Negative thoughts came first; from that came this!
Our little cartoon girl certainly would have been drawn quite differently if someone was trying to illustrate the result of positive thinking, don’t you think? !
REMEMBER,
What we think determines how we feel and what we feel influences out actions. A negative action is often the result of negative thinking! p. 15 Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice.
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God, Our Logistics Coordinator wrap up!
This my friend, is how you conquer the fiery dart of worry!
I am just a worrier. It’s the way I was made. I can’t help it!
The next time you make that statement or hear someone else make that statement, I hope you will refer to my blog posts. You see, worry is a major fiery dart! Worry will create all sorts of turmoil within your mind. That turmoil will make you vulnerable and a prime target for fiery darts that will undermine your trust and faith in God.
If you ever have any thoughts like the ones I opened with in this post, then plant your feet firmly in God’s Word and
1 – Recognize those thoughts for the fiery darts that they are
2 – Reject them outright for dear readers they are nothing but lies
3 – Replace them with Truth thoughts (go to your computer and type in the phrase “verses about worry” for there you will find a bunch of them. God has a lot to say about worrying) but I highly recommend,
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:67 (NIV)
Now that you have had the opportunity to read my last two posts illustrating, through personal testimony, why I see God as my logistics coordinator, I hope I have given you food for thought that will deflect all those fiery darts that tempt you to worry. He will prove to you, as He does for me over and over again, that He can be trusted to work all things out for my good (ooh, sounds like Romans 8:28 doesn’t it!) That, my dear readers is a liberated way to live!
God – Our Logistics Coordinator! or How to Fight Worry! Part One
This is me; in worry mode!
Awhile back, two of my friends and I took a road trip to attend a ladies’ retreat in the mountains; about an 8 hour drive from our homes. (Of course, that’s just the drive time; we stopped at Cracker Barrel going and coming. The two in one experience–eating and shopping, you know. Well then, let’s say 8+ hours.) We learned a lot about each other, made a heap of memories, and discovered a rather unique character trait possessed by God. It has taken numerous experiences for God to teach me that He can work things out without me fretting and worrying over how He’s going to do it. So while I have been blessed by this trait of God’s, it wasn’t until this trip that I found a name for it. And here it is:
Logistics Coordinator!
A logistics coordinator, by definition, is someone who plans, implements, and coordinates the details for someone else. After reading the illustration below, followed by the 2nd illustration in my next blog post, I hope it will become clear to you that acknowledging God’s ability to work things out for our good (Romans 8:28), is a powerful weapon in defeating worry. So, let’s begin!
Illustration No. 1
My friends and I were driving to a quaint little restaurant in the mountains for lunch. We had driven to this little lakeside restaurant the day before but had arrived too late to eat. This time we left early enough to arrive in time for lunch and to enjoy a spectacular view in the process. But while time was on our side as we made our way towards the restaurant on that picture perfect spring day, my gas gauge was not! I notified my friends that we were getting rather low on gas and it might be a good idea to pray. None of us could remember exactly how much further the restaurant was or even IF we had enough gas to get us there. So, we prayed for a gas station!
Now, here’s where the connection to Worry comes into play. Under the circumstances, I am sure you can understand why we were sorely tempted to fret and worry. You name the fiery darts that would be apparent on such an occasion and believe me Satan shot them at us. And as I watched that gas gauge move closer and closer to the empty mark, and no gas station or restaurant yet appeared on the near horizon, I felt it was necessary that I come up with a plan just in case God’s plan was NOT to get us to a gas station in time. I knew that my friends at the camp would come to our rescue, if needed. But then we were in the mountains and cell reception was ‘iffy’ at best. (Okay, sometimes you can over think a situation!)
I resisted the fiery darts with all the strength I could muster from my lessons on how to fight (and win) against such negative thinking. I called on the 3 R’s of fighting fiery darts: 1)recognize the fiery darts 2) resist the fiery darts 3) replace the fiery darts (you remember, with truth thoughts.
https://fierydarts.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/the-3-rs-of-fighting-fiery-darts-revised-plan
It was an effort on my part but by the grace of God, I maintained a controlled calm. My friends were doing the same, but I knew it was a struggle. The reason I knew that was because of all the wise cracks they were making. When you are faced with a dilemma such as ours, sometimes laughter is a beneficial distraction.
And as so often happens, a few minutes after the ‘need to fill the gas tank asap’ light came on (causing the oxygen level to be seriously depleted as we all gasped for air) there appeared the gas pumps (not station, just a couple of dated pumps outside a run down little mom and pop type grocery). And next door to them was the restaurant; still open! We were rescued!
Wow, I came away from that adventure convinced I had the best logistics coordinator in the universe (and of course, I did. We all do, actually). There is one more experience that I want to share with you that will illustrate the benefit of seeing God as our very own and personal Logistics Coordinator! However, this is enough for now, so I will wait till next post and bring all this to a conclusion then.
This is My Reality–But. . .
Are you depressed over your present reality?
Do you find yourself wishing things in your life were different?
Are you a negative thinker, more often than not?
Well, my dear readers, don’t look now but you have become a victim of fiery dart thinking. A fiery dart thinker has some curious characteristics. Here’s only a few:
Sees a cup half empty; instead of half full!
Focuses on self–primarily!
Knows little of contentment!
Is quick to find fault with others!
Lacks appreciation and gratefulness!
Has a difficult time accepting their reality; gets upset easily!
Nobody would want it said of them that they possess any of the characteristics from the list above. And the good news is that while we may have such a negative bent, it can be overcome and brought under control. But there are some things of which we need to become aware.
I have found in my own life, that there came a time when I needed to stop wishing things were different and to pray for grace to accept things they way they were. When my problem was defined and I came to realize the power of negative thinking, only then did the light begin to shine:
As God continues to shed light on the darkness that plagued my walk with Him, I am developing an understanding of what has gone so wrong for so many. For it has become glaringly clear that negative thinking,. . . was at the core of my problematic walk with God…(FD p2-3)
While this game changing revelation didn’t occur until recent years (Oh how I wish it had but my reality is that it didn’t. I accept that and focus on all those powerful lessons I learned and am learning that I have to share with you), I have discovered some pretty exciting things. Here’s a sampling:
I can be at peace in the midst of my storms! (now I am not saying this occurs immediately but I get there a lot sooner than I use to!)
I see cups that are half full more often than not!
I’ve got more fight in me to resist those fiery darts so the negative thinking does not rule me as it once did!
I get attacked but I don’t fall down! (Hey, that sounds familiar doesn’t it!) Well, it ought too, read this:
We are experiencing all kinds of trouble, but we aren’t crushed. We are confused, but we aren’t depressed. We are harassed, but we aren’t abandoned. We are knocked down, but we aren’t knocked out.2 Corinthians 4:8-9 English Bible (CEB)
And may I add, that after an attack, I don’t dive into depression and turn on myself like I use to. Those fiery darts just have lost their power to rule me! Yes, they grab me sometimes and depending on the degree of fire in them may shake me, but my training (you know, my lessons on fiery darts. It’s a book now!) empowers me to break free. Hallelujah!
And you know that sense of contentment that seems to elude us far too often? Well, let me just say, it doesn’t elude me anything like it use too. And this verse contains the secret:
Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in what whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippines 4:11-13 NIV
And finally, I’m learning to pick and choose what I allow to influence me. Certainly, not the world. No tv show, actor, or actress, or the negative attitude of others. Nope, I resist those fiery darts (and like I said, some are tougher than others, but I plant my feet and resist) and turn my gaze upon what’s important to Jesus!
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Sometimes, we encounter some pretty unpleasant and difficult realities in this world, but take heart we get to choose how we deal with them,
I would encourage you to remember that you choose victory or defeat. And know that refusing to choose is a choice to fall and suffer defeat. Victory is yours as Deuteronomy 20:4 reminds us, “For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” (NIV) It is your choice! We know that Satan’s plans are to destroy us, but take heart for God has plans for us as well. Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”(NIV) FIERY DARTS: SATAN’S WEAPON OF CHOICE, p. 45
The 4 R’s of Fighting Fiery Darts!
As I was praying the other day, these thoughts came to my mind. As I pondered them, I realized I had material for my next Fiery Dart blog post.
RECOGNIZE!
So how do we recognize fiery darts? Examine the effect the “suspicious thought” has on you. Does it produce confusion, fear, doubt, anger, inferiority, indecisiveness, jealously, or selfishness, for example? quote from p.33 FD
REJECT!
As soon as you determine that the suspicious thought is a fiery dart, then reject it. Remember, by allowing it to remain the poison of the fiery dart begins seeping into your mind influencing the formation of negative attitudes and actions.
REPEAT!
Wield the power found in repeating Isaiah 54:17 immediately, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper…”, so as to prevent the fiery dart thought from imbedding itself into your mind.
REPLACE!
Finally, replace the fiery dart thought with a verse or thought of the type mentioned in the following verse. Philippines 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Fiery Darts: Satan's Weapon of Choice 