July 12, 2009
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Errors of judgment
What Happens If We Don't Trust God?
If we choose not to trust God fully with our lives, then we are left with the options of trusting either ourselves or other people with our lives. A person doesn't need to live very long before he concludes that no one person can fully care for himself, and no other person or institution can be relied upon fully to provide all that any one person needs. Only God, who has all resources available for His use, can put together a "total provision package" for each person on earth.
If we choose not to trust God fully with our lives, the results (consequences) often include:
* Increased irritability and frustration with life
* A continual vacillation (indecision in speech or action) of opinion and little decision making
* Repeated errors of judgment
* Feelings of persecution, even if no persecutor can be named
* Procrastination
* Increased use of chemicals (such as alcohol, drugs, and overuse of prescription medications) to escape pain, sleeplessness, or nervous tension
* Low productivity
* A general feeling of restlessness or uneasiness
Jesus referred to such consequences as these in a parable, saying,
A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Matthew 13:3-4
Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Matthew 13:7
The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. Matthew 13:22
Paul admonished the Corinthians that they were to use their weapons of spiritual warfare for "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).
How do we do this in a practical way?
When times of anxiety and fear seem to overwhelm you, you must make a conscious, deliberate effort to take control over your own thoughts and to bring them into conformity with God's Word. I encourage you to take these five steps:
* Read the Gospels. Calm your own spirit by reading aloud the words of Jesus and the stories about Jesus in the Gospel books: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Focus especially on what Jesus taught and said. Don't allow yourself to become distracted or to give up in your reading of God's Word until you feel panic subside and a calmness take root in your heart.
* Read the promises of God to you. Begin to look up and read aloud the promises of God's Word that pertain to your situation. If you don't know those promises, use a concordance to find them. (Look up a word that relates to your problem, or look up those passages under the heading "fear not.")
* Memorize God's promises. Memorize several of God's promises that seem especially appropriate for your particular situaion. As you read the Bible daily and you discover other promises or passages that seem appropraite to your particular situation, memorize them also. Any time fear attempts to rise up in you again, recite these promises from God's Word--repeatedly, if need be--until the fear subsides.
* Ask the Holy Spirit to take control. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring the promises in God's Word to the fullness of reality in your life. Ask Him to take control of your life and to take control over the situations that are causing you to fear or to feel anxious.
* Praise God. Begin to praise God for His greatness, goodness, and tender loving care of you in the past. Recall instances in which God has shown Himself to be faithful. Recall instances in which your needs were met, your heart was blessed, and you knew with a surety that God was in control of your life. Praise God for His provision and presence in the past.
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. James 4:7-8
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
Excerpts from Developing Inner Strength/Charles Stanley
I remember those times that I used to depend on my own strength. "Be strong and tough, so you won't get hurt." that's how I remember hearing and reading growing up. "You have to show that you are competitive, that you can handle the pressure to earn the trust of your peers and the rest of the people you are in contact with." But deep inside, laying in bed at night, life was exhausting! The more you work harder, the harder it is to please and gain the approval of your friends, family and your employer. It was a 24/7 alertness but full of frustrations and despair. It was a never ending cycle. If I have not found the Lord, God's true nature , His truth and promises, I would probably be either dead or be on a heavy dependency of prescription drugs, whichever comes first, anxiousness is lethal cause borderline depression accompanies its attacks.
I truly believe that if Michael Jackson turned to God and depend on Him and come to trust Him, through His Son, Jesus; and turned away from whatever destructive choices he was making when he was on top of his game and; asked Jesus for guidance and follow Him, I am pretty sure he would still be alive today. Every decision he made on his own strength, had sealed his fate.
No man can live without God in his life and not suffer the consequences of their poor choices. Without God, life is a struggle, no matter if you are wealthy or poor. For the wealthy it could be a struggle to remain on top of his game, a struggle to make more money, a struggle for fame and popularity and so on and so forth. Well, for the poor, everything is a struggle and a condemnation for just being poor.
Whether you agree with me or not, see how many above consequences are true in your life if you have chosen not to believe or trust God.
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