PART 2 - HOW TO BIBLICALLY COPE WITH FUTURE ANXIETIES

In last week's blog, I wrote about how my work situation has given me a lot of anxiety lately and some ideas on how we can practice trusting God during stressful situations. But then the rest of the week happened-more stress, uncertainty, and anxiety. I spent time praying and meditating on verses that talk about trusting God but was still feeling very anxious about my life's circumstances. I went to bed that night feeling uncertain and unsure of God. 

There are times in life when Christians do all the right things but still feel very wrong. There are times when we cry out to God and read his word but life still doesn't go the way we think it should. We get upset that God doesn't act the way we think he is supposed to act. We know we should trust in him no matter what happens, but still find it difficult to get past the way we feel. 

HOW TO BIBLICALLY COPE WITH FUTURE ANXIETIES

In two weeks I'm graduating from a year long school the Navy sent me to. I'm excited to be finished but still have no idea what my next job will be. For several complicated and uninteresting reasons, I may not know what my next assignment is for several more weeks. I have also been trying to sell my house and a boat before I have to move. As you might imagine, I have been worried and stressed about these issues and what might come next...even though there isn't anything I can do to change my circumstances.

DOES GOD WANT YOU TO LEAVE YOUR JOB AND DO SOMETHING ELSE?

Several years ago I got really worried about "God's will for my life." I was (and still am) in the Navy and had to make some career decisions that would either set me up to get out of the Navy or help me continue to progress in my career. I agonized over this for a whole year, spent lots of hours praying, read books about it, and generally did everything I could to try to figure out what God wanted me to do. But I didn't hear anything. God had gone quiet...or at least, I couldn't hear him.

IS IT BETTER TO MAKE A SMALL COMPROMISE IN YOUR FAITH OR GET FIRED?

Last week I heard about a US Marine who was court-martialed for hanging a scripture verse on her computer monitor. When her supervisor told her to take the verse down, Lance Corporal Sterling refused. She was convicted and given a bad conduct discharge. Her case went before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Services last week. There are a lot of strong opinions on all sides of this case. But opinions aside, it got me thinking about the idea of standing up for my constitutional rights versus giving in to the desires of those around me (be they an authority, peer, or otherwise). I wondered what I would do if I were faced with the decision to compromise my faith in order to obey an authority.  

DO YOU TRUST GOD ENOUGH TO LIVE LIKE IT?

I was recently reminded of a critical lesson I learned my first year at in college at the Naval Academy. Pretty much everyone who goes to an Academy finds it academically demanding, but it was even harder for me. I studied every waking moment for months; I saw tutors, went to study sessions, spent hours getting extra instruction from my teachers, and was still failing several of my classes. I didn't take the time to work out, hang out with friends, watch movies, or read more than a verse or two from the Bible. It was looking like I wasn't going to make it and I thought the only chance I had was to spend every available second studying.

HOW DO YOU SPIRITUALLY PREPARE FOR A NEW CHAPTER IN LIFE?

Earlier this week someone asked me about what I do to prepare spiritually for a deployment. I think he was looking for a profound answer or some three step program. But as I thought about how to answer his question I realized that my response was more of a "back to basics" kind of idea. It isn't anything complex or deep but it is vital for a Christian's everyday life and for anyone going on deployment or any other kind of life adjustment.

COULD YOUR DIET BE A WAY TO MINISTER AT WORK? MINE WAS

Recently I have felt like God has been challenging me to be a better servant leader but am not always sure how to actually be one. I have one person who works under me as my assistant. This week I had one opportunity to serve her in a unique way. I found out that she was trying to get into "clean eating," something I have been doing for years. I sent her a couple recipes and encouraged her in her efforts. While this didn't really relate to our job, it was one small way to improve our relationship and gave me a chance to serve her in a way that was meaningful to her.

4 WAYS TO RIGHTALIGN YOUR "WAY TOO CRAZY" LIFE

My wife and I are busy. We have 3 little kids at home (5, 2, and 3 months), we move coast to coast at least once every 18 months (7 moves in 8 years of marriage), my work hours are not typical (active duty US Navy), my wife is an avid runner (marathons, triathlons, trail runs, etc), and we like people (church, Navy, neighbors, etc). As a result of all that, we tell ourselves almost nightly that something has to give.  But what is that something?  

HAVE YOU SCHEDULED YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH GOD?

For most of my career, I had anything but a predictable work schedule. I might work day shift one day, night shift the next, and then back to day shift. Sometimes I would wake up long before the sun came up. Other days I would still be awake from the night before when the new day dawned. For too long I let my work schedule and the lack of a routine be an excuse that explained my inability to consistently spend dedicated time with God and His Word each day. "If I just had a predictable routine," I would say to myself, "THEN, I would carve out some time for God and be consistent in the Word."