I Must Recognize God's Job Isn't My Job

Today's Unglued Blog Update

Another one of mostly my rewording & adding some of my own to what Lysa said. I just think she hits the nail right on the head!

This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. ~2 Chronicles 20:15b

Outline of the predetermined biblical procedure manual to bring godly calm to my own unglued situations:

Step 1: Remember who I am (click HERE for more detail)

Step 2: Redirect my focus on Jesus (click HERE for more detail)

Step 3: Recognize God's job isn't my job

Step 4: Recite thanks & praises to God

Step 5: Realize Reactions determine reach

 

Today, I'm going to go into more detail on Step 3: Recognize God's job isn't my job:

 

"Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.'" (2 Chronicles 20:15)

 

Sometimes I get into situations where I'm consumed with trying to figure out what to do. The more I think through options, the more the unglued feelings come. Ultimately, the responsibility for winning this battle I'm facing doesn't belong to me. I'm not responsible for figuring it all out. My job is simply to be obedient to God in the midst of what I'm facing. God's job is results. Obedience positions me in the flow of God's power, working with God's ways instead of against God's ways.

 

God honors the heart that honors Him. I need to determine to be who God is calling me to be. This is hard, but it has worked wonders in helping Lysa stay in the flow of God's power. She suggest if I'm having money problems, marital problems, or friendship troubles then I should look up the verses on them & start applying God's Word to the situation. The issues may not change at first, but over time my heart will change. I should practice staying in the flow of God's power by keeping my words in line with God's truth. Again, not easy but absolutely transforming.

 

Operating in the flow of God's power is so much better than working against the flow of God's power. Seeking to obey God in the midst of whatever circumstance I'm facing is what positions me to work in the flow of God's power. I still have to navigate the realities of my situation, but I won't be doing it on my own strength. My job is to be obedient to God, to apply His Word, & to walk according to His ways -- not according to the world's suggestions. I want to participate in His divine nature rather than wallow in my own bad attitude & insecurities. Then I won't have to huff & puff & pout while trying to figure everything out on my own. I stay in the flow. God, in His way & timing, works it all out.

 

That's what happened with King Jehoshaphat. I'm sure if he had tried to figure out how to win this battle base on his limited strength & numbers alone, he would have surely given up. Judah was outnumbered. No question. But instead of counting themselves out, the king & his army counted God in & determined to do exactly as He instructed -- even when what God instructed must have seemed like three shades of crazy.

I'm not strong enough to do this on my own; I need God to be strong enough.....

 

Christmas Tradition #4: School Party

Let me catch you up a little bit....I am blogging about the Christmas Traditions we have in our family. A friend of mine started doing this & we are linking up with it! It's TOO FUN! I'm learning about traditions I would like to start adding!!!! Here's what I've done so far (you can click on each one to read about it):

#1 Decorating

#2 Christmas Music

#3 Christmas Movies



 

Another tradition we have is the Happy Birthday Jesus/Christmas School Party. I was going to post pictures from each of the parties we've had so far, but I did not make it to school party #2, so I don't have a picture from that one (I was stuck helping a patient or something). Now, I know this tradition will not last forever as school parties don't continue to happen as the kids get older (& Momma stops getting invited along the way too). Sidenote: maybe we could let the girls have a little party with some friends over as the years go by....going to think on that one. But for now, I will cherish this tradition, NEVER miss an opportunity to attend one again, & of course, take pictures. I just posted pictures on Facebook yesterday, so I won't post them all here. But I will post the pictures of the girls with their teachers (a picture I try to get each year anyway at the beginning of the year & at different parties).

 

Jamie with Miss Angela

Kayla with Miss Nikki

 

I Must Redirect My Focus to Jesus

Today's Unglued Blog Update

Another one of mostly my rewording & adding some of my own to what Lysa said. I just think she hits the nail right on the head!

This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. ~2 Chronicles 20:15b

Outline of the predetermined biblical procedure manual to bring godly calm to my own unglued situations:

Step 1: Remember who I am (more detail HERE)

Step 2: Redirect my focus on Jesus

Step 3: Recognize God's job isn't my job

Step 4: Recite thanks & praises to God

Step 5: Realize Reactions determine reach

 

Today, I go into more detail about Step 2: Redirect my focus on Jesus:

For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you. (2 Chronicles 20:12)

It's hard when I feel like there are no easy solutions & no certain answers. But I love the honest admission by King Jehoshaphat & his people. They didn't know what to do, but they knew who to turn to. Their attention was fixed on the the Lord.

 

The Bible teaches that there is power & protection in the Lord's name (John 17:11). The human soul is designed to recognize & respond to the calm assurance of Jesus. When I am in an unglued place, I can invite a power beyond my own into the situation by simply speaking His name. I don't have to know what to do. I don't have to have all the answers. I don't have to remember everything I learned in Bible study last week or while reading this book. I just have to remember one thing, one name -- Jesus.

 

Lysa has experienced the power of this (just saying Jesus....Jesus....Jesus) when the tragic events of life happen: an inconsolable woman who has learned of the death of her grandchildren calmed just by speaking His name. And she has experience the power of just saying His name in her every day life: driving arguing siblings to school. This kids tend to ask her to not roll the window down when she pulls up to the school; but just saying His name over & over has kept her from coming completely unglued at her kids (yelling & screaming at them) when she needs just needs to speak calmly. And as someone who has worked with children in the school setting and having 2 kids of my own, I can tell you those last few minutes in the morning before school can have a major impact on how a child's day is going to go (sorry...I got sidetracked).

 

Yes, keeping my eyes & my mouth focused on Jesus is a crucial part of my unglued procedural manual.

 

Next Unglued Blog Update will focus on Recognizing God's job isn't my job.

I Must Remember Who I Am

Today's Unglued Blog Update

Another one of mostly my rewording & adding some of my own to what Lysa said. I just think she hits the nail right on the head!

This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. ~2 Chronicles 20:15b

 

Outline of the predetermined biblical procedure manual to bring godly calm to my own unglued situations:

Step 1: Remember who I am

Step 2: Redirect my focus on Jesus

Step 3: Recognize God's job isn't my job

Step 4: Recite thanks & praises to God

Step 5: Realize Reactions determine reach

 

Today, I'm going into more detail on Step 1: Remember who I am.

Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. (2 Chronicles 20:3-4)

 

Jehoshaphat had feelings of alarm that were a valid & reasonable indicator of what he was facing, but it didn't force him into an unglued reaction. Why? Because the Scriptures are clear he had already predetermined how he'd respond. The two words that immediately precede & follow King Jehoshaphat's name -- alarmed & resolved -- represent two realities that are especially significant for this struggle I have with raw emotions.

 

Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved. The king had resolved to inquire of the Lord. This is how I want to be. When I feel alarmed, I want simultaneously to be resolved. Alarmed, Tasha resolved. And here's what I want to be resolved to do--remember who I am.

 

King Jehoshaphat was resolved. He predetermined to remember who he was. And it prevented him from coming unglued. I need to do the very same thing. I'm not an unglued woman who is a slave to her circumstances, her hormones, or to other people's attitudes. Those things might affect me, but they don't rule me. I am a child of God, holy & dearly loved, whom God has set apart for a mighty plan. And there ain't nothing in this world worth trading all that for. Indeed, I must remember who I am. 



Christmas Tradition #3: Christmas Movies

I don't talk about it as much as I do music, but I LOVE movies too! And starting December 1, or right after Thanksgiving, we start watching our Christmas movies. I like watching them on TV too, but with a 5-year-old & 2-year-old, we tend to get distracted during commercials & movie time is over. So when I'm out & about & see a Christmas movie I love OR want to introduce into the collection, I grab it. Here are the ones we have in our collection that have become some of our favorites (for some reason I had a little trouble with the 'Add Caption' option so some are captioned & some just have what I wanted to say under the picture):

 

We have some of the classics!

And yes, we have Charlie Brown too!

I don't think the girls remember that we have this one cause it hasn't been requested yet this year. I may have to give them a little reminder. Even though I get tired of them, I know the girls LOVE The Wiggles. They DO make for a GREAT workout if you get up & do the dances with them.

I like this one....it's just cute & reminds me of taking my 'little sister' to the theater for our very first movie date to see it.

The girls LOVE the Home Alone collection! I will sit down & watch the 1st two with them...but I'm not a fan of the last 2; so I tend to go work on something else in the house when they are requested.

And we LOVE the Santa Clause movies....ALL of them!

 

This one is my PERSONAL favorite! Yes, I will watch my copy of it AND force the family to endure at least 1 of the showings of it when there is 24 Hours of A Christmas Story on TBS Christmas Eve-Christmas Day.

 

So what are some of your favorite Christmas movies? What else should I add to the collection????



We Just Need an Instruction Manual

Today's Unglued Blog Update

Another one of mostly my rewording & adding some of my own to what Lysa said. I just think she hits the nail right on the head!

This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. ~2 Chronicles 20:15b

I have heard time & time again: women need to come with an instruction manual; dating guys needs to have it's own handbook; & they forgot to give me the instruction manual with this baby when we left the hospital. A lot of times these statements are said in a joking manner when someone is having a difficult time; but y'all, we DO have an instruction manual for life....The Bible. And they come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, formats, etc. All you have to do is a search on the web, or go to Lifeway (or your local Christian Book Store) & tell them you are looking for a Bible. They will help you out!

I am a very simple person & you will often times hear me say I need something put in Tasha Terms. In other words, I need something I can easily understand. Now I know King James Version is an AWESOME version of the Bible, but I just don't understand how it's written. So I have a Bible that is written like we talk today. And BONUS: it's in my FAVORITE color!

And yes, just like back in High School & College, in order for me to understand something, I've got to highlight it & take notes within it. Now, not ALL of my pages look that colorful, that's just where my Jesus Calling devotional has happened to take me, A LOT (awesome devotional by the way if you're looking for one!). But I'm not in this posting to talk about which Bible you should pick or devotionals, just about our Biblical Procedure Manual as it relates to coming (or really not coming) unglued.

An Old Testament example of how to handle raw emotions is King Jehoshaphat, whose store is told in 2 Chronicles 20. One day this king got some very bad news. Three countries had banded together, forming a massive army to attack his much smaller country of Judah. Danger was thick. Defeat seemed imminent. Death on a massive scale was a looming reality.

Just thinking about that & what he must of felt makes me feel the teeniest big unglued. But, in the face of this potentially horrific situation, King Jehoshaphat didn't freak out or explode. Instead, he did 5 specific things that give a whole new perspective on how to hold myself together when a life event threatens to blow me apart. Based on the truths in Jehoshaphat's story, Lysa outlined a training plan for her heart & mind & wrote a predetermined Biblical Procedural Manual to bring godly calm to her own unglued situations. I'll outline them here, & spend the next few Unglued Blog Updates going into detail on each of them.

Step 1: Remember who you are.
Step 2: Redirect your focus to Jesus.
Step 3: Recognize God's job isn't your job.
Step 4: Recite thanks & praises to God.
Step 5: Realize reactions determine reach.

Now, some of these have more details than others, some some blog postings will be longer than others. But tune in next Unglued Blog Update for Step 1: Remember who you are.

Christmas Tradition #2: Christmas Music

In case you have forgotten, I LOVE music! Like....I'm borderline obsessed with it. But I can only take certain songs at certain times. I try to pass along my love for music (but not all the way to obsessed) to the girls. Our next Christmas Tradition is breaking out the Christmas CDs in my SUV. We don't get to listen to them until Dec 1; but sometimes I'll break them out after Thanksgiving. Jamie would rather watch a movie, but Kayla will pick a Christmas CD when it's her turn to pick. Here are our 2 favorites:

This has a lot of good Christmas songs on it, sung by kids (which Kayla loves). She LOVES all the Kidz Bop CDs!

Mickey Mouse Christmas CD

 

Since we only have 2 favorites, you see why I don't let them come out until between Thanksgiving & Christmas.