I get weekly newsletters from a ministry called Marriage Today and I thought this weeks letter was TOTALLY appropriate for this time of year. So many of us get stressed out from the hustle and bustle of the CHRISTmas season. I do it every year, I worry about money, feeling that I am spending and inadequate amount of money on each gift, worried if I am getting them the right gift, trying to find deals on food prices, and usually trying to work all of this into a VERY tight budget, until the point where I am not very pleasant to be around. God has to remind me every year that CHRISTmas is about CHRIST, not about shopping or over spending your budget or about the perfect meal...It's about the birth of Jesus, and love, and being with family.
Marriage Today is a wonderful ministry, by the way, and Jimmy and Karen Evans are great teachers. If you would like to visit their website and learn more about their ministry the website is http://www.marriagetoday.org/site/PageServer
The following is word for word the Marriage Today news letter from Jimmy Evans:
In the fourth chapter of Mark, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower. The seed represents the Word of God and the soil represents the human heart. Out of the four types of soil, the third that Jesus told about was the thorny soil. Even though the seed quickly took root and grew in it, the thorns eventually overtook the plant and kept it from bearing fruit.
When Jesus interpreted the parable, here is how he described the dilemma with the thorny soil:
When Jesus interpreted the parable, here is how he described the dilemma with the thorny soil:
"Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." Mark 4:18-19 NKJV
The phrase I want you to notice in verse 19 is "cares of this world." The word "cares" literally means "an anxious awareness" or "stress." Jesus is warning that being stressed out and worried about the things of life will keep us from being fruitful Christians.
Stress also takes the joy out of marriage and makes us much more susceptible to problems. Take financial stress for example. It is the number one problem people list as why they are divorcing. But beyond financial stress, just being overworked, worn out, and involved in too much robs us of the emotional, physical, and mental energy needed to love each other. It also makes us cranky and less willing to deal with others in a loving and patient manner.
Stress also takes the joy out of marriage and makes us much more susceptible to problems. Take financial stress for example. It is the number one problem people list as why they are divorcing. But beyond financial stress, just being overworked, worn out, and involved in too much robs us of the emotional, physical, and mental energy needed to love each other. It also makes us cranky and less willing to deal with others in a loving and patient manner.
I heard a saying one time that I agree with. It goes like this: "If the devil can't get in front of you and stop you, he'll get behind you and push you too fast." Our society has never been so wealthy, accomplished, and miserable.
In the pursuit of having it all, we are losing the most important things in life--God and family.
One answer is prioritizing the important things and being willing to protect those priorities. The cares of this world must be dealt with head-on if we hope to bear godly fruit in our lives and marriages. Another answer is downsizing and saying 'no'. God can provide what we need if we trust in Him. The result is true blessing with peace in our hearts and homes.
One answer is prioritizing the important things and being willing to protect those priorities. The cares of this world must be dealt with head-on if we hope to bear godly fruit in our lives and marriages. Another answer is downsizing and saying 'no'. God can provide what we need if we trust in Him. The result is true blessing with peace in our hearts and homes.
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