Faithful Fridays ~ Take It.

Hi, everyone!  :)  It's time for Faithful Friday!

Faithful Fridays is a weekly linky party hosted on my blog.  I made it so that Christians could have one special day out of the week (Friday) to share something from their Christian walk on their blog.  If you'd like to participate, write your post, grab the button from the Faithful Fridays page on my blog (so that it will link back here), and come link up at the bottom of this post!  :)

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Please keep in mind that I am preaching to myself in this post.  I need this just as much, if not more, than anyone else.  :)

Sometimes it feels like all you can ever do is fail and cause problems and be a messed-up person.  We all have those inside issues that we wrestle with inside ourselves.  Usually we don't tell anyone, and if we do tell someone, it's only the closest person whom we trust the most.  

Sometimes it seems like this world is full of trouble and trouble only.  Yeah, sure we might have some good moments here and there, but what are they to the intense heartache and conflict and sorrow and fear that surrounds us the rest of the time?

The Bible tells us straight-out that we. will. have. trouble.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.

-John 16:33

But God's giving us this peace!  He has told us these things so that in Him we may have peace.

If you want that peace, you have to take it.  It's hard, but you have to reach out and take it!  Everything is screaming at you that you can't do it, you can't survive this, you can't succeed in the life God has given you, but you can if you'll just take that leap of faith into God's arms and His will.

But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me

Reminding me of all the times I tried before and failed

The waves they keep on telling me

Time and time again, "Boy, you'll never win!"

"You'll never win!"

But the voice of truth tells me a different story

And the voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid."

And the voice of truth says, "This is for my glory."

Out of all the voices calling out to me

I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.

-"The Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns

Put your worrying and your self-pity down and grab it!  You can't reach out and take God's hand and His plan for your life if your hands are full of regret, fear, sorrow, anger, and bitterness.  God has the grace to offer us this peace, and we have to take it!  It goes hand-in-hand with trusting God.  It's a leap of faith, but that's what makes it great.  Good things are rarely easy.  

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

-2 Timothy 1:7

Sometimes, I wake up in the morning, and I have a bright lookout on the day.  And then my day may disappoint me.  Or, sometimes I may get up and have a horrible lookout on the day and it may go just as I had thought it would.  

And that has everything to do with my attitude.

Obviously, if I start the day with it in my head that it just might be awful, it probably will be.  

But if I start my day off with a cheerful outlook, and then suddenly frustrating or patience-trying circumstances come crashing down on me, if I don't keep my attitude right, my day is going to turn out the exact same way it would if I had started it off with a grouchy outlook.  

Hapiness is determined by the circumstances.

Joy is not.  

The crazy thing about true joy is that it's invincible.  

True joy comes from the Lord and it's not determined by what you have, how things are in your life, who you're surrounded with, or any other earthly or human matter.  

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 everything through him who gives me strength.

-Philippians 4:12-13

Start the morning knowing that you will have troubles and problems and frustrations during that day.  I know that sounds depressing, but just listen.  Start the day knowing that it's going to have some rough spots, some bumps in the road.  But God is always with You.  I mean, the God of angel armies is always by your side!  Can you imagine?  What have you to fear?  He is always with you, His presence is always there.  He holds your hand and leads you and guides you.  

Now, think of all the frustration and problems that could very well come, and then take a light-hearted view of them, brush them off your shoulders, and know that it's all a challenge that you and God can take together.  

Reach out and grab that peace and joy.

God bless you guys and have a great day.  :)

Joy :)

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