I Survived!

To state it plainly, the past 3 months of my life were far from a pleasant stroll in the park; and if I could be completely candid the days that filled them were racked with pain, depression and anger. My soul literally ached and anxiety pumped through my veins. The unplanned dismantling of a "love connection,” the untimely passing of a friend and the stresses associated with adjusting to a new job had me discouraged and displaced. 

During this dark season the typically jovial person I tend to be was lost and the hope of return was bleak. I found myself sleeping more and praying less. In fact, I felt like I was perishing spiritually but somehow during this time I found the strength to put on the mask of happiness. My joy had been sapped and for the first time in my adult life I was truly walking in “the valley of the shadow of death.” I could not control what I was feeling internally; and what made it worse was that this was dictating what I did externally. As a man called to preach and proclaim God’s word through various streams (i.e. blog posts, sermons, etc.) I had found myself completely off course. The encourager needed encouraging and those that were depending on me were left hanging.

I then went on a rant of questioning God’s rationale. Why aren’t things going the way I want? My circumstances just don’t make sense. Yes, silly enough, I was questioning the God who sustains life itself, the one who set the moon and stars! It was during my search for answers that I heard the spirit of the Lord God speak. Ironically, His answer to me came in the form of several questions. “What’s going on?” “Why do you doubt me?” “Is it right for you to be angry?” Surprisingly, these questions brought me liberty in my mind and spirit. Through these series of questions God allowed me to see that I had become caught up in my emotions, which had stemmed from unwanted circumstances. It also became evident that I had allowed my emotions to interrupt my Godly assignment, purpose and sense of well-being.

After a period of reflection, I also realized that despite the situations and circumstances that had seemingly been born to kill my virtue and abort my assignment, I SURVIVED!

Now, if we can play a quick game of hopscotch let’s jump over to the Bible, specifically to the Book of Jonah. Within the context of this book’s 4 short chapters we find a man (Jonah) that was also given an assignment (1:1). He then became caught up in his emotions and tried to flee from the Lord, as he didn’t FEEL like doing what he had been called to do. Jonah 1:4 declares that the Lord sent a “great wind on the sea,” this storm threatened to break up the ship that Jonah thought would provide him a way of escape. Jonah knew that he was in the wrong, and he recommended that the ship’s crew members toss him into the sea so that the storm would calm. Hesitantly, the crew members obliged and subsequently he was swallowed up by a “huge fish” (1:17).

Through a prayer of repentance God eventually delivered Jonah from these “storms of life” and he would go on to complete the assignment that God had originally mandated. To sum things up, Jonah also SURVIVED! Everything that could and should of taken him out, including his own actions, did not prevail!

As you read this post, I’m unsure of your individual circumstances. But one thing I am sure of is that we’ll all encounter periods in this mortal life that will leave us empty and dismayed. I’ve just shared 2 examples of individuals that faced “storms.” They both threw in the towel and God threw it back. Yep! Somehow and someway they both SURVIVED!

Maybe life has come at you fast lately, or maybe you’re still feeling bogged down from things that have occurred in the past, such as sickness, heartbreak, the loss of a job, financial issues, etc.. Regardless of what you may be currently experiencing or what you may have gone through….if you are able to read this post, that means you SURVIVED! The fact that you are still able to function and think in your right mind means that you SURVIVED. Despite feeling like you have gone to Hell and back, you SURVIVED! The truth of the matter is that many individuals get stuck in the “valley” and never find a way out. So as you read and reflect on this post be thankful for the STORMS, because the STORMS reveal the STATE of our STRENGTH!

Before I close my laptop, and retire writing for the day, do yourself a favor. Take all of your circumstances and toss them into an imaginary pile and scream aloud and proud – I SURVIVED!!

When the storms of life seem to way you down

Remember there is one in heaven who is wearing the CROWN!

He sits high and He looks low

He loves you more than you will ever know

Never again do you have to doubt

Because for every situation, there’s a way out

Just cast your cares upon the Lord

And like an eagle you'll mount up and soar!

--- Oliver C. Johnson III

"I Ain't Got No Worries!"

Author's Note:

First and foremost, for those of you that have been waiting patiently for another post....I sincerely apologize. Last year I received much positive feedback and I certainly appreciate all my supporters.

Now please understand that the delays between posts were not intentional; however, it should be noted that my inspiration for every post stems from real-life experiences. So quite naturally, this requires that I actually live what I write about. So enough of the explanatory verbiage -- enjoy the first post of 2013 and share it with somebody!

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I'm willing to take a gamble and say that the majority of the folks currently reading this post have probably been to numerous church services, heard numerous sermons and participated in numerous conversations where FAITH was the focal point. Furthermore, you probably heard or discussed the fact that as a Christian you should not WORRY; and that WORRYING is the opposite of FAITH...and that FAITH is required to not only pleased God but to also see the manifestation of blessings and miracles in your life (hopefully the CAPS helped to provide emphasis).

Sound familiar? OK..maybe you've never worried about your bills, your job, your family or your future. Well then, I'll talk about myself -- I tend to think that I walk by faith (or at least I make an attempt to) and that I have a strong belief (faith) in God; but I'll admit that 2 weeks ago this faith was tested. At a time when everything seemed to be going well in my life.....I found myself instantaneously bombarded by thoughts of doubt and worry, thoughts that opposed the very truths and promises of God. This sneak attack of "fiery darts" caught me completely off guard but during this storm the Holy Spirit reminded me of some practical truths which ultimately led to my victory...here are some of them:

1. What 99.2% of churches teach about worrying is true; however, most institutions fail to teach how to overcome worry/doubt. It is critical that we first understand what God's promises are so that we can recognize when worry and doubt are tossed into our spiritual atmosphere. Remember this -- in order to recognize a LIE you must first know and understand the TRUTH!

2. Once we recognize that worry/doubt has marched onto our spiritual battlefield we must act quickly to war against them. 2 Corinthians 10:5 states this: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." -- NIV 1984

Now, you may be wondering how to take worry/doubt hostage. This is done by choosing not to dwell on negative thoughts (such as worry and doubt) when they enter into the mind. We CANNOT always prevent thoughts from entering our mind but we CAN prevent thoughts from influencing what we do. We must replace negative thoughts such as worry and doubt with positive truths (scripture). 

3. Worry & doubt, although their genesis is often found in physical circumstances, are attacks against the mind; and these attacks are spiritually based as found below in biblical scripture:

Ephesians 6:12: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." - NIV 1984

As such, in order to be victorious concerning the battle that takes place in the MIND, it must first be understood that the battle cannot be won by fighting in the FLESH. Even the extremely skilled Floyd Mayweather Jr. would lose this battle every time! 

Thoughts of worry and doubt that flood the mind are attacks and can be considered warfare from Satan (dark world). The reason he (Satan) tries so hard to inject thoughts of worry and doubt into our minds is he's aware that the mind controls the actions of a man. He also understands that it is IMPOSSIBLE for an individual to reach their divine destiny if their thoughts are consistently in opposition to God. OK, let me state that again in layman's terms. If you are expecting God to bless you with financial increase you must first believe that God is capable of doing such! This principle is very elementary but it is often overlooked. 

Let's be honest, we've all experienced worry or doubt, or both (or we will at some point), as well as a host of other thoughts that come to block life's forward progress. But it's imperative to remember the truths above. Take authority over your mind, even now, which will ultimately allow you to take authority over your life. And after you do that, look at yourself in the mirror and yell loud and proud: "I Ain't Got No Worries!" I promise you'll be relieved as the weight of worry and doubt are lifted!

Until next time! -- Oliver C. Johnson III