"We should follow the pattern of Jesus and Paul. We should battle the unbelief of anxiety with the promises of future grace. When I am anxious about some risky new venture or meeting, I battle unbelief with one of my most often used promises, Isaiah 41:10... "Fear not for I am with you, be not dismaybed for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you, with my victorious right hand" (Isaiah 41:10, RSV). When the motor of my mind is in neutral, the hum of the gears is the sound of Isaiah 41:10.
When I am anxious about my ministry being useless and empty, I fight unbelief with the promise of Isaiah 55:11. "So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
When I am anxious about being too weak to do my work, I battle unbelief with the promise of Christ, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
When I am anxious about decisions I have to make about the future, I battle unbelief with the promise, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you" (Psalm 32:8).
When I am anxious about facing opponents, I battle unbelief with the promise, "If God is for us, who is against us!" (Romans 8:31).
When I am anxious about the welfare of those I love, I battle unbelief with the promise that if I, being evil, know how to give good things to my children, how much more will the "Father who is in heaven give what is goo to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:11). And I fight to maintain my spiritual equilibrium with the reminder that everyone who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for Christ's sake "shall receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life" (Mark 10:29-30).
When I am anxious about being sick, I battle unbelief with the promise, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19). And I take the promise with trembling: "Tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:3-5).
When I am anxious about getting old, I battle unbelief with the promise, "Even to your old age, I shall be the same, and even to your graying years I shall bear you! I have done it, and I shall carry you; and I shall bear you, and I shall deliver you" (Isaiah 46:4).
When I am anxious about dying, I battle unbelief with the promise that "not one of us lives for himself and not one of us dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living" (Romans 14:7-9).
When I am anxious that I may make shipwreck of faith and fall away from God, I battle unbelief with the promises, "He who began an good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6); and, "He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).
...Let us make war, not with other people, but with our own unbelief. It is the root of anxiety, which, in turn is the root of so many other sins. ...Take up the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit for help, lay the promises up in your heart, and fight the good fight-- to live by faith in future grace."
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If you would like to get my monthly updates, please email me! For ministry reasons I don't include everything on my blog, and you will also get a list of how you can be praying! Shoot an email to: l.iman1989@gmail.com
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I meant to add this to my February monthly update, but I am still coming up short on my in country and ministry costs. Please prayerfully consider donating a one time or monthly gift of $50 or $100. I will be here until the beginning of June and this would be a great help as I continue serving here in Argentina.
Send checks payable to "Evangelical Covenant Church," with "Lindsey Iman Support" in the memo, to:
Evangelical Christian Church
8303 W Higgins Road
Chicago, Illinois, 60631
If you have questions about how to do automatic monthly payments, email l.iman1989@gmail.com
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Wow. Powerful!
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