what happens when we get uptight?...

a lot of times when i’m waiting on GOD, HE’s really waiting on me.  HE was ready to give the answer a long time ago that i was asking for but i wasn’t ready to receive it.  HE’s saying, “grow up!  get some SPIRITual depth in your life.  I want to bless your life but you can’t handle the blessing I want to pour on you.  I’ll bless you beyond what you can imagine.”  waiting is a time to get ready.  prepare. 

JESUS waited thirty years before HE began HIS ministry.  thirty years of preparation and HE accomplished more in three years than we would in a lifetime.

isaiah 49.23 (niv), the LORD says…“no one who waits for MY help will be disappointed.”

while i'm waiting on GOD i wait expectantly then i wait quietly.

james points out the fact that we have a tendency to run off at the mouth when we’re irritated, when we’re tense, when we’re under pressure, when things aren’t going our way and things aren’t under our control.  james warns us in chapter 6 verse 9 (niv), don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. 

why does he talk about grumbling right in the middle of patience?  it’s hard to be quiet when you’re frustrated.  when you’re frustrated, you want everybody to know about it.  you want to grumble, mumble, moan, complain.  we don’t mind waiting if we can complain about it.  i’ll wait if i can gripe while i’m doing it.  james says, “don’t grumble”.  the new english bible says, don’t blame your troubles on one another.

when you get up in the morning, do you rise and whine?  hit the ground griping?  everything is bad!  if you come home at night dog-tired, it’s because you growled all day! 

then in verse 12 (niv) he says, above all, my brothers, don’t swear.  does waiting ever tempt you to swear? 

what happens when you get uptight?  when you’re frustrated and things aren’t going your way and things are beyond your control? how do you normally respond?  typically, we take it out on those closest to us.  we unload on our husbands, our wives, our children, and it’s not even their fault.  but we’re frustrated and impatient.  we displace our anger and focus it on those we love the most.  james says don’t do that.

lamentations 3.26 (niv), it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

habakkuk 2.3 (lb) these things won’t happen right away.  slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled.  if it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass.  just be patient!  they will not be overdue a single day!  

do you have a dream, a goal in life, a vision that GOD’s given you?  GOD says it will be right on target, at the right time, in the right way.  you wait expectantly and you wait quietly. 

just a thought from the front porch…

pushing your frustrations down…

another step in GOD's remedy for depression is don't suppress your frustrations; tell them to GOD. 1 kings 19.9-10 (niv), then he [Elijah] went into a cave and spent the night. and the word of the LORD came to him: “what are you doing here, elijah?” he replied, “i have been very zealous for the LORD GOD almighty. the israelites have rejected YOUr covenant, broken down YOUr altars, and put YOUr prophets to death with the sword. i am the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me too.

he just poured out all of his inner feelings. GOD let him let off steam. GOD was not shocked. GOD says, “when you're uptight, let me hear your inner emotions. i already know what they are. i'm not going to be shocked by them.” he allowed elijah to express pent up emotions without criticizing him or condemning him.

sometimes it helps to have a CHRISTian friend to share with. it's a catharsis, a cleansing, a venting. all that stuff that's been pushed down inside is going to cause depression.

notice the six emotions elijah had. verse 3 of 1 kings 19 says elijah was afraid. he had fear. verse 4 he had resentment. he said, “1’m fed up with it. then he said, “I’m no better than my ancestors.” that was low self-esteem. he felt guilty. then in verse 10 he says, “I’ve worked hard for nothing.” he was angry. then in the last part of verse 10 he says “I’m all alone.” he was lonely. then he said “and they’re trying to kill me too.” he was worried.

when you take fear and resentment and guilt and low self-esteem and anger and loneliness and worry, you're asking for depression. and GOD just let him spew it all out. he just said, “elijah, what's bugging you? what's on your chest? what's frustrating you? what's eating you?” GOD just let him spill it all out.

sometimes that's what we need to do. don't repress it or express or suppress it, confess it to the LORD.

just a thought from the front porch…