Tag: Anxiety

Dealing With The Pressures Of Life

Posted on by Northstar Devotional

“It does not matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies – whether it comes between you and God, or whether it presses you nearer His heart.” – Hudson Taylor. 

People today live pressure-filled lives and it’s taking its toll. Experts say that the way we live our lives is emerging as the main cause of illness today. The American Academy of Family Physicians says that two-thirds of all visits to doctors are stress related. We are constantly looking for ways to relieve anxiety. We look for ways to feel with the coronavirus fears. We search for the best ways to reduce stress and, have more balance and margin in our lives. We simply want to be calmer inside. But, let’s face it, stress and pressure are a part of life.

Psalms 119:43 says, “As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.” As he turned to God’s Word, he found “joy.” His whole attitude changed. He was reminded of His promises, and his spiritual strength was renewed. The apostle Paul came to a similar conclusion. As a man who had persecuted followers of Jesus, he knew that Christians were not free from stress. But he also realized Christians undergo a change. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Paul knew how to respond when he was “…pressed on every side by troubles.…” He knew that “we are not crushed.” We could be “perplexed,” but in these moments we are “not driven to despair.” We may be “hunted down,” but we can know that God never abandons us. We may “get knocked down,” but we can know that He is with us and we will not be “destroyed.” ( 2 Corinthians 4:8-10) 

We must “never give up” but realize that God is at work, renewing us. And we are to remember that our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.  

Isaiah 26:3 promises to keep me in perfect peace, despite any situation, if I willingly commit to doing these two things: Trust God, instead of trying to master things on my own.  Keep my thoughts fixed on God, instead of worrying about what everyone else thinks.

Don’t be surprised if you experience pressure, or feel stress. As the psalmist discovered, these are moments to turn to God. Trusting in Him, confident that He will bring you through, and give you the strength you need.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you typically respond when you are in a high-pressure situation?
  2. Knowing the Holy Spirit will teach you how to respond when your faith is being questioned, does that inspire confidence in God or cause you concern that you’re not in control?

Facing a Mid-Life Crisis?

Posted on by Northstar Devotional

“I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” –  Isaiah 46:4.

It happens sooner or later. One day, you turn around and your children are adults. Suddenly, they are no longer discussing skateboarding or arguing over wanting to go to cheerleading practice. It doesn’t seem possible that they could be my kids. I’m not that old. Everything passed by with blinding speed.  I now realize that a huge chunk of my life is behind me. Sigh. Is this a mid-life crisis? 

It was Bob Hope who said, “you know you’ve reached middle age when your weightlifting consists merely of standing up.” 

The realization that more of life lies behind than ahead causes some people to panic. The “midlife crisis” simply represents a crisis of identity, significance, and purpose. God built us for those things so He has a solution.

God reminds us more than once in His Word that growing older is an honor. “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life” (Proverbs 16:31) The more years we live, the more experiences we’re given to learn from, and the more wisdom and perspective we gain to see life in new and beautiful ways.  

Yes, the media and advertisers lead us to believe that youth somehow has more value, the truth is, we are treasured by God at every age. Not only that, but He gives us specific gifts to share with the world in every season of our lives. In Titus 2:3-5, Paul reminds the older women of their great purpose: “Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.” The generations depend on our willingness to share what God has given us.

No matter what age we are, we can align our goals with God’s goals for our lives. No matter our age, God has a purpose for our life. Ephesians 2:10 says,  “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” God has a purpose for your life, but in order to fulfill that purpose, you need to grab hold of that for which He grabbed hold of you. Walk with God, and He will lead you where you are supposed to go even in middle age. 

 

Discussion Questions: 

  1. Is it possible to grow older, but not old? 
  2. Should middle-age change our spiritual lives? 

When You Are Overwhelmed

Posted on by Northstar Devotional

“When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” – Psalms 61: 2 (KJV).  

We often long for a more simplified life, free of mess or clutter, and struggles. Yet most days we strive just to keep our heads above the demands of work, family responsibilities, and all that calls our name. It’s hard sometimes, feeling like we can never get it all done. Our minds are in a constant mode of “go” from the moment our feet hit the floor in the morning. Sometimes we are simply overwhelmed.  

We feel overwhelmed for all sorts of reasons, and the typical response is to run away. We want to run from seemingly big and intractable problems. We want to run to Starbucks for a Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino. 

Yes, we will have trouble. God longs to be right there in the center of it all. In the mess. In the full days. In the craziness and times when we feel overwhelmed. Because the truth is, the reality that we can ever get everything done we feel like we need to do, is not even a reality for most of us. And that’s not where true success is found anyway. It’s found in God.  

God wants us to run when we’re feeling overwhelmed. But instead of running away from what overwhelms us, He wants us to run to Him. To run to His Word which settles us and shelters us. Because whatever is causing you to be overwhelmed is still diminutive to God.  

When I run to God’s Word, I find that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) When I run to Him, I am reminded that my strength doesn’t come from me and my stamina or drive. My strength comes from the Lord.

What we need to do is adjust our focus, placing it solely on God and trusting that He has everything under control. Only when we make God the center of our focus will we begin to experience the truth of Isaiah 26:3, which says: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Shifting our attention will enable us to experience His peace, joy, and mercy even in the midst of the chaos surrounding us.

He’s always the best option and is delighted when you seek His face. So, no matter how many people, piles and projects need your attention, you can rest knowing peace can be found by simply keeping your mind stayed on God.

  

Discussion Questions: 

  1. What are we focused on today? This week? How should your focus change? 
  2. It’s not uncommon to doubt God when life gets hard. What does this imply about what we believe about God?

Caution: God at Work

Posted on by Wes M. Ward

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him…And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” – Isaiah 30:18, 21

I love these verses because they demonstrate an active, loving God: He longs, He rises, He speaks. God did not give us an instruction manual, the Bible, and then sit down on His throne and watch what transpires from heaven. Instead, He is there when we have problems. He is working behind the scenes. The Holy Spirit tells us which way to turn so we don’t get lost.

I know that God does not sit idly, watching our life take place. And that is a good thing because there will be times in all of our lives when we simply don’t understand how God is working. It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t align with what we can grasp with our minds. It doesn’t fit into the way we believe things happen in this world. But remember this. God keeps His promises, God gives you the right instructions according to His perfect will and He won’t mislead you. No matter how much you don’t understand life as it is right now – no matter how uncomfortable it may seem or how hard it gets, don’t worry. The same God who spoke life into you, the same God who is and knows the beginning and the end, the same God who knew you before the foundation of this world is with you. Knowing that, what can stand against you?

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” I believe that when you come to the place where you trust God, you will rest in the knowledge that He has everything under control even when life seems to be out of control. Trusting God will get you to the point where you make a decision to trust in Him and not in your own logic and understanding.

God doesn’t expect us to understand everything He’s doing. It’s okay to have questions. It’s okay to want to know more. It’s normal to think what’s happening just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. And we will experience a whole variety of emotions along the way.

The reality is, we will never fully grasp all God is doing this side of heaven. But, He does want us to really know this with all our hearts: He loves us and He’s working on our behalf in ways beyond what we can even comprehend.

Discussion Questions:
1. Do you sometimes feel that God is stringing you along? Why or why not? Why is it difficult to not be afraid? Or anxious, because it will all be worked out in the end?
2. How would you rate your trust in God?
3. Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 20:24 says, “A man’s steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way? What do those two verses mean to you?
4. Pray and ask God to give you courage to completely trust in Him, even when you can’t see or understand what is going on around you.