R E F L E C T

With January already half way over we are well on our way into 2017! We have been talking a lot about setting goals for this upcoming year and thinking about where we want to be at the end of it. All of which is awesome and very necessary in our personal relationship with Christ. However I want to take a moment in this post and see if we can turn our heads around to look at where we have come from. (Karin touched on this a bit in last week’s post which was great, I love the jar idea!)

I don’t know about you guys but I have a pretty crazy year coming up! Our first baby is on the way which brings along tons of excitement but also a touch of anxiety and fear of the unknown. From what I have been told these are pretty normal feelings as a new mom. But as a believer I want to be careful and not let myself justify things that are not from Christ. I have written about stress and anxiety in a few of my previous posts, so in case you didn’t pick up on it already I will just fess up...I struggle with this big time! God is pretty clear in His word on where He stands with worry:

Matthew 6:25-27

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life…look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?”

Pretty clear right? The sad thing is I so easily forget this verse. I find myself getting so focused on what is next and upcoming that sometimes I can give myself tunnel vision. For example a couple years ago we felt God calling us to do a 10 month long mission trip across South America. I was excited but immediately started to think about the challenges of planning and funding a trip like that. I started to feel the financial stress weigh me down as we only had 6 months to save the funds. As my heartbeat started to race and my stomach started churning I knew right then that I had to leave it in Gods capable hands or I would literally be a wreck physically, emotionally and spiritually. And of course God being the amazing Father that He is, provided all we needed and we were able to successfully complete that trip reaching 23 nations! What I don’t understand is that this joy and excitement that comes from seeing God's faithfulness seems to only last for a certain time period. Then, life continues on and another problem presents itself and it is right back to the beginning where fear and stress dominate. But do you know what can stop this cycle? REMEMBERING! We need to reflect on what God has done for us and who He is in our lives. Not only when times are tough but on a regular basis as well.

Psalm 77:11

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord, yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago”

Psalm 143:5

“I remember the days of old, I meditate on all your doings, I muse on the work of your hands”

King David (composed the book of Psalms) knew how important it was to remember all that God had done. He even meditated on these things that God had done. We should all be looking forward for this New Year as life with Christ is exciting and He wants us to continue to know Him better. But, don’t be afraid to set aside more of your time to just reflect on where God has brought you from and what He has done for you. I am challenging myself on this and hope that it will help draw me ever closer to my Creator.