Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Outcome

[To go deep: interAct: Bible Study  & interAct Study: week 4  & interAct Study: week 4 insights]

 “Chillax.” 
“What?” 
“You know . . . chillax . . . chill out . . . relax.”  
“Just relax . . . it is all going to work out.” 
 Sounds like good counsel doesn’t it? 
The thing is . . . the giver of the advice was a five-year-old little girl . . . she was a good teacher by example . . . she did not appear to be in a hurry or have any plans . . . and genuinely wanted me to understand that it would be good to . . . well . . . chillax.

 Why do we have anxiety and stress? 
Fear is at the root of anxiety and stress.  We live in a society that accepts and assumes anxiety and stress is normal in the world we live in; however, God has created us to live in peace.  The way to receive peace is through trusting God.   Fear and trust do not mix.   So, a choice must be made to either live in fear or trust. 

 The Apostle Paul trusted God with everything . . . including the outcome of his life.  He wrote to the Church at Philippi from prison about people preaching Christ out of wrong motives.  There was every reason for Paul to be anxious and stressed out.  He was in a mess . . .  imprisoned while his adversaries were working against him . . . “Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will . . .”  (Philippians 1:15).

 Even so, Paul trusted God to shift the universe to put His divine plan into place. He could be at peace even in the worst of circumstance because he had confidence that God was at work even in the messages of his adversaries . . . believing the story of God to be more powerful than the one telling the story.   Regardless of the motive, the message of Christ continued because God is more powerful than any and all adversaries.


 Pray: I put my trust in You rather than anything or anyone.

Is it possible to live without anxiety or stress?
Can you trust that the power of God is greater than any issue you are facing . . . that the outcome belongs to God?

Learning with you to KICK START the day . . . trusting the outcome of life belongs to God.
Pastor Kerrie
(interAct written by Kerrie Palmer © 2009 All Rights Reserved)
kpalmer@hillchurch.com ~Church on the Hill~700 N. Hill Rd.~McMinnville, OR 97128~503.472.8476 ~www.hillchurch.com~ interAct
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