Peace

Through the Fog

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

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.

Monkey Brain Sufferers – We Have Hope!

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

Affe mit Schädel (Ape with Skull) by Hugo Rheinholdt (c. 1893). By Jfderry – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31511541

“…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.” – Phillipians 4:9-9 (ESV)

Monkey Brain noun (muhng-kee breyn)

  1. A form of brain damage caused by repeated overstimulation of the cerebellum, stemming from a gluttonous mental diet of news and opinions (mostly opinions misrepresented as news) and pop culture. 
  2. An epithet for one who is exhibiting symptoms of Monkey Brain.

Monkey Brain (toxicus cerebrum primatus) strikes when one’s mind is blinded to the Truth by drowning in a constant sea of media, flooding in from the eyes and ears, filling the cranial cavity of the infected victim with a stream of “woke” and “fake news” misinformation, cloaked as fact. Common symptoms include confusion, loss of common sense, inability to see God at work in this world and overly opinionated expressions of political and social views (presented as absolute fact, with or without solid proof).

We all suffer from Monkey Brain to one degree or another.  We are all affected by our culture, by what we see, hear, feel, think and perceive.  When what we believe is based on these factors and not the Truth as defined in God’s Word, our perception is really deception.

Monkey Brain sufferers often display behaviors caused by a focus on subjects that are either false or unimportant.

If any of the below questions concern you deeply, you may be suffering from Monkey Brain:

  • What does Taylor Swift think about the state of the world today? 
  • Are UFOs real? 
  • What does Taylor Swift think about UFOs? Has she ever flown in one?
  • Why are protesters blocking I-94 to speak out against the use of cotton fill to stuff teddy bears? 
  • What does Taylor Swift think about the use of cotton fill to stuff teddy bears? 
  • Should I start Christmas shopping this early?
  • What does Taylor Swift want for Christmas?
  • Are plant-based meat substitutions the way to go? 
  • What does Taylor Swift think about plant-based meat substitutes? 
  • What about Donald Trump? I bet he doesn’t eat plant-based meat substitutes.
  • Will Elon Musk run the world someday?
  • Will Taylor Swift run the world someday? 
  • Who will cause the end of the world?  Iran?  Israel?  China?  North Korea?  Taylor Swift?
  • What does Taylor Swift think about the end of the world?
  • Is Putin real or AI generated?
  • Is Taylor Swift real or AI generated?
  • Is truth real or AI generated?
  • What is real?
  • What is true?

If you, like me, suffer from Monkey Brain, there is hope.  There is a way to know the Truth, the reality of our situation, the outcome of the “unknown”, the source of – and antidote to – all our confusion and anxiety and worry.

The remedy for Monkey Brain is as follows:

  1. Read the Bible.
  2. Pray.
  3. Study the Bible.
  4. Pray.
  5. Seek first the kingdom of God – His will, His ways, His character, His sovereignty over all.
  6. Pray.
  7. Surround yourself with fellow believers who will help you stay focused on Jesus.
  8. Pray.
  9. Mind what you feed your mind – what you watch, what you read, what you listen to, what you accept.
  10. Pray.
  11. Stop believing everything as reported.  Not all of it true.  Not all of it is important.  Reject the toxic and embrace the Truth of God as revealed in the Bible.
  12. Pray.

Do not be deceived (Matthew 24:3-5, Mark 13:5, Luke 2:1-8, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and 15:33, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Colossians 2:8, Galatians 6:3-7, Ephesians 5:6, Romans 1:26- 27, James 1:13-22, 2 Timothy 3:13, 1 John 1:8 and 4:1, Revelation 12:9).  Recognize that the insanity swirling around us is nothing more than “wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Matthew 24:6-8, ESV).

And know this.  The media feeds us information, some factual, much not.  God doesn’t call us to know everything.  We aren’t meant to understand it all.  We are created to believe, to walk in faith in God through Jesus Christ.  What we see on this earth doesn’t have to make sense. God’s way and the ways of this world are in opposition. 

Am I suggesting we stick our heads in the sand, ignoring what’s going on? Absolutely not. All I’m saying is trust God in all that’s going on. Recognize He is sovereign over all – even those who do not accept Him as Lord and Savior. Don’t believe everything you hear, read and see. If it isn’t the gospel, don’t take it as such.

Now, I need to grab my Bible for my Monkey Brain therapy.

NOTE: I do not have anything against Taylor Swift. You can insert the name of any celebrity and it will have the same result. God is still sovereign. 

I Hear the Train A-Comin’

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
    and refreshment to your bones.

Proverbs 3:5-8 (ESV)

I think this picture is a fair representation of the world today. Don’t you?

Life can feel so out of control.

Troubles all around the world (Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, Russia, China, Taiwan, Iran, etc. etc.),

AI.

Political shenanigans (on all sides – no finger pointing).

Violence on the rise.

People divided by racism, by religion, by politics, by economic status, by social status…

Noisy protests, counterprotests, protests against protests…

A Frasier reboot without Niles Crane.

The world has become such a scary place that one major online news outlet has a special link to stories about “extreme weather”.

Doom and gloom abound.

But, read this: we have no reason to fear.

Let me repeat: we have no reason to fear.

Why is that? Only God is sovereign.

What does that mean? It means God is in full control, and we are not.

It means “our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3, ESV).

It means “the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9, ESV).

It means God knows what He’s doing, and who are we to question His wisdom and ways. Romans 9 lays this out for us.

We are not in control. And that’s good news because it appears the engineer has jumped off the screaming disaster-bound locomotive.

We are not omniscient. We don’t know all the facts, nor do we know what’s going to happen in five seconds, let alone tomorrow. Nor are we omnipotent. We cannot thwart God’s will. Likewise, we are not omnipresent. We are bound by physical limitations, whereas God sees everything, everywhere, at all times past, present and future, laid out before Him. He is absolutely boundless and beyond our comprehension.

God is in control. We need to trust Him in all things great and small, personal and worldwide, for everything is in His hands. No matter how dire circumstances may seem. No matter how hopeless it all appears.

And God loves us. He offers us forgiveness, strength, peace, grace, hope, direction… everything we need. Don’t trust in what you feel. Don’t let fear, anxiety or worry grab hold of you. Pray with expectancy, thanksgiving and faith. Trust in God. Focus on Him and know it’s all OK.