Three weeks ago we started a study on anxiety. If you missed the previous ones, I’ll leave links at the bottom. As I said, since worry and anxiety are such common problems, I wanted to share with you all some of the truths I talk about in counseling.
Many of the same principles apply whether you have experienced milder versions of worry or full-blown panic attacks. So prayerfully, you will find some truths that will be helpful to you or someone you know.
In week one, we looked at a biblical definition for worry and anxiety. In week two, we talked about what Jesus had to say about worry in Matthew 6. That is the first of two very important passages on the subject. And last week, we looked at the second of those two passages. Today we’re going to talk about fear versus love.
Two weeks ago we started a study on anxiety. If you missed the first two, I’ll leave links in the post. Since worry and anxiety are such common problems, I wanted to share with you all some of the truths I talk about in counseling.
Many of the same principles apply whether you have experienced milder versions of worry or full-blown panic attacks. So prayerfully, you will find some truths that will be helpful to you or someone you know.
In week one, we looked at a biblical definition for worry and anxiety and last week we talked about what Jesus had to say about worry in Matthew 6. Today we’re going to look at the second of two very important passages on the subject.
You will, also, find links to the previous week’s other posts. They have covered a variety of topics including the idea that we are all counseling, where we’ll spend eternity, the pain of adultery, and much more.
As I said in last week’s introduction, almost everyone has battled this powerful emotion at one time or another. It may have included full-blown panic attacks or something much milder. But whatever it looked like, you have probably experienced some form of anxiety.
Since I frequently counsel women who are smuggling with this issue, I thought I would go through some of the lessons I share in counseling.
Last week, we looked at a biblical definition for worry and anxiety. This week we’re going to look at the first of two very important passages on the subject.
2022. A new year stands before us. 2021 and 2020 before that have been challenging to put it mildly.
Viruses. Bombings. Senseless murders. Shut-downs. Financial hardships. Crime. Dirty, partisan politics. Suicide. Sexual immorality. Anger. Road rage. Persecution. The loss of religious freedoms.
The world around us has been and continues to be in upheaval. Everything is changing right before our eyes.
Even within the church world, there are many false gospels.
So, how will we know truth from lies? How can we stand strong in a changing world, when life gets hard, or stays hard?
Emotions are real and part of being human. In fact, God created us as emotional beings. But problems result when we allow our emotions to control our thoughts, words, and actions. When that happens, we can quickly end up in a ditch, spiritually and relationally.
This is first in a series on “Handling Emotions Biblically.” In this series, we’ll look at emotions, how they affect us and how we can handle them God’s way.
I published this series three years ago but because so much of my counseling this year has had to do with worry, anxiety, depression and other emotions, I am editing and republishing it. I know you will find it helpful, not because of my writing, but because it’s based on God’s eternal truth.
How to pray, that has been a question on the minds of believers for at least 2,000 years. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray and He responded with a very familiar outline for prayer. We can learn more about how to pray from the way the Apostle Paul and others in the Bible prayed.
How do you pray for those in your life? How do you pray for yourself? Do you use any of those examples and could there be some you have not thought about?
There has been a lot said in recent years about thankfulness and gratitude. A glance around a bookstore and you’ll find thankfulness journals and books on the psychological value of gratitude.
But how should believers in Christ view thankfulness? Is it possible that we are called to a much higher level of this attitude?
Controversial issues abound these days. It’s not just that they abound but the divisions seem to be deeper and more contentious. Controversial issues come up on social media, from political platforms, in the public square, on the news, on talk shows, and all across the internet. But they will also come up across Thanksgiving tables in a few days.
How do we decide when to engage in those conversations and how can the love of God and His wisdom help us navigate those controversial issues?
Do our associations really matter? If we know who we are in Christ, is it acceptable and wise to have close friendships with unbelievers? After all, didn’t Jesus hang around with prostitutes and tax collectors? What do we need to consider as we develop friendships, form partnerships, even choose a mate?
We all know forgiveness is important. In fact, if we have been a believer for any length of time we know that God commands us to forgive. But sometimes, we just don’t know how to do it.
So what is forgiveness? Does it require us to forget or to act like the hurt or the sin never happened? What does it mean to forgive as God forgives us?
Maybe you have questions, too. I hope to answer some of them in the next two posts.
