There are a lot of things that we experience in life which cause us to lose focus on what is important and should be the top priorities. We come out for those experiences that make life worth living and God uses to make us more like Jesus the Christ. We all need the joy, strength, and peace which comes through the Word of God.
Gain natural and spiritual clarity. Receive encouragement and pertinent teaching where you need it most. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28 NIV). Or that all things work together for good to those who love God.
Losing the joy of the Lord which is our strength takes our energy and passions away from the things of our God. Being reminded of God's word about having and keeping the joy of the Lord, Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).
Praise God during life's storms equally standing and cheering Go God Go!!!. This life is full of Red Sea experiences meaning that we constantly find ourselves surrounded by life's troubles and problems. When we are surrounded by life hardships the only thing, we can do is call on the name of Jesus Christ. Of course, after that we must keep on praising and cheering God on (Go God Go!!!). The choice to praise God throughout the season of testing takes a strong personal conviction toward the worship of God.
There are times in life when we are afraid to live as God has ordained and purposed. Now fear is not a state of being or a place where God has called us to in life. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) God has given us a spirit of excellence to live and be victorious for we are His (God) workmanship made in His glorious image. We must overcome the spirit of fear in our lives.
Another problem is the battle of procrastination which is the act of delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute, or past their time limit. Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; in everything we do in life should be as timely as possible (Romans 12:11). Procrastination is a "form of self-regulation failure" described by the unreasonable delay of tasks despite theoretically negative consequences.
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provided her meat in the summer, and gathered her food in the harvest (Proverbs 6:6-8). Slothful means to be hesitant, to hold back. It means you are not doing what you should be doing. That in turn means that you are negligent, neglecting the very precious gifts that God has given to you in your life. That is what we read in Matthew 25:26 -- the servant who hid his talent.
So let's do it again and get back to working in life across the board.
Anthony Armstrong is senior pastor at Unity Christian Fellowship Church at Pine Bluff.
Editor's note: Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing for this section may submit articles for consideration to shope@adgnewsroom.com. Writers should have connections to Southeast Arkansas. Please include your name, phone number and the name and location of your church or ministry.