Maybe you are stressed or frustrated and you dont know why… ‘you just don’t feel yourself,’ you are short with people and easily irritated.
If you can relate then you need to ask yourself this question…
Are your thoughts positive or negative?
If most of your thoughts are negative? Worrying about the virus, about your family, friends work etc. Then the negative thoughts will soon wear away your faith. Soon you will start talking negatively and not have much hope for the future.
Many people look to you for encouragement its important that you stay strong for those people.
So, how can you do this?
Well, a good starting point is, you must purposely do the things each day that gives you the most enjoyment. If you enjoy painting, paint. If you enjoy reading, read. Running, run. Sounds simple but often it’s the simple things that we overlook. Choosing instead to put our attention on the wrong things, and when you’re surrounded by negativity its impossible to be positive.
So instead of looking at the news or going on social media first thing int the morning, wait until lunch. Make sure you go for a walk each day or get some sort of exercise. As exercise has so many benefits:
Improve your memory and brain function (all age groups).
Protect against many chronic diseases.
Aid in weightmanagement.
Lower blood pressure and improve heart health.
Improve your quality of sleep.
Reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.
Combat cancer-related fatigue.
Improve joint pain and stiffness.
With so much fear on media networks and all-over social media, we must also actively feed our minds with faith. We must seek out positive information to lift us up and make us feel better.
When you arise in the morning, I recommend, investing the first hour in yourself, take a walk in nature, spend some time in the garden, start your day with prayer. You will be amazed at the difference in the way you feel and in the results you will get. You will gradually transform your thinking about yourself and what is possible for you. You will become healthier in both mind and body and your faith will grow.
To help ignite your flame of faith today I would like to offer you the chance to get my new book for FREE. Lord, Light My Path, is now available on Amazon. Click on image below.
The last 12 months have probably been the hardest of my life. I have heard it said that peoples greatest fear is the fear of the unknown…
Well, the future is unknown.
For most of last year, I found myself looking for answers, looking for information to help me understand what was going on as the whole world shutting down has never happened in history.
What I found was the more I looked, the more fearful and anxious I became as stories varied. As good as the Internet is, it does have a lot of negatives. Stories can be written and shared without any factual evidence to back them up.
Which, in my opinion, is very dangerous.
For me, that’s what has been the hardest part of the last twelve months; there are too many opinions and not enough facts. When we need strong, confident leaders, there doesn’t seem to be any around.
With fear all around me, coming from the news, social media, friends, and family, it sadly got the better of me.
My prayers seem to be going unanswered. Instead of things getting better, when I would turn on the television, I was met with riots on the streets in America and unrest all over the planet.
Then one day, I sat down and took some notes. Asking myself a question;
What was I spending most of my days doing?
Watching the news.
Talking about the pandemic.
Reading stories about the virus and the many conspiracy type stories that came up on social media.
At that moment, I decided to stop the negative sources of information and purposely fill my mind with faith. Almost instantly, I noticed that my anxiety faded, and my sleep and eating improved.
Fear Has A Powerful Effect on Us, But So Too Has Faith— But Faith Must Be Present
With so much fear on media networks at this time and all-over social media, we must actively feed our minds with faith. We must seek out positive information to lift us up and make us feel better.
When in the midst of fear, it can be difficult, but it is necessary.
It can be so tempting to check the news each day in the hope that there has been a sudden change but more often than not, we are met with even more negative news.
Its only when you make God the centre of your day will you see real change, as a light starts to shine into your life. A light of hope, a light of faith, a light of expectancy that all will get better soon.
To share a little bit of my light with you, I have written a book containing the wisdom and knowledge that has given me strength and renewed by faith once again.
I haven’t written on the blog for many months because I haven’t got the heart, to be honest.
The last year has been challenging, as I’m sure anyone that reads this can relate to. I found myself saying the same statement over and over, ‘Please, Lord shine a little light into the world.”
An idea for a book is what surfaced, and maybe that is my contribution to that light.
All any of us can do at this time is to pray and make sure we connect with nature each day. Our physical health is just as important as our spiritual health.
I wish yourself, friends and family health and happiness.
Giving to others is where happiness originates. And giving does not mean money, it means time, energy, a listening ear.
It is my belief that each and every one of us, religious or not has a ministry to live out. Each of us has a mission that we must fulfil.
Ministry is best known for the spreading of faith, but for me ministry goes much deeper than that. Any way that you help others live better lives could be called a ministry.
You will find that if you are not working a job where you directly change peoples lives for the better, you will be unhappy and unfulfilled. You will not enjoy going to work and will find yourself living for the weekend.
I’m sure you know people like this?
This year has been tough, and it’s so easy to get lost within our problems, trying to make sense of it all. The problem is everyone is just as fearful and afraid so any search for answers will only leave you worse off.
If you are feeling depressed or unhappy at this time, the best thing that you can do is to help others. You will find that your world will seem so much brighter if you offer others a helping hand.
Whether that be in the form of visiting an elderly neighbour or letting a relation on the other side of the world know that you care. Even a text message to someone can make their day.
It’s important to remember that everyone is going through the same as you. Each with their own fears. So let now be a time when we join together and help each other out in any way that we can.
Where we show our communities that even though there is a lot of fear and hostility in the world. There is still an ocean of love.
As a society, we have become fixed on time. We get up at a certain time, eat at certain times, and go to bed at a certain time.
Schedules are helpful to navigate our lives.
The problem arises when we think that we can put God on a schedule when we believe that he will keep our life happy all the time. As you know, this is not the case.
After many years of plenty, there are often a few years of drought.
In biblical days the people were more spiritual, and the reason for this, in my opinion, was because they didn’t have the thousands of distractions that we have today in our modern world, that connect us to materialism.
And because of this, they were more in touch with nature and those that were highly spiritual, or as we call today, awakened. Could communicate with God.
Countless times throughout the Bible, he was not happy with his people, and on many occasions, the Prophets had to convince him to give humanity another chance.
Well, there is a good chance that at this time, God is not happy with us. And if you know your world news, you will understand why. We are cutting down the Amazon rainforest, the lungs of the planet. We are destroying our water supplies all over the world in the name of fashion. The list is endless, and depressing so I will leave it there.
This is a very fearful time in human history, so if you are afraid you are not alone, I feel that fear as well, every day. But I know that God is in control, and in his timing, the sun will shine again, and this world will be a better place.
It so tempting to search for answers, to search for that one video that tells you what you want to hear, but in that search, you will probably absorb a lot of fear.
The blind cannot lead the blind.
As much as we all want to change the world, the sad truth is, we can only change ourselves.
Be the change you wish to see. Show compassion, empathy and love everywhere you go, and maybe, just maybe, you will plant a seed in some peoples heart so they, in turn, will help others.
Are you feeling fearful at this time? If so, you’re not alone.
But if you allow the fearful thoughts to take control then very soon your life will be out of your control.
The what ifs in life, can weaken your faith.
“Yeah, but what if my situation gets worse, what if this happens? And then this? What then?”
What ifs can tear down the trust and knowing that our destiny naturally unfolds, meaning, that doubts will begin to creep in… the feelings that we must take matters into our own hands. Leading to us making decisions that we later regret.
It’s understandable why we struggle with this! We get lost in the anxiety, we get lost in doubts, we get lost in worry.
We play those damaging “what if” thoughts over and over. Not because they are good, but, honestly – because sometimes it feels good to feel sorry for ourselves.
And maybe we somehow feel that thinking on the “what ifs” will bring a bit more control to the chaos we are feeling inside.
But, the more that you focus on the negativity the more familiar the negative thoughts become. Resulting in you walking into your future fearful of every step.
When you allow fearful thoughts to dominate your thought life, any seeds of faith that you sow will not find roots in the shallow soil, making it very difficult to trust in God and be faithful during difficult times.
What are you choosing to focus on at the moment?
And, how is that affecting your ability to trust that all will be ok?
Now that your aware of the thoughts that you have been focusing on, what’s the next step?
Well, if the thoughts you think daily are negative thoughts, thoughts of worry, thoughts of fear, anxiety or doubt. Then you need to, instead, focus your attention on those things that are true, honourable, right, and worthy of praise. As Apostle Paul suggested.
Philippians 4:8-9 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
Trust is a fundamental foundation for any healthy, loving and functional relationship. Rekindle that unshakeable trust with the Lord, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
We must make an effort daily to strike fear from our heart and submerge our mind in faith.
My book Trust Gods Plan has now been converted to an audiobook. Click the image below to hear an encouraging sample on YouTube, that will help you to feel more faithful, positive and optimistic today, and for the future.
Live Today With Faith 