Panic or Pray?

Over the past two weeks, drivers in the greater Nashville area have been victims of a fuel frenzy ignited by the ills of Ike. But, were we really the victims, or were we the perpetrators? The delay of gasoline arriving here in the wake of the hurricane touched off a panic that urged many motorists to spend up to two hours waiting in long lines to purchase a few gallons of precious petrol. Experts say that this buying binge was what actually accounted for the gas shortage. There would have been enough fuel to go around had we not peaked the pumps.

Whatever the cause, whoever created this crisis, there is a lesson that can be learned here.

In the face of a problem, panic usually proves to worsen the circumstances. If we stop to survey the situation, often times clarity comes to our minds and we discover solid solutions. At other times, however, the dilemma may be too daunting for us to deal with on our own. Then it's time to draw from the resource that never runs dry—God. God may fill your "gas tank," so to speak, or He may choose to have you wait it out a few days. No matter which method He chooses, one thing is certain—He won't leave you empty. He won't ignore or abandon you.

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7,
NIV).

"In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I
lay my requests before you and wait in expectation" (Psalm 5:3,
NIV).

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in
prayer" (Matthew 21:22, NIV).

When a problem presents itself, why panic when you can pray.


Lynn Jacobs
Smyrna, Tennessee
http://www.blogger.com/www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.com
http://www.blogger.com/www.dlynnjacobs.com

Syndicated column "Practical Spirituality:
Christian spirituality from a practical perspective"

Copyright © 2008, by Lynn Jacobs. All rights reserved.

Losing Our Religion in Traffic

What is it about traffic that turns even the most mild-mannered person into a maniacal monster? Is it the driver who moves too slowly? Or is it the one who drives too fast? Perhaps it's the constantly weaving lane-changer, the tailgater, or the one who doesn't use a turn signal and cuts in front of you unannounced.

Any one of these encounters can incite an average person to exhibit road rage, or at the very least elicit an extended honk of the horn. But God does not call us to be average.

God calls us to be patient with all people:
"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 19:11, NIV).

He asks us to be peacekeepers:
"Make every effort to live in peace with all [people] . . ." (Hebrews 12:14, NIV)

He does not want us to be easily offended:
"[Love] is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs" (1 Corinthians 13:5, NIV).

He insists that we do not retaliate:
"Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else" (1 Thessslonians 5:15, NIV).

I encourage you the next time a driver commits one of the above "sins" in your presence to ignore it, keep driving, and it'll all be over in about three seconds.

Living It Out on the Street

I glide through the revolving door of the glass tower and step out into the sunshine and lunch-hour crowd. Glancing from left to right, I ponder my choices: burgers and fries, Chinese take-out, or should I venture down to Second Avenue to the real restaurants. Nashville at noon resembles a giant anthill; the small insects are busily scurrying about in search of food. Today, I am one of those ants as I run toward the intersection so that I don't miss the "walk" sign.

A man in a wheelchair holds out a flyer and mumbles something that I don't hear in my hurried dash across the street. I hold my hand up, shaking my head, as I reply, "No, thanks." I make it safely to the curb and continue my jaunt down the street. I glance over my shoulder and spy the man sitting at the intersection, head down, fumbling through his leaflets. I should have stopped to at least find out what he was handing out. I have an entire hour for lunch; what's the big hurry? I turn around and make my way back to him.

"Sir," I begin. "I want to apologize for not being more polite to you. I was in a hurry, but now I don't remember why. What do you have for me?" He hands me a flyer with some Scripture verses and sign language symbols, and he holds out a note which explains that he is a member of a deaf ministry. I smile at him as he gives me the flyer, and I hand him a five dollar bill. He smiles back, carefully places the money in his donation box, and then shakes my hand. I wave goodbye to him and continue down the street, no longer hungry. I just walk . . . and think.

The Bible teaches us to love others, and give to those in need. What seems to be easy to practice while in church on a Sunday morning becomes a challenge when out among everyday passersby. I feel a nudge in my spirit as I realize that I had just failed to live out my Christianity when presented with a real-life opportunity to do so. I ask God to forgive me and to open my eyes so that I don't miss any other occasions where I can live it out on the street. ~

"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another" (1 John 3:11, NIV).

" He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses" (Proverbs 28:27, NIV).


Lynn Jacobs
http://www.lynnjacobs-christianlifecoach.colm/
www.blogtalkradio.com/lynn-jacobs


Copyright © 2008, by Lynn Jacobs. All rights reserved.