They have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112:7 (NIV)
A while back my oldest son called me and said, “Mom, I’ve got some good news and some bad news, which do you want to hear first?”
After thinking for about uh, two seconds, I said give me the bad news first. Getting the bad news out of the way would make the good news seem even better. Right?
Wrong.
“I’m being deployed again Mom,” he said. Oh no, not again I thought. My heart immediately sank to my stomach and my pulse began to race.
No good news would sound good after that. As a matter of fact I don’t think I even asked him about his good news. I was too busy reeling from the thought of my own angst beginning to churn in my gut.
While he gave me the very small (and I mean minute) amount of information that he could reveal about his upcoming deployment, I tried to sound calm and supportive but on the inside my brain was on a deployment of it’s own.
My mind was waging it’s own war between common sense and hysteria. Trust in the Lord. Trust in the Lord. What if something awful happens? Be anxious for nothing but in everything with prayer…. What if he doesn’t come home this time? The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him. But each time he deploys his risk is greater. Back and forth, back and forth, my rational battled my irrational.
Ever been there?
It’s as if worrying and fretting would change the outcome of my circumstance. Logically I knew it couldn’t.
I have been a believer most of my life and for most of that life I didn’t know how to utilize the strength God gives to believers through His Word.
Psalm 112:7 says those whose hearts are steadfast in trusting the Lord will have no fear of bad news.
I want to be that person that has no fear. I want to know that freedom. That peace. The peace that surpasses understanding. Illogical peace.
What about you?
Psalm 112 talks about steadfast trusting. Steadfast means continual. Continual trust; persevering in trust. Never stop even in the midst of our worst circumstance kind of trust. The kind of trust that’s habitual.
So how do we come by that kind of trust? How do we form a trust habit?
It starts with a choice. A choice to strengthen and grow our faith.
Faith is like a muscle. It grows weak when it’s not used but is strengthened when worked.
Just like going to the gym and lifting weights strengthens our physical muscles, going to God’s Word and applying it strengthens our spiritual muscles. Our muscles of faith.
Here’s a faith work-out that I use. It consists of four parts.
- Prayer. Pray all the time, any time. Empty your soul to God. He wants to hear. He also wants us to be quiet so we can hear Him speak to our heart.
- Read, meditate and memorize God’s Word, replacing our negative thoughts with God thoughts. Romans 12:2 tells us to not conform any longer to the pattern of this world (worry and negative thinking) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (God’s thinking). Write out faith building scriptures on 3×5 cards to keep with you. If you repeat it you won’t delete it!
- Journal. Boost your faith by writing down what God has done for you. Write down all your God things; times when you felt God’s presence through answered prayers. Journal them so you won’t forget.
- Keep thankfulness in your heart and on your tongue. Praise God and give Him thanks for every thing big and small. Be creative (I’m thankful for my sleep number bed). Everything we have above nothing is a gift. A thankful heart is a perspective changer.
Changing the way we think isn’t easy. But neither is working-out in the gym. Believe me I know making new habits and getting rid of old ones takes discipline.
The fruit of habitual trust and faith is peace, The supernatural, illogical kind. And that’s worth it.
Since I’ve been building my spiritual muscles, my default for unwanted circumstances has gone from hand wringing and heart palpitations to prayer and praise, reciting scripture, and journaling.
There is of course the occasional temptation to go negative. But as I continue my work-outs the temptation to fret is getting easier to overcome.
My son made it home from another deployment unscathed. Yeah! All those wasted sleepless nights.
Lesson learned?
We won’t bear the weight of life’s worry as long as we keep building our muscles of faith!
About Christy
Hi, I’m Christy Mobley. I’m a mom of two adult sons and wife (for 30 plus years) to David, my polar opposite (bless his little heart)! I had always thought I was given two boys because God knew I wouldn’t want to share my clothes but recently He has given me a daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law to be. I’m quadruply blessed.
I’m a fifty something girly-girl who has a passion for fashion and decorating. I chase tennis balls for recreation and do my best thinking in the bathtub. That all might sound a bit stuffy but I’m as transparent as saran wrap.
After suffering with anxiety and panic most of my younger life, I now find my greatest joy sharing the peace I’ve found experiencing God; trusting Him in my daily circumstances. Where every step was a potential pothole, I’m now joying in the journey! Feel free to stop by my blog Joying in the Journey.
