle in the hearts and minds of Americans. The ballot box will give us results of the political battle immediately, but the results for the condition of your heart will be seen only after the votes are tabulated. Before today, harsh generalizations, racism, and divisiveness have been the headlines. People actually believe the problems are political, race oriented and sex based. As a Christian, I don’t think anyone short of Jesus is going to solve the problems in our world. So, regardless of who wins on Tuesday, November 6, I will still submit to the governing authority in my state and nation. Will you?

The current environment is due to an increasing deficit of love in our world. If you’ve ever been to a wedding you’ve probably heard someone read from the 13th chapter in the book of 1st Corinthians. At the end of the chapter, Paul makes a prescient statement after describing the nature and characteristics of true love. Paul talks about maturity and the fact as time passes most things fade away but three things never will. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1st Corinthians 13:13. After listening to political advertisements the past few weeks, if love remains, it doesn’t seem to be on the ballot.

The midterm elections show what Paul was talking about in Corinthians. People have exercised faith…in political parties and candidates. People cast ballots with hope…that a candidate or party will make the world a better place. If your faith and hope fade away when the ballots are counted, will you still have love…for America and everyone who voted differently than you did? Christians are reminded, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves.” Romans 13:1-2. So, if you lose kicking and screaming you are rebelling against God, not a process or a party.

The words of Jesus are a good reminder for Republicans and Democrats. “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great…Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:35-36. I guess the coming days will show you and others who your daddy is. If anyone claims to be a Christian, remember, “…The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6. Love is a mantra for Jesus in the New Testament. I wish everyone would make love their platform.

I stood in line to vote today at the same precinct I have been voting in for almost 25 years. I was reminded that although I was voting with my neighbors, my neighbors don’t always look like me, vote like me or act like me. Jesus experienced the same thing in His day. Those who were different than Christ got in His face and taunted him about their differences in thinking and beliefs. They asked him what was most important to him. “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” Matthew 22:37-39. Not a bad idea for everyone to entertain. For believers, it’s more than an idea.

By the time you read this blog, the people of the United States will have spoken with their ballots. Now, my actions and yours will speak volumes about our heart and our nation. I have FAITH that God either allows or wills everything in this world. I have HOPE, in Him and His sovereignty. And I have LOVE, for my neighbors, regardless of who you all voted for.

I vote for…love.

The Truth Behind Brett Kavanaugh

If the name or image on this post causes you to turn away you may miss the truth behind the story. If you hear the name Kavanaugh and tune out, you’re at risk of not knowing the truth. The resulting effect of the Brett Kavanaugh nomination and Supreme Court appointment is more dangerous than apathy or anger. The result of the Kavanaugh fiasco is hardening your heart to hearing the truth. Regardless of what you think about Brett Kavanaugh, the story behind the Supreme Court Justice is how people turn off their hearts and minds and harden their hearts to the truth.

New Jersey Senator Corey Booker nailed the cause of everyone hardening their hearts. The Senator proclaimed how courageous Dr. Ford was when she came forward and shared ‘her truth’. Everything short of the absolute, spiritual truth has been causing problems since day one. People have been giving their version of the ‘truth’ since the beginning of creation. Eve did the same thing in the Garden of Eden when she retold of her encounter with God to Satan. God had told Eve not to eat from a certain tree in the garden, but later Eve added to the story. “‘We may eat fruit from trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'” Genesis 3:2-3. Eve told ‘her truth’, but it wasn’t ‘the truth’.

I don’t hold a grudge against Eve. I don’t think negatively about Eve nor have I written her and all of her family members off because of what she did. I haven’t hardened my heart to Eve, nor Dr. Ford. History shows that hardening your heart is one of the most dangerous things you can do in life. ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for 40 years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation…’ Hebrews 3:7-10. Hardening your heart can keep you from God’s best and His plan for your life. Hardening your heart can keep you from knowing the truth behind everything.

Liberals and Conservatives harden their hearts toward each other and it leads to division in government. Races harden their hearts to other ethnicities and it results in bondage and slavery. Spouses harden their hearts and it leads to divorce. People harden their hearts to elected officials who don’t share their beliefs and it leads to social unrest, civil disobedience and a divided country. History shows the results of a hardened heart are wasted years, relationships and lives. When you allow your heart to be hardened by day to day happenings it can become a lifestyle and is easier to harden your heart to what God says. God’s anger can be the result of hardening your heart to the Holy Spirit.

It’s important to remember the enemy was behind the original version of adulterated truth. The devil planted a thought for Eve. ‘He said to the woman, “Did God really say…” Genesis 3:1. When we allow our heads and hearts to be directed by anyone or anything other than the Holy Spirit, the effect is the same as taking the wrong road on a journey…you don’t know where you’ll end up. Eve led Adam astray. When the Israelites were freed from 400 years of captivity and struck out for the promised land, it took them 40 years to make a trip that should have taken a month or two. They wasted 40 years of their lives wandering around because they had hardened their hearts.

The result of hardening your heart to the Holy Spirit is missing the truth that can result in God’s anger and separation from Him. Hardening your heart to ANYTHING can lead to wasted years…broken relationships…death. Hardening your heart is the work of the devil. ‘The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.’ 1st John 3:8. It took Jesus’ death and resurrection to remedy the problem and free us from Eve’s version of the truth.

Reality is we have an enemy that has been trying to distort and distract since creation until today. Truth is, the result can be the hardening of our hearts towards each other and towards God. Don’t let the Kavanaugh case or anything harden your heart and risk you not hearing the voice of God directing your thoughts and actions. Your life on Earth IS at stake and your eternity may be as well.