It is Tuesday, and my day to blog. Please don’t tell Christi, our Administrator, but I don’t have a blog ready to post. Absolutely nothing would come to my mind to write. Well, nothing that was creative, descriptive, fun, exciting – – something that I thought would impress you and keep you leaning on your seats for more of my writing.
So, for the past week, I have gone to bed every night, shall we say, a little bit – – STRESSED.
I so related to Chan’s thoughts on worry and stress as it pertained to the ministry God has called him into on pages 40-41. For the past few years, God has opened up doors of opportunities for me to write and teach that I never dreamed would be a part of my life.
“Hey, God,” I want to shout: “You have opened up doors for me, but it is killing me at times trying to meet all these deadlines. I don’t mean to complain, but I thought I had retired. Talk about justified stress! I think I fit the bill! Just take a look at the things You are asking me to be responsible for. For starters – – – –
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I suddenly heard God shouting back at me. “Go back and read Chan’s words on page 44: “You need to get over yourself!”
As that phrase zoomed out in front of me, my thoughts turned back to writing this blog. Perhaps that is why I couldn’t think of anything to write this week – – God was trying to teach me a lesson. Did He really need me? After all, where was I when He created the world?
At that point, a song kept going over and over in my mind, and that is what I want to leave you with today. Perhaps it will minister to you more than any words I could pin at this time.
Let’s listen to it together.
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Be blessed,
Martha
Let’s Pray:
Father God, help us to remember that life is like a vapor. May we relax and enter into Your presence, rejoicing always and not be anxious for anything. May we roll all our cares on You, knowing that You are in control. In Jesus name I pray, Amen
Your Assignment:
Be honest. Tell how those words “You need to get over yourselves” relate to you?”
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About Martha Bush
"You alone are God, and I surrender." Oh God, that is my prayer today, and may it be every moment of all my days. 'It's all about You.' I am humbled and awed that You even care about me, let alone love me. Help me to remember that You are The Creator and all of creation is for Your Glory…and that includes me. I can trust You to walk through life and all its stresses WITH me. The bottom line is You first and for Your Glory.
WOW … This was lifechanging for me today! And again, I found it coinciding with our sermon series at our church. The past week, our pastor focused on our short our lives really are … and the fact that we live as if our days were not numbered. (Psalm 90 … Moses' Psalm) He challenged us to think through our schedules and fill out a card with what we need to add, subtract, put more of in, and have less of. I had thought about not filling that card out.
After reading this today … I think i need to for my own accountability.
Worry and Stress can kill. Literally. They kill moments. They kill relationships. They kill families. And they kill people. My tendency is to worry and stress about everything. Money. Time. Pain. Going to the doctor to take care of said pain. I worry about so many things.
Which is telling God that He isn't big enough to handle any of it. Which is saying that I am the most important person in my world. BUT I AM NOT. God is.
Clelaa, I love the last line of your prayer: I can trust You to walk through life and all its stresses WITH me. That is powerful, and the way we all should look at it. God bless.
Cceeyore, I almost posted a report from the Mayo Clinic about what stress does do a person. But, you said it best – -all the things that it kills. I love that; it certainly is something to think about. Good points. God bless.
Thank you Martha for this post! I thought I was the only one!! LOL!! God you be first and help me to get out of the way! I want to be so over myself for you!!!!
What can I say, Donna, but me, too! Turn it all over to Him.
i am leaving today to go out of town for work until Saturday and I am ready to have a little break from home. Today's lesson made me see that HOME is really more ready to have a break from ME!!! LOL!!!! 5 kids,and full time work have me speant, Martha <3 …..but as with you…… its not about me <3 Praise God for this reminder today! …make today AMAZING!!!! 🙂
Martha, loved your post! I found myself blessed with everything I had asked God for, then when I got it, was overwhelmed & didn't know what to do with it all! But I know he wouldn't have given it all to me if He didn't know I could handle it, so I keep trudging forward & placing all my faith in Him leading me.
Megan, I love : Home is really more ready to have a break from ME. Can't imagine your routine around your house and work. You seem to handle it well from my corner of the world. Have a good trip.
You are so right, Sarah. He gives us opportunities that He knows we can handle, yet we stress over it. As you say, trudge forward and place our faith in Him. Be blessed.
This morning was a real "wake up call" for me. The past few months have been very stressful with both Patrick and I out of work. Even though I have trusted that Lord will take care of all of our needs and have gone for days or a week or two without worrying, something comes out of the blue and sends me spiraling into a stressful state, where I just have to get over myself and trust God. It is so easy to trust when things are good, but it is hard to give it all over to God when things are tough, because our controlling nature comes out. Lord, help me to remember that you and you alone are in control.
Cindy, I think if we are all honest, we have that natural tendency to spiral down at times into a stressful state. The good news is being sensitive, as you said, to the wake up call," and God then takes us by the hand to get us back on track. My prayer for you is that both you and your husband be blessed with a job soon, and one that you will enjoy.
Thank you Martha. We have so appreciated all of the ladies support, encouragement and prayers.
These words so remind me of the early days – the I surrender all song when I would sing those words, lay my burden down and when the melody was over pick them all up and try to carry on and then the next day pick put them all back down!!! What a vicious cycle but what a better life to now lay down my burdens and know that in spite of me wanting to control everything God has it. He showed me just how he could put it all back together better than it ever was. What a powerful God we serve.
What really comes to my mind is that God didn't need us when he created the world. Nor does he need us to get his message out. Even though at times we think but if I don't do it, who will? I think he reminds us that it really isn't about us but it's all HIM.
I too am guilty of this same thing when I was speaking to our church youth group at winter camp. I prepared something but it wasn't a lesson. It was a bunch of one liners and some verses. I used it as a guide but went where the Spirit took me when I taught it to 3 different groups. Each one was a little different depending on where He lead me.
We call ourselves busy but are we busy doing the right things? Guilty…the pain of God revealing something to me is worth it when I make more conscious decisions when faced with the same predicament the next time.
God never lets us down and he is always with us through everything we go through. Even when we feel we are alone and he's no where near us. A relationship with Christ is way more than a feeling though and something I need to keep in mind. God has NEVER broken a promise, unlike us. When he says I am with you, he is. Thank you, Jesus!!
“You need to get over yourself!” God has been impressing this on me since Sunday. The sermon was about how our mission is to mirror Christ & His mission and what our lives would look like if we did. How we give up our rights because we are kingdom agents of God. I actually read this part of Crazy Love yesterday. In several other devotionals & posts from yesterday the theme seemed to be " it not all about me". it's not about how I see myself but how God sees me. Then your blog today. I really need to understand is isn't about me, get over myself and move on to carrying out His mission <3
Dawn, you mentioned being busy, but are we being busy doing the right thing. I so agree. I have found often that I am so busy "doing the Lord's work" that I put it before an intimate talk with Him sometimes. It is a wake-up call.
Ann, He can put it together better than us for sure. I am anxious to hear more about the service you were in with Chan.
Cynda, don't you just love it when you hear something two or three times about the same subject matter. That's when we know God is trying to get a message to us. He does love us enough to chasten us.
I LOVE this song!!! Thank you Martha, for sharing your heart with us today! We are so blessed to have you as a blogger for GCH!
One of my favorite songs. Thank you, Christie, for giving me this opportunity to blog. I have been blessed by you and all the women involved.
Wonderful post and blogs today, and a great chapter message from Mr. Chan! It's all about You, Jesus. Bring that to our minds throughout the day and the days to come!
Amen to that Patty – -it is all about Jesus.
thank you, dear friend 🙂
I shall not get stressed out as I was right before I read this portion. It brought me down to earth. It is not about me; it is all about Him!
Beth, I believe it is a statement we all should remind ourselves of daily. Great stress reliver.
great blog Martha!! We do need to remember that it is not all about us. God is the one in control and we need to give him the reins to take it and not weasel our way back in to take control back. Thank you God for taking it all and watching over us!!