Thursday, June 2, 2016

How You Can Live The Care-less Life

My Utmost For His Highest
 
Who is the man that fears the Lord? —Psalm 25:12
 
“The abiding awareness of the Christian life is to be God Himself, not just thoughts about Him. The total being of our life inside and out is to be absolutely obsessed by the presence of God. A child’s awareness is so absorbed in his mother that although he is not consciously thinking of her, when a problem arises, the abiding relationship is that with the mother. In that same way, we are to “live and move and have our being” in God (Acts 17:28), looking at everything in relation to Him, because our abiding awareness of Him continually pushes itself to the forefront of our lives. If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives— not concerns, nor tribulation, nor worries. […] How can we dare to be so absolutely unbelieving when God totally surrounds us? […] God will cause us to “dwell in prosperity,” keeping us at ease, even in the midst of tribulation, misunderstanding, and slander, if our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). We rob ourselves of the miraculous, revealed truth of this abiding companionship with God.”  CHAMBERS
 
Are you familiar with the phrase “He or she doesn’t have a care in the world.”  Meaning that the person seems to be oblivious to the turmoil that surrounds them.  For most of us, we struggle to not be overcome by that same turmoil.  What is at the core of living the “Care-less Life”?  What it is not is our denial of the turmoil.  In the Celebrate Recovery ministry, there is a phrase “Denial is not a river in Egypt.”  Living the “care-less” life does not mean that you pretend or live in denial that the turmoil does not exist.  It is as if, should you admit the turmoil’s existence, you will be instantly overwhelmed by it, when the truth is, you already are.  There is a song, the Great Pretender by the Platters that describes that condition.  “Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender, Pretending that I'm doing well, My need is such I pretend too much, I'm lonely but no one can tell. Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender, Adrift in a world of my own, I've played the game but to my real shame … Too real is this feeling of make-believe, Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal, Yes I'm the great pretender, Just laughin' and gay like a clown, I seem to be what I'm not, you see Yes I'm the great pretender.”  So many are living a “care-filled”  life trying to convince others that they have it all together.
 
That is not the life that we have been saved to.  The answer is a strong relationship with God.  The problem is that we choose to not have it.  If you define your own Christianity.  Your own way of living your new life, you will never live the “care-less” life.  1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you.”  This is the bottom line.  I can write these devotions … you can read them … this is number 1190 … you can read them all … you can read the Bible front to back … but to no avail if you refuse to trust God and not yourself.  Philippians 4:6,7 says not to be anxious about anything by seeking God … and you will be at peace … you will be care-less even when you are surrounded by very real earthly reasons to worry and doubt.  Let this be your anthem, every day.   “Precious Lord take me hand, lead me on.  Help me stand.  I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.  Through the storm through the night Lead me on to the light. Precious Lord, precious Lord, lead me home. When my way grows drear,  Precious Lord, linger near,  When my life is almost gone,  Hear my cry, hear my call,  Hold my hand lest I fall . Precious Lord, precious Lord, lead me home.”  CHARLEY

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