Being sick in bed today, although disappointing, has its perks. It has allowed me to watch a lot of daytime tv, which helps me alleviate the stress of working with small children. I turned on the tv to see the Anderson Cooper show, a program I didn't even know existed until this morning. Anderson had on a behavioral therapist to help him deal with his greatest fears: heights and bugs. The therapist tired an exposure therapy approach to his fears, asking him to conquer his fear by facing it head on. His advice to his audience was to " surrender" to the fear like Kevin Costner in the movie Dancing with Wolves. He also said that as a society, we are more fearful than ever, given the abundance of fear based information available at our fingertips.
I had to wonder, however, how can we really conquer any fear without Christ?
Philippians 4:6-7 addresses this very thing: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
God teaches us that the essence to peace is really in our surrender to the Holy Spirit. I know I have wrestled with anxiety and depression for years, but when I have surrendered my control to God and trust that He knows what is best, I have achieved the peace God wants for me. To truly know God means to know him not only in my mind, but in my heart. Knowledge without action does nothing to achieve transformation but only gives me more information. The key to transformation is in my willingness to surrender.
A wife. a mother. A pastor's wife. Above all, a Christ follower.
Popular Posts
-
I turned on the TV Friday night just for some background noise. Soon, i heard the ever-catchy Men at Work song " Be Good, Johnny"...
-
The more research I do on John, the more I come to know and understand who he was. As most of you know, I am wrestling with why John was cal...
-
I was listening to my Ipod the other day and came across this Jeremy Riddle song. I wanted to share the lyrics, with you, dear reader, in th...
-
I got this from a Facebook forward, since John is my main subject I thought it was really interesting... Why did Jesus fold the linen burial...
-
Silence. It is hard to come by. Sometimes it is deafening. Take a moment and put yourself in a place in your home where you can experienc...
-
I want to look at a passage that I believe explains pressing on in a way different from what you have heard before. I want to look at John 1...
-
I walked into the elementary school near my home yesterday. I waited in line for only a few moments. I took the special black pen attached...
-
I entered the cozy living room and plopped down on the big red and white couch with my Bible in hand, waiting to engage in our weekly bib...
-
At long last I have finally spoken to the publisher. For those of you who have kept up with my ongoing saga, I'm sure you are waiting in...
-
I have been wrestling with the concept of grace and humility lately, particularly when is it an appropriate time to stop being graceful and ...