A Place for the wanderer

  I’ve always been a worrier. And when I wanted that quality to look good, I called myself a planner. I considered this to be a very key aspect of my personality. Definitely a strength, right? Only to the world. As a Christian, we are supposed to live our lives in the spirit and not in the flesh. Worry and earthly planning are all of the flesh. So, how to we balance this?

Well, I found the answer in the Holy Trinity. Forgive me if my explanation is a little rough as this really requires a whiteboard, I feel. I will make it a goal to post a lengthier video on this topic specifically but, for now, we will touch on the surface. The Holy Trinity is defined as God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit. 

We are made in God’s image with our own little internal trinity. We are soul (God The Father), body (God The Son), and spirit (God The Holy Spirit). God The Father, He be on His throne in heaven. Our souls know that environment and speak that language God The Son, that’s Jesus. That’s the flesh here on earth. That’s your body. God The Holy Spirit, lives in us when we accept Jesus into our hearts. The Holy Spirit is omnipotent and always on the move.

Your spirit is not omnipotent but it is on the move. Consider the spirit a translator. Jesus set an example of how our bodies should behave while the Holy Spirit moves in us and interprets the things we hear from the bible and various messages into something the soul can understand. The soul and the body do not speak the same language. 

What does this have to do with worry and anxiety? Everything. Being a Christian is a commitment to walk in the spirit. This means you are not letting your flesh rule you. You recognize your body as a temporary earthly thing that will be renewed in heaven. You recognize that your body is earthly and under constant threat of sin. This is where worry and anxiety come in.

The body wants control. The one with the plan is the one in control. The Lord told us to walk in the spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25; Romans 8:4). Remember when we talked about The Holy Spirit moves into us once we accept Jesus? That is who we are supposed to let make the plans. Accepting Jesus into your heart is a decision your soul makes that your body doesn’t fully understand so your spirit regulates it. 

All of this led me to that line in The Lord’s prayer, “give us this day our daily bread.” Our Daily Bread. Not next year's bread. Not the bread for the 10 year plan. Today’s bread. Just today. God only gives us pieces of His plan as we go along because the entirety of the plan is far beyond our comprehension. We are supposed to concern ourselves with today alone and trust He has everything else under control.

Lately, I’ve been practicing this by specifically asking every morning for my daily bread. I literally call it my daily bread because that’s what He did. The really fun part is that, since this is a new journey, I don’t have a very clear understanding of what I need here. I’ve spent my life focusing on the distant future. The daily has bypassed me, largely. This is new territory for me. I don’t know what to ask for so I just ask for my daily bread and trust that He knows what that is. 

Let me tell you, this experience has been incredible. I feel so much weight lifted off my shoulders. So, this is what I do and you should try it too because it is wonderful. First thing upon waking, I ask, “Lord, please give me my daily bread,” and I tell Him He’s wonderful in some way. Always show the love. Then I get up and start my morning. Over the course of those rising minutes, while accomplish the first steps of the day, a couple things will pop into mind that I need to do that day. It’s always something completely manageable that doesn’t feel overwhelming at all. 

These are the tasks God wants me to accomplish that day. I go about my normal routine of work, kids, cooking, and so on, all while keeping in mind my mini-goals for the day. I find there is always opportunity to finish these God-given mini-goals. And then, when night comes and it is once again time for bed, I find myself much calmer and feeling quite accomplished. 

It’s also made it easier to say no to unnecessary creature comforts. I used to have a bad habit of getting ‘emotional support nuggets’ after work because I was stressed. I haven’t been doing that because I haven’t been stressed the same. This is actually something that this journey has taught me about myself. I have not been stewarding my money well because I have been stressing about the future and spending money on creature comforts to soothe myself.

When I focus on my daily bread, though, I know everything is provided for and that the future is handled. I’m also realizing that while this is a fun and important journey, it actually carries some real spiritual preparation for things He has told us will come. There will come a day when our ability to listen to our Father will mean the difference between life and death.