Category: Anxiety

God’s Big Shoulders Can Bear the Weight of Your Burden

God's big shoulders - no anxietySometimes we think that we can plan and control every facet of our lives and then realize that it’s too much for us to handle. Are you anxious and feeling the heaviness of the challenge you’re facing? You might be in a financial crisis, or feeling like a relationship has lost its zing, or maybe you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one.

No matter the circumstance, it can begin to feel like it is overwhelming. Is it because you have yet to place that burden on God’s big shoulders?

God’s Big Shoulders

Throughout the Bible, God implores us to believe that He loves us so much that He wants to handle every difficulty that we face. No matter how small or how large the issue is, He is always present to deal with it. But sometimes we forget.

We forget that He’s there– walking through life with us to give us guidance.

Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. ~ Isaiah 30:21 NLT

We forget that He loves us with a no-matter-what kind of love.

[Jesus said], “You love them as much as you love me.” ~ John 17:23 NLT

We forget that He does not condemn us.

For I will be merciful to their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins. ~ Hebrews 8:12 HCSB

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. ~ Romans 8:1 NLT

We forget that He never runs out of good gifts to give us after we’ve seen how He has already abundantly supplied for others.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us. ~ Ephesians 3:20

Our forgetfulness can get us in over our heads, causing us to feel overloaded with despair!

The Simple Solution

The solution is simple yet not always easy to implement:

God's big shoulders - rest

Remember He wants you to rely on Him, to rest in Him, and not rely only on your self-efforts to change your circumstances.

For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works. ~ Hebrews 4:10 NASB

Remember He is right there with you, loving you , not condemning you. And then, make a decision to throw your problems onto God’s big shoulders.

Throw your burden upon the LORD, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the godly to be upended. ~ Psalm 55:22 NET

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. ~ 1 Peter 5:7 NIV

Be sure not to let your struggle be the thing you talk about the most. What you frequently think about and talk about will the thing that expands and manifests in your life.

For as he thinks within himself, so he is. Proverbs 23:7 NASB

Be sure not to let your struggle be the thing you talk about the most. Speak life! Click To Tweet

Most importantly, don’t let your struggle become an idol– the thing that gets your frequent focus and attention. That’s God’s place!

Little children, keep yourselves from idols (false gods)—[from anything and everything that would occupy the place in your heart due to God, from any sort of substitute for Him that would take first place in your life]. Amen (so let it be). ~ 1 John 5:21 AMPC

Offering those shoulders is just one way He shows you that He loves you. No matter what struggle you’re embroiled in, rest assured, God’s big shoulders are strong and broad enough for it.

Will you throw your burden onto Him?

 

 

3 Things to Do About Perpetual Pain

PainThe pain of infertility can be excruciating. As I stated in my book, A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility, I found the pain of infertility to be worse than the pain of birthing a long-awaited baby via vaginal delivery! For some of you, infertility seems to be perpetual. It’s something you’ve lived with for so long and you don’t see the end in sight. The pain of it never fully goes away and is influenced by what (babies) and who (pregnant friends) you see daily. Well, I want to encourage you with something that you may not have considered before.

Yesterday, during my morning quiet time, I was looking for a scripture about healing and came across Jeremiah 15:15-20. This passage turned my quiet time an eye-opening and exciting experience in the Word! The scripture is not one that directly addresses infertility but it definitely can be applied to it. That’s what I love about God’s Word– it is so organic, malleable, and powerful. It’s able to bring LIFE to any situation we’re facing.

In this passage, Jeremiah is complaining to God about how long he has had to face an enemy, seemingly without any help from God. He even accuses God of failing him in his time of need. Sound familiar? But guess what God’s response was to Jeremiah… “Trust Me.” I know that seems like such an extraneous instruction, one that we hear often, especially when we don’t understand what God is doing. But trusting His faithfulness is the golden ticket to what ever we need from Him. No effort is required on our part. He simply wants us to trust that He loves us and will deliver us.

This particular passage of Scripture is best digested as a combination of various translations. Below, I’ve paraphrased the verses from a few different Bible versions. I hope they open your eyes to what God  has to say about perpetual pain in our lives.

[Jeremiah says] You know where I am, God! You know, understand, and care for me. Remember what I’m doing here! Visit me and avenge me. Take my side against this enemy of mine. Don’t stand back while it ruins me. Just look at the abuse I’m taking! Don’t let my joy slip away while I wait on You.

When I found Your words, I devoured them. Your words made me glad. Your words are what sustain me; they are food to my hungry soul. They bring joy to my sorrowing heart and delight me. How proud I am to bear your name, O Lord. 

Yet, You have failed me in my time of need! You have let this issue continue far too long. Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will this never stop hurting me? You are like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain. Your help seems like a seasonal mountain brook—sometimes a flood, sometimes as dry as a bone.  

The Lord replied:

“Stop this foolishness and talk some sense! Return to trusting Me. If you return and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair, then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety. And if you cleanse your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning My faithfulness, I will make you like a fortified, bronze wall— strong and impenetrable by troubles. Speak worthy, not worthless, words! You are to influence those troubles by speaking to them; by speaking what I have said.  Do not remain silent and thereby let troubles influence you. They will fight against you, but they will not prevail over you, for I am with you to save and deliver you.”

[Paraphrased from Message, Amplified, Living, and NIV Bibles]

Here are three things that I gleaned from this passage that you can implement in dealing with perpetual pain:

  1. Make a decision to trust God, no matter what. Get rid of the attitudes and words of distrust and despair. (Philippians 4:6-8)
  2. Determine to view God as always being faithful. As a friend once told me, being faithful means you always say “Yes.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)
  3. Choose to ensure your conversations with others reflect what God has said about your deliverance. Speak worthy, not worthless, words! (Proverbs 4:20-22)

Now that you’ve read how God corrected and encouraged Jeremiah about his pain (and gave him hope!), what will you do to address the pain you’re experiencing today? I’d love to hear from you. Leave me a note about what you’ll do!

 

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sticky Note Thought #4 – Anxiety

Anxiety is no joke.

When it rears its ugly head, its mission is to distract you from enjoying life. As those anxious moments strike, the best cure is the distraction of gratitude.

By concentrating on the good things in your life that you are thankful for, it eases the effect of anxiety and brings peace to your mind.

Be grateful, no matter what you’re going through. If nothing else, you can always thank God for being right there with you (Hebrews 13:5).

 

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