Work, Worry, Rest--Another Year

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Desiring God: All You Need For Another Year

 

This one was actually for New Year's, but I found it incredibly applicable to a new school year! But now it's good for a new year again. Time flies.

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The theme was based around the 2 Corinthians 9 passages about reaping and sowing. "Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously," then it asked, "How will you sow?" What will we do this new year to prepare us for future gains and glory? But whose glory? When we work for God's glory, surely we gain more than when we work for ourselves. The section reminded that God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7), giving is better than receiving (Acts 20:35), and that earthy treasures are easily destroyed and lost (Matthew 6:19-20). 

 

Probably my favorite passage of the whole thing was an incredible reminder that no matter what situation we are in day to day, God will give us what we need to make it through and do His will. "God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things, at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Cor 9:8

There's always a way, always something there, we are often just too caught up in our own plight and pressure that we don't look for or recognize them. We don't have to do it all--we can't. But that is what points us to God where He fills in our gaps. He supplies all our needs according to His plan (Phil 4:19).

 

Faith ---> Provision ---> Opportunity.

When we have faith, He provides, and we have opportunities for all kinds of good works. Big or small, they all matter.

Work, Worry, Rest--Work Hard AND Sleep Well

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Desiring God: Good Men Work Hard and Sleep Well

Right now it is hard for even the historically workaholics to keep trudging on. Maybe we do, but the motivation behind it is falling. I'm having times like that for sure. Overwhelmed with school and worried about the uncertainty of each day and the weeks and months ahead compounds becoming weary. This is when I need to stop and reevaluate where my head and heart are.

"Always stand firm; let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58

 

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as if working for God, not men." Colossians 3:23

 

When the work seems monotonous, overwhelming, dreadful, think about if it is something you must do or something you make yourself do. If God brought you to it, He will bring you through it. There is a purpose. You are there to do something for Him. You may not be able to see it, but let the promise that your work for Him is never useless be a driving force to carry on. 

 

Maybe you're having hours and hours of zoom meetings. You can shed a positive attitude. 

Discussion boards: maybe throw in a comment about having prayed for something that came to pass, a Bible verse as a reference, telling a classmate you're praying for them, in an "about you" type thing, don't be afraid to say you like to read your Bible--no joke there are actually tons of ways, even in online classes, that opportunities to tell about your faith will come up.  

At the office, post a Bible verse on your door.

Be responsive, respectful and encouraging in emails.

Pray for those around you. This will not only benefit them because God always listens, but it will help your heart get in a better perspective, too.

 

Anytime, smile or wave. Hold a door. Pay it forward. Give a small treat. Talk to the person next to you in line at Starbucks or the grocery store. Maybe you're the only person to contact them today. Pray. Reach out. The little things right now are huge in people's lives that you may never realize.

 

Even if you don't see how your actions matter, God does, and He is able to magnify our efforts into a meaningful big picture.

 

This section really hit me, so I just screenshotted it and...well, read. 

 

"Many of us need to trust God enough to work less."

 

Guilty.

 

I am always going. I've had to learn to stop. I can't do it all. When I try to keep going, I depend on myself more and more and God less and less, then what do you know, I fall apart. When I fail, it is all my fault because, well, I was the only one working. But when we trust in God to guide us to the right things, take care of the things we can't (or maybe can but shouldn't) control, He does amazing things.

 

Example: As I've mentioned, overwhelmed with work. Also tired, mentally and physically. Dedicated to taking naps and daily Bible time. MUCH prayer to "Lord please help me through this" and the like. Still able to run 13 miles at a 7 minute pace and increase my lifts in the weight room (physical) and haven't missed an assignment yet (mental). ---NOT bragging on me, bragging on God. I daily think how I am inadequate and undeserving to be able to keep functioning and relatively succeeding at this, but it is always because somehow God comes through and gives me some extra time or a grade I was not expecting.

 

Trusting Him to take care of the things we can't not only helps us in the day but also in the night, which then turns and helps us in the day. If we are so worried about what we personally can't control or the amount of work ahead, we will lie awake at night thinking about it, worrying, how will I do this, rather than trusting God to do it and go to sleep. Now I know this is much easier said than done. I do it all the time. But one of the best ways to get a better nights' sleep is to pray. If it's in God's hands when we go to sleep, He will still be holding it when we wake up. And He still works while we sleep.

Work, Worry, Rest--Two We Need in Balance, One We Do Anyways (Intro!)

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I started this post as one combining several resources and reflections on some devotions and other posts that had come to me at seemingly the most adequate times, but then they each had so much value, I didn't want people to just skip through it. In the days and weeks to come, I'm going to share a little section of this theme on work, worry, and rest, as it has really convicted yet also comforted me in the midst of this currently crazy world. 

I see so many people struggling and seeming to have no hope or sense of purpose and joy, and that's totally understandable. Even the "best of us" have down days, weeks, seasons. But there is something that differentiates some from others--there IS hope. This hope is in Christ alone, and that's hard for some to understand, but I want to share some of my personal experiences to show others that it is real and possible in daily life, no matter how mundane it may seem. 

As I scrolled way way back in my school email where I send myself links to look at later, I knew there were a lot of devotions and Bible studies in there, so that was how I was choosing what to do each day for a while. I was "randomly" choosing one, but it felt a lot like they were choosing me. 

I've been tired. Mentally and physically. Training was hard there for a bit (not much now since the season is so far away), and school was stressful. I have more than a full load of work right now. All this coronavirus stuff and never knowing the truth or where it is or what people are doing, I was living in anxiety. Anxiety is exhausting. 

But God knows what we each are going through, what we need, and when we need it. Those devotions were saved for a reason. I needed them now more than when I came across them. The tweets that I notice on my feed while I eat dessert aren't just happenstance. The instagram posts? Media has a lot of crazy ways it stalks us to show us what we want or need to see, but God is way better and more powerful than an algorithm!

 

I could go on and on about some of these, but here are some devotions, articles, pictures, and tweets that have really stood out to me lately on the topics of work, worry, and rest.

Here are the links to the devotions I'll be going over for anyone's reference:

Desiring God: For Weary Women in a World of Opportunity

Desiring God: All You Need For Another Year

Desiring God: Lord, Teach Us to Work--Learning from the Labors of Christ

KLove Encouragement: Rhythms for Loving Action

Desiring God: Good Men Work Hard and Sleep Well

To get the ball rolling, here are some other awesome things that I came across during the same time I was studying through these! No pun intended when I said ball, but it happened...

This was a section from the daily New York Times email in their "idea of the day" where they used the NBA as an example of how rest really improves life and performance. This came just a couple days after I had commented to our two coaches about all these pro runners breaking records left and right, and they responded sarcastically, "Yeah, it's like not racing all the time is making their races better! They can actually take time to train and recover..."

In the middle of all the themed things coming to be, coach Andy even sent out an email that was all about sleep.

Simple lesson to learn from our loved and missed sports world: you've got to take time to recover if you want to be at your best.

This is what keeps me going some days! No matter where I am, what I'm doing (or not doing), I have a purpose. I may feel useless and lonely, but I will encounter people that I can impact by the things I have been through and come out of. 

God says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. He will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

While the word here is "temptation" I believe it can also be "trials." (Pastor Dean, I need your word-history-knowledge!) Everyone's situation is unique, but we still face similar circumstances as others all across the world. We can relate. Jesus can relate. He faced a huge variety of oppositions, yet He never sinned. We can go to Him, trusting that He understands and holds the plans to bring us through AND use it for something good! 

These days, I know that even if I were to never get to race again, I have more opportunities. I have connections with teammates and encounters with even relative strangers where I can share my story. Helping someone through a challenge by sharing a testimony of how God has helped me is one of the most fulfilling feelings. And you never know how much someone else may truly be struggling on the inside and your words and God's work will touch their hearts and lives. 

Also with my future job, whatever it may be, I will have the chance to help people get stronger mentally, spiritually, and physically, and that keeps me going and searching for ways to use my days.  

Never be afraid to share your story! Embrace the grace that God has given you! Our struggles are not in vain.

Worried About Work?

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I am.

I have been worrying about work a lot lately, to be honest. I know I've got some time with one more year of college and probably a couple years of grad school, but it will fly by. People ask me all the time what I want to do with my degrees, and I don't have a definite answer. That is frustrating. I don't want people to think I'm aimlessly going about my life and looking for something easy, just going to stay in school forever for a good time, or other things that might make me sound lazy or whatever my brain is afraid of. Maybe I do love school, and maybe I don't know exactly what I want to do after that. But I do know that God opens doors at the right time, and He will guide me on paths that will eventually get me to some doors. They won't all be right, and I may go in and out of a few before I find a home (literally, too?), but I have to keep my head up and keep walking (running?) in order to find any doors. God rewards faith and action, not fear and apathy. Things don't happen without some trust and trying.

Today my devotion hit on this topic like it has related to my situations so many times. I have picked up these little booklets from a desk at church a couple times over the years, and it is just a small, daily devotion, but they have made some of the biggest impacts in my days. It doesn't have to say that much when it says the right thing. I'm not on the "right" days by the calendar, but buddy I am on the "right" days in God's calendar! It is like a quote calendar lined up with days of the week and months and seasons of the year, but a devotion calendar lined up with the happenings of my life: the author knew what would be coming at the time I would be reading it. 

Aka there's a God, and He is always working for our good.

Sunday, July 29th 2018 was titled "Giving and Receiving" with the verse Luke 6:38, "Give, and it shall be given to you." 
Quick outline of the ways it related to me throughout the passage: loving to give but having fear of what will be left for myself, seeds and harvest, the people and business making claims that we act on, God's promises that can't fail

Honestly we like and support a lot of people and things. How many causes and pages do you "like" on Facebook? How many people do you see doing good things and think, "Aw, I'm so glad they're doing that!" but don't give any support beyond that? How many activities does your church put on that you pray for but don't give a dollar or volunteer time? I know I'm guilty. We just have fear of actually doing something for what we believe in. We fear failure. That's human nature. It's also what Satan uses to hold us back.

Sometimes we have to invest before we can reap any benefits. Without taking a step, we can miss the great opportunities that can come from where we do something. So you talk to someone, oh look, now you have a lunch partner. You go to a volunteer event, you find a new favorite pastime. You give to the love offering on Sunday, your husband surprises you with your favorite snack and coffee at work the next day. Sometimes these things work out simply, and sometimes they lead to much greater things. Anyways, the world needs more godly people to step up and make a difference.

I've been worried a lot about work lately, both for this summer and for my future. I know I need money to save up and have to start out a life, and I need a job later on to keep things going, but I just don't know what I want to do, what will be the best use of my time and talents. But I can't worry so much about reaching for these things that I miss what is right here in front of me. The devotion mentioned banks, people, and businesses that make claims and promises for money, services, and products that may or may not actually work out or amount to much, but we jump right at the chance to get them. Let's be honest, people are so unreliable (so we can step up and be reliable people!). But God promises to bless us for our work, and there is not a single economic issue, law, person, weather, location, or anything that can thwart His plans! Why do we not put ourselves into His work more than the worldly things?

This is what I needed to hear today. In my indecision, trust Him. In my between times, look for what I can do with the situation. When I get an opportunity, try to see it through His eyes. No matter where I go or what I do, I can work for God, and His blessings will not fail. That's why I took the time to write this post today.

Here are some more verses on this topic!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men...it is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us." Psalm 90:17

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

Will Reap a Harvest

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"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially the body of believers." Galatians 6:9-10

Today's world is more demanding that ever. There are just way too many things pulling our time, energy, and attention in too many directions all at once. It's no wonder that we are all so stressed out and worn down. We can all fall guilty to being consumed by the world. It's part of being human. We lose sight of the simple things that matter most. We get so caught up in doing that we miss out on being. As life has really worn me down at times over the past year, getting back to the root of life is what fills me and helps me keep going. No matter where I am or what I am doing, there is purpose in it. I can find a way to serve God in any situation. He is in control and has us wherever we may be for a reason. We are in a spot that no one else is, and that is where we are to serve. While it may not be where you would put yourself, the goal is the same no matter what or where. Do good. Be that light of the Lord; bloom where you're planted. His blessings will come when we stop striving for more and are satisfied with where we are. His timing may not be when we would ask, but it is always best. Patience is hard, but it is worth it for his prize.

Yesterday evening after a draining week and especially draining day at work, all I wanted to do was sit down and rest. Seeing this first little bud of my plant filled my heart with some kind of simple pleasure. It reminded me of what I've been telling myself when I am worn down. I am here to serve the Lord. He will take care of me and give me the energy to do what He calls me to do. Today's devotion was on the passage in Luke 12, one verse saying that if God provides for the grasses to grow, how much more will He provide for us? We don't have to worry, but only trust Him. Everything else will come.

So when you feel drained or discouraged, remember that God knows your problems, your heart, your intentions; He loves and appreciates you even if it feels like no one else notices or cares. He rewards in ways that no one or thing on earth can, and that makes all the difference.

Learning to Live THE Life

It's been a while since I have written any new blogs with the hectic pressures of school this year, but we've had a week and a half of snow days now, and I am full of things to share!  God has just been teaching me so much lately, and my heart is just busting to let others know of these beautiful things, too.  I am so thankful for all this time that we have had away from school; it has done wonders for my soul.  I've taken time to relax, clean, organize, cook, create, run for fun, study, try to catch up on school work, and actually do some things that I want to do.  Did I mention relax a little?  That was previously a foreign word not in my vocabulary.

 

Last night after my little Bible study in Galatians, I wrote down that my goal for today was to share some of these things that God has shown to me.
"Anyone who receives instruction in The Word must share all good things..."  Galatians 6:6
I mean, really, what good is all this if I keep it to myself?  I love having things, material and otherwise, to enjoy, but I also think of the quote I have kept in mind ever since I heard Mark Hall say it at a Casting Crowns concert last spring.  "We're not blessed so we can have, we're blessed so we can give."
  I'm not sure where to start, so I'll start with something broad...life.  That could go anywhere!

 

LIFE

Something we all strive for.  Obviously we all have life.  We're here.  Not dead.  But not just any life.  We want a good life, full, satisfying, exciting, joyful life.  We may work and work every day to do everything to make life all that we want it to be, but is it really working? 
There is this cycle that I get a picture of from Psalm 37:4
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

The more I make it a point to find joy in pleasing the Lord, the more joyful I become.  Then I want to do more for Him.  The more time I spend in His Word, the more I want to read and learn from it. 
LIFE is one of those things that is a deep desire of my heart.  I just want to enjoy my life!  I love it!  This led me to use the little directory thingy in the back of my Bible to look up verses about life.  I found some really encouraging verses that motivated me to change the focus of my life and to just uplift my heart in general.  After going through all those, I chose my favorites to redecorate my dry erase board in my room.

Aside from these, here are some other things that the Bible says about life:

 

-If you want to love life and have a lot of good times, what should you do? >>>Watch your mouth.  Turn from evil, but not only turn from it, but instead turn to good and go after peace. (Psalm 34:12-14)

 

-Think time goes by fast?  God will show you that it does.  Our lives are passing so quickly each day. (Psalm 39:4-5)  This reminds me to consider what I put my time into.

 

-In this dark and doomed world, is there hope to find the right things to do?  >>YES.  The Word lights up the darkness and shows us how to correct our wrongs and live a right life. (Proverbs 6:23)

 

-For a long time, I have always loved the part of the Sermon on the Mount about not worrying.  I am a worry-wart, that's why.  I usually go to the passage in Matthew 6, but this time I studied the account in Luke 12.  I could write an entire book just on this passage and how it has related to and changed my life at different points throughout my years.  I won't make you read through all that!  (Think to yourself, "Shew, thank goodness")  Originally, I had just noted verse 22 "I tell you, do not worry about your life..."  but when you find a good verse, it is usually a good idea to read around it, and you may find words even better than what you first saw!  One thing that messes me , up is that I think too much.  I want to have things "under control" but that is dumb.  Thinking of myself too much takes away from God's plans.  I get too set on my own plans and can't see what He has placed right in front of me!  If God daily makes the earth, sun, night and day, repeat perfectly to let all the earth work and animals thrive, why do I worry about myself getting a living?  If He takes so much care into these things we so often overlook, why do I doubt that my own life, the life of His dear child (1 John 3:1), would come full circle?  Jesus specifically says "DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE."  My mental effort should be put toward the things that He is working for His glory.  (Philippians 4:8)  Not only is that pleasing to Him, but it refreshes my mind as well.  You can also infer from this passage that the less you set your heart and mind on material things, the less likely you are to be disappointed.  Things in the world can be taken away, but heavenly treasures will never disappear.  That's what eternal means.  If we are living in worry and chasing after our own pleasures, we are living the exact same way as those who do not know God at all.  Worry and worldly pursuits don't set an example for unbelievers. 

 

-Are you letting Satan win in your life?>>>You may think, "No!  What a terrible thing!  Of course I'm not letting Satan win in my life!" but you may want to reconsider.  Do you ever feel depressed, unmotivated, pessimistic, stressed, torn down, hateful, vengeful, angry, and just disgusted with life or a situation, or anything similar to this?  That's Satan.  God doesn't want us to feel that way.  Satan wants these negative emotions in our lives to produce negative actions.  God has come so that we can make every moment, no matter what the circumstances, a moment of opportunity.  (John 10:10)

 

-This is one of the verses from my board, but it just makes my heart happy. "...a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1 Timothy 6:17-19) This is something that can't really be explained.  True life and feelings that come from God are indescribable.  That's how He works.  But when you experience it, you know.  This passage addresses "the rich in this present world," but I believe that it doesn't just mean wealthy as in money.  We can all be rich in our own rights.  Whether that be talent, family, friends, a job, awards, creativity, intelligence, beauty, peace, or anything really, we can't put our hope in these riches.  Only God's riches are the ones that can sustain us through until we meet Him in heaven.  By being rich in the things of Christ, we will be prepared for whatever the world throws at us.  We will have what we need stored up in our hearts so that we can have this true life at all times.

 

God has given us so much in this world that we can use for His glory, so many things that He gives for our enjoyment!  All it takes is our dedication to having this attitude.

Choosing the Eternal Over the Temporal

Oh no!  I just found this in my drafts, but I don't know why it never got posted!  It is all the way from a Sunday in April!

This is one of my favorite passages in all of the Bible, probably because I need reminding of it so often, and it is so applicable to my life.  Here are some highlights from the sermon my preacher did on it a while back.

Pastor Dean's sermon:  Sunday, April 6th, 2014.  Series:  The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached
Scripture Text:  Matthew 6:19-34
First Baptist Church Morristown, TN

1 Timothy 6:6-The key to happiness is contentment.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21
-When I truly love something/someone, I won't mind spending my money on it/him/her.
"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to one and despise the other."  Matthew 6:24
-Love God; despise the rest for taking away from my relationship with and service to Him.

I will sacrifice for my god.  Is this god of mine God?  When I sacrifice things for God, though, it doesn't have to feel like a sacrifice.  I can delight in the fact that I have such things to give to God.

Worry is a lack of trust in God.  It is a senseless, useless, ridiculous, sin.  It'll give me something to do, but it will never get me anywhere.

"But seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow..."  Matthew 6:33-34

"We should be seen doing good, but not doing good to be seen." -Pastor Dean Haun

"Too often, we buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people that we don't even like."

Every time I read this passage of scripture, it makes me go back and reevaluate many parts of my life, heart, and attitude.  I am truly blessed and have nothing I should be worrying about but bringing glory to God.

More Verses Coming Together

Yesterday, I was getting a little worried that I wouldn't find a great verse for me this week that I wanted to share at Bible Study with the team.  But have no fear!  Jesus always answers my prayers in one way or another.  So I had prayed for Him to lead me to some great scriptures.  Looking through the verses I had found in my reading the past couple days, I read one of them again and had the Yes! excited thought go through my head. 

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."  Proverbs 16:9

This goes right along with the song Strangely Dim by Francesca Battestelli.  This is the part of the song that I thought applies to my life, especially now as things are so busy: 

"I've had all these plans piled up sky high, a thousand dreams on hold, and I don't know why...

...But when I fix my eyes on all that You are, then every doubt I feel deep in my heart grows strangely dim

All my worries fade and fall to the ground

cuz when I seek Your face and don't look around, any place I'm in grows strangely dim"

I love to make plans of things I want to do, but no matter how hard I try, God's plans overrule mine.

"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."  Psalm 139:16

Just knowing this gives me peace because I know as long as I do my best, God will "make all things work together for the good."  Romans 8:28.  Whenever I start to get nervous or stressed out, I just try to remember that I really have very little contril.  When I feel overwhelmed with obligations and work to do, and I don't get everything done that I feel I need to, and I don't get to do things that I want, there is no reason to be worried or disappointed, because there is a reason that it didn't work out.  Something I know I always have to focus on improving is following Hebrews 13:5 "Be content with what you have, becuase God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'"

When I fail, but look to Christ, He is exalted.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness...For when I (my human self) am weak, then I am strong."  2 Corinthians 12:9-10.

With God in my heart, I have all I need.  I don't need victory, good grades, people's attention, pretty clothes, money, or other silly things I worry about accomplishing.  By setting my sights completely on serving God, I am filled with joy that I can never bring myself.

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."  Proverbs 37:4