A New Focus (Praises Not Problems)

Along the way I’ve discovered that prayers of praise lift me up and remind me of God’s abundant blessings. Unfortunately, my recent prayers have reverted to asking, begging, complaining, and whining about all the things I want or need. But on further consideration, I’ve come to realize that this is not the intent of prayer; instead, prayer should be a constant conversation filled with praise and gratitude for God’s daily blessings.

While I truly believe that God wants to hear our concerns as much as our praises, I’ve noticed recently that my complaints have outweighed my praises. I find that when I stop counting my blessings, focusing instead on my problems, I begin to sink like Peter on the Sea of Galilee. When I take my eyes off the blessings (and the God Who pours them out), I begin to sink under my heavy burdens—the very burdens I once gave to Him, but have now taken back onto my own shoulders.

Knowing this, I’m determined to place new prayers on my lips, prayers of thanksgiving and praise, prayers that remind me of the blessings instead of focusing on the burdens God has already taken from me.

So join me as I give all the glory to God for his abundant blessings, especially the blessing of bearing my heavy burdens.

Final Thought: A good way to put my troubles into perspective is to focus on my blessings.

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Personal Challenge: Starting now, I’m challenging myself to spend time every day being thankful to God for the beauty and wonder He puts in my life. Today, I’m thankful for warm sunshine and tall prairie grasses.

Facing Failure (Redefining Success)

Along the way I’ve discovered that trying and failing is better than not trying at all. This has been an arduous lesson, taking years to learn—and I have many years of inaction as proof. You see, my head is filled with ideas and dreams that I stubbornly refuse to try because I’m too afraid to face the possibility of failing. In my single-minded thinking, I assume once I’ve tried something and failed, that’s the end; no replay, no try again, no getting up—that dream’s dead.

I recognize how silly that sounds, but in the past the fear of failure has held me so firmly in its grip that I clutched desperately to my fist-full of unfulfilled dreams, erroneously believing that dreaming was true living. But recently, I’ve discovered it’s not enough to simply dream. Doing something is more fulfilling than sitting on my hands. Trying and failing is far better than simply giving in to the persistent cacophony of ever-nagging “what ifs?”

And I have failed again and again and again and again…But the truth is that the joy really is in the journey; and sometimes at the end of the day, failure and success look very much alike. You see, it’s not in the success or failure, but instead it’s in the starting, the pushing through, and the finishing that true learning happens.

Sadly, this truth does not always keep me from sitting firmly on those long cherished dreams because, if I’m completely honest with myself, the fear of failure still continues to haunt me. That’s where God’s love comes in. It’s in those dark moments, the ones where I’ve completely and miserably failed, that I can still lift my head high and revel in the realization that nothing I do can change God’s love for me—nothing.

What a wonderful revelation! The God Who created the universe cares for me regardless of my failure or success; and when it’s all said and done, the only thing He requires of me is to turn my shattered life fully over to Him. Now that’s success!

So join me as I face my fears and try things that scare me, as I finally give wings to my dust-covered dreams. Join me as I surrender myself fully to God, allowing Him to be the author of my life. Join me as I ask Him to write the best storybook ending of all-time—eternity with Him.

Final Thought: A completely successful life is a life completely surrendered to Christ.

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Personal Epiphany: When I focus fully on Christ, allowing Him to take control of my life, He is always faithful to show me the right way and releasing me from all my foolish fears.

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Personal Challenge: In the past I have been guilty of allowing fear to drive my life, but as I grow in my relationship with God, it has become abundantly clear that His plans for me do not include fear; quite the opposite, in fact: God longs to release me from the fears in my life—the fears that hold me back. So I am challenging myself to exercise my faith, to release my fears, and to rest in the confidence that I am safe and secure in the strong, loving arms of God.

Fostering Faith (Forsaking Fear)

Along the way I’ve discovered that even after everything God has done in my life, I still have fears that keep me from stepping out in faith. Fears that often paralyzes me. Fear that I’ll do the wrong thing. Fear that I’ll wander down the wrong path. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of ridicule, fear of fear itself.

Faith, on the other hand, is the exact ...opposite of fear. Faith is trusting God; trusting Him to pick me up when I fall, trusting Him to make my path clear, trusting Him to be bigger than my many shortcomings, trusting Him to shower me with His unfailing love, trusting Him—period.

Unfortunately, my lack of trust often restricts God’s ability to work in my life, giving Him a narrow window of opportunity. Thankfully, God takes advantage of every opportunity to restore His people to Himself, and in spite of my fear and trepidation, God continues to use me for His purposes. This beautiful truth provides me a glimmer of hope, a tiny glimpse of the eternal picture God is painting on the canvas of time.

You see, God uses the successes in my life to build my faith, and as He continues to reveal Himself as faithful and trustworthy in my life, my faith continues to grow stronger and stronger. My daily prayer is that when God asks me to go—regardless of the direction—I, like Peter, will face my fears and boldly step out on the water.

So join me as I determine to set aside my fears and fully trust God to guide my life, recognizing that His plans for me are far greater than mine.

Final Thought: When I focus fully on Christ, allowing Him to take control of my life, He is always faithful to show me the right way, leading me to the places He needs me most.

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Personal Challenge: In the past few weeks I’ve been doing a whole lot of listening to the world’s definition of success, and I’ve allowed these false ideas to draw me away from my true mission; I’ve allowed them to enter into my life to the point where they’ve begun to distort my dreams, to derail my goals, to destroy who I want to be—who God wants me to be.

So today I’m challenging myself to remember the message God whispered to my heart a few short months ago, a message of peace and assurance, a message of abundant love, a message that keeps me focused on what’s really important, a message I need to be reminded of every day; that simple message that God whispered to my soul: “I am enough.”

So with this reminder in my heart I am determined to allow this message to reshape my life, to penetrate my being and to permeate my every action. I am going to return my focus fully to God, allowing Him and Him alone to direct my path, because the path God has for me is my only path to true, sustainable joy.

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Question to Ponder: Why do you let your faith lay limp and stubbornly insist on carrying your own heavy burdens of guilt and pain?

Trading Problems for Peace (A Proposal of Praise)

Along the way I’ve discovered that my life is often plagued with repeating themes—themes of fear, discouragement, uncertainty, doubt, and worry. Although I normally live a very joyful life, too often, I entertain the dark whispers of discontentment, allowing them to float into my life and stay awhile.

For me, there is a persistent battle between giving it to God and doggedly clinging to my fear, discouragement, uncertainty, doubt, and worry; I grasp for them, clutching them tightly as I would priceless treasures. I often enter into a circular and unproductive stream of conversation with God about these difficulties. I am a strong believer in the idea of praying without ceasing; however, recently, I’ve pondered the idea that perhaps it is the incessant dwelling on, the continual thinking about, and the endless discussion of these feelings that gives them power in my life.

There is no doubt that God wants me to bring everything to Him in prayer; but once I have turned my troubles over to Him, shouldn’t I then return my conversation to joy-filled praises? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that we should stop talking with God about our concerns. Instead, what I’m proposing is that we turn those heavy burdens over to Him, giving Him permission to remove them from our fragile shoulders, allowing Him to carry them, and firmly resolving not to snatch back those things we so recently released. I’m suggesting that we give our fear, discouragement, uncertainty, doubt, and worry to God and let Him keep them.

I am once again reminded of Paul’s instructions in Philippians regarding the things I should dwell on. Paul doesn’t say I should dwell on fear, pain, frustration, discouragement, uncertainty, doubt, or worry; instead, he says: “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” Philippians 4:8 (NLT).

So join me as I stop having the same unproductive conversations with God and determine instead to turn all my burdens over to Him, allowing Him to carry them. Join me as I resolve to place each of my burdens firmly on God’s broad shoulders—and leave them there. Join me as I allow God to carry—and keep—these burdens, as I begin each day with that sweet release, as I spend the rest of my day deliberately and intentionally focusing on the beauty God has placed all around me.

Final Thought: It is only when I fully release my burdens to God that I am free to fully embrace the life He has planned for me.

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Personal Epiphany: Few things have the power to lift my flagging spirits like participating in authentic, joyful worship through music.

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Personal Challenge: This week I am challenging myself to spend time every day reminding myself of my wonders of God— meditating on His incomprehensible love, contemplating His awesome glory, basking in His unmerited grace, and recounting the many miracles He has wrought in my life. I’m determined to find time every day to simply worship Him.