An Uncluttered Mind

 

By Andrea Merrell

In my dream, I saw inside my mind. On one side sat drawers, cabinets, and shelves full of neatly organized files and notes. A large, framed to-do list hung on the wall over them.

A perfectionist’s dream. I smiled at the neat and tidy arrangement.

Then I turned to the other side and gasped. Chaos. Papers scattered everywhere. Nothing in order. It looked as if a tornado had just passed through.

I turned back to the perfect side and thought, That’s how I like to do life—everything planned and in order. But I realized how easily I could get overwhelmed and fall back into the chaos, losing my peace.

“Which is better, Lord,” I asked.

Neither, my child, came the answer. One is unrealistic; the other causes stress and anxiety.

“So what should I do?”

Unclutter your mind. Take your eyes off all the things that need to be done, and keep your focus on me. I will bring order to your thoughts and lead you step by step.

I don’t normally remember my dreams, but this one stuck with me. Several Scriptures came to mind.

• “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16 NKJV)—and His mind is not scattered.
• “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” (Proverbs 16:3 NLT).
• “You keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT).
• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV).

So which way is better? Without a doubt, God’s way.

 

 Photo by Hillary Black on Unsplash

Leave the Past Where It Belongs

 

By Andrea Merrell

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.

The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

 

“Don’t be like the Israelites,” the speaker said. “God led the whole crew out of Egypt in a day—out of the bondage of slavery and abuse. But because they were not willing to fully accept their deliverance and freedom, they wandered in the desert for forty years instead of entering the Promised Land within a few days.”

The woman beside me shivered and stared at the floor as the speaker went on to say, “If you are a child of God, you have been redeemed. Forgiven. Set free. You are a new creation. A brand new person in Christ Jesus. It’s time to let go of your past so you can move forward.

The woman looked at me with tears streaming down her face. “How do I do that?”

My heart broke as I tried to comfort her, especially knowing that so many of us have asked that same question. How do I do that? How do I let go of past sins? Guilt? Shame? Condemnation? How do I walk in the freedom Christ Jesus paid for?

The Word for You Today says:

If you are in Christ, you’re no longer defined by what you’ve done wrong; you’re defined by what Christ has done right on your behalf. You are a new creation, but sometimes it takes time for your new nature to become second nature.

The Bible clearly tells us that when we belong to the Lord, we become new creations—a brand new person. Our new life begins, and the old life fades away.

If you’re bound by the past and struggling to become that new person God created you to be, give yourself time to let your new nature become second nature, as natural as your next breath. Let go of your past and leave it where it belongs—in the past!

Photo by Greg Jewett on Unsplash

Emmanuel

By Andrea Merrell

 

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,

and they shall call his name Emmanuel, 

which being interpreted is, God with us.

Matthew 1:23 KJV

 

Emmanuel. Son of the Most High. Sent to earth to be born of a virgin. To be a light in the darkness. To save us from our sins. To point the way to the Father.

Emmanuel. Jesus, the living Word. Holy. Sinless. Blameless. Redeemer of all mankind. Messiah. Savior. Lord of all.

Emmanuel. God with us—always. Never leaving. Never unaware of us. God within us. Beside us. Surrounding us. Going before us. Our constant companion.

Emmanuel. Seeing us. Knowing us. Forgiving us. Loving us.

Emmanuel. Wonderful counselor. The Prince of Peace. Jesus. The Name above every other name. The name that comforts, heals, and sets the captive free.

Emmanuel. God with us. With me. With you. Always. 

Merry Christmas, everyone! 

Photo by Al Elmes on Unsplash

Don’t Compound Your Problems

 

By Andrea Merrell

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34 NIV

There I was, doing it again—rehearsing all the worst-case scenarios that could happen in a situation that lay ahead. All the maybes and what-ifs. I analyzed them from every conceivable angle and tried to come up with a plan.

As if …

As if I could fix it. As if I were in charge. As if I could control the future. As much as I dreaded what I had to face, I only compounded my problem by rehearsing it over and over in my mind. I experienced it numerous times instead of only once.

Matthew tells us not to worry about tomorrow. The Message translation puts it like this:

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

When we worry, we lose our peace and our joy. It destroys our well-being. When we focus on the problem instead of the problem-solver, we forget that only He knows what truly lies ahead. Nothing catches Him by surprise. And the best part is He promises to be with us. To help us. To sustain us. To give us wisdom and direction. We never have to face anything alone.

In reality, the anticipation of something is many times much worse than the actual situation when it comes. I’ve experienced this time and again.

If you’re facing a major problem, don’t dwell on it. Don’t worry about. And don’t try to fix it before it even happens. Give it to the Lord, and trust Him to see you through it. You won’t be disappointed.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com and Molnar Balint.

He Finds You Not Guilty

 

By Andrea Merrell

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him

without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised

in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.

Romans 8:21 NLT

Accused of a crime he did not commit, the young man stood before the judge and jury with bated breath. These people held his future in their hands.

Am ominous silence filled the room until the verdict was announced: “We find the defendant not guilty.”

Just like that young man, we all have an accuser who does whatever he can to discredit us. To make us feel guilty. Unworthy. Condemned. His goal is to convince us that we can never be good enough to receive God’s love and forgiveness.

But the Bible clearly tells us we are accepted, not because we are worthy but because He is worthy. We are reminded thirty-one times in the New Testament that we are “in Christ.” That means we are clothed in His righteousness. Free from the curse of the law. Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Seated with Him in heavenly places. No longer do we live under the burden of condemnation, of never being good enough. God has made us right with Him as was promised.

“For God so loved the world that He gave …” (John 3:16 NKJV). 

He gave His all, His very best, so that we could be free.

No matter what the accuser throws at you, know that when you  trust in the Lord, He finds you not guilty.

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Siri Anamwong.