Content and Carefree Living

“So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you” (1 Peter 5:6-7 TMB).

Content and carefree is how we should live if we really believe that God is in control. Therefore, faith is really all that is required of us. But why is faith so difficult, even though it is so simple? The answer is because our feelings are in direct opposition with faith. Faith is not a feeling.

This is hard for me since I am such an emotional being and I go by my feelings as many women do. Going with your “intuition” or feelings can be beneficial, but it can also be detrimental if it gets in the way of our faith, which hinders our freedom. "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1 NIV). The Amplified Bible adds that “faith [is] perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.”

I am willful and passionate. I often go by my feelings and what I want to do or not want to do. My personality does not serve me well when I don’t want to do something. I always fall back on the verse that God will give me the “desires of [my] heart,” therefore, I should get a say in what I want to do. That is partly true, however, the full context of that verse is:

“Trust in the LORD and do good; 
dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD;
and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD,
trust also in Him, and He will do it” (Psalm 37:3-5 NASB).

That famous verse is sandwiched in between two other verses that instruct us to “Trust in the Lord” and to “commit you way to the Lord, trust also in Him.” We must trust in him and commit our ways to his ways as Jesus said," not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). We must believe that God’s plans are indeed, “plans to prosper [us] and not to harm [us], plans to give [us] hope and a future” (Jerimiah 29:11 NIV). We must believe that “ without faith is is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV). We must believe that HE IS. God is…

· In control

· For me

· My rock an my redeemer

· My comforter

· Faithful

· love

· My Father

· Lord of my life

· Good

· The Great I AM

I believe that God does want to reward us with good things, “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think [even beyond the desires of our heart], according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV), but I also believe that he first wants us to believe and have faith that He is. That is the power that works in us.

Lord, as the father of the possessed boy cried out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24 NIV) so that I can live a content and carefree life trusting in you!

Supernatural Faith

Hope means holding on to you. Grace means you’re holding me too. –JJ Heller

Trust and faith are easy statements to make. It is the acting it out part that gets a little difficult. Who I am kidding? Sometimes it seems down right impossible. But we know that with God all things are possible and that with out faith it is impossible to please God. It is God who makes us have faith when we trust him. Trust is a frame of mind or a heart condition more than an assertion or even an action. Trust is a choice. Faith will take you where you want to be, but trust will make it possible. It is to believe God over your feelings when we get disappointed and our feelings don’t line up with the Word of God.

Take my job situation for example. As I wait to hear back from the school I interviewed at to be a teacher, many things go through my mind. How disappointed and discouraged I will be if I don’t get the job. Or if I do get the job, how will I do? Will it stress me out and be too much for me to handle? Will I enjoy it? Am I really ready? What will I do if I don’t get the job? I, I, I, I, I. What do I know? What I really need to be saying is God, God, God, God! All of these ponderings are answered in the Word of God.

First, He will never leave me.

Second, God works all things out for good.

And Third, God knows the plans He has for me.

Ahhh. See I feel better already! Now the tricky part is just trying to focus on God instead of me. God’s way is always the best way, but sometimes we just need to get out of the way!

Lord, help me to have supernatural faith that can move mountains, but yet help me to stand as firm as a mountain. Your way is perfect because You are perfect. I love you. Thank you for being You. Amen.