Faith or Fear? Which Emotion Do You Choose?

Each day without fail we are faced with two decisions. Choosing Faith or Fear. Sometimes it is not a conscious choice.

Is today the day you choose faith in God and His daily plan for your life? Or will you cave in to the "News of the Day" from your local TV news channel? As the "Stafford-like" news anchors pour out gloom and doom with perfect smiles and "Brite-Smile" teeth.

Do you ever find yourself smiling as the weather man points to his inter active weather screen with joyful news of another heat wave. I almost roll over with glee every time the traffic guy reports a ten car pile up.

What is there NOT to like? Clogged freeways, blistering heat waves, and another police action. This is what the world gives us.

As I read Max Lucado's newest release "Fearless" Imagine your life without Fear , I read a quote from C. S. Lewis on this topic of faith, fear and courage. I have posted it below for your pleasure.

"Faith . . . is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods. For moods will change, whatever view your reason takes. I know that by experience. Now that I am a Christian I do have moods in which the whole thing looks very improbable: but when I was an atheist I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable. . . . That is why Faith is such a necessary virtue: unless you teach your moods “where they get off,” you can never be either a sound Christian or even a sound atheist, but just a creature dithering to and fro, with its beliefs really dependent on the weather and the state of its digestion."

"Feed your fears, and your faith will starve. Feed your faith, and your fears will."

Take a look over to the right and view my new feature which is titled "Verse of the Day". Feel free to stop by any time.

Until then, Lord willin'
Carma

Which Way Will You Choose?

I CHOOSE LOVE

No occasion justifies hatred;
No injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love.
Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY

I will invite my God to be the god of circumstance.
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…
the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see
people as anything less than human beings, created by God.
I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than
an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE

I will be forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of
cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so.
Rather than complain that the wait is too long,
I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist
at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.
Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind,
for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS

I will go without a dollar before
I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast.
I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS

Today I will keep my promises.
My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not
question my word. My wife will not question my love.
And my children will never fear that
their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL

I am a spiritual being…
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will not, rule the eternal.
I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by my faith.
I will be influenced only by God.
I will be taught only by Christ.
I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
Goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek His grace.
And then, when this day is done,
I will place my head on my pillow
And rest.

(Max Lucado, When God Whispers Your Name)


Until then, Lord willin'
Carma