Theme: Rethink: Faith and Doubt
Weekend Music links on iTunes: Hosanna (Praise is Rising) - Brenton Brown, Let God Arise - Chris Tomlin, From the Inside Out - Hillsong, Lead Me to the Cross - Hillsong
Read: Psalm 23
Think: Michael Dyer, psychologist and expert on addiction, states that our nation is addicted to stress. I balked when I first heard this, thinking, “I’m not addicted to stress. I’m not stressed out all the time.” But then something happened that made me rethink my position.
Business got slow.
So slow, in fact that that I had a lot of extra free time. What does a stress-addicted person do when they have a lot of free time? They think of new things to stress about. So I got right to work wondering if this slowness was an indictment of incompetency. I worried that God stopped blessing me because I wasn’t doing a good job. I went to work spinning my wheels on the self-doubt-stationary-bike. I worried up a storm. I named it and I claimed it. I prayed scripture, made sure my tithing was all up to date, asked God why my business was so slow and heard… crickets. No matter what I did, it was just painfully slow.
It occurred to me that I am not a good at resting; that I don’t know what to do with myself when I’m not stressed with busyness. The first clue to knowing your addicted is that you don’t feel normal unless you’re doing your drug. When stress becomes normal, it becomes chronic. When it’s chronic, it’s toxic. Toxicity makes you emotionally, spiritually, and physically sick.
But what if I could do the unthinkable? What if I could think of this slow time in the light of God’s love? What if God was refusing to let me have my stress, so that I could learn how to function in a healthier way, and increase my dependence on him?
What if I could say and mean, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm water. He gives me new strength. He leads me on paths that are right for the good of his name. Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid, because you are with me. Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me. You prepare a meal for me in front of my enemies. You pour oil of blessing on my head; you fill my cup to overflowing. Surely your goodness and love will be with me all my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23)”?
Faith is tested and strengthened when things do not go as expected or according to formula. Faith is tested and strengthened when “normal” is taken away. Faith grows when, and healing happens when, all is surrendered and God’s way is embraced.
Do: Take a moment to evaluate your stress level. Commit to God one or two things you want to do to give that stress over to him.
Pray: Lord, thank you for knowing what is good and what is bad for us. Thank you for watching out for us and helping us to take the path that will bring you glory. I surrender those things that take me further away from you.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.