June 15th, 2007
Casting Call
I am concerned that I might be depressed. I don’t “feel” depressed, but my actions speak differently. So what’s the deal? I sleep too much, I don’t do all that many activities that I enjoy, and I have to force myself outside from the apartment. So what’s the deal? I don’t know. Like I said, I don’t “feel” depressed. I think that I am removed from reality, emotionally speaking.
So what can I be depressed about? It could be the loss of my Grandmother. It could be the surgery coming up a week from now. It could be my concerns for my family (in regards to the loss of my Grandmother). It could be that my son is behind on his growth. Heck, it could be that the Rangers aren’t playing well. I sincerely doubt the last one, though. Their time is coming when they will finally put it all together. What I gather is that since all these things are going on, it is most likely a combination of all of these things, and maybe more that, there are things that I am experiencing that I can’t think of right now.
The solution to all this is to get back into scripture. That’s the only solution that I can think of…
1st Peter 5:5-7 (NIV)
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1st Peter 5:5-7 (NCV)
In the same way, younger people should be willing to be under older people. And all of you should be very humble with each other. “God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” Be humble under God’s powerful hand so he will lift you up when the right time comes. Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” That’s the ticket. I have to be worry-free to follow Christ.
Consider these scriptures:
Matthew 6:25-34 (NCV)
“So I tell you, don't worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. Look at the birds in the air. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don't work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ The people who don't know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you. So don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Now, here’s two scriptures that say it plain and simple: Don’t worry. It’s a sin to have anxiety.
Anxiety (noun):
• A vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune.
• A state of apprehension and fear resulting from the anticipation of a threatening event or situation.
• Emotional distress, especially that brought on by fear of failure.
• Eager, often agitated desire.
Now, a few scriptures come to mind when looking at the definition… but first, a look at the Greek definition.
Worry (verb):
merimnaō (mer-im-nah'-o)
• To be anxious, to be troubled with cares.
• To be anxious about: - (be, have) care (careful), take thought.
1st John 4
We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
God is love and there is no fear in love. This would mean that there is no fear in God. And as a follower of Christ, who imitates God, I should have NO FEAR within me, because I would not be made perfect in Christ if I do fear. Fear is a by-product of anxiety. That’s what the definition indicates. And this last scripture really drives it home for me. It states clearly the problem with fear and anxiety.
Luke 9:57-62 (NIV)
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
So what does counting the “Cost of following Christ” have anything to do with fear and anxiety? Quite a lot, actually. “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Would I worry if I didn’t have a bed to sleep in or a place to call home? I think many would. I believe I would, to a certain extent. “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” There are many explanations on this particular verse… I just read it as is. Let the dead bury their own… I guess it can simply mean to not be distracted by the tasks of the world (the dead), but to be focused on heavenly things. But here is the kicker of the passage: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” If I keep looking over my shoulder, looking at the things that cause anxiety, the things that cause fear, I am no use to God and his kingdom. And if I am no use to him, would I have a ticket to enter the kingdom? Not likely. If I have no use for a movie in my collection, why would I want to keep it around? The NCV translates this as: “Anyone who begins to plow a field but keeps looking back is of no use in the kingdom of God.” I know when I worry about something, I continually obsess about whatever it is that I am worried about. I have to watch it until whatever it is that is stressing me is completed and finished. I can’t stop thinking about it. Maybe I am the only one, but that’s just how it is when this happens in my life. And how can I “plow the field”, per se, if I am focused on other things? You see, in Matthew 9:37 says: the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. And the reason is people like myself start to plow the field and get turned around by little stresses. And God has no place in heaven for me. I guess it is time to start the plow all over again – and maintain focus. Johnny Out.
Casting Call
I am concerned that I might be depressed. I don’t “feel” depressed, but my actions speak differently. So what’s the deal? I sleep too much, I don’t do all that many activities that I enjoy, and I have to force myself outside from the apartment. So what’s the deal? I don’t know. Like I said, I don’t “feel” depressed. I think that I am removed from reality, emotionally speaking.
So what can I be depressed about? It could be the loss of my Grandmother. It could be the surgery coming up a week from now. It could be my concerns for my family (in regards to the loss of my Grandmother). It could be that my son is behind on his growth. Heck, it could be that the Rangers aren’t playing well. I sincerely doubt the last one, though. Their time is coming when they will finally put it all together. What I gather is that since all these things are going on, it is most likely a combination of all of these things, and maybe more that, there are things that I am experiencing that I can’t think of right now.
The solution to all this is to get back into scripture. That’s the only solution that I can think of…
1st Peter 5:5-7 (NIV)
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1st Peter 5:5-7 (NCV)
In the same way, younger people should be willing to be under older people. And all of you should be very humble with each other. “God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” Be humble under God’s powerful hand so he will lift you up when the right time comes. Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” That’s the ticket. I have to be worry-free to follow Christ.
Consider these scriptures:
Matthew 6:25-34 (NCV)
“So I tell you, don't worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. Look at the birds in the air. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don't work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ The people who don't know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you. So don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Now, here’s two scriptures that say it plain and simple: Don’t worry. It’s a sin to have anxiety.
Anxiety (noun):
• A vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune.
• A state of apprehension and fear resulting from the anticipation of a threatening event or situation.
• Emotional distress, especially that brought on by fear of failure.
• Eager, often agitated desire.
Now, a few scriptures come to mind when looking at the definition… but first, a look at the Greek definition.
Worry (verb):
merimnaō (mer-im-nah'-o)
• To be anxious, to be troubled with cares.
• To be anxious about: - (be, have) care (careful), take thought.
1st John 4
We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
God is love and there is no fear in love. This would mean that there is no fear in God. And as a follower of Christ, who imitates God, I should have NO FEAR within me, because I would not be made perfect in Christ if I do fear. Fear is a by-product of anxiety. That’s what the definition indicates. And this last scripture really drives it home for me. It states clearly the problem with fear and anxiety.
Luke 9:57-62 (NIV)
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
So what does counting the “Cost of following Christ” have anything to do with fear and anxiety? Quite a lot, actually. “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Would I worry if I didn’t have a bed to sleep in or a place to call home? I think many would. I believe I would, to a certain extent. “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” There are many explanations on this particular verse… I just read it as is. Let the dead bury their own… I guess it can simply mean to not be distracted by the tasks of the world (the dead), but to be focused on heavenly things. But here is the kicker of the passage: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” If I keep looking over my shoulder, looking at the things that cause anxiety, the things that cause fear, I am no use to God and his kingdom. And if I am no use to him, would I have a ticket to enter the kingdom? Not likely. If I have no use for a movie in my collection, why would I want to keep it around? The NCV translates this as: “Anyone who begins to plow a field but keeps looking back is of no use in the kingdom of God.” I know when I worry about something, I continually obsess about whatever it is that I am worried about. I have to watch it until whatever it is that is stressing me is completed and finished. I can’t stop thinking about it. Maybe I am the only one, but that’s just how it is when this happens in my life. And how can I “plow the field”, per se, if I am focused on other things? You see, in Matthew 9:37 says: the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. And the reason is people like myself start to plow the field and get turned around by little stresses. And God has no place in heaven for me. I guess it is time to start the plow all over again – and maintain focus. Johnny Out.
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