Fretting..........

Today, I had a busy day at work. I had a few meetings and projects to do. I had a late lunch so that was the only free time I had to read some of the blogs. I am an accoutant and I have alot of projects. We have a new accounting system and I am in the spot light by being chosen to lead the "reporting projects". I had a meeting this morning and 3 other meetings this week. Also, I got a call today to make a presentation for the auditors in March. While at the same time, I need start planning my "workgroup" of 100 members that I have been neglecting to start meetings again after being on "hold" for a year due to changing the accounting system.

Last week, I got to meet my "big" boss (finally) and shook hands with him and chatted a bit. This boss is the Governor of Ohio so it was an interesting week for me.

I was thinking of what to talk about in my tonight's blog since I have too busy to think about it. It occurred to me, like Marja which I discovered her blog today and found that her thoughts are similar to mine (thanks to Merelyme for pointing her out to me). She talks about "worrying" and lately I have been worrying about a few things as well. That will be my topic today.

When I was younger, I was focusing on temporal happiness. I often ran ahead of God because to me simply because He didn't seem to be working fast enough for me. As a Christian, am I supposed to ignore my temporal situations in order to be happy and stop worrying?

Fretting and worrying about something. I have learned a long time ago that "worrying" is sin and that my HEART is revealing my weak FAITH in God. I understood that fretfulness can rob me of my peace and joy of Christ. In our sinful society, like all sinners, I am still a sinner (forgiven) but still an easy prey to fretfulness when my gaze is fixed circumstances rather than upon God.

I want to use a few tranlations for Philippians 4:6:

(The Message) Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.

(New Living Translation) Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

(NIV)Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

(KJV) Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

(NKVJ) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Reading that verse reminds me that I need to understand and remember is that Jesus is MY SHEPHERD that He will supply all my needs (Phil. 4:19) and that He knows everything about my life (Ps. 139:3), cares about me (1 Pet. 5:7), has the power for every difficulty (Ps. 62:11), is perfecting YOU to be like Christ (Phil. 1:6), and that nothing escapes Him (Ps. 147:5), that will lead me to be stable, not anxious living.

I always love this quote and I often refer to this when I need to remember:
Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God's plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins. God's love is still working. He comes in and takes the calamity and uses it victoriously, working out His wonderful plan of love. Eric Liddell

Faith is holding the practical belief is what we accept in reality that comes in our day-to-day living. We are to trust Jesus Christ completely (as Corrie ten Boom did) through the Holy Spirit and God's grace. I always admire Corrie ten Boom and listed her as one of my "Hall of Faiths". These are two of her famous quotes

Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.

Ever read a story about Corrie ten Boom? If you didn't, I recommend it. She was a Christian (died in the 1980's) who suffered through Nazi concentration camps while most of her family members died. Corrie was schedule to die in Nazi Camp like the rest of family did, but she came out of Nazi prison alive due to clerical error through God's divine intervention. Through Corrie ten Boom, God was glorified through Corrie's ministry through many years until the day she died. Her ministry is still alive even though she is no longer with us physically but she is in heaven.

Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you. Corrie ten Boom

Learning from great faiths in the Bible and Christians I learned through media and local churches, I saw that circumstances did not control them; it is their reaction to circumstances that determined what kind of people they were and most importantly, how faithful they were. They made decisions they felt it is God's will however, circumstances made them change directions. I went through many issues and they were not easy but once I put myself to where God wants me to be, I will be fine. Having faith and not worrying alot easier said than done.