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Sharing the insights I discover as I explore and experience the mystery that is our reality. Join me in my journey and share yours.




Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Freedom From Anxiety




"How free you can become if you stop worrying about things that don't concern you! The first thing for a contemplative is to mind his own business, and all care of yourself, physically, materially, is no longer your business. It is in the hands of somebody else-God."
                   ~ Thomas Merton, Entering the Silence, p. 68






I had a really heavy heart this morning. I'm experiencing one of those times where there seems to be more obstacles than solutions. In such a state I lost sight of Jesus and stumbled, not showing the patience and compassion I should to those around me.

As I was praying, four words kept rising in my heart, "Come to the Cross."

We can always come to Jesus and lay down our burdens and troubles at the foot of the cross.  The cross is a symbol of God's love and mercy towards us. It's where His grace was poured out on mankind in the form of Jesus' blood. Our God  was willing to sacrifice His only son for our sins, that's how precious we are to Him. So really, with a God of steadfast love and faithfulness, does anxiety have a place in the heart of a believer?

I love Thomas Merton's quote that is at the beginning of this post.  He brings up the point that there's freedom when we don't let anxiety have a foothold in our lives. God wants to liberate us from our attachments, liberate us from our illusions, liberate us from our own egos so that the only thing made manifest in our lives is God's glory. When we shine with the revelation of God's glory all other things fade away and we bring light and love to other people's lives, and our own, helping to reveal and make manifest God's Kingdom here on earth.

To trust God completely over our circumstances reveals a humble heart of faith. It's not an easy thing to do, a state of the heart that is spurred on by the Spirit. Certainly one I was having trouble with this morning...but a question that popped into my head was this: Is it more fruitful to trust God, maker of all existence, with our burdens or ourselves (who most likely had a big role in bringing our own burdens about)? I don't know about you...but I'm laying my burdens at the foot of God's throne and trusting Him!

As I prayed to God about all of this and then meditated God blessed me again with His peace. Through obedience God's blessings are poured out. May we never cease to praise the God who heals, the God who saves and the God who lifts our burdens from us and brings our perspectives back to where they should be-focused on Jesus!

This morning I was looking up some scripture regarding anxiety, I'd like to share some verses, may you be blessed by them:


Luke 12:6-7
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Luke 12: 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Matthew 5:31-34 "Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?' "For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.


 Matthew 6:27  "And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?
Let's find our rest in God and be restored, so we can be more effective servants:


Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."




Heavenly Father,

We praise and love you. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Forgive us when we lose sight of you and instead dwell on our earthly circumstances. We pray that you give us the strength and insight, the direction, to overcome the obstacles that we have in life and may we always put you Sovereign over it all.  We pray that you ease the suffering that we sometimes face- very real oppression and afflictions, may your love and glory be seen in our lives as you bring your light and mercy to us. We ask that you restore us and renew us so that we may bring Your message of hope and love even more effectively to others.

In Jesus' name,
Amen.







 

12 comments:

  1. Thank you! Beautiful post. I am reminded of a message I wrote about awhile back about being preoccupied with things that don't really matter all that much.
    http://ardithsquest.blogspot.com/2010/05/it-mattereth-not.html

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  2. Amen! I often think about how God is taking care of all the birds. That is mind blowing. Then I think to myself if He takes care of each and every bird, will He abandon me? No way!

    Thank you for sharing!

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  3. I think maybe it was one of those days, I had the same feelings today oxox

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  4. Faith! I have been through the ups and downs for years and me common to India has changed me.
    I simply gave in and trusted my path and my strength. Faith has been one of the hardest lessons for me.
    Those mornings when you feel just blah! There is a reason for it.

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  5. How many times in scripture are we told not to worry? All these passages you shared are so fitting during our moments of stumbling into anxiety and uncertainty. Matthew 11:28-30 has been one of my favorites for awhile now. Jessica, Christ knows how you felt this morning,knows how we all feel during those moments. Is something in the air? Because it's been one of those days here too.

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  6. Ardith,thank you so much for your comment, I'm so glad you enjoyed the post! I loved your article,and encourage all who read it to check it out!

    Nelieta, great reflections! Thank you :)So true!

    SJ...hope things are better than when you wrote your message..yeah lately life's certainly had it's big waves...so glad both of us are strong swimmers ;)

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  7. Yoga, you are a strong, capable and beautiful individual, sometimes those with many strengths find faith a difficult thing...I think that can be so for all of us...I know it has been for me at some points. It has to do with trusting another, (namely God) and that can be hard, for God isn't intangible, while we are tangible. Thank you for your comment...~ light and blessings

    Praying abundant peace over you Debra...I do believe something is in the air! May , in some way, it work to bring God glory :)
    ~blessings

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  8. We are all only human and to stumble proves that. Get up dust it off and continue fumbling...

    Cheers A

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  9. A key seems to be to have more faith and less fear.

    I pray for this...

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  10. This is giving me strength...God takes care of us all...

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  11. Amen Russell! Faith vanquishes fear, but I've found it takes courage in stepping out in the kind of faith that does that...not an easy thing to do...a pray for us all! :)

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  12. Amen Motifs...He certainly does...I pray for much insight, strength and peace for you :)

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