Overcoming Anxiety

"So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." -Matthew 10:31

Can we change anything that happens to us in life if we have done all we know to do to be in right standing with God?  The ultimate answer is "no." Yes we can and should do all the right things, we can plan, and we can do the things it takes to be successful - but unfortunately, we do not have any control over any outcome.  When it comes down to it, in fact, we have no idea what will happen tomorrow!
 
"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14
 
My dad has said, "Projecting outcomes leads to depression." When we fail to see results we want, or we think about things that could happen, we inevitably set ourselves up for fear.  It's great to have goals, and it's definitely great to have dreams.  But instead of projecting into the future, we need to allow ourselves to TRUST God every step of the way - allowing Him to direct out paths.  (Proverbs 4:11)

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done." Philippians 4:5-7

Do you struggle with anxiety, or do you worry about the future?  Pray and ask God to take away those burdens, and trust Him day to day, that He will meet all of your needs "according to His riches in mercy."  (Phil 4:19)  He desires that you and I completely trust and have faith in Him. 

The Enemy's Schemes

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” -Ephesians 6:11

Have you ever noticed the verse above talks about the enemy’s “schemes”? I used to think the verse said, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil.”  But, it actually says, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”  “What is a scheme?” you might say.  Well, according to the Dictionary.com, a scheme is a “plan, design, or program of action to be followed”. 

Why it is important to make this distinction between the enemy and his “schemes”?  We know that the enemy can’t be everywhere all the time, (while God is everywhere all the time) so it makes sense that he would put a “plan, design, or a program” in place to act on his behalf. He works hard to put schemes in place during our childhood, because this is the time in our lives where we are being “programmed”, either for success or failure in every area of life.

What are the enemy’s schemes?  Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10), so anything to do with stealing, killing, and destroying our relationships, purpose, money, and even our lives would be the enemy’s main intent toward us. But, how he does it is quite smart - he uses people in our lives to carry out these schemes - often the people closest to us - without them even knowing.  Many relationships have been destroyed for lack of understanding of the enemy’s schemes.

So how do we outwit Satan?  We can outwit him through Jesus and through the power of forgiveness.

“Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive - I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,  in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”  -2 Cor 2:11

Are you aware of the enemy’s schemes?  Make sure you are aware, so that you can act in forgiveness.  We need to outwit the enemy’s schemes so that God can fulfill His purposes in our lives.