My husband has an office in the garage and occasionally a tiny hummingbird will fly in and spend two days fluttering frantically to get out! We have both tried to gently coax its darting frame out the door, fearful that it might break its flickering wings, but it persists in batting itself higher and higher against the ceiling, until we finally give up and it drops to the floor exhausted! Its continual struggle to get free is heart-wrenching to watch…but they are little soldiers…they never give up!
Our current world-wide disorder, confusion and contradiction clearly defines the obscure position we are finding ourselves in. Like the hummingbird, our brains struggle to make sense of it all and we look for a way out. With the national chaos in Afghanistan and local talk of “defunding the police” in various cities across our nation, I am curious to know how we will govern our country, homes, schools, churches, communities and lives. We are at war and don’t even know it! The greatest battle we are facing is in our minds. It is easy to think we are just victims to our circumstances, BUT WE HAVE A CHOICE! The panic, disrespect and anxiety that has over-taken our thinking is running amuck in the rhetoric of lie after lie.
When I mention the terms “Law, Statutes, Commands, Ordinances, Judgements and Precepts” …what comes to mind? Do you bristle at the thought? Ever wonder what these are for or why God counts them important? Are they necessary? They are referenced all through scripture. Lawlessness is becoming common place in California, with permission to steal as much as you can carry up to 900.00 dollars with no consequence. Marijuana is legalized! There are is no law protecting the homeowner from breaking and entering, criminals are walking out of court and released from serving time and child trafficking is off the charts…need I go on?
What am I to think? It’s all so negative and toxic! How are we to cope with all the turmoil and uncertainty? It doesn’t help that from the very beginning in Genesis, the fall brought broken fellowship with God and man, broken thinking, broken emotions, fear of death, rebellion, lies and much more. We are told by self-help guru’s that “we are awesome”; this or that medication will take the edge off the mayhem and “we are beautiful and the world is getting better”!
SAY WHAT???
“All stress and anxiety can be traced back to three basic lies: (1) I am helpless (2) I am worthless (3) I am unlovable.” 2 Thess. 2: 9 There are more suicides among young people than ever before. They believe one or all of these lies! Scripture answers those lies with: (1) the power of the Godhead dwells in us…we are not helpless! (2) I was worth dying for…I have great value! (3) I am accepted in the beloved…I am VERY loved!
We are at war. “Transform your thinking and you will transform your life.” We are to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.” II Cor. 10:5 This is the battleground. It’s a war. We are warriors. The choice is ours. We are not victims.
Get to know these terms…they frame our thoughts…they are the remedy…
Line your thoughts up with God’s truth…
“The law of the Lord is perfect…restoring the soul (the mind, will and emotions); the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right…rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure…enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord (fearing the consequence of sin) is clean, enduring forever; the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous. Your servant is warned, in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19: 7-11
~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America. Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California. My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.
