7 Steps—Replace Fretting with Peace

Joanie Shawhan, a cancer survivor and registered nurse, understands how anxiety can take charge and make us lose peace. In this Peace UPGRADE, she focuses on a special psalm that gives solid counsel for replacing fretting and returning to a place of peace in the Lord."Once again, a friend of mine chided me for fretting as I raged about the pervasive evil I saw in the world today," Joanie said. “This is not your circus. These are not your monkeys.”

Oh, how I (Dawn) understand that! How often I have taken on issues and burdens the Lord never intended me to carry. I'm reminded of the old hymn that says, "Oh, what peace we often forfeit..." Joanie explains how we can stop forfeiting our peace.

Joanie continues . . .

All of these circumstances in the world were beyond my control and out of the realm of my influence. Where was the God of Justice?

I had become stuck in a rut of fretting.

A rut rooted in the fear of the future that I had dug through anxiety and worry.

Living in Wisconsin, I’m familiar with ruts. Our wheels spin on snowy roads and create furrows that refuse to disappear until the snow melts.

Ruts become dangerous obstacles that can easily throw us off course.

My pattern of fretting had derailed me. It distracted me from God’s purpose and robbed me of peace. I listened to the voices of the world yammering in my ears and forgot to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit.

But God reminded me: Do not fret—it leads only to evil (Psalm 37:8 NIV).

I needed a course correction.

How could I avoid the rut of fretting and restore peace?

God offered me a roadmap to peace.

Seven principles from Psalm 37

1. Do Not Fret (v. 1).

According to Scripture, fretting leads only to evil. If I want to follow Jesus and turn away from evil, I need to steer clear of the habitual patterns of agitation and anger that deepen the rut of fretting.

Jesus has called me to walk in righteousness and make right choices through faith in Him.

And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever (Isaiah 32:17 NLT).

2. Trust in the Lord (v. 3).

God is faithful and trustworthy even when I don’t understand His plan. My fears and anxiety do not change who He is. They only rob me of my ability to see Him as He is—my loving Father who is constant in His care for me.

Sometimes trust is a choice.

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you (Psalm 56:3 NLT).

3. Do Good (v. 3).

In spite of the evil churning around me, God’s Word tells me to never get tired of doing good (Galatians 6:9-10 NLT).

Even in the face of adversity, I’m called to love and serve others in humility.

He also commands me to pray for my enemies and those who may do me harm.

4. Delight in the Lord (v. 4).

To delight in the Lord, I must focus on who God is, on His power and majesty. When my eyes are turned toward the Lord, I can’t focus on myself, my circumstances, and those situations that rob my peace.

Delighting in the Lord comes with a promise.

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him (Psalm 37:23 NIV).

5. Commit Your Way to the Lord (v. 5).

God is the one who will order my steps. My days are in His hands.

Even when the evil is personal or I feel betrayed, God is the one who will vindicate me.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT).

6. Be Still Before the Lord (v. 7).

Sometimes I’m so busy grumbling and complaining that I neglect to listen. I’ve discovered that when I’m quiet and still, I’m more apt to hear the voice of the Lord.

His voice and His presence will restore my peace by reminding me of who He is.

Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10 NIV).

7. Wait Patiently for Him (v. 7)

Patience is not my virtue. I want to rush God, especially when he takes longer to answer my prayers than I would like.

But I need to remember God is not finished yet.

For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! (Isaiah 30:18b NIV).

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8 NIV).

By following God’s words of wisdom, I can avoid the dangerous rut of fretting.

What ruts of fretting rob your peace?

Joanie Shawhan shares true-life stories, offering her reader an eyewitness view of the action. Her Selah Awards Finalist book, In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer, reflects the value of “Your story plus my story become our stories.” An ovarian cancer survivor and registered nurse, Joanie speaks to medical students in the Survivors Teaching Students program. She co-founded an ovarian cancer social group: The Fried Eggs—Sunny-Side Up. Publishing credits include: Guideposts Divine Interventions, Snapshots of Hope & Heart, Wit, Whimsy & Wisdom, Life Repurposed, and We May Be Done But We’re Not Finished. Follow Joanie at www.joanieshawhan.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Anne Nygård at Unsplash.

When Life Has You Puzzled

Kolleen Lucariello's mind is a wonderful thing. Creative and inspiring, she approaches life with a unique spin on God's hand in our lives. In this Wisdom UPGRADE, she offers sound biblical truth for times when life has us puzzled.

"My granddaughter held the box in her hands and asked, 'What do you say, Mimi? Want to do this puzzle with me?' Hesitation swelled within," Kolleen says, "when I saw which puzzle she held."

I (Dawn) love everything "puzzles," so Kolleen's title immediately drew me in. But her application stuck with me long after I read this post. I've been puzzled about something in my life, and I needed to hear her words.

Kolleen continues . . .

The puzzle contained 1,000 pieces and our time together was almost over; it would be impossible to complete before she left.

My face gave away my thoughts so she followed up with a “Puh-leeeeease?”

“Oh, alright. Let’s give it a try.”

I knew they’d be leaving soon and intended to throw it all back into the box once they walked out the door. However . . .

To my surprise, more family members decided to join in the puzzle fun. Soon, the outer edge was well on its way to completion. Then, with multiple pieces in place we heard, “Okay, kids; it’s time to go.”

After a short discussion on how to proceed, Papa and Mimi decided we’d come too far to take it all apart and throw it back into the box. So, we pressed on. 

As we worked toward our goal to complete the puzzle, there were moments when the similarities between life and a puzzle became clearer to me than the piece I was looking for.

Life certainly can be puzzling sometimes, can’t it? 

I lost count of how many times I’d scan and search for one particular piece for forever, only to have my puzzle partner stand over my shoulder, pick up the piece which was laying right in front of me, slide it in perfectly, chuckle and say, “You mean this one?”

And just like that the missing piece I’d spent an hour looking for was found. 

It’s puzzling how quickly fresh eyes can pick out what has been staring at you but remained unseen.

Why couldn’t I see that?

We may wonder when another brings light to our blind spots. At the moment, it might also be a tad bit frustrating. But it’s valuable if progress is to be made. 

Having my blind spots exposed is humbling. I prefer to believe I don’t have any, but I live knowing I do.

I’ve come to appreciate and value the way God uses others to help me see what I either can’t or, quite honestly, don’t want to. 

As we pushed forward with our puzzle, I noticed how tempting it became to place a wrong-but-close piece into what seemed-like-it-should-go-there.

The puzzle was on our kitchen table for weeks.

We soon had a strong desire to git-r-done. This desire provoked a “close enough” attitude—numerous times. But, one misplaced piece led to several more and caused moments of backtracking when one would say, “That’s not right.” Sigh. 

Things began to move along nicely after we began asking, “Do you think this piece goes here?” 

Puzzle pieces were designed to fit where they were designed to fit. It doesn’t matter how hard you try, you can’t force the wrong piece in where it wasn’t intended to go.

Mistakes happen, but the greater tragedy is our refusal to admit them or seek advice in the hopes of limiting them.

A countless number of people are backtracking through their life story to find healing from wounds inflicted through mistakes and missteps. When we don’t know how to proceed, wisdom asks, “Do you think this piece goes here?” 

Perhaps God would use our journey through Puzzle Park to bring an upgrade in a life that’s been puzzled by circumstance.

If that’s you, I’d like to offer you these two nuggets. 

1. Walk in Wisdom

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” or “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered” (Proverbs 12:15, 28 ESV).

Whether it is in our parenting, marriage, career, life-choices, or relationships: God used Solomon’s words to reveal the important role we play in the lives of others—to help uncover blind spots.

Only a fool would want to live blind and frustrated by what others can see.

2. Don't Give Up.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 ESV). 

When you’ve hit a snag and want to cater to the “close enough” attitude, please remember there is beauty in completing the work God set before you. Press on!

The puzzle we almost gave up on due to its difficulty is now framed for full display during the Christmas season.

God holds the pieces to our life puzzle.

• He knows the entirety of the plan He has for us.
• He’s aware when we’re stuck behind blind spots and has planned our way to clarity. We are wise to listen.
• He also knows when weariness is hindering our attitude to give our best effort. We are wise to ask for help.

So, when life has you puzzled, do you allow wisdom to lead the way?

Kolleen Lucariello, #TheABCGirl, is the author of #beYOU: Change Your Identity One Letter at a Time and is the Co-Director of Activ8Her, Inc. She is passionate to every woman realize her identity in Christ and live accordingly. Kolleen and her hubby, Pat, make their home in Central New York. She’s the mom of three grown children and Mimi to six incredible grands. For more information about Kolleen, visit www.speakkolleen.com

When I Feel Forgotten by Jesus

Some people, like Debbie W. Wilson, continually draw out fresh applications from old truths. In this UPLIFT Encouragement, using the story of Lazarus, Debbie reminds us that our Savior will never forget us—even if we feel like He has sometimes.

And especially when He delays to come to our aid.                    

"My standard poodles’ big brown eyes melted my resolve," Debbie says. “'Ok. You can go with me.'”

I (Dawn) totally understand. My dog gets puppy-dog eyes—what else would I call them?—whenever I head for the door. "Pleeeeeeease don't leave me," he seems to say.

How can I say no?

Debbie continues . . . 

Max’s fluffy tail thumped excitedly. His sister pranced with anticipation. And I smiled.

I hate to disappoint pooches and people. Especially, my pooches and my people.

That’s why Jesus’ actions in John 11 astound me.

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days” (John 11:5-6 NIV).

Without divine intervention, Lazarus would die.

Jesus had the power to heal.

Lazarus’ sisters sent an urgent message to Jesus,

“Lord, the one you love is sick” (John 11:3 emphasis added).

As a close friend of this family, surely, Jesus would rush to the rescue. He would not disappoint those He loved.

But Jesus waited.

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So…He waited???

That doesn’t compute.

Jesus finally arrived—after Lazarus had been in the tomb four days.

Jewish tradition held that the spirit left the body within four days.

Lazarus was gone.

Confusion complicated Martha and Mary’s grief.

• “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (vs. 21).
• Mary fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (vs. 32)
• Even their friends were confused, “But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’” (vs. 37).

And they were right. If Jesus had been there Lazarus wouldn’t have died. Jesus said so (John 11:14-15).

For me, being misunderstood ranks up there with not disappointing someone I love. Jesus wasn’t calloused to their feelings (see John 11:33-38). But He was willing to be misunderstood to bring about a greater good.

He allowed Lazarus to feel forsaken on his deathbed, Mary and Martha to feel forgotten in their grief, and the villagers to question His love for His friends.

Why?

Because the eternal benefit outweighed the temporary discomfort.

He wanted for them SOMETHING BETTER than relief.

He wanted them to gain unshakable faith.

No one doubted Jesus could heal. But no one had ever raised someone who’d been dead four days.

Has Jesus’ timing ever disappointed you? What answer are you still waiting for?What “no” pains and confuses you?

Take heart from Jesus’ delay.

Listen to WHY He waited.

• “It is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4 NIV)
• “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him” (John 11:14-15 NIV).
• “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25 NIV).
  
• “‘Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’…‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me’” (John 11:40-42 NIV).
  
• “Therefore many of the Jews … believed in him” (John 11:45 NIV).

When it looks like Jesus has forgotten you, when He seems to ignore your needs, draw hope from this story.

Stretching our faith is more important than our comfort. It’s how we come to know God is bigger and better than we can imagine.

Let’s allow Jesus to smash the boxes we’ve confined Him to and not lose heart when He delays.

He hasn’t forgotten you.

"Dear Father, Your will and Your ways are always better than mine. Feel free to tell me 'no' when You have a better plan."

When has a bitter “no” turned into a better “yes” for you?

Debbie W. Wilson, Bible teacher and former biblical counselor, combines insight and encouragement to inspire people to trust Christ with their lives. Her books include Little Faith, Big God, Little Women, Big God, and Give Yourself a Break. She and her husband Larry founded Lighthouse Ministries, a nonprofit biblical counseling and Bible study ministry. Debbie enjoys dark chocolate, a good mystery, and the antics of her two standard poodles. Find free resources and connect with Debbie at RefreshingFaith.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Mediamodifier at Pixabay.

Painting of "The Raising of Lazarus" by Rembrandt, on Wikipedia. Part of the Google Art Project—Harmensz VanRijn.

Where There's Hope—There's Future

Susan K. Stewart makes theological concepts practical, using her own life experiences to teach others how to live out the truths of the Bible. In this Hope UPGRADE, she tells the story of three donkeys to illustrate her point that "Where there's hope, there's future!"

"Hope was the quiet leader of our donkey trio," Susan says. "When Hope went to the feed trough, the other two followed behind her. If she decided to walk the donkey trails in the pasture, Hope would take the lead."

I (Dawn) have always loved donkeys, finding them wiser than most people know. They can be problem solvers, and they have incredible memories. So I read Susan's post with a big grin!

Susan continues . . .

Hope appeared to be the one on alert for anything unusual happening. I would see her scanning the field and trees, but she never showed nervousness or fear.

With Hope in the lead, Georgia May and Shanna didn’t seem to have any worries or fear.

HOPE LED the donkeys.

What leads many of us today?

Sadly, many of us are following fear and worry. The virus, terrorists, war, even change can dominate our minds. Dread becomes the focus of our lives affecting everything we do.

Not all fear is bad. God gave us a sense of immediate fear as a form of protection. To be aware of our surroundings for danger and to be able to react when there is an actual threat to our physical well-being.

In our modern age, dread has translated to mental and emotional threats.

Many would say the 24-hour news cycle leads the way down this dark tunnel.

Anxiety over perceived threats is so prevalent it is the subject of writings in such publications as Psychology Today. A search using Google brings up more than three billion (yes, billion with a “b”) references.

Fear appears to be surrounding us.

Gordana Biernat wrote in Psychology Today, “Slowly sneaking indirect fear is also an illness generator. ... If you want to thrive in your life, you must have the courage to say 'no' to fear because the more fear you allow into your mind, the smaller your life will become.” *

Fear can slowly eat away at our lives—physically, emotionally, spiritually.

Another search on Google shows two billion articles about overcoming fear, including:

• “10 Steps for How to Overcome Fear and Achieve Goals,”
• “6 Strategies to Overcome Fear and Anxiety,” and
• “6 Tips to Overcoming Anxiety and Phobias.”
• Even Forbes magazine has “14 Ways To Conquer Fear.”

Among all these schemes are common suggestions: name your fear, exercise, stay connected with friends and family, and turn off the news and social media.

All good advice, but one approach is missing—Hope.

Fear is looking at now; it has no future. Hope is looking forward; there is a future.

Fear is negative; hope is positive.

Fear has no plan. Hope is God’s plan—to have a future with hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

We wait with patience and hope for what we do not see—what is ahead (Romans 8:24-25). Our faith is built on a foundation of hope (Hebrews 11:1).

In this age of fear, how can we dig out of it and reach for hope?

• Meditate on God’s Word. Paul tells the Romans “through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
• Don’t dwell on what might happen. Jesus told us, “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things” (Matthew 6:34 NKJV).
• Focus on the future. God tells us “Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off” (Proverbs 23:18).
• Be strong in the face of fear. “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear …, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
• Put your hope in Jesus. “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you” (Psalm 39:7).
• Stand in faith. Our faith is based on “the assurance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1).
• Put on the helmet of the hope of salvation. A helmet covers our minds. The hope of salvation is our protection. (I Thessalonians 5:8b)
• Wait for the Lord. His plan overcomes our fear and worries. “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope” (Psalm 130:5).

A couple of dusty donkeys knew they didn’t have to fear. They knew to follow their leader, Hope.

We can overcome fear by doing as a couple of donkeys do—follow God as He leads to “a future and a hope.”

Where will you start your journey out of fear and into hope?

Susan K. Stewart is a teacher, writer, and speaker known for practical solutions to real-world situations. Her books include Harried Homeschooler’s Handbook: Finding Hope in the Havoc, Science in the Kitchen: Fearless Science at Home for All Ages, Preschool: At What Cost?, and the award-winning Formatting e-Books for Writers. Susan’s most recent book, Donkey Devos: Listen When God Speaks, is made of forty devotions based on the donkeys who have lived on their ranch. The Stewarts live in Central Texas with their three dogs, three cats, nine chickens, and a couple of donkeys. They have three children and six grandchildren. You can read more of Susan’s practical solutions at susankstewart.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Albrecht Fietz at Pixabay.

 *Quote source: “How to Stop Living in Fear.” May 20, 2020. https://bit.ly/340ULuu.

Is Today, This Year, Your Watershed Moment?

Pam Farrel is a hope-builder. Through her writing and speaking, Pam encourages Christians to ground themselves in God's Word, and watch how He uses them to accomplish His purposes. In this Faith UPGRADE, Pam writes about watershed moments God brings into believers' lives.

"The Bible is full of promises," Pam says. "These promises become moments of personal choices of belief: a watershed moment that vitally impacts our future."

I (Dawn) learned what a "watershed" is in college. It's a land area that channels rainfall and snowmelt into creeks, streams, and rivers, and eventually it swells to outflow points like reservoirs, bays, or the big, wide ocean.

For a Christian to experience "a watershed moment" is to be so suddenly and deeply moved by something that it changes the believer's life and/or ministry.

Pam continues . . .

I was eight months pregnant when an invitation to a free marriage retreat arrived from Forest Home Christian conference center. Bill was a youth pastor at the time, so I leapt at the opportunity for a rare cozy weekend away for us.

At the Saturday evening session, we experienced a God-ordained watershed moment listening to the story of God giving the covenant promise in Genesis 15:5-6: (NIV)

"Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them. Then he said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' Abram believed the Lord."

One of the preeminent watershed moments in the Bible was when God asked Abram to bring a sacrifice that was symbolic of the life and death commitment made in a covenant between two parties.

So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”  Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. …

"As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, …

"'In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here...”

"When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram” (15:9-18a).

God knew Abram was human and would fail, so He made a promise with HIMSELF to keep the promise.

The promises in the Bible are as good as the One making the promise.

God used this covenant process because it was familiar to the culture.

People knew that if a person broke the promise, the other could slay him as punishment.

God was proclaiming the same type of agreement. Because God made this promise, if He failed to keep it, He would have to die. But God cannot die.*

Revelation 1:8 says of God: “Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (NIV).

Because God is pre-existent and self-sustaining, He was never born, so He can never die—so He is fully able to keep every promise.

In OUR watershed moment, as we sat in a chapel at Forest Home years ago, Bill and I recommitted ourselves to be used, as a couple, to share God’s love and equip people to love wisely.

Others' Watershed Moments

Many others have had watershed moments at that same conference center: Forest Home. The founder, Henrietta Mears, brought young leaders to the mountain.

One of her famous quotes is,

“There is no magic in small plans. When I consider my ministry, I think of the world. Anything less than that would not be worthy of Christ nor of his will for my life.”

Years later, many former students—now leaders—assembled for a recommissioning and vision-setting gathering. They represented more than 50 Christian organizations.

Billy Graham—while a speaker at Forest Home at the start of his evangelistic ministry—laid down his Bible on a stump in his watershed moment.

He prayed, “Father... I will believe this to be Your inspired Word.”

Weeks later, Graham preached at the Los Angeles Crusades. More than 300,000 people heard the gospel, sparking the evangelistic crusades that defined the rest of his ministry.

Christ brings each of us to a watershed moment to make a choice to believe in Him, in His Word, and in His ability to keep His promises.

He brought the disciples to Caesarea Philippi, where worship of many false gods including the Greek god, Pan—half man, half goat—was taking place. Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do people say the son of man is? … Who do you say that I am?” 

It was their watershed decision point.

Peter rose and replied, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-18 NIV).  

Hebrews 11:1 calls us ALL to this decision point: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (ESV).

• Faith is to have a solid conviction, to be fully persuaded
• Assurance is the picture of a land deed.
• So, faith is like the legal title to hope.

The definition of hope I formed when writing Discovering Hope in the Psalms is “to wait expectantly for God to show up and show off for your good and His glory.”

Hope believes God keeps His promises—even in the waiting.

Today can be YOUR watershed moment.

Are you fully persuaded that God loves YOU? That God’s Word is a love letter of truth to rescue, redeem and restore YOU?  Why not take a moment to write a declaration of your faith belief. Then hang your heart on the God who keeps ALL His Promises.

Pam Farrel is a bestselling author of 56 books, and the co-author of Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament: A Creative Bible Study Experience. (This blog post is adapted from this ECPA award-winning Bible study from Harvest House Publishers.) Download Infectious Joy 30 Day Creative Devotional for a simple 10-minute-a-day faith builder. The Farrels co-lead Love-Wise and the Living Love-Wise Community.

Graphic adapted, Courtesy of Sergey Pesterev at Pexels.

* For further explanation of the ancient covenant sacrifice that Pam described, you can read here. - Dawn