Tag: fear and anxiety

God's Peace

Feeling Anxious?

meghanewhite

img_5733

If anxiety is weighing you down, you are in good company. There are plenty of people around the world feeling anxious. We have more than enough problems, and potential problems, to keep us all feeling a lack of peace. This world is a mess, and it’s getting messier. It’s quite easy to feel anxious. But, we don’t have to stay there.

We have hope. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ you have everything you need to get your peace back. Jesus knew we would have troubles. He never said it would be easy. But He did not end there.

“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, NIV

In Him we have peace. That is incredible. We can have peace in spite of the chaos. We can experience His supernatural peace in spite of the diagnosis, the painful loss, the empty bank account, the job loss, the trauma, the trial, the pain. We can rest in Him during life’s most anxious times.

We have peace because Jesus already took all our sin and nailed it to the cross. Because of Jesus we have victory over death, and continuous victory over every problem we face. He is with us and will help us.

One of my all time favorite Bible passages in Philippians has gotten me through so many hard times. I relied on these verses heavily when my dad was dying, twenty-four years ago. I still go back to these powerful words time, and time again.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7, NIV

The Lord is near, always! We are not to be anxious. In everything, by prayer, we can give all our requests over to the Lord. We can do this with a thankful heart knowing He has an answer and a plan. As a result we get the peace of God, which goes above and beyond any human understanding. This perfect peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

The world offers us peace that is circumstantial and fleeting. God gives us peace that goes beyond our circumstances. For He himself is our peace. Rest in Him today, knowing that He is right there with you. He knows every problem you have or will ever have, and He will make a way for you.

If you are too worn out to pray, read those words in Philippians. Write them down. Say them out loud, and know that God will replace your anxiety with His peace.

Love you all,

Meghan

Father God,

You are awesome, holy God. Thank you for peace, hope, and joy. For those who are weighed down with anxiety, lift their eyes up to Jesus. Replace their anxious thoughts with peace. Help them to stay in Your word. Give them the strength to pray and call on You. May they rest in Jesus and experience supernatural peace.

Amen

Faith, Trials, Uncategorized

This Too Shall Pass

meghanewhite

This is the verse from Proverbs. No, it must be from Psalms. That’s not it either. This too shall pass is not in the Bible. Many of us assume it’s found in the Bible because it sounds like something right out of the Old Testament. My mom said it often. Maybe your mom said it too. My mom said it because she had to deal with really difficult circumstances throughout her life. She learned that she would get through, by the grace of God. You are going to make it too!

In such a stressful time full of so many unknowns I see so much good. Families are spending more time together. No practice. No running out the door to go to school, or anywhere. Many are now either working from home or have been laid off. I’m not saying being laid off is good, but the free time is. A giant pause button was hit on our lives around the world.  

We have some extra time to just be. We are so busy doing that we have forgotten the importance of just being. The love God has for each of us is not based on what we can accomplish in a day. God’s love for us has no strings attached. God loves us right where we are at, just as we are. We can’t earn His love. God offers His love freely to us. 

If your life has been radically interrupted like most of us around the globe, use this time to spend with the Lord. Just be with Him. Ask Him the hard questions, He’s got answers if we’re ready to listen. Do you know Him? He already knows everything about you. Do you know Jesus as your savior? 

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”( John 14:6, NIV)

This time of crisis will end. Let’s make the most of being stuck at home. Have fun with your kids or grandkids. Stay in your p.j’s because you can. Turn off the news now and then and watch something funny. Laughter is a fantastic stress reliever. Take a social media break. Maybe choose one day where you don’t go online. Read a book. Take a walk. Pray often. Read your Bible. Check on elderly friends and neighbors. 

Our lives seem to go from one responsibility to the next, and sometimes with little or no break between. When was the last time you had nowhere to go? When was the last time you sat for more than five minutes? I’m talking to all of us that are always doing and have forgotten to just be. 

We’ll have plenty to do soon enough. Take it each day. That’s all we can do. Trust God who is completely worthy of trust. If you start to worry, stop and pray. Give those worries to the Father. He can handle it. 

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7, NIV)

This too shall pass. This crisis will end. I know the restrictions are getting tighter in some places but let’s do our part. Follow the guidelines the best you can. Be patient. It will end. God will carry you through. Trust Him. Lean on Him. Cry out to Him. He’s got you!

We’re all in this together. Rich, poor, famous, and regular folks like me have to follow the same restrictions to help combat the coronavirus. We can do this! We will make it!

Be wise. Be discerning. Trust God.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”(1 Timothy 1:7, NKJV)

Love you all,

Meghan 

 

 

Dear Lord,

Thank you that you are faithful and trustworthy. We can fully rely on you to carry us through hard times. Give us your peace when we start to worry. Give us your presence when we feel alone. Give us your protection when we feel afraid. Help us to make the best use of our time and learn what we need to out of this crisis. Help us to come out of this better, stronger, and with bigger faith. We thank you and praise you!

Amen

 

If you need prayer please email me!

Faith, Trials, Uncategorized

Keep Calm and Carry On

meghanewhite

This iconic message, recognized globally, was originally designed by the British Ministry of Information in 1939. Before England had entered the war they were prepping for the worst. The British government was expecting a massive aerial attack from the German’s at the onset of war. The blitz didn’t start until about a year later. Keep Calm and Carry On was stored away to be used when things got really bad for England. The poster never came out of storage and was forgotten. About 60 years after the end of WWII an original poster was discovered in the bottom of a box from a book auction. 

The book shop owner displayed the poster and started reproducing and selling copies. Keep Calm and Carry On just took off after that first copy was found. The copyright is expired so that’s why we see so many variations of Keep Calm and Carry On.

The intent of the message was to reassure people during WWII. To create a mindset. To persevere. To be resolute. Determined. The first German air raid on London lasted for 57 consecutive nights. Bombings, night after night. 

Though this poster was never used during the war, I can only imagine what people in London experienced. Keep Calm and Carry On sends a message to the enemy and to yourself. We refuse to give in to fear. We’re going to make it, no matter how bad things get.

This poster immediately came to my mind as panic sets in around the world with the threat of coronavirus. Here in America store shelves are being emptied of water and of all things, toilet paper. The only other time I’ve seen it worse at the stores is when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston. Everything was empited at the stores, everything. 


All things may appear to be completely out of control. Please be assured God is still in control.

God is always on the throne.

God is not surprised by the virus.

God is not fearful or overwhelmed.

God is faithful.

God is completely trustworthy.

God loves you.

Most of us know the story of Job in the Bible. Job was a Godly man.

“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1, ESV)

Job had seven sons and three daughters. He had servants, and tons of animals. Job was blessed and respected. 

 “so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.” (Job 1:3b, ESV)

God allowed Satan to test Job. He ends up losing his children, his animals, his servants and everything in between. Yet Job never cursed God. (Spoiler alert: Job gets back twice as much as he had before.)

The Lord speaks to Job.

 

4 Where were you when I established the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who fixed its dimensions? Certainly you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 What supports its foundations?
Or who laid its cornerstone
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

8 Who enclosed the sea behind doors
when it burst from the womb,
9 when I made the clouds its garment
and thick darkness its blanket,
10 when I determined its boundaries
and put its bars and doors in place,
11 when I declared: “You may come this far, but no farther;
your proud waves stop here”?

12 Have you ever in your life commanded the morning
or assigned the dawn its place, 

(Job 38:4-12, HCSB)

I have never made a planet, or a star, or the moon. I don’t even have the capabilities to create anything even close to that. I am not God. There is one God and He made everything and He holds it all together. Nothing surprises Him. 

We are all going to make it through the coronavirus. Let me give it the scientific name, COVID-19. Now I feel really smart. 

As Christians we can shine our light by keeping calm and carrying on. Let’s not panic. Keep trusting the One who holds it all together. And if you’re feeling afraid, cry out to Him. God loves you so much, and wants to comfort you, and give you His perfect peace.

Keep calm and carry on!

 

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:10, NIV)

 

Love you all,

Meghan 

 

 

 

Dear Lord,

You are the perfect Father. Your love and care for us is overwhelming. Please give peace to your children right now. For those who have the virus, please heal them. Stop it’s spread. Please end this quickly Lord. For those who don’t know you as Savior, draw them to you. Save them. Help us all to do our part to be wise and discerning. To follow your leading, and to keep trusting you. Provide basic needs, proper healthcare, and finances wherever it’s needed. You promise to provide all of our needs and you always do. Give wisdom to local, national, and international leaders. Thank you Lord. We trust you.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Please email me if you need prayer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith, Jesus, Trials, Uncategorized

The Opposite of Fear

meghanewhite

mountain beside body of water with aurora borealis

I remember the nightlight in the bedroom that my little sister and I shared. With five kids, it was helpful that the two youngest could share a room. I loved that blue bedroom. The carpet was dark blue, so my mom made the best of it and sewed matching blue bedspreads and curtains. Underneath my little vanity table was a nightlight. We could not sleep without it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the nightlight, but my sister was afraid of the dark, so I tolerated the light.

It’s funny how during the day our room was so cheery, with our stuffed animals and toys. It was a happy spot where we played and created make believe worlds. At night, the room could appear scary. The exact same room that we were in just hours before, happily playing, became a fearful place in the dark. As soon as we switched our nightlight on, everything was OK.

That tiny little light illuminated all the shadows and possible monsters. Suddenly, we saw our stuffed animals smiling back at us. We could sleep in peace. The exact same space in the dark and the light, appeared completely different at night in our little kid brains. That’s where imagination takes off. Those creative ideas we had during the day for play, became the stuff of potential nightmares at night.

We live in a time of great fear. With so much knowledge at our fingertips, maybe too much, fear can take hold. Some of those fears are legimate and some are not. I like to call it the “What if?” scenario.

What if I lose my job?

What if I lose my spouse?

What if I get hurt?

What if I get into an accident?

What if I get cancer?

What if … (fill in the blank)

What if. What if. What if.

All of those unknowns are in the dark. We can’t see the possible danger, but we can create potential negative outcomes in our head. Jesus is the light. We must follow Him and go where He leads as He lights our path. We don’t have to know everything, but we can fully trust the One who does.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, ESV)

How much do we actually have control over? Not much. I can control me and my repsonse to situations, circumstances, and people. As Christians we can fully rely on our savior, Jesus. He is my constant in the fear. He is the solid Rock. My foundation is sure in Christ. No matter the fear. No matter the “What if”. No matter the pain. No matter the trouble. No matter the trial.

Jesus is my protector.

Jesus is my provider.

Jesus is my comforter.

Jesus is my savior.

Jesus is my peace.

The opposite of fear is peace. I can have peace in storms, trials, and heartaches.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27, NIV)

Jesus gives us peace. He does not give us worry. He does not give us fear. He does not give us fret. The peace Jesus gives is not based on circumstances. Jesus’ peace is based on Him. 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, KJV) 

You may be struggling with fear. It’s gripped you and there seems no way out. There is good news for you! There is a way out. Jesus is reaching out to you. He will carry you until you are strong enough to walk on your own. He can set you free from the fear. Give it all to Him, The Prince of Peace.

Love you all,

Meghan

 

 

Heavenly Father,

We come boldly to your throne of grace. We need your peace in this crazy, broken world. Keep our eyes and hearts fixed on you. For all of those gripped with fear, may your perfect peace bring comfort and hope. Help us to follow your light, Jesus, where there is no darkness. We thank you and praise you!

Amen

 

Please send me an email if you need prayer!

 

 

 

Photo by Tobias Bjørkli on Pexels.com