Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. (John 14:1 AMP)

We live in troubled times, and there are many things which, if dwelled upon in our thinking can trouble our hearts. This verse in John implies that we can choose NOT to give in to these thoughts.. We don’t have to fret. We have a choice.

Unfortunately, sometimes worry becomes a habit, and a habit is hard to break. God is working in my life to teach me to trust Him more. He is a big God -- a big God who can do ANYTHING! And, fretting accomplishes nothing positive at all. Nothing.

I may have shared with you before that I come from a long line of high caliber worriers. We are talking Olympic class! I have really had to work to shut off the worry gene. One technique I find especially helpful is to develop a habit of replacing the worrying thoughts with good Bible verses which focus me not on the problem — but instead, on the One Who solves them.

I have color coded my Bible using colored pencils, and every peace scripture I know is shaded in green, which is to me, a peaceful color. (Salvation scriptures are red, Heaven scriptures are blue, grace is yellow.... you get the idea!) I also put a little, red "P" in front of every scripture which holds a promise from God. When I am feeling unsettled, I can flip through my Bible and read some peace verses and promises easily. I have found this to be an effective way to calm my heart. I invite God’s peace and presence in, and I build up my faith.

Sometimes I like to picture me handing the problem over to God. Then I ask myself, "Whose problem is it now?" And of course, there it is in God’s hand, so I can say, "God’s!" Every time after that when I start to worry about it again, I just close my eyes and picture it in Almighty God’s capable hands.

It also helps to be with positive encouraging people whenever possible— people who lift me up rather than pull me down. Listening to good worship music also ministers to me and helps to keep me focused on God.

What do you do when your heart is troubled?

Reaching higher, pressing in
Longing to know You better
Nothing matters more
Than pleasing You, serving you
I am a child of God

Weeping when you weep
Rejoicing when you rejoice
Praying, encouraging, loving
Seeing you serve Him is my joy
I am a pastor

Noticing the white hair
Less energy, more lines
Reaching to remember
A few more aches and pains
I am growing older

Feeling so blessed
When I hear my mom's voice
So glad she is still here
So thankful for her love
I am a daughter

I know this man so well
Pledged to love him forever
He is my "other half"
He is my friend, my love
I am a wife

Savoring our times together
Snickering over past adventures
Bound to them by memories
Love and genetics
I am a sister

So proud, such fierce love
My shining accomplishments
They give me such joy
Love who they are
I am a mom

Sons of my heart
Prayed for you for so long
God sent my girls good men
Glad you are family, too
I am a mother in law

Many pictures on my phone
Ready with the latest story
Heart so full of love
For my darling blessings
I am a grandma

Delighting in times shared
For laughter, tears and tea
You "get me," know me so well
Silly together, sister of my heart
I am a friend

Who are you?

Sissy Christians scare me. While they "talk the talk," they do not "walk the walk." My biggest concern is that they represent God is a shoddy, powerless way. Their lives do not show His love or victory. Their hearts do not long for His will. I think they honestly do harm to the cause of Christ because they are poor examples. How do you spot Sissy Christians?

1. They are all about making excuses for why they have not obeyed God.

(Dan. 9:13-14 NLT) Every curse written against us in the Law of Moses has come true. Yet we have refused to seek mercy from the LORD our God by turning from our sins and recognizing His truth. Therefore, the LORD has brought upon us the disaster He prepared. The LORD our God was right to do all of these things, for we did not obey Him.

2. If it were up to them, there are certain verses that would be deleted from the Bible.

(Philp.3:8) Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.

3. No prayer life

(1Thess. 5:17) Never stop praying.

(1Tim 2:1-4) I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

4. No burden for the lost

(Luke 10:2) These were His instructions to them: "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.

(Rom.10:15) And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"

5. Need their comforts and would be very uncomfortable with the idea of sacrificing anything for the Gospel.

(Rom.12:1) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.

6. They haven't the faintest idea how to lead someone to the Savior.

(Mat.28:19) Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

7. See God as an "obligation" fulfilled by attending Sunday church occasionally. (But only ONE service! Forget getting them to turn up for an evening service. They need their rest, and don't want to miss anything on TV.)

(Heb.10:25) And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

8. Own a Bible Rarely open and read it.

(Psalm 119:103-105) How sweet Your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
9. Do not understand the concept of being led by the Spirit of God.

10. Feels justified in holding grudges and not forgiving others.

(Mat. 6:14-15) "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

11. Gossips!

(Rom. 1:28-32) Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

12. When offering plate comes by them, they pick the smallest bill in their wallet, or just put in whatever change they may have.

(Luke 6:38) Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.

(Mal. 3:8) "Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated Me! "But you ask, 'What do You mean? When did we ever cheat You?' "You have cheated Me of the tithes and offerings due to Me.

13. Negative and proud.

See number 11 scriptures

14. No concern for building God's kingdom.

(Mat.6:33) Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.

Lord, help us do better! A lot better!