I love to grill! Who wouldn't enjoy great food without the mess? However, I didn't always have this perspective. I used to be afraid of my grill. In fact, there was a time that I refused to even light it. So, what changed?
A few years ago, the grill wasn't working well. We really didn't want to spend the money on a new grill so I called the company to find out what parts had a lifetime warranty. Turned out everything that wasn't working was covered so I took pictures, emailed them in and they sent us new parts. My husband was out of town when the parts came in. I wanted to surprise him with a delicious dinner when he got home but I needed to disassemble then reassemble the grill. I was totally intimidated by the metal contraption but I was determined to make it work.
It took me several hours to get it apart, clean the necessary parts and put it all together but it worked great! I had a much better understanding of how it worked and really wasn't afraid of it any more.
I recently finished a Bible Study that reminded me of this story. The study has given me an all new perspective of the Bible from a few steps back. Although I love the Bible, I have been intimidated by it. I didn't fully understand it and never felt that I really could understand it a whole lot better, so I just used it in the most familiar ways.
After learning more about each individual part, the authors, who they were, why they had the perspective they did and who they were writing to, I have a better understanding of who God is and how He speaks to me through His Word.
Why is that important? Well, in every struggle in life, I can find anxiety. It comes far too easy. If I want to battle that anxiety, I need to figure out what I'm believing that isn't true. Often, that involves me limiting God.
Numbers 11:23 (NIV), "Is the Lord's arm too short?"
Ephesians 3:20-21 (The Message), "God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us."
When I have anxiety, basically, I am choosing to not believe that God can do anything. I'm choosing to believe that He would not have what I need if my worst case scenario comes true. I have experienced my nightmares come to life and He was faithful. His peace can truly exist beyond my comprehension.
There are many other reasons but being specific to what I am walking through right now, it is vital for my well being to believe that what God says is true. I cannot do that if I don't know what He says and am too intimidated to find out. Don't feel like you need to read it cover to cover and absorb it all at once, but find a way to break it down! I've been told the book of John is a great place to start. Find out who John was, who he was writing to and what his relationship was with Jesus. Every author of the Bible was human and struggled with the same things that you and I do. God planned it that way. It is the inspired Word of God and He created it for me; He created it for you!
I tried to bring it back around to the grill analogy but all I can come up with is when an unexpected flame pops up, don't let it just ruin your meal. That sounds a little cheesy, let's take this down another path. When we come to a curve in the road, let's not ignore the map, and wonder how we will get to the path we expected to be on. Let's study the map in advance, so we can look up and acknowledge that there is beauty on the path we are on.
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