Matthew Gaither – Page 14

From A Certain Point Of View

January 25, 2016 by Matthew Gaither

There’s a movie quote that is relatively famous among folks from my generation. It’s from the movie “Star Wars” and when Luke Skywalker accuses Obi-wan Kenobi of lying to him about the death of his father (who has become Darth Vader) Obi-Wan responds (and I’m paraphrasing here) “your father ceased to be Anakin Skywalker when he turned to the dark side and took the name Darth Vader. So what I told you was true, from a certain point of view”.

Far be it from me to teach that truth is relative to our own point of view. That would be the opposite of what the Bible tells us about truth (that it is absolute and resides in God alone). However, I believe it is accurate to say that our point of view can be an obstruction in our search for truth and that without the proper perspective we will never attain that which is God’s best for us.

In our example above, Obi-wan chooses to practice deception and because Luke trusts him, he believes the lie that Obi-wan tells him about his father. While this is an example from fiction, it has relevance to reality. In life, without proper instruction and guidance we too can very easily trust in the wrong people and the wrong things. Some of us were simply never taught the truth and are therefore in ignorance. Others have been taught to believe in lies and actively practice evil because of it. Regardless of the cause, the effect is the same; lives lived in opposition to the truth of God’s Word.

Even among believers this is a common practice. I think of the many well-meaning parents out there who love their kids and teens but nevertheless allow them to see movies and television shows that teach a morality that is anything but Godly and to listen to music that encourages rebellion and selfishness. The message that these young folks are getting is often times much louder and stronger from the worldly side than it is from the little bit of Bible instruction that most believers are giving their kids these days.

Ultimately, we are responsible for those that we influence. And if we know and have been given the truth then we have a duty and a privilege to first live it and to secondly teach it to those around us. When we fail in this task the entire body of Christ suffers, and when we succeed the body of Christ is built up in unity.

What then is our answer? How can we, wherever we are in our walk with the Lord, make sure that our point of view is in agreement with God’s? The first step would be to pray early and pray often. Take it to the Lord, always! The second step is to make sure that we study and get to know God’s Word, the Bible. We need to read it, we need to pray over it, we need to listen to those who teach it and we need to actively seek out those who would encourage us to learn it.

The fact is, God wants us to know Him and His truth. He does not desire to hide Himself or the truth of His word from anyone. But until we are ready to receive His truth and agree with His point of view we will never have His best for us. We need to pray and ask God to help us to know Him better and for the courage and strength to live by faith according to His Word and the truth contained therein.

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: error, teaching, The Bible, Truth

My Problem with Philippians 2:14

January 18, 2016 by Matthew Gaither

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Philippians 2:14 NASB).

Case in point: This morning I was on my way to work and as I rounded a corner in a particularly wooded part of my commute I noticed a bright orange sign affixed to a tree. It said “Logging Operation in Progress: Trucks Entering Highway”. My immediate response on seeing this was quite sarcastic as I began to imagine the muddy mess on the road and the eyesore in the woods where they would be working. I’m pretty sure there was a tired sigh or two uttered as well as at least one roll of the eyes.

Almost immediately that still, small voice of the Holy Spirit let me know that I was entering into “grumbling” territory and an attitude of complaining. I realized that I had just let something fairly inconsequential, something that was a nuisance at worst, cause me to stumble and do what Paul in Philippians 2:14 says not to do. My problem with Philippians 2:14 is simply that I have a hard time doing what it says. And I believe that I am not the only one with this problem.

Why is it so important that we not grumble and complain? And could there be an easy solution to this problem?

1 Thessalonians Chapter 5 seems to answer both questions. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB) When we grumble and complain we are essentially voicing the fact that we are not thankful. Something or someone has inconvenienced us and instead of giving thanks and praise to God for the opportunity to learn and to be a blessing we instead sigh and moan and set about cultivating a bad attitude in ourselves and in those around us. Complaining is contagious and a bad attitude, like the flu, tries very hard to infect everyone it comes into contact with. I’m grateful that there was no one else in the car with me this morning because of my reaction. I would not have been a blessing to them or edified them in any way during that time.

An attitude of complaint comes from a mind and spirit that has been darkened with the cares of this world. Once we take our focus off of what Jesus has done for us and is doing in us we are easily lead astray. We, like Peter when he got out of the boat and began to walk on the water, start to notice the “wind and the waves” that surround us instead of the Savior who is in front of us with His hands outstretched. Why we feel compelled to react negatively to circumstances that are beyond our control instead of thanking and praising the one who is our redeemer and sustainer is a mystery to me.

Happily, the more we put into practice 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 the more we protect ourselves against this type of slip into negativity. We rejoice because we know that God is working in all circumstances, even the irritating and contrary ones, to bring about good for us. We pray without ceasing because constant communion with the Holy Spirit is our source of supernatural power. And we give thanks in everything because we have so much to be thankful for.

I confess, I am going to need to keep working at rejoicing always, praying without ceasing and giving thanks in everything. But I am so grateful that God is patient with me and extends His grace to my imperfection. Thank you, Lord, for being so good to me!

What about you? How are you doing with Philippians 2:14?

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: complaining, grumbling, Philippians

Getting to Know the Good Book

January 11, 2016 by Matthew Gaither

I don’t think that it’s a stretch to say that getting to know and love God’s Word is one of the best things that we can do in this life. The importance of the Bible to a believer can’t be overstated; it is literally our guidebook on how to live, how to act, how to think and most importantly, how to get to know God.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) NKJV

The fact that we believe and have faith in God at all is only possible because of His Word. Our salvation is dependent on it and by it we are given hope, peace, wisdom, truth, instruction and inspiration. All of this and more God has done for us through His Word and the more we study it and apply it to our lives, the better and more like Him we will be.

As I have read the Bible over the years and spent time listening to other believers, to sermons, to teaching and to hymns, certain verses have become very special and very real to me. Not a Sunday morning goes by that I don’t get up with a smile on my face and this verse in my head:

(I will) Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. (Psalm 100:4) NASB

Sunday morning for me means that it is time to go to my church. It is time to gather with my brothers and sisters in Christ and to hear His Word proclaimed and to be taught and encouraged together. Sundays are special times, but what about the other days of the week? Do I have a verse for those? I do, actually, and I really like it:

This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24) NKJV

Every day is a gift from God! The Lord has fashioned it, He has made this day for us and we are instructed to rejoice and be glad. For sure, some days it is easier than others. But even on the tough days God is still with us, He is still on His throne and still deserves our praise and thanksgiving. Because I have read and believe His Word to be true, I can then exercise my privilege to praise (and don’t ever forget that it is a privilege to call upon His name and offer Him praise!) despite my circumstances.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷so that the man or woman of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) NASB

Unless I commit to study and to memorize this amazing document that God has created just for me, I will never be adequate or equipped for His good work. The same is true for you. Have you committed His Word to memory? Have you spent time reading and studying the Bible and do you continue to do so on a daily basis? If you do, then it will make a powerful difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. I can think of no better way to start a new year than to spend quality time in God’s amazing Word.

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: bible study, God's Word, The Bible

The New Year’s Resolution that Actually Works!

January 4, 2016 by Matthew Gaither

Traditionally I have not been fond of the idea of New Year’s resolutions. In my mind, if you need to be doing something and aren’t already doing it then the simple changing of the calendar isn’t likely to have very much long term effect. Sure, it’s a brand new year and the hopeful optimist in me wants to believe in limitless possibilities but the reality is, unless we change our behavior permanently then our New Year’s resolutions will never be more than good ideas. I know that sounds terribly pessimistic but please, stay with me.

I don’t know about you, but I am the type of guy who likes things a certain way. I tend to stick to a pretty close schedule and I tend to do the same actions in the same ways, day in and day out, unless I am forced out of that pattern by circumstances or other people. This is fine, as long as my thoughts and actions line up with what God wants for my life according to what He tells me in His Word. When it’s not fine is when I allow certain thoughts and actions to become a part of my daily existence to the point that they become harmful habits. And let’s face it, harmful habits are why we have New Year’s Resolutions in the first place, right?

Whether it’s putting things in to our bodies that we shouldn’t or it’s watching and listening to things that darken our thoughts and don’t point us toward the truth, around the New Year we seem more open to the idea of new beginnings and trying to do and be better. That impetus to change is a good thing and I’m not arguing that we should ignore it or give up without trying, although it may seem that way initially. Sometimes, human effort alone leads to success. Sometimes, we can stick with the plan and we actually do exercise more and eat a better diet and lose weight and become a more healthy person in the process. Sometimes.

Just as often (maybe even more often), however, we stray from the plan or end up dropping the plan altogether. We have good intentions but for some reason we just don’t follow through. Or perhaps we are able to stick to the plan but the results are not what we hoped. We do everything in our power to be successful and to reach our goals but life and circumstances keep getting in the way and our human effort just isn’t getting it done.

I’ve said this to my Sunday School class many times but God did not create man so that he could follow a set of rules. God created man for relationship (and isn’t that so much better!) and we are only ever going to find peace and fulfillment inside of that relationship to our Heavenly Father. With that in mind, the answer to any improvement that we want to make in our lives must come from Godly inspiration and must be committed to Him. Here are a couple of helpful verses:

But seek first (continually seek) His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 (NASB)

Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. Psalm 127:1 (NASB)

Looking at these two verses together I think the idea should be clear. When we make it our goal to seek God’s kingdom first and to pursue our relationship to our Father above and beyond anything else then He is going to make sure that we are taken care of. We will still struggle with certain sins and weaknesses of the flesh as long as the Lord leaves us on this earth but rest assured that if God is our goal then His goal is going to be to make us like Him and He is not going to leave us in our error and sin forever. Put simply, God is going to fix us and I pray every day for a little more “fixing” from the Lord!

We also need to remember that it’s ok for us to have plans and dreams but those plans and dreams must be in God’s timing and in God’s way. Any resolution that we make that is inspired by God in this way will always, 100% of the time come to pass. As we begin this new year, why not seek Him ever more earnestly and learn what kinds of plans and resolutions would please Him most?

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: Matthew 6:33, New Years Resolutions, Psalm 127:1

What Christmas Means To Me

December 21, 2015 by Matthew Gaither

There are many great things about Christmas but none moreso than the celebration of Advent. Advent simply means “the arrival of a notable person, thing or event” and for followers of Christ, nothing is more remarkable or notable than the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ as a baby in a manger so long ago.

Jesus’s coming was a gift given to all of humanity and was the culmination of God the Father’s plan to redeem mankind unto Himself. As part of this redemptive process, no more would God be far off, hidden behind a veil in the temple in the Holiest of Holy’s but would truly make himself available to all who would come as a personal savior. God came not only to all of humanity but to each of us individually as Emmanuel, God with us.

I admit, as one who has been saved by grace for many years now, “God with us” is still a great wonder to me. Why the perfect, almighty creator of the universe and the one who is the giver of all life would choose to want to know and inhabit me personally is something that I just can’t understand. Praise God, I don’t have to understand it to be thrilled by it and to experience His presence in my life! I just accept His love in simple faith and choose to give my heart to Him. To Him I dedicate all of my plans and I know, based on His word, that He will never leave me or forsake me.

I wish I had the words to accurately describe the difference that “God with me” has made in my life. I am reminded of the traditional church hymn, “The Love of God” and verse three says it much better than I could:

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

This is what Christmas means to me. God’s love, made personal, inhabiting each and every child of His who accepts it. It’s offered to all of us as a free gift. All God asks us of us is our simple faith and belief in Him. Does He have your faith and belief? Have you given Him your heart and accepted His love? If you do, you will find that Christmas has more meaning and will give you more joy than you ever thought possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWnvmKoLWUU

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: Advent, Christmas, God With Us

A Time To Remember

November 30, 2015 by Matthew Gaither

By now, Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is just around the corner. Schedules will be getting busier and “to-do” lists will be getting longer. If we aren’t careful then we might spend the entirety of the holidays in a blur of coming and going without ever experiencing any deeper meaning or truth.

We celebrate the holidays for very specific reasons; Thanksgiving is to be a time of remembrance and thankfulness for all that God has blessed us with and Christmas is the Advent, the coming of the Christ child who would save the world from Sin and death. These are wonderful, important truths and they are the very foundations of our Christian faith.

Although Thanksgiving is a a few days past we need to renew our efforts to be thankful, and to remember all that God has done for us. It is a helpful thing to take a few, quiet minutes and make a list of the things that you are thankful for. It helps us to remember and to see in black and white just how amazing our God is and how He provides for us. Count your blessings and see what God has done!

Likewise with the Christmas holiday to come, unless we take the time to focus on what “God with us” really means, we are apt to miss it. Because we claim to have Christ in our hearts, the coming of the Christ child and the season of Advent should be a very special and sacred time to us. We give gifts during this time of year because God first gave the ultimate gift to us; His son and His life for ours.

Jesus, God’s son, came to earth as a tiny baby. Born in a stable, laid in an manger, the very creator of the universe began life as a human being so that he could die an agonizing death on a cross in our place. That’s amazing, isn’t it? Isn’t that worth celebrating and worth remembering? Isn’t it worth sharing with someone else? It absolutely is!

So, as we go through this holiday season, let’s work hard to remember why we celebrate. We have the best reason in the entire world to be thankful and to rejoice. We shouldn’t hide it or be ashamed of it and we must certainly never forget it. Not ever.

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: Christmas, thanksgiving, the reason for the season

Christian Submission: The Attitude of the Unoffended

November 16, 2015 by Matthew Gaither

Submit. Submission. Yield. These are not popular words in our culture. All three words have a negative connotation in the English language akin to giving up, loosing, or letting someone else have their way over ours.

And yet any study of the New Testament, and especially those books written by Paul, would show that submission and yielding are necessary and even desirable for a Christian. Could it be that what Paul is trying to tell us is that submission is actually a good thing? Could we, in this day and age, stand to learn what it means to be submissive in the context of God’s word? Let’s look at God’s word and see if we can get a clear answer.

In First Corinthians we find chapter eleven which discusses head coverings, appropriate length of hair and contains verse three which says “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God”. Sounds like trouble, right? Not necessarily.

The word “head” that Paul is using here could be more correctly translated as “origin” and in that context it makes more sense to English speakers. Woman was created by God out of one rib from Adam’s body. Christ was God put into flesh; literally the Son of God. But what about all of this in the context of submission? Hang on, we’re almost there!

Both of the Corinthian letters were written to the church at Corinth and contained some specific instructions for that church in that specific time. They still contain wisdom and truth that we can apply to our own lives but they must be read with some knowledge of what was taking place in Corinth at that time if we are to really understand what Paul was saying.

Long hair on a man in the Corinthian culture was one sign of a male prostitute. Likewise, short hair on a woman was one sign for a female prostitute. Sexual immorality was prevalent in Corinth and Paul’s desire was for the men and women of that church to completely and visibly separate themselves from any appearance of evil.

Although hairstyles on both men and women in our day and time carry no such suggestions of sexual promiscuity we would still do well to distance ourselves from the appearance of evil. People decide what they think about us long before they decide what they think of our message. We need to be careful that our appearance does not become a stumbling block for someone else.

In other words, sometimes we need to yield our right to do what we want to do out of love and spiritual concern for someone else.

It is our right to dress and style ourselves as we fit. However, it is always more important to let love dictate our behavior and attitude. This is where submission comes into play. Love yields, not out of weakness, but out of strength of character and concern for the other.

Jesus was our example in this. Throughout his horrible arrest, trial, torture, and execution he never fought back or exercised his power as God to stop what was happening to Him. He went to the cross willingly, out of love for us. He submitted his body to be broken for the greater good of victory over sin and death.

The submission of our will to Jesus Christ is also done with the greater good in mind. When we live in submission to God, He can then use us for His glory and for our benefit. The most blessed that we will ever be is when we are living in submission to the will of our Heavenly Father. And make no mistake, we will live in submission one way or another.

In the sixth chapter of Romans Paul addresses sin in the life of the believer. 16 Do you not know that to whom you yield yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

In three verses Paul shares a simple yet profound fact. The believer can only live one of two ways. Either we yield (submit) to flesh, to the old man and to sin or we yield (submit) ourselves to the Spirit and to obedience that leads to righteousness. There is no middle ground here.

Some of us think (and I did for a long while) that we can be for God, that we can approve of Him and His church and we’ll even attend once in awhile as long as He doesn’t try and muck around in our lives too much. We’re not practicing overt evil but neither do we want God intruding on our personal time and personal space beyond the minimum. We’re saved, so isn’t that enough?

Believer, please do not believe that lie. I know from experience that what Paul says in Romans chapter 6 is absolutely true. If we aren’t yielded to God then we are yielded to flesh and you know who owns and glorifies the flesh, right? Trying to pretend that we can get by as a Christian by not yielding to God is just making the evil one’s job that much easier. We are either submitting ourselves to our Father’s will or we aren’t; it’s just that simple.

So then, I believe we are ready to answer our original question. If we are submitted to God and His will then submission is a very good and necessary thing. While submitted to God’s will we gain the strength and love to yield our individual rights for the benefit of those around us, which was what Paul asked the Corinthian believers to do so many years ago.

As for the title of this piece; what is the attitude of the unoffended? Why love, of course.

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: Corinthians, Love, Romans, Submission, yield

Time For A Scrub!

November 2, 2015 by Matthew Gaither

The day had arrived and the time had come. No excuses for putting it off and no schedule conflicts that might grant a reprieve. It was time to clean the house! And when I say “clean the house” I mean the type of cleaning that you only do once every six months or so (at least around here).

Furniture was moved. Lampshades were dusted. Nooks and crannies were dutifully sought out and vacuumed with the help of that little wand attachment that normally doesn’t see much use (you know the one). The bathrooms and kitchens were scrubbed especially well, on hands and knees and by brute force when necessary. And boy, was it necessary!

Why was it so necessary? Why was the house so in need of a heavy duty cleaning? It’s not like my wife and I actively avoid cleaning when it is needed. No, the answer is simply that we hadn’t stopped to do it. Our schedule is normally full and we spend a lot of time going and coming, or preparing to go and come. Over time, with all of our comings and goings, dust and dirt had been tracked in from outside and it was time to stop and clean the place up.

I’m going to use our house cleaning as an example and an analogy so I hope what I am about to say makes sense. Allow me to ask a somewhat rhetorical question that may sound silly at first: Could we have avoided a lot of the dust and dirt if we had just stayed home? Of course we could. That much should be obvious. But it should also be obvious (hence the silliness of the question) why staying at home is not a realistic option.

At the bare minimum our household needs funds to continue to function. That means we have to go to work to earn those funds. Both my wife and I work so we are both coming and going to work at least five days out of the week (and often a sixth day for me). We also need food to survive and supplies for the running of the household so that means trips to the grocery store, the hardware store, etc.

We also choose to go some places just because we want to and because it is good for us. Church services, social functions with family and friends, date nights, road trips, vacations and many more. These are all good things and I wouldn’t avoid them just to keep my house, car or person from getting dirty. (That also may sound like a silly statement but please indulge me a little bit more).

The point I am making with this is that staying home really isn’t an option and because it isn’t an option taking time to stop and clean up is sometimes necessary. I think we can all agree with that.

Spiritually speaking (here’s the analogy), staying home isn’t an option for us either and neither is refusing to stop and clean up!

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. (Luke 14:23) KJV

The Lord God who is our Father and Creator has commanded us to go out and find the lost and the needy and to compel (reason with/ plead with) them to come to Him. His house is eternal and He is preparing the finest mansions that have ever been created for those who would come and join His family. And we are His messengers. We are to carry His message of peace and love and redemption through faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

As we go to our jobs, our schools, our social engagements and wherever we might be going, we are to carry His message. That much is clear. What is also clear is that those highways and hedges and back alleys of the world are dusty, dirty places, both physically and spiritually. As we go we will encounter ideas and people that are not godly and not spiritually healthy. Because we are imperfect some of those people and ideas are going to influence us in a negative way. Things we see and things we hear have a tendency to stick around and sometimes, despite our best efforts to the contrary, we may find ourselves imitating them.

We develop attitudes that are not godly and ideas that do not originate from the Holy Spirit and if we don’t take the time to stop and “clean up” by confessing our sin and spending time in prayer and meditation over God’s Word then we will quickly find ourselves in trouble. (analogy complete – I hope it made sense!)

When we come before God honestly confessing our weaknesses and sins He cleans us on the inside, changing our hearts and attitudes for the good. He causes us to be a little bit more like Him and to think and act more like our Heavenly Father. Praise God for His faithfulness, mercy and love that never fails!

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1) NASB

Have you stopped to speak with the One who is advocating (working on your behalf) for you today? Maybe it’s time to bow our heads and get on our knees and ask Jesus to clean us and make us more like Him. Only then can we faithfully perform our work as messengers of the gospel of peace.

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: 1 John 2:1, clean, Luke 14:23

Fear is Never Our Friend Book Review

October 26, 2015 by Matthew Gaither

I can honestly say that Fear is Never Our Friend by Gary L. Richardson has helped to change my life for the better. After reading it for the first time late last year I realized how much I was letting fear control my decisions and thought processes and how many of my thoughts were negative and unhelpful.

There are several key points that Mr. Richardson makes in his book which I feel are absolutely vital knowledge for anyone who wants to live life to the fullest and go beyond the meek and timid lifestyle that many of us settle for.

The first one happens to be the title of the book; fear is never our friend. I know some of you are probably thinking that fear is actually very helpful in certain situations but if you think it through it really is not. Knowledge and wisdom are helpful; fear never is unless it’s the fear of almighty God which Mr. Richardson also discusses in his book.

Knowledge and wisdom are your best friends in any situation, dangerous or not. It is knowledge that tells you that encountering a snake in the woods is possibly dangerous while fear just tells you to panic and either freeze up or run away. Fear is an emotional response that we can learn to control when we have the proper knowledge. Mr. Richardson does an excellent job with this point and if it were the only point he made then the book would still be worth reading. Fortunately, it is not because he is just getting started.

Based on the premise that fear is never our friend is the realization that we cannot make a decision based on faith and a decision based on fear at the same time. These two things cannot coexist. We either choose to live out our days exercising our faith (and yes, faith is like a muscle, it grows with use) or we choose to let fear guide our decision making.

Mr. Richardson believes that fear is an epidemic in the world today and I agree with him. For many, fear guides their steps without them even realizing it. I know that before I read Fear is Never Our Friend that I had been living in the shadow of fear and anxiety for many years.

Here is an example. For over a decade I had a nervous habit whereby I would either rub or pick the cuticles of my thumbs, often without even realizing it. I called it nervous energy but the reality is that it was anxiety manifesting in a physical habit. When sitting beside my wife in the evening while watching TV she would often place one of her hands on top of mine to get me to be still so prevalent was my habit. Usually, until she did this, I would not even be aware that I was doing it.

In the last few months I had started to wrap a band-aid around my thumbs to let them heal . It worked as long as the band-aid was on but when removed I would go right back to the same bad habit. In other words, the underlying problem was still there.

I re-read Fear is Never Our Friend a few weeks ago in preparation for this review and got just as much out of it the second time as I did the first time last year. This time the Lord spoke to me about my anxiety through Mr. Richardson and his discussion of Philippians 4:6 which starts “Be anxious for nothing”.

Mr. Richardson posed the question “Do you think Paul was making a request or stating a directive when he wrote that? And if it is a directive (it is) then was Paul asking us to do something impossible? And if you think it is impossible then you only need to look 7 verses down in Philippians to verse 13 which says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.

In other words it is completely possible to live an anxiety free life and this is in fact a directive for one who claims to be a child of God!

The first time I read Fear is Never Our Friend I learned to recognize my fear and to choose the path of faith instead. It is the reason that this blog exists and the reason that I have acknowledged God’s call on my life to ministry. The second time I read Fear is Never Our Friend I learned to recognize my anxiety and to turn it over to God. Now, whenever I am tempted to exercise that old nervous habit I state “I will be anxious for nothing”.

It may sound like a small thing but the underlying issue was not and the fact is that God used Mr. Richardson’s book in my life to break me of a habit that I had been struggling with for over 10 years!

Like many of you, I knew those verses in Philippians and had read them many times. I am born again and have been in church for most of my life. But I was not applying what I had read and what I knew and it took Fear is Never Our Friend for me to finally realize what God had been trying to tell me all along.

Fear is Never Our Friend was the catalyst for a very great change in my life and I think it could be for many other people if they would read it and apply it.

Fear and anxiety are not the only 2 topics discussed in Fear is Never Our Friend. Mr. Richardson also discusses negativity, defining who we are as Christians and setting appropriate limits, failure and why it can be a good thing and more. After each chapter are questions for discussion and a summary of the most salient points.

With 7 chapters, Fear is Never Our Friend is designed to be a 7 week, small group study but can be read straight through just like any other book. I’ve read the book both ways and as I’ve stated I was blessed and encouraged both times and both times I got something different out of the book that greatly helped me in my life.

Maybe you have already conquered fear and anxiety in your life. If so, I praise the Lord for you and I pray that you are passing on your knowledge and wisdom to others because we greatly need it.

If, however, you are dealing with fear and anxiety as part of your everyday life then you absolutely need to read this book. God would not have you living in fear and reading Mr. Richardson’s book would be an excellent way to start to overcome it and to live a more joyous and abundant life.

Fear is Never Our Friend is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other fine booksellers.

ISBN-13 978-1563221071

Publisher: Hensley Publishing

Publication date: June 1, 2009

Pages: 192

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: review

Overlooked Forgotten And Taken For Granted

October 12, 2015 by Matthew Gaither

One of the things that the Lord continues to impress upon me is just how blessed I am. And this is not unique to me. We are all blessed, every one of us. Despite trials, despite trouble and despite our circumstances we remain blessed and loved by our Heavenly Father.

Most of us, the great majority I think, do not even realize how blessed we are. We have been blessed and so over time we forget that we don’t deserve life or love or material blessings of any kind. We have these things because God loves us and is a giver of good things, not because we are entitled to them.

Most of us expect to wake up in the morning. Most of us expect to be able to take our next breath. Most of us expect to have a roof over our heads, a peaceful existence, clothes in our closets and shoes on our feet. Yet despite our expectations all of these are gifts and blessings from a loving God that we tend to take for granted.

Just the other day I had a conversation with the Lord about my physical body. I turned 40 this year and have perhaps been a little more in-tune with my physical shape, my energy level and what effect my age is having on my everyday life. I realized that, by and large, everything works as it should and most of the time I feel pretty good.

If you stop and think about the massive complexity that is the human body and how many systems we have that are blended together and have to work in order for us to function and if you also call to mind how many folks we know that are physically struggling in some way and that have bodies that don’t work so well then it is no stretch to say that I am very blessed.

My feet can carry me where I want to go. My legs move and my knees bend. I can turn and stretch and bend over to pick something up off of the floor or stretch my arms over my head to grab something up high.

I can breathe. I can taste, see, smell, hear, touch and feel. I can eat and drink and my body can turn what I eat and drink in to fuel for living and working.

My mind is able to process information and perform rational thought. I can learn and I can use the gifts that God has given me to write and speak His truth and to teach and encourage others. All because God will’s it and because He has seen fit to love and provide for me.

And this is just a very small sampling of the many, many ways that God has blessed me.

What about you? Have you taken stock of your blessings lately? Have you thanked and praised your Father above for His provision and his awesome love? Do you have His most precious gift of all, His Son Jesus Christ who died for you? I hope so.

You’ve been blessed with today. You aren’t guaranteed tomorrow but if it comes then it will be a blessing too. What will you do with what God has blessed you with?

Filed Under: Daily Tagged With: blessings, praise, remember