I’m pretty sure I’m a worrier by nature. I worry about finances, the ministry, my job, and getting stuff done. I always worry about being late, the future, and past mistakes. And wondering about whether what I do is good enough or not, or even if I’m good enough or not brings me to my knees with worry.

Yet we’re told not to worry (Phil 5:6). And to help me, God gave me the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14) to watch over me, to care for me, to give me rest from fear, turmoil, tension, and the like. Even rest from myself.

God also gave me His presence – the Holy Spirit. Jesus calls Him the Comforter and the Counselor. It’s in these two roles Jesus says He will leave with me – give me – peace. Not just any peace, but the peace of Christ. The kind of peace I find in the midst of a life of worry. All I have to do is receive this amazing gift.

Thank you God for the Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus for the Comforter and my very own Counselor who will teach me and guide me. Thank you Holy Spirit for the peace you bring to my life.

Now, I won’t always listen. I won’t always accept your guidance or your comfort. At times I will wallow in self-pity, worry, and anxiety. I will be restless more than you or I wish. But I know you are fatihful. You are always there…waiting, hoping, and ready. Thank you.

Men, what about you. Did you wake up this morning worrying about something. Was it similar to what I worry with? Maybe it was different. Maybe it was a relationship. Maybe it was your marriage. Maybe it was your job performance. Maybe it was a child. It doesn’t matter. Worry is worry.

You can be free from worry. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and receive the peace He offers. Unload a life of worry onto the One who died to free you up from a life a worry, fear, and anxiety. Want to know more about how to accept Jesus’ gift of peace click here for more information.

If you have made Jesus your Lord and Savior, then you need to realize (if you haven’t already) that Jesus is also your Shepherd (Ps 23). And as your Shepherd, He offers you rest from your worry. He provides you with peaceful pastures and quiet streams to enjoy and to relax. And while you’re doing that, He’ll protect you. He will watch over you so you won’t have to. Confess your worry right now and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and comfort you. Ask God to fill you with the peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7). And don’t forget to thank Him for this incredible gift of peace.

Shalom,

Mike

I’m not going to run through a list of possibilities because they are both endless and  redundant.  What I mean is that because we are guys there are the repetition of guy thoughts that make their way into our guy brains so I don’t feel the need to list those.  Additionally, the other things we focus on are as numerous as there are guys.  What I want you to do is ask you to focus for minute on the things that really do run through the fields of your thoughts.  Take a moment to ponder the majority of your thoughts. . .

Thanks for doing that.  What I hope you learned is that for most of us we are simple creatures of habit.  We tend to focus on the same things throughout our day.  In his book, The God Life,  John Ortberg challenges us.

The way you think creates your attitudes; the way you think governs your behavior; the way you think deeply influences your immune system and vulnerability to illness.  Everything about you flows out of the way you think

It all depends on where your mind stays.  If you really want to become  a certain kind of person – a hopeful person focused on Christ – you must begin to think thoughts that will produce those characteristics.

So you see, what you think on does have an effect on your life.  Does your attitude suck? check your thought life.  Are you frustrated and act out on that frustration?  Check your thought life.  Do you tend to play the victim rather than the victor?  Check your thought life.  Are you tired of people running over you?  Check your thought life.  Are you a bully?  Check your thought life.  Do you obsess over things?  Check your thought life.  Do you make bad decisions?  Check your thought life.

What you fill your mind with has a definitive impact on the rest of your life – relationships, job, yourself, even your walk with God.

Want to change your thought life?  Want to become the man God designed and desires you to be?  Follow God’s plan found in Philippians 4:8.  I love how The Message puts it.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

Make a change today.  Don’t wait until things get worse.  Confess to God the things you’ve been thinking on and how they have negatively impacted your life, your relationships, your job, and your walk with God.  Then, make a commitment to focus on the things of God so that the peace of God will be with you.

Mike