Today, I ate chips and guac for breakfast. Am I having a nervous breakdown or mid-life crisis? Nope. This is a picture of my freedom! For so much of my 20’s and 30’s, I lived by an EXHAUSTING list of rules that I thought would help me be happy, healthy and a good Christian. I had rules about breakfast foods, how the groceries should be unloaded at checkout or how the laundry should be sorted. I lived by religious rules like avoid the three M’s: malt liquor, booty-shaking music and most movies. Rather than freedom, those rules only increased fear in my life. What happened if I accidentally broke a rule? Would I mess up my life, my kids’ lived or would God punish me? Freedom came into my life once I realized this powerful principle:

Happy Monday to you.

 But, it doesn’t exactly feel like a Happy Monday given the devastating earthquake this weekend in Haiti and the Taliban takeover of Kabul.

Whenever bad news comes in, we tend to handle it in one of three ways. Which approach best describes you:

1. You watch or read as much as you can in order to find out every little detail;
2. You “see, sigh and scoot” - scanning the headlines, feel a deep pit of “ugh” and then get back to the stress of your day;
3. Avoidance and guilty. You've got a mountain of your own problems and you can't handle anyone else's - and that makes you feel like a bad human.

How do we care about what’s happening in our world without becoming so overwhelmed?

Since I don’t own a television, I’m at least a B. I pray, but I don’t want to see all of the pictures and pain that will make me feel even more helpfulness. 

Earlier this week, well-known speaker and author, Jennie Allen, founder of the “If: Gathering” posted a meme that went viral. She said “We weren’t built to carry the problems of the whole wide world.”

She’s right. But while we weren’t built to carry the problems of the whole wide world, what should our response be right now? 

 If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I want to share three things that I’m focused on and there’s a prayer that goes along with it. If you’ve been wanting to pray and need words, keep reading.

1. Remember that God is near, even if you don’t understand why God let it happen.

Many of us gets stuck on the question of why God allows bad things to happen in our world. I don’t have an answer as to “why,” but I do not that God isn’t the cause.

We live in a sinful and fallen world. This is not the world that God created. Tragically, billions of imperfect people have lived since the beginning of human history. We’ve committed all types of atrocities to each other. While we’re overwhelmed right now, God’s heart has been broken over our sin for thousands of years.

Right now, God’s heart is broken over the Haitian mothers and fathers weeping over the loss of their children. God weeps over the Afghani mothers and fathers living in terror right now over what will happen in the future.

Even in their devastation, God is near. 

God promises in his presence. I believe that God is at work in ways that we can’t see or know, but His power and provision is at work.

PRAYER: God, I pray for those in Haiti and Afghanistan as well as  those who are afraid and grieving. I pray that they would call upon Your name right now and that according to Your promises, You would answer them.

I pray for the believers who are in those areas. Supply their needs. Let them see Your supernatural peace, presence and power flow through and break down the walls of fear and hopelessness. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

2. We must always put hope in God, not headlines or humans.

Is what is happening in our world bad. Yes. It's breathingly awful. If our hearts are not torn by the scenes of humans clinging to plane because they fear for their lives, then we've lost our humanity.  I've received information those work with Afghan believers that those believers are being targeted and massacred. This is real.

In light of the horror, we cannot lose hope. We can't, but God can. Never forget that! The news helps us to see what is happening, but the news cannot predict how God will show up in that situations that will never be covered by the news.

Be informed. But do not shape your perspective on news headlines. We cannot limit our view of God based on what we see. I believe that God will be faithful to his people around the world as well. We pray in faith and we will pray God's promises for His people in Afghanistan and Haiti. Let us pray without ceasing for them!

QUESTION: Is your view of the world or your hope shaped by your view of God or is your hope shaped by the headlines or how people behave?

PRAYER: God, remind us to lift our eyes from the news headlines on  our mobile devices and TV screens and put them on you. Remind us that what we see happening in our world today isn’t a surprise to you. Open our eyes today and remind us of Your promises and Your faithfulness. Amen.

3. Prayer should be our first response, not a last resort.*

Prayer is powerful. Jesus prayed - and he knew all about the sinful world that we live in today. He still prayed because God still answers prayer.

Don’t let feeling helpless trick you into believing otherwise. Prayer is how we align our hearts with God and when we receive His promptings.  

Yesterday, I exchanged some messages with friends who’ve served in Afghanistan. They are devastated because they want to help their friends, who are like family, but are currently enabled to do so. They have provided helpful prayer requests.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or feeling hopeless, prayer is the place where you can receive the supernatural guidance or inspiration that you may be looking for.

PRAYER REQUESTS FOR AFGHANISTAN

1. International forces need to keep airspace open and allow for commercial and evacuation rights.
2. Countries to open borders for families trying to leave.

PRAYER: Dear God, I pray for those who are living in fear and terror right now. While I may not understand what they are going through, You do. God, I don't know what to do, but I am willing to be Your light and love of Christ in the world. Show me how today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

*This is borrowed from my church. Our motto is “Pray First.”

Just because we love Jesus, that doesn’t mean that we don’t struggle with what we see in the mirror.

Join Barb and find out how she won her ugly struggle with beauty. She’ll provide Biblical wisdom and practical advice on how you can love your God-given body no matter your size, shape or style.

Big Ideas from Today's Show

1. What’s on the inside matters most, but it’s not the only thing that matters.

God created both our insides and our outsides. When Jesus hung on the cross, it was His body that hung there for us. Barb gave us permission to stop ignoring our outward appearance and the impact that it has on our lives.

2. Contrary to popular belief, beauty is a spiritual topic.

We have allowed the world to hijack the definition of beauty, but God is the creator of beauty, not us. Beauty is not a worldly or secular topic. Take some time to read through Genesis 1 to see just how much God cares about beauty.

3. You are beautiful because God created you.

Genesis 1:26 shows us that we were intentionally created in God's very image. In verse 31, God then looked over everything He had made and saw that it was very good. Because humankind is part of God's creation, we can say with assurance that we are beautiful as well. When you look in the mirror, speak God's truth over you. I am beautiful because God created me.

4. “You will not take care of a body that you do not love.”

It is not wrong to take time to care for and steward our bodies. We as women tend to struggle with feelings of guilt for caring for our bodies, but it can be healthy to take the time to do nice things for ourselves such as finally getting that haircut or taking that time off.

5. Smile in the mirror one minute each day.

When we want to show appreciation to those we care about, we smile at them. Instead of picking yourself apart, take the time to smile at yourself.

Links from today's episode:

Barb's Better Together Moments Magazine

Sign up here!

Enough Already: Winning Your Ugly Struggle with Beauty

Get your copy here.

Better Together host Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author with a passion to help women live beautifully strong and courageous in Jesus' name. She's the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus and Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Visit Barb's online home at barbroose.com.

Are you a stepmom who wants to win with her new hubby and kids?

Join Barb for this week’s FB LIVE conversation with author Cheryl Shumake and learn her valuable insights and practical tips on how to protect your step-marriage, deal with difficult bio moms, and how to connect with hurting kids.

Cheryl is the author of Waiting to be Wanted and she has some incredible resources for stepmoms available at https://www.stepmomsanity.com/.

 

Big Ideas from Today's Show

1. Stepmoms were built to withstand the turbulence of the lives they're living.

Cheryl shared that as a stepmom, your role is to be a conduit of God's love and blessing to your bonus children and the husband that you are in covenant with. Although challenges will come and it may feel easiest to turn around and run, Cheryl encouraged us to lean on God who is able to both equip and empower us to live faithfully in our unique situations.

2. God teaches us to love hurting children who are traumatized by divorce.

Just like Jesus came to earth and loved us when we were broken and hurting children, traumatized by sin, Cheryl encouraged us to approach our hurting children who have been traumatized by divorce with humility and grace. Remember that even if there is conflict, these children are not your enemy. The devil wants to use offense to create division and destroy families, but Cheryl reminded us to not take the bait.

3. Be strong and courageous. The fruit is out on the limb.

Keep on going. Keep on investing. Keep on pressing in to your bonus children. Even if you can't see any light at the end of the tunnel, don't give up. The fruit is coming.

And remember, whether or not your relationship with your bonus child(ren) turns out the way you hope it will, the true fruit you are reaching for is the Savior's "Well done".

About Our Guest Cheryl Shumake

Cheryl Shumake deeply loves her husband, Jonathan, and their four children. She is an adventuress who enjoys travelling and subjecting family to interesting culinary concoctions. She is also an ordained minister, Bible teacher, speaker, and conference host. Cheryl has authored several books and is a stepmom educator. She finds it a privilege to lead women to faith, freedom and fruitfulness in Jesus Christ. However, what she cherishes most about her life is that she is a worshipper, daughter and friend of the Most High God. Cheryl and her family make their home in southeast Michigan.

Links from today's episode:

Cheryl's Website

stepmomsanity.com

Waiting to be Wanted

Get your copy here.

Better Together host Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author with a passion to help women live beautifully strong and courageous in Jesus' name. She's the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus and Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Visit Barb's online home at barbroose.com.