The Seed, edition 186

We are a society that is overrun with worry, anxiety and depression. Luke 12:25-26. Unfortunately, we the "Christian" world are never any different than society in most areas of living and thinking today. A number of recent studies have produced similar numbers concerning the amount of time we spend worrying as Americans averaging: 14.31 hrs a week—744 hrs a year—5.2 yrs of your life. Does this sound like God's purpose for us? Does this sound like we are living as He intended? Matthew 11:28-30; John 16:33; John 14:27. How can Scriptures so clearly say that we should have peace and rest in our souls with Jesus, and yet, the vast majority of us are so overwhelmed with stress and worry?

This is a powerful, undeniable symptom that something major is out of place in our life with Christ. If you think you are justified in your pity and anxiety, listen to these verses about Paul: Galatians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 11:23-29: Paul, who had everything possible (money, education, position, respect), gave it all up to live in fear of betrayal, imprisonment, torture, ridicule and death all of his days, yet he was one of the most joyful and contented men you could ever find. Joy, contentment, and peace run far deeper and stronger than emotional feelings of happiness, which are directly connected to events, happenings in life. Would we dare to say that Jesus was able to walk around, "happy and excited" every day He was on earth with us physically?: Isaiah 53:3-4, 7, 10-11: By choice, Jesus our Savior, endured more grief, and sorrow and emotional pain than anyone who ever lived, guaranteed. But, listen to His Own Words on the darkest night of His life: John 15;11, Hebrews 12:2.

If we are looking for our joy to come from the current condition of our relationships, social status, health, provisions, comfort or security, we are completely focused on the wrong thing, and we are destined to be miserable. The majority of us have placed all of our value, worth, care, and importance into the wrong treasure. So many, "Christians" today somehow feel as though God's ways, principles, and laws were for another time. There is doubt, resentment, and rebellion against many of the Scriptural commands God has given to us. We somehow think we have grown beyond them socially and intellectually. John 15:10-11; Psalm 19:7-11; Psalm 40:8. Everything God has ever commanded of us has been from His deep and ageless wisdom, and sincere love; to make our lives happier, and more fulfilled; and to teach us to show real love in keeping them, but, in our own pride, we choose another way that brings so much stress and pain.

We can only cover a few ‘commands’, listen and apply your own life to these truths:

1. Forgive: Matthew 18:32-35: God even says that we will be handed over to the, "torturers" until we forgive; the, "torturers" of anger, stress, anxiety, hostility, and depression steal away any hint of joy we could have day to day.
   
2. Don’t lust: Matthew 5:27-28, 1 Corinthians 6:18: We have taught ourselves to want things and people we will never have, or will never have without extreme consequences and pain, and we have taken away all of the worth, honor, and preciousness of the one placed in our hands. We have lost the unparalleled joy of placing incredible value, adoration, and desire on one person, and having them as our own unconditionally.
   
3. Please God, not man: Galatians 1:10: We struggle to impress those around us with money, things, and actions and attitudes that are not really us, having fleeting happiness in the moment based on their acceptance. We could find such pure joy in working to get real acceptance from Christ alone, at any cost from others, and finding the strength in that, to love others if they accept you or not.
   
4. Don’t be jealous: James 3:16: We are angry if someone succeeds (even in ministry); we have to be best—or nothing at all. We don't do any work that doesn't give due recognition, so we quit often and leave much undone. We miss so much real joy in sharing the celebration with others in their accomplishments! Enjoying and loving God's people more than self.
   
5. God has control: Proverbs 19:21: Many live paralyzed, never attempting anything for fear of failure. (Never truly acknowledging God is in control) Others, on the other extreme, sulk when you don't have everything the way you expect it. Some make your plans without consulting the purposes of the King; demand, manipulate and force their ways on others.
   
6. Struggles can benefit: James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 2:21, 4:12-13: Every time we face difficulty in life, we put God on trial and doubt our faith; we wallow in self-pity.
   
7. Shame and sin gone: 1 Peter 2:24: We live most of our Christian life feeling not good enough; feeling distant from Christ and unusable; never trusting for more love, more power, more purpose; letting our failure pull us into even more sin, since we are hopeless.
   
8. You are a masterpiece: Psalm 139:13-18: We have grown to doubt God's creative design in everything about us; changing everything we can change; wishing we looked different, had different skills, even different genders.
   
9. Love others above self: Matthew 20:25-28; John 13:35: Even though modern psychology agrees with these Scriptures in every way, saying that serving others above self is the key to joy, we continue to seek our own happiness above most people around us; even doing the good that we do, hoping to get credit and recognition, instead of truly putting others first.
   
10. Life is more than stuff: Matthew 6:19-20: we base our success and worth on ‘stuff’.
    
11. Be thankful: Ephesians 5:20: Most of us have never had to worry about provisions, so we take all of our incredible blessings for granted; we take our health for granted; we take all of the relationships we have for granted; we take our freedom for granted. There is such true joy in recognizing all of the gifts and blessings we do have right now, instead of complaining about what we don't have.
    
12. Live Him above all: Matthew 10:37-39: The One thing that should make us have more joy than anything, is the One thing we give least concern to in life. When we realize that God is real, and He is worthy of our everything, we no longer stress over how much time, effort, money or reputation we spend in serving. We have a freedom—an abandonment that brings the greatest joy of all we've discussed. Knowing everyday counts; nothing in life is wasted; and our life truly matters.
    

Loving God with your whole heart and life, and whole-heartedly keeping His Word in faith us the cure for what is killing society today; yet the Christians of our time are just part of the statistics because we have trusted the wisdom of this culture over God; then, we ask for prayer and help when our world falls apart, as we drown in self-induced stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and unforgiveness. Very often we are blaming God for our loss of joy; when in reality, 100% of the time, we could have joy (not temporary happiness) if we were just faithful to His wisdom. Romans 1:22: Most of you have diligently tried the ways of the world, and they have left you wanting, and hurting. Psalm 119:1-5, 165, 174.
If you are not living a joyful life, it is simple... You are not living by His Words.