Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Max Lucado from his book. Trade Your Cares for Calm (p. 62). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Do you need to hear that today?   Do you need to know it? Max says, “And ’If God is for us, who can be against us?’ (Romans 8:31). From his perspective, you are worth the death of his Son. You are valuable, purposeful, and important. ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine’ (Isaiah 43:1 RSV).” Max goes on, “If God is for you, shouldn’t you be for you? Does it make sense for you to be against you? You are against you when you call yourself dumb, ugly, or poor. You are against you when you tell yourself that there is no solution, hope, or promise in life. You are against you when you decide that you have no talents or friends or future. “So how do you begin to see yourself as God does? “ Remember that your words matter . You are either your worst critic or grea...

A thought by Max Lucado from his book. Trade Your Cares for Calm (p. 32). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) We have so many problems in enjoying our daily life because of worry.   Wouldn’t you like to stop?   Max gives here eight worry stoppers.   Let’s go through them. He says, “ 1. Pray first. Don’t pace up and down the floors of the waiting room; pray for a successful surgery. Don’t bemoan the collapse of an investment; ask God to help you. ‘Let him have all your worries and cares’ (1 Peter 5:7 TLB). “ 2. Easy, now. Slow down. ‘Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him’ (Psalm 37:7 NASB). “ 3. Act on it. Become a worry-slapper. Treat frets like mosquitoes. Give them the slap they deserve. Be equally decisive with anxiety. The moment a concern surfaces, deal with it rather than dwell on it. “ 4. Compile a worry list . Over a period of days, record your anxious thoughts. Then review t...

A thought by Max Lucado from his book. Trade Your Cares for Calm (p. 45). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Do you find it very difficult to make a decision?   Do you have a problem decided if it is difficult for you to make a decision?   I hope you decide to see how Max continues this thought. He says, “Rather than becoming overwhelmed and immobilized or hypervigilant and controlling, we can stress less when we remember three things. He says the first one to remember is, “ Gather the facts . How many planes actually fall out of the sky? How many bridges actually collapse? How many people die from the disease you dread? Examine the record. What are the odds that the thing you are worrying about will ever occur?” The second one is, “ Control what you can control. Once you know precisely the challenge that faces you, make a list of what you can do about it. Weather? You can’t control it. (But you can...