Have you forgotten that God is still in control? Are you watching too much news, spending too much time scrolling, consuming too much negative media to hear Him. Having all the info literally at our fingertips makes it easy to getted sucked into the vortex of fear and uncertainty.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but I’m trying to make a point–No matter what our TV’s and phones tell us, God is still in control.
“You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3)
When less is better
This is a stressful time. With all that is happening in the world, it’s easy to become distracted, anxious, or even afraid. I confess, I’ve been there. So, for the last six months I’ve been making a conscious effort to stay away the analysis of those events that the news channels tend to offer. Now, I’ve discovered that I’m more of a “just the facts, Ma’am,” kind of gal. I’ll make up my own mind, thank you very much. Less is better for me. Less may be better for you, too.
There is more information than we know what to do with these days. It is fluid, abundant, often negative, or just plain false. It’s hard to keep up. Consuming too much can cause you to start wondering, worrying, and steal your peace. Too much of anything has the potential for harm. To draw us way off course. But don’t worry because God is still in control.
Focus on the right thing
This week, I came across just a few verses that anchored my outlook and narrowed my focus on the right thing: my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“But I will hope continually and praise You more and more.” (Psalm 71:14)
“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
These are short, easy verses to memorize. So short that one might not expect them to be so powerful.
After reading, praying, and rolling them over in my mind, something sweet happened. I began to string together certain phrases from each of these verses, and before long, I was humming a sweet song of praise that has kept me in a peaceful state of mind for days, and provided a memorable treasure I may need again someday. Feel free to borrow them.
Dwell on these things…
Rejoice always,
Pray without stopping,
Be thankful in all things,
Hope continually, and
Praise Him more and more!
I’m sure that this was all Spirit-led. Thank you, Lord!
Dear caregiver friends, if you are feeling stressed by news reports, social media, or the trials of your caregiving journey, I encourage you to create more space for God in your life. Choose how you will get information on current events, and when enough is enough (keeping in mind that less may be better for you, too). Spend some time in your Bible and prayer (it’s a conversation with God). I’m convinced that, if you do, the Spirit will find a way to increase your peace, too.
God knows what you need when you need it, and His timing is perfect.
God is still in control.
