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.

HOW TO THINK BEYOND THE DAY TO DAY

For the past seven months I have spent the bulk of my spare time working on a house rehab project. As of now, I have spent almost 60k on repairs, made 71 trips to the project site, spent countless hours of my own time, and have hired lots of people to help with various tasks. It has been a big job and I have been pushing really hard to get it finished. Some days it has consumed me; it can be really exciting or really stressful, depending on what is going on.

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."

WHAT WILL YOUR LIFE'S STORY LOOK LIKE?

I've recently been reading a couple of books (Chronicles and Kings) in the Bible that give a short life summery on each of the ancient kings of Israel and Judah. The authors say how old they were when they became king, how long they reigned, and if they "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord" or "did evil in the eyes of the Lord." The write-ups go on to give a varying degree of details from each of their lives.

The passages never judge the kings' reign on their work ethic, job performance, or effectiveness in defeating enemies. Rather, these kings are judged almost exclusively on if they followed God or followed their own desires and embraced idols. All of these kings were Jews and most practiced some degree of the Jewish religion. But only a few were deemed to have lived their lives in such a way that earned them the distinction of having done what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

HOW DO YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF?

For some time now, I have been writing about being a Christian in the workplace but have wondered about how I am supposed to apply all these things since I am in school this year (rather than a traditional work environment). One thing that I recently realized is that we are all (workers, students, family members, etc) called to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). This is more than just reacting in love or treating each other with respect. It is those things and more. It is a proactive love. It does something, not just reacts to something. It is a love that thinks ahead, that initiates. 

HOW TO AVOID EASY, EMBRACE RESISTANCE AND SUCCEED

Recently I was reflecting on the resistance I got from some people on my ship when I tried to implement a few minor changes. I had been reading a book about management, leadership and team building when the "good idea ferry" started to go to work in my brain. I was "in charge" after all and felt responsible to make my organization better if I saw a way to do so. "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" James 4:17

JUST DO WHAT I TELL YOU!

I have three amazing kids aged 2.5, 5 and almost 7. My wife does a great job with the little critters, but the house is constantly in some level of dissaray because everywhere they go they leave a trail of clothes, blankets, legos, army men, shoes, toy guns and snacks. If you could pull the roof off our house I imagine that it would look much like an ant hill with them constantly moving their things from one location to another without any distinguishable sense of order, rhyme or reason. 

WHY MAKING TIME FOR GOD IS THE BEST USE OF YOUR TIME

My freshman year of college, I learned an extremely painful but valuable life lesson about time management and priorities. I had a very full class schedule, was overwhelmed and was failing in calculous and chemistry. I was sure I would fail out of college if I didn't spend literally every waking moment studying. I ignored everything else in my life, including God.

Up until that point, I had made it a priority to spend time praying and reading the Bible daily in an effort to grow in my relationship with God. However, with all the stress of school, I was spending less and less time dedicated to my faith.

My limbs are being cut off...

When I do not prune my lemon trees, they produce a lot of wasted wood that branches and grows in multiple directions, each one trying to make it to the top where it can get the most sunlight. They produce a lot of light green leaves that clutter up the tree. And, they produce lots and lots of very small, and largely useless, lemons that do not have the nutrients to mature and be used in my lemonade. 

Most people make this retirement plan mistake early in their career.

Since I was a kid, I have always given a lot of thought to finance and investments.

I have usually thought of my career and finances from the perspective of how many years I have been working versus how long until I can retire.

Make the main thing the main thing.

When I was in college, I heard someone say that “ministry is the wake you leave behind in the pursuit of Christ.”  I think a lot about how to do ministry in all aspects of my life but I want to step back for a minute and remember that the ministry of a christian falls in the shadow of the christian’s relationship with Christ.  The problem is that it is harder for me live

I've wasted too much time.

When I look back over my life and think of when I was not actively serving and loving people in my sphere of influence or in the body of Christ, I now view it as wasted time. I have some good memories but they are meaningless, knowing that many of my best friends could spend eternity separated from God.