The Book - continued from The Pen.

I wanted to continue my thoughts from last week's post. You can click here to read it if you missed it. 

Last Sunday night, --- wow it's been a long week!! I feel like last Sunday night was weeks ago! 

Anyways. 

Last Sunday night, I headed to bed and picked up the 51 page (including the notes section) mini-book, God Will Use This for Good, by Max Lucado that everyone received at the women's retreat I attended in March. I found it when I was rummaging through the closet looking for the spare key to our car earlier that day.  I didn't remember bringing it over with us. It's a short read, but good. Max Lucado's encouraging insights mixed in with the colorful story of Joseph. 

If you just go ahead and skip to page 22 in chapter 3 and Max says:

"If Satan can neutralize you, he can mute your influence." 

Insert furrowed eyebrows and a frown. That really stirred up my heart. Sure these situations are really heavy in our life. But heavy or not, I'm not going to be silent. That phrase really got me. I felt like Yosemite Sam - "Them's fightin' words!!" 

(Max is not talking about an "influencer" on social media. He means the people in your life!) 

I asked myself,  "is this heaviness (that is now since gone) going to keep me from trusting Jesus and acting like He has this all in His hands?" "Are these situations going to make me put my faith in God on the back burner and act like He won't be faithful again?" 

N.O.  Definitely not. There are two teenage girls and one young adult man who are our watching this all play out. And it is really important to me that they see Jesus and they see Him working in our life so they will build up their faith in Him for themselves. 

For our girls, they see us everyday, so they are watching and taking note of how we respond to situations, sin, and where God is in our lives during these times. Our boy is a young adult and learning to be on his own and learning to make God, his God. 

(I think I was around his age when my faith started becoming my own and not my parents or my youth pastors or my church's faith. At some point in the teenage/young adult life, there comes a time when teens and young adults starting making their faith their own. I've seen it a lot and experienced it. And let's just say that's hard as the parent because you want to do it for them and you cannot.) 

It's the same for you. What is happening in your life that Satan is using to neutralize and mute your influence?  Where are you fighting words? Put on the Armor and decide to fight back. You have a sword and a shield. Use it. You have to act. Act on God's character. Remind yourself of God's promises and when you've done all you can, you stand.  (Galatians 6:10-18)

Pick up that heavy situation and toss it back on Jesus. That's what He tells us - to cast our cares on Him. Get out of the boat and walk on the water, when you start sinking, throw your hand up and start walking again. 

Last week, I also wondered out loud if there was a practical way to "throw" this all back on Jesus. I think so, yes. So below are my thoughts on how to practically throw things back on Jesus. 

***disclaimer *** Even though it looks like it, this is not a to-do or to-don't list. It's not a fix all. I'm sure there are 1,000+ ways to practically cast your cares on Jesus, so find out for yourself. The first one is really the main one for everyone and every situation. The others could be iffy. 

... Pray each time you think about it or catch yourself worrying about it. 

... Do what you can. Act where you can. Keep living your life. Don't let this paralyze you.

... Stick with the facts. Remember your emotions are not facts about the actual event(s). 

... Share with friends. -  share with friends who are strong in their faith and that are not given to gossip. 

... Don't ruminate.

... Don't assume

... Don't replay conversations over or make-up new conversations that you'll never have in your mind.

Whatever it is in your life: situations, difficult people, mistakes you made, etc., don't let Satan neutralize and mute you. God takes what Satan means for harm and turns it into good. Just ask Joseph. (See Genesis 50:19-20)

Genesis 50:19-20

"But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

Galatians 6:10-18 

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."