Zuzu's petals....

In the iconic film, "It's a Wonderful Life," George Bailey finds himself with his back up against the wall. The circumstances of life have broadsided his greatest dreams into the ditch of a failing savings and loans bank. The beloved member of Bedford Falls has plenty to be worried about. He has an enemy who wants to destroy him, friends who have lost their trust in him, a failing business, and a beautiful family that has been left on the back burner. He gets home one day overloaded with stress and worry only to find out his daughter Zuzu is sick.

He checks on Zuzu and tries to hide the fact that he's worried when Zuzu shows him a flower that she's excited about. As she reaches to give George the flower some petals fall and Zuzu asks him to fix the broken flower. He quickly tries to create an illusion of fixing the flower and stuffs the fallen petals in his pocket to hide the fact that he can't fix it. In fact, he can't fix a lot of what's happening in his life. His life as he sees it is falling apart and worry, anxiety, and fear have him by the throat.

What are you worried about friend? Is it family, your health, the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, the fear of the unknown, the future, your enemies, your boss, your finances, the consequences of your decisions?..... Do you feel like your back is up against the wall? Do you feel crushed under the weight of your burdens? Has panic, fear, and anxiety become a familiar state of mind?

If you belong to God, God says to us "Do not be anxious about anything." Philip 4:6. I know what you may be thinking, easier said than done. If you don't belong to God you have a lot to be anxious about. However, for the believer, if you have a pulse you will never be able to escape the opportunity to be worried, fearful, etc but through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can be freed from the prison of worry. You can be free from the chains of despair, anxiety, panic, and fear. The battle over worry is won and lost for the Believer in the mind.

Worry can steal your dreams and make a person settle for less. It can choke out faith and rob you of your joy. Instead of taking a risk to accomplish greater things, worry of the unknown paralyzes many to stay captive to mediocrity. It can oppress your thoughts and even impact your health. It eats away at your confidence in yourself and in God. It lies to you by manipulating your feelings to deceive you of the truth. It colors all you see with "What if?" and can cloud your judgment. Worry is a sin. It leaves you fearful, isolated, confused, frustrated, and feeling hopeless.

How do I know this? I have battled with worry and after much struggle, thanks be to God I have learned how to overcome. This isn't theory to me, it's learned from experience.

How do you overcome worry? One of the first, keys to victory is with the help of the Holy Spirit to control your thoughts. The secret is found in these scripture verses...

"The Lord is near. 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.

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. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Philip 4:6-9

One has to learn how to replace in their mind those things that make you worried, anxious, and fearful with what's true, good, right, pure, lovely, admirable, etc.

In George's case, after God showed him what life would be like if he had never been born, he finds himself alone on a bridge where he was willing to take his life before his supernatural encounter. He realizes he's bleeding & reaches into his pocket to find Zuzu petals. Joy surges through his body to realize just how blessed he actually is. That despite all the bad and potentially hard times ahead, God is in control and he is a rich man in the things that really matter. His desperate circumstances may not have changed in that moment but he has had a complete overhaul in the way he thinks.

Just like George, Christian friend, start there. Look for the Zuzu's petals in your life this Christmas season. The things that shake you out of your worried panicked state and help you realize just how blessed you are. Maybe you feel broadsided by life, your back is up against the wall, and you feel like there's no way out. Jesus is the answer friend. He is the way out. He can carry your burdens. He can provide for you, He can sustain you, and He can give you peace that cannot be shaken no matter what the circumstance. Be encouraged that no matter what God is enough. Trust Him, He is faithful and you "can do all things through Christ who strengthens you." Philip 4:13

This marks my 100th blog. Thanks for reading. I hope my writings have proven to be an encouragement for the Remnant. God bless you, and your family, and have a very Merry Christmas!

Source: Urbansmooth YouTube