Show up and Do it Afraid: No Longer Slaves to Fear challenge

I love my Foundations class at Shiloh Church.

We were talking about what it would look like if perfect love cast out all fear.  How would we behave?  What would we do differently?

Our teacher Sister Pat issued a challenge to not walk in fear for these next two weeks.

Then the sermon was about letting go of fears because God's Got it!

I thought of my two areas where I've got fears:  Finances and the Future.

This past weekend Income Taxes were due and this was the most tax I have ever had to pay on behalf of my business.  Estimated Taxes for the first quarter of 2019 were also due.  Now I could look at that as a win because I pulled in significantly more revenue for my business, but hey writing that check was painful.

As I thought about how I was going to pay these taxes this year and also some other opportunities I would like to invest in, I thought:  How is this all going to work?

I reminded myself: God will Provide.

Indeed he will

When it comes to the future, I am less confident that God will provide.  I mean I keep telling myself that he's in control, his presence is with me, and he's got it all covered.

BUT

While I'm here in the middle and not quite sure if this is that and what is going to happen next, I'm still believing there is more that I can and should do to help move things along.

No Hurrying and No Worrying

That's been my mantra to myself this week.

No hurrying and No Worrying.

Pastor Javier gave this high energy scripture in his sermon this past week from the book of Matthew:

Matthew 6:31-33

 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 

Indeed that he does.  God knows what I need and exactly when I need it.

33 Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

So simple and yet not that easy.  

It's so hard not to get caught up in:
what will happen next?  

What do I need to do?  

Where do I need to be?  

Do I need to do more of this?  

Could I be doing something to help things along?

This is the result of a culture that tells you that you're never doing enough and that you could have done it better, sooner, and faster.

We're called to be counter cultural and set apart....so our mantra needs to be No worrying and No Hurrying.

Holy Week

This week we remember the foundation and the truth of our Faith.

The Death and Resurrection of our Savior.

This is such a joy and privilege for me to celebrate because growing up we were lectured about how we celebrated the resurrection every Sunday.  They are missing out! There's something so special about commemorating the last week of Jesus' earthly life and then realizing the joy that we have because he rose in glory!

This Holy Week I decided to fast from social media (and television...sigh).  I feel as though there is not enough progress in certain areas of my life and I started thinking that if I was on social media then I could at least have some "intelligence" that would help me navigate the situation.

There it was again...me trying to control everything and the outcome.  There have been times this week where I've allowed my mind to water, where I've actively pursued doubt that I'm making it all up, and times when I've been frustrated that I even dared to hope in the first place.

And yet...two scriptures have stood out to me this past Holy week.  The first is a scripture that I've come across time and time again in this season.  I know what God is saying here.  It's super clear

Mark 8:34-35

4 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.35 For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.

Sounds simple doesn't it?  Sure...but it is not easy.  It's not easy to lose your life for Christ's Sake and for the gospel's sake.  I've seen numerous examples to how it is all worth it in the end but at the moment you're asked to give up your ideas about your life and your future, it is not easy.

This entire Holy week is about what happens when one says, "Not my Will but thine.  This is a horrible and miserable cup of suffering that I must endure but this has to happen for the Father to be glorified and for humanity to be saved. I must sacrifice myself."

Not easy at all.

The Second Scripture I have run across numerous times this week.  When that happens, I know it is time to pay attention!

Philippians 2:3-4

3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

This is completely counter to the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Generation!

It's always all about us.
We're always trying to impress someone else.
We always need to show why we are the best and of course better than others
We're dropping x,y,z because, "I'm not feeling it and really my opinion is the only one that matters.

God uses situations to refine us.  I call it Refiner's Fire University and it's always stuff that brings out issues that we have and areas of opportunity.

I have been thinking this week about how God may be using certain situations to refine me.  What if it's not about me and but it is about me and how I need to be refined?  

I need to learn

• Humility 
• Not to care what others think that I've given up my old ideas about success
• How to look out for someone other than myself and my own interests.
• What it means to rely fully on God because I am 100% clueless

And so what if...I stopped focusing all on me and my woes for a moment and stopped to consider that God was putting me through a prep course for the next big test in Refiner's Fire University?

Oof.

I am going to Just Keep Showing Up