faith

01/02/2025 – Being Resolute

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment
New Years postcard from the early 20th century

The heart of man plans his way,
    but the Lord establishes his steps. – Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

I do not make New Year’s resolutions. They are noble-sounding little lies we tell ourselves and others, seldom developed to produce their desired conclusion. The minute I proclaim “this year I will…”, I have publicly doomed the resolution to a fate of sad, embarrassing failure.

I’m not sure why this is. I always start with the best of intentions. Sadly, intentions do not produce results. Here are some examples of New Year’s resolutions i (may or may not) have made over the years:

  • Revive the eight-track tape as a popular, portable format for enjoying your favorite music at home or on the go. At least two generations of kids have missed out on the experience of listening to “Rocket Man” by Elton John, having it fade out, change tracks (with that familiar “brrrrr – CLICK CLICK – brrrrr” sound) and fade back in just as Elton declares “And I think it’s gonna be a long long time…”
  • Found a new, centrist political party: the Pizza’s No Place for Pineapple Party. By the name, it’s obvious this group stands to promote a society where things just make sense. Yeah, good luck with that one.
  • Learn to play the didgeridoo.
  • Learn to like raw tomatoes.
  • Master the art of toe nail sculpting.
  • Go back to school and earn a Ph.D. in Finnish Frog Dancing.
  • Become the guy who steers the back end of the big fire truck.
  • Start a campaign to make Minnesota both an American state and a Canadian province. (We’re practically there! We just need the right legislation passed to make it official.)
  • Invent a pharmaceutical medicine that does not cause side effects such as nausea, sleeplessness, tiredness, weakness in the armpits, sudden screaming outbursts, irritability, subcutaneous vegetation, swelling of the nostrils, HOAs, thoughts of binge watching a Friends marathon, ear cramps, hair loss, bear loss, Cher loss, hallucinations involving consumption of large deli sandwiches (aka “Dagwood’s Syndrome”), the bee’s knees, headaches of the lungs, cold sweats, profuse sweats, meat sweats, or dry mouth.
  • Stop droning on and on and on with silliness in my writing and speaking.

However, goal setting is – to my mind – a different matter altogether. It’s more intentional, well considered and – if done properly – well planned. Proper goals are much more than just deciding to lose 100 lbs., marry the man/woman of your dreams and discover the lost continent of Atlantis by year’s end. Real goal setting involves honest assessments, attainable milestones and an action plan to get there.

Consider these words of Jesus: “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’” – Luke 14:28-30 (ESV). Trust me when I say I have made vain declarations of things I was going to do, without bothering to make an honest assessment of these “resolutions”.

I still haven’t found Atlantis.

I want to make a lot of personal changes. I’m developing certain spiritual, ministry, health, relational and financial goals for the year ahead. All of these are being prayed about and clung to fairly loosely for this simple reason: God is sovereign. I am not.

God may have other plans as I walk my path in life. And, honestly, the best goals I can set are ones that pertain to walking closer with God, handing control of every aspect of my life to Him, and loving Jesus more and more, with ever strengthening faith and deeper gratitude and faithfulness. Right attitudes. Right habits. Right Christ-like thoughts.

It’s wise to make plans. It’s good to set goals. But, we must remember above all our plans and schemes and dreams:

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. – Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

01/01/2025 – Hope for an Unseeable Future

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment
By en:User:Timjarrett – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tower_Optical_Binoculars.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1903627

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all remembered to set your calendars forward at midnight last night.

My beautiful wife and I saw the new year come in the same way as usual: at home, relaxing, watching the ball drop in Times Square at 11:00pm CST (being from Indiana – an hour ahead of Minnesota – we celebrate with our fellow Hoosiers).

Then we go to bed.

Party animals.

I went to bed last night with thoughts of hope for 2025. I mean, let’s face it: 2024 was what the Grateful Dead might have called “a long, strange trip”. Ugly and mean on a global scale. Hatred working overtime.

Maybe the New Year will see some of this ugliness abate.

I woke this morning and turned on the television to see that, while most of us slumbered, a terrorist drove a truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, killing 10 (up to 15 as of last count) and injuring another 30.

So much for hate easing in the new year. Life just isn’t a 1970’s cola commercial.

Apple trees.

Honey bees.

Snow white turtle doves.

Kumbaya, my Lord. We need you more than ever.

I don’t think most of us who follow Jesus are naive enough to believe the world will suddenly be harmonious just because a new year has dawned. And, if any of us puts our hopes in hatred on earth being dispelled, we’re delusional or misinformed.

(Jesus said) “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. – John 16:33 (ESV)

Our hope is not to be found in this world. It never has been. Our hope is found in God through Jesus Christ. He is The One Who is sovereign over all – past, present and future. He is Love. He is Truth. He is our Father. He is far above and beyond any and every situation on this earth.

This year, put your hope firmly on things above. Set your eyes on Jesus Christ. Stay in God’s Word. Pray without ceasing. Trust Him completely. None of us needs to know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Just remember God is with us every second.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me. – from St. Patrick’s Prayer

Keep hope in Christ for 2025!

Astonishing Humility

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment
Nativity of Jesus, Botticelli, c. 1473–1475

Astonishing! This business of Jesus being born of a virgin. Angels coming and going. Three magi arriving at His birthplace by following a star.

And what about His birthplace? Shouldn’t this child the Son of God be in a five-star presidential suite at the swankiest hotel in Bethlehem? Solid gold rattle? Crystal milk bottle? Satin sheets in his carved ivory crib?

No.

Not for this King.

This king came to walk among the people, to light the way, to be our salvation. And He could not truly walk among us if He wasn’t one of us. In other words, Jesus needed to be humble.

And, indeed, humble He was. He proved his humility during his 40 days of temptation, never once falling for any of Satan’s attempts to attract / trap Him with the stuff of this world. What good is anything on earth when you rule over ALL creation?

Jesus was humble throughout His life. Never one selfish act or thought. But don’t make the mistake of equating humility or meekness with weakness. Indeed, just the opposite. Jesus didn’t take the prideful bait of the devil, or the Pharisees or Sadducees, or the Romans, or even His own disciples.

He walked by the law of grace. He loved everybody, including His enemies. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and left this world beaten and bloodied on a cross – not as a martyr, but a willing sacrifice for all who would follow Him.

And, as promised, He rose on the third day after His death. He came back.

He came back.

And He will come back again.

Astonishing! Read the gospels for the whole story. Jesus Christ – God incarnate, fully man and fully God. God Who created a perfect garden and, when we defiled His perfection, still made a way for our salvation. He could have just destroyed humanity at that point.

He could have destroyed us without sparing a remnant through Noah and his family when humanity became so evil and debased that the only way through was for God to destroy all people and the earth beneath our feet.

Instead the LORD made a way. That way led all the way to the Cross.

But the final leg of that journey started not at a hôtel haut de gamme or palatial residence. His nativity was a humble manger. A livestock stable. Far from the big city.

Our God – Creator and Sustainer of all, Who is Love itself, Who is Truth, Who is sovereign over all – humbled Himself, came to earth to live with us sinful, undeserving people, and provided us with the way to salvation.

He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Life everlasting.

Had there never been a Christmas, we would not have had an Easter.

Thank you Lord for all the astonishing work you have done for me. For being humble to love such an underserving sinner as me.

Merry Christmas!

PS: Bonus fun fact: the word “nativity” (which means “birthplace”) does not appear anywhere in the New Testament.

No Merimnaō 

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. – Matthew 6:31-33 [ESV]

When you feel stressed…

When you experience anxiety…

When you are worried…

When the cares of life are dragging you down…

Whatever troubles or cares you are facing, remember: no merimnaō. In other words, do not be anxious. Take no thought. Do not worry. Don’t be filled with care.

The most comprehensive yet simple passage on the subject of worry and anxiety is Philippians 4:4-7. Let’s break it down:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 

Rejoice! Not just when life is going well. But always – regardless of circumstances. Despite troubles. No matter what we’re facing. Not because of our troubles.

Rejoice always – ALWAYS – in God, our Heavenly Father. James instructs us to “count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” [James 1:2-4, ESV]). For believers in God through Jesus Christ, the LORD works out the bad things in life to our good. Therefore, we have joy. We rejoice not in the pain but the blessings our Father brings through the circumstances of life.

5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 

Be peaceful and joyful, and set the example of walking through life guided by the LORD, filled with His Spirit and peace. We are called to be salt and light, the example of Jesus to the world. Abd remember the LORD is with us always. He is sovereign over all. He is faithful even when we are not. He is love.

He is love.

Trust in the LORD.

6 do not be anxious about anything, 

Do not be anxious about anything.

Do not be anxious about anything.

Fear nothing. Whatever issues or troubles or trials we face, God is sovereign. God is in control. He is greater than our cares or worries. He has our lives in His hands.

He is our Father.

Trust in the LORD.

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 

Prayer. Connect with the LORD. Worship Him. Open your heart with joy and awe to our Father Who is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

Supplication. Let God know your needs. Ask Him in faith. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 [ESV]). But don’t think Paul considers God to be some heavenly sugar daddy. God already knows what each of us needs before we ever ask. But He doesn’t dispense our every earthly desire. If He did, He would do us more harm than good. The LORD wants us to grow and learn. He is far more interested in our eternal lives, not just this short fraction of time we spend here on earth.

Thanksgiving. In God, we have everything we need. He has everything in our lives in His hands. Be thankful! We can do nothing on our own. We certainly can’t save ourselves. Only through the shed blood of Jesus can we attain salvation – an establishment of eternal relationship with God. Be grateful to our Father. If you feel He hasn’t answered your prayers, remember He is sovereign. We are not. He knows what’s best for His children. All things happen in His time, according to His will. Be thankful!

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Lay down your worries. Cast off your cares. Go to the Lord with your needs in faith. Thank Him for all He is, all He does. Stop trying to figure out how it’s all going to work out and trust God. Trust Him with your circumstances. Trust Him with your life. Trust and recognize His sovereignty, His faithfulness and His mercy.

So remember: no merim. Be anxious for absolutely nothing. Don’t be afraid. Lay down your burdens and rest in Jesus. Let go of the control we try to cling to over our lives. Realize God is in control over everything. Fill your heart and mind with God’s Word. Seek the LORD first, focusing on our Father instead of our fears. In doing so, we will find the peace of Jesus Christ standing guard over our thoughts and emotions.

Just Trust

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

You’re probably familiar with the poem “Footsteps in the Sand”. An individual is looking back at his path along the beach of life. He sees two sets of footprints, side by side, except when things were difficult. During hard times, the person noticed only one set of tracks. “Lord, when life was hard, why did you leave me?” “I didn’t”, Jesus responded. “Those are my footsteps. I was carrying you.”

When I look back, I see something a bit different. Before my footsteps disappear, there is a parallel set of deep ruts dug into the sand. This is where Jesus was dragging me along because I kust wouldn’t listen to Him.

More than once, I’ve had to stop and ask myself, once and for all – what’s it going to be?

Am I going to fully trust the Lord with all of my heart, or am I going to continue leaning on my limited, imperfect perceptions?

Am I going to let my Sovereign God run my life, or am I going to continue to foolishly advise Him on what I would do in my situations?

Am I going to be humble and quiet my mighty ego, or am I going to keep trying to do everything my way?

Am I going to put my full faith and trust in my Heavenly Father, or keep wringing my hands in anxiety, worry and fear?

Am I going to relinquish the idea that I have control over my life and recognize God is GOD, or keep frustrating myself with the troubles and trainwrecks self-reliance brings?

Am I ready to – once and for all – cast my cares upon Him, trust Him with all my heart, and realize God knows what’s going on, knows what I need, knows how to see me through any and all circumstances, or keep being stubborn?

If I stop and think about it logically, trusting God is the only choice that makes sense. God is sovereign, I am not. God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, I am not. God is love, I am not. God is truth, I am not.

God is God.

I am not.

And, for that, I’m thankful.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. God is our Father, our Abba. He is our Savior. He is ever-present and loves us beyond comprehension. Rest in Him.

Don’t Drink the Transmission Fluid

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Vincent Van Gogh, Tree Roots, July 1890. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)

Our little tree never stood a chance. The other trees in our neighborhood flourished, grew, thrived. The crab apples flowered in spring, beautiful and vibrant. These trees were well rooted in good soil with plenty of water.

Our tree was planted in the same soil. It got the same water. I believe – the plot our neighborhood was built on having once been an auto salvage yard – our tree’s root system tapped into the transmission of a 1962 Ford F100 pickup truck buried deep beneath our front lawn.

I’m pretty sure 62-year-old transmission fluid would have an adverse (poisonous) effect on the nourishment and health of a tree. Trees weren’t created to get nourishment from refined petroleum products. They need to take root in good soil with the right amount of good water.

In the same way, we need to be rooted in Christ. It is through the indwelling Holy Spirit we receive strength through Jesus and His love to live our lives as God wants.

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. – Colossians 2:6-10 (ESV)

In Jesus – and Him alone – we find our strength. But we have to walk in Him to truly experience His peace, grace, mercy, love…

How do we walk in Jesus? Here are some thoughts:

  1. Fix your faith in God through Jesus Christ. Trust in the Lord fully. Completely. 100%. Even when it makes no sense. Trust in God. Rest in Him. Let Christ be your solid foundation.
  2. Fix your priorities on Him. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV). “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11, ESV). Pray. Constantly and consistently. Read – study – the Bible. Let God speak to you through His Word and prayer. Be open to the Lord. Listen and follow His leading.
  3. Fix your eyes on Christ. Remember Peter walking on the stormy waters to reach Jesus. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was fine. But when he turned his attention to the storm raging around him, he started to sink. He called out to the Lord Who saved him. Immediately. Even when the circumstances look dire, don’t look away from Jesus. God is Truth. Our perceptions are not always, for we are limited by our humanity. Better to leave it all with our Father God Who is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.
  4. Fix your mind on the Lord. Develop the mind of Christ. Paul instructs us what and how we should think: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9. ESV).
  5. Fix your heart on Jesus. Love the Lord above all. Realize – well, as much as we faulty humans can – the height, length, width and depth of His love for you. He died for you. You. He’s with you always. You. God’s gifts are wonderful. He’s our Creator, Sustainer, Savior, Provider, Healer, Guide… The best gift of all is that the Lord gave us is Himself.

Find your strength by walking with Christ. In doing so, you will find your soul rooted deep in God. And, frankly, there is no better place to put down roots than in the good soil of God and His Word.

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

© 2024 by Chris Courtney. All rights reserved.

How Great is the Love of our Father!

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31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:31-39 (ESV)

God owes us nothing. He created us. We are His.

Thankfully, our God is a gracious, merciful Father. He doesn’t just love us. He is love. And perfect love – which can only come from God – casts out fear (read 1 John 4).

When we begin to grasp the immensity of the love of our Abba, Father, and His never-changing steadfast love, the fears and worries of life begin to shrink. When we choose to trust God, we realize He is far and above our circumstances. When we see the Lord for Who He is and worship Him wholeheartedly, seeking Him first and foremost, we begin to understand that our lives are indeed in His hands, and there is no situation where we should fear.

God owes us nothing. We owe Him everything. Yet He loves us. Trust in the Lord’s love. Trust in Jesus. And praise Him with thanksgiving and joy – ALWAYS!!

The Simon Peter Principle

/ Chris Courtney / 1 Comment

I’m learning today that I have a long way to go.

It’s one thing to know it. As a Christian, I realize sanctification – the lifelong process of God working in us to grow us closer to Him and in His holiness – is just that: a process.

It’s another thing altogether to feel God telling you: you have a long way to go.

I find myself trying to fix my problems. I’m fine, I can do this. Right?

yeah… no.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who feels like I do. I struggle with a lot of fears.

Failure.

Rejection.

Humiliation.

Loss.

Friends marathons on TV.

I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights lately. I’ve been so focused on my stressful situations that I forgot the true Peter Principle. Not the Laurence J. Peters management book, but the Simon Peter Principle.

You’re most likely familiar with the account of Peter walking to Jesus on the stormy sea (Matthew 14:22-33). Peter wants so bad to please Jesus. He loves Him. And everything is going fine, until..

30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” – Matthew 14:30-31 (ESV).

I’m embarrassed to admit it because, over the years, I’ve taught this Scripture more times than I can count. And I still face these fears.

I need to remember to keep my eyes on Jesus, not on the storm. I have to trust God in all things, at all times.

Even when the storm still rages, He has ahold of me.

Even when the stress grows, God is still in control.

Even when the fear compounds, I am safely in His hands.

Today – Easter Sunday – the Lord reminded me of what He did for us.

He reminded me of the Simon Peter Principle: keep my eyes on Jesus, knowing He has me in His grasp, and will never let me go. He’s in control of the storm, and the boat, and the entirety of our circumstances. I may feel like I’m going to drown, but I’m not.

He reminded me He is the only source of good.

He reminded me I don’t need to understand what’s going on in my life. I just need to trust Him.

He reminded me of His miracles – water to wine, providing the coin in the fish’s mouth to pay the tax, knowing the woman at the well having never met her, healing after healing, sight to the blind, strength to the lame, feeding tens of thousands with one child’s lunch, raising Lazarus from the dead, raising Himself from the dead, ascending into Heaven… He reminded me He can handle my little problems.

He reminded me to let go of my pride.

He reminded me that, even if I can’t feel His presence, He is still with me.

He reminded me my struggles are His way of growing me.

He reminded me to walk by faith, not by sight.

He reminded me His Word is Truth, not the world.

He reminded me He loves me.

And, by the way, the same goes for you. For those of us who love God, He is with us. He is greater than our troubles, our fears, our weaknesses, our pain, our sorrow, our cares…

Just trust God.

The Gift of Unimaginable Price

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The first Good Friday felt anything but good.

I try to imagine it, but I can’t. Any one of the events Jesus faced in the 24 hours before His death would have been too much for me. Betrayed. Abandoned. Humiliated. Arrested. Unfairly tried and convicted.

The torture Jesus endured at the hands of the Romans… I won’t recount it here. The fact that Jesus even made it to Golgotha alive is astounding. The brutality of it all is too much to even imagine. The pain Jesus – perfectly Holy Jesus Christ, untouched by sin – went through to take on my sin…

But the worst had to be the feeling of being abandoned by His Father.

Put it all together and you have the reward of sin. Unimaginable pain. Loneliness beyond belief. Humiliation. Sorrow. Death.

But when you look at Jesus taking all of that sin for us.

For me.

For you.

That is the reward of love. We don’t deserve it. But it is a gift. We can’t earn love. But Jesus gave us the gift of love on that cross. It is free, yet far more precious than anything on earth. It is a gift beyond price.

I cannot imagine how Jesus felt on that first Good Friday. But I have to try, so I can understand the great price of His gift. Jesus Christ – God incarnate – gave us Himself. Willingly. Without a second thought. He took on the unimaginable, so we don’t have to. He made a way for us that would be otherwise utterly impossible.

The first Good Friday felt anything but good. But just wait until the third day.

Through the Fog

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Ian Furst, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” – Luke 24:34 (KJV)

Curae quae meum animum divorse trahunt

That is the Latin definition of the word “cares” in Luke 24:34. The phrase translates to “cares that distract my mind”. Cares is just another word for anxiety. And anxious thoughts definitely distract our minds from focusing on God.

The problem is simple: when we worry, we’re saying we don’t trust God. We’re saying, “God, I realize you are sovereign over all. You created everything. You sustain everything. You set the stars and intricately designed all life.

Including mine.

But – and, yes, the big “but” often leads us to the problem – you don’t understand what I’m going through. You know everything, but my limited knowledge tells me to be afraid. You’re all powerful, but my issues are beyond your abilities. You’re everywhere all the time, and your Holy Spirit lives inside me, but I’m facing life all alone.

If you stop and think about it, anxiety is very irrational. We choose to believe in what we see and perceive because we don’t trust in God’s love, grace, wisdom, strength… We see life our way, not His. We believe what we see as rational.

We become “overcharged” with worry. When you were a kid, did you ever rub your feet on the carpet to build up static electricity, then touch someone else for the sheer joy of shocking someone else with your finger? Anxiety and worry are like that: a buildup of fear that needs to be discharged from our minds.

The collection of anxious thoughts creates brain fog. We have a difficult time seeing through the thick haze of fear. We can’t see the Truth for the troubles we perceive.

Luke warns us to “take heed” – to not allow the cares of this life to overtake our thoughts. We have to choose who we’re going to trust. Are we going to believe our limited understanding of our circumstances when those beliefs run counter to what God says? Or are we going to trust the Lord wholeheartedly and take him at His Word.

I find I frequently have to fall back on my old standby passage of Scripture when I’m facing anxiety: Philippians 4:4-9 (ESV)

4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Always – ALWAYS – be filled with joy in The LORD. Not circumstances. Not the things of the world. But in God because He has us. He is sovereign over everything, including me and my life. If I can’t feel prescence, it dioesn’t meean He isn’t with me. If I perceive impending trouble, I need to embrace God and His Word and put my focus on our Father and His Word and His promises, not my limited understanding.

 5 “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; “Let the world see your gentleness – which is reasonable for Christians, for Our God is with us always. The Lord is near!

6 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Always rejoice. Never fear. Don’t worry about anything. Instead take everything to God in prayer, choosing to trust in Him and thanking Him for His care and concern, knowing your problems are now in God’s more-than-capable hands. Cast your cares on God, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). 

7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We don’t have to understand what we fear. We shouldn’t be wasting time and energy twisting and turning in our doubts and fears. When we believe God and take Him at His Word, we can have His peace. We don’t need to react to our circumstances. We need to trust in God. Just trust in God.

8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” This is where our minds need to be. Not distracted and bothered and throttled by our fears, but focused on God in faith, knowing He will see us through any and every circumstance we face.

If that’s not good news, I don’t know what is.