But You Don’t Have to Be

This might be more for me than it is for you. I don’t know what’s showing up on your feed, but mine is filled with a world of troubles. And I follow Christian content creators! I don’t mind Christians posting what God has put on their heart, but some of these posts can be downright scary!

I don’t think the world understands what is happening or soon to happen. Now, this isn’t to scare you, too. To be real, the more you know, the better. I’ve been giving my issues to the Lord, and He has been using friends and other content creators to help me. Thank You, Jesus! So, just in case you need to hear this, there’s no need for fretting. Read the Word of God, tell Jesus about your fears and worries, and let Him do the rest.

I used to be focused on the negative things happening in the world

Sometimes, I feel anxiety after getting on IG because of the videos that my brothers and sisters in Christ are posting. These videos are triggering, for me – convicting. They are reminders that I have to do the will of my Father – to please Him and not myself. You’re going to get the truth from Paint while getting the help you need to live life joyously well, too.

When I was a little girl, a movie called The Day After aired on TV for two nights. It was about what America would look like the day after a nuclear attack. I was terrified, and I never even saw the movie! I was going off the conversation between my teacher and classmates who’d seen the movie the night before ha! I can’t tell you how afraid I was of dying after hearing them talk. Actually, yes, I can!

After the collective classroom movie review, I lived in fear of the end of the world. I would ask my old cousin, Wes, if the nuclear war was coming, today. I asked him, everyday. As I was still in full fear mode, the unthinkable happened. Our local newspaper was dropped at our doorstep, and you will never believe the headline. “Could The Nuclear War Be at Your Doorstep?”. Nooooooooo. I was a very dramatic and sensitive girl, still am, so I can only tell you this terrible news was nothing short of… disturbing. I was a mess.

I didn’t know God then, so I don’t know how God helped me get over the worry of a hydrogen bomb dropping on us at any second, but I was able to move on with my life without incident. Fast-forward to 2023 and the headlines are looking eerily similar and more real. However, this time, the feeling of fear is subsided.

How?

I’m learning to put my trust in Jesus all the way. I’ve prayed for God to help me trust in Him. He had me read a book called Romans (it’s in the Bible) where I found out that I can truly trust Jesus because He understands me. He understands all of us. After reading Romans, I decided to surrender to the fact that God has it all under His control. He’s a good God. He’s a God of protection and safety. He’s the Creator of all, and He’s got the whole world in His hands. How can we not trust a God like that?

The world is showing its true colors, right now. If it wasn’t for God, I would not make it. I would not be able to handle the world looking like this, without Him. He is my help and my hope.

Getting to know God

“There is a way which [seems] right [to] a man, but the end…are the ways of death.” -Proverbs 14:12

We can inhale hours of entertaining posts and videos, but none of them will give us the joy and peace that comes from God. Only God can take away fear completely because, when He died on the cross for us, Jesus won the battle that’s going on, right now, in our minds, hearts, and on Earth. We can want to believe that we, or a god, can help us, but we’re just lying to ourselves.

There are ways other than God that seem right, but they are deceptive. They lead to death. Death doesn’t just mean dying and never being seen alive again. Many movies show us the infamous fork in the road experience, where we have to make one choice over another – where everything, including life itself, is hanging in the balance.

Jesus is the Good Thing!

There is no power greater than the power Jesus has to overcome anything, including death. No amount of worry will make your life better. No amount of pills or alcohol will help. Ignoring it won’t even help because the world, itself, is a reminder that we need some help.

So, what do you do if the world has gone nuts, and now you’re worried about your future?

My best suggestion to you is to just pick up the Bible and read it.

The world is full of bad news and has been since the deception in the Garden. God knew we’d need a book to help us, so He gave us the Bible. It’s a Testament to Jesus and His love for us. Testament means Good News. This type of news eases all worries and fears and gives you the greatest comfort we can ever receive. It will change you but not from some weird spirits. The change will come from God’s Holy Spirit. He won’t leave you confused. You won’t have to worry about a thing because you’ll learn that God is really good and in control of everything. : )

The Bible isn’t for old people or people who don’t think they can do things on their own. No, it’s for everyone, including you! : )

Happy reading and thanks for coming through!

Love ya!