wind and waves

Matthew 8:23-27

"Then he got into his boat and his disciples followed him.  Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.  But Jesus was sleeping.  The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We're going to drown!"  He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"  Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the waves, and it was completely calm.  The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this?  Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

During times in my life when I am overwhelmed with worry, anxiety, or fear, my first instinct is to turn to prayer.  First, I have to evaluate whether the thing I fear is something over which I have any control.  If not, I know I must immediately turn it over to the Lord.  If it's something I have the power to change, I ask for wisdom, discernment, and peace.  Often, the things we fear most never come to fruition.  When they do, we rarely have complete control over the situation.  

The serenity prayer is a wonderful resource when you can't seem to come up with the words on your own:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept 

the things I cannot change, 

the courage to change the things I can, 

and the wisdom to know the difference."  

- Reinhold Niebuhr

While you rarely have the ability to control the situation, you have an immeasurable power within you when you lay your troubles at the foot of the cross.  Saint Paul wrote to the people of Philippi while in prison - "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:12-13 - emphasis mine.)  He knew the source of his strength, and turned to the Lord for endurance and provision.  Paul knew that to let his circumstances dictate how he felt would be his demise.  He trained his mind to be self-controlled, and found peace in the Lord.  

What we think in our minds is what will be.  We have to overcome this by disciplining ourselves and filtering what thoughts we allow to take up residence.  Paul also said that we are to "take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5).  Take captive your thoughts, or they will hold you captive.  

I am reading a wonderful book right now by Max Lucado, titled Anxious for Nothing, which addresses this very subject.  If you find yourself grasping for truth during uncertain or fearful times, I highly recommend reading it.  There is another wonderful resource I recommend reading, but I'm pretty sure you already know about that one... :)

2 Timothy 1:7

"For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline."

Matthew 6:25-34

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  

"And why do you worry about clothes?  See how the flowers of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you - you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."