If you did not already know by now, we are in the midst of very turbulent times. People are suffering--high unemployment or underemployment, foreclosures on homes, high credit card debt, high cost of living and high health care costs. Some or all the worries or concerns I have just mentioned are very real to millions of people, including myself. How does one cope with all of these worries or concerns? I think that we need to have extreme or stratospheric faith in God to help us through these rough and turbulent times.
As I watched the Hour of Power church program this past Sunday, I was moved by the sermon given by Sheila Schuller Coleman titled "Stratospheric Faith: Rising Above the Turbulence". She discussed 5 common cares or concerns we all have and what the corresponding cure is for each one of them.
Concern #1: Animosity, Resentment, Bitterness
We have all had feelings of resentment or bitterness towards others because we felt that the other person hurt us on purpose. The hurt could be perceived or real; physical or mental. The point is that we harbor this anger and resentment for years and it does nothing but eat us up on the inside, causing increasing amounts of stress. God's cure for animosity and bitterness is FORGIVENESS. In order to heal ourselves mentally and physically, we need to forgive the other person for what they have done. I know that this is very difficult to do, because everyone is different, and the ability to forgive is also dependent on how deep the hurt is. I am still working on this myself. Even Jesus, when he was being crucified on the cross was able to practice forgiveness when he said in 23:34 "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do". Forgiveness does not mean forget what was done, but rather make peace with yourself, let go of the animosity and resentment, and move on. There is no point in holding grudges against people who have hurt you in the past because you cannot change the past. Just let go and ask God to give you the strength to get past the hurt.
Concern #2: Worry, Fear, Anxiety
I do not think that there is a day that goes by when we are not overly worried or fearful about something in our daily lives. We worry about the economy, terrorism, not having enough money to pay our bills; we also worry about our loved ones especially when they are doing something that could endanger them, i.e. serving in the armed forces, working as a police officer or firefighter. God's cure for worry and fear is FAITH.
We need to stop worrying about the things we cannot change and instead start focusing on strengthening our faith in God to help us. We need to have faith in God that He will set right what is wrong in our lives if we ask for His help in prayer. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 "...do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Jesus also said in Matthew 6:27 "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" We need to stop worrying about things or situations that we cannot control, and instead focus on living our lives to the fullest.
Concern #3: Pain, Depression, Grief
When something catastrophic happens, such as the 9/11 terror attacks and the devastating earthquake in Haiti, there is so much lingering pain, depression, and grief of enormous proportions, especially felt by those who were directly affected. There are differences of how people deal with major catastrophes--some overcome the grief and depression fairly quickly, while others may take years or never overcome the grief or depression at all. I repeat, we need to stop worrying about things or situations that we cannot control; we must strive to do the best you can under the circumstances. God's cure for depression and grief is PRAISE. In her sermon, Sheila Schuller Coleman said that no matter how bad the situation that is causing us so much pain and depression, we need to give praise and thanks for something. In other words, say Lord, I thank you for_____". If we get in the habit of saying thank you, that will help us overcome our grief and depression over time.
Concern #4: Inferiority and Inadequacy
It is important to remember that God put every one of us on this earth for a reason. We are unique individuals who differ in appearance and thoughts. Therefore, we should not compare ourselves against each other, wondering why we are not as smart, rich, or have as much as the next person. God's cure for feelings of inferiority is PURPOSE. Each of us must find out what God wants us to do while we are on this earth. Once we find out what God's purpose for us is, we need to fulfill that purpose to the best of our ability.
Concern #5: Humiliation, Guilt, Shame
There have been times when we have all done something that we are not proud of and later regret--wishing that we could somehow undo what was done. Because of our actions, other people were hurt and negatively affected. In any event, we feel deeply sorry for what we have done and may be carrying a large amount of guilt and shame because of it. God's cure for guilt and shame is GRACE. We must remember that Jesus died on the cross and rose again for all our sins. We do not have to "pay" for our sins; our sins are forgiven by God through Jesus paying the ultimate price. Therefore, we do not have to carry the burden of guilt and shame on our backs.
I think it is important that we each look inside ourselves and examine what worries us the most. Once that is done, practice on God's cure for that worry. This may take some time, but the most important thing is to make a start, one step at a time. If this is done consistently, we can cope much better during turbulent times.
All bible quotes were taken from the Possibility Thinkers Bible, The New King James Version, 1982
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