Stirred not Shaken

Back in my younger days I was a huge James Bond fan. I especially loved the new inventions of Q and seeing Bond in his tuxedo. It didn’t matter who was playing Bond. 🙂 Anyway, that phrase “shaken, not stirred” came into my head this weekend, and I thought I would tell you the story.

The past several months have not been joyful months in my life. There have been the mountain top experiences, but the valley lows always seem to highlight and overwhelm any good thing. I came into church Sunday morning feeling heavy with the cares and concerns of the world. And you know how that old enemy, the devil, will jump on that and add his bit to make everything worse.

I was sitting there listening to the meaning of the Indian song that the praise team was singing. It spoke of the power of God that is in us, and how God works through us. I listened for awhile, then I thought to myself, “Is this the Christian life? Worrying about things that you can’t control? Feeling shame and humiliation? Walking around weak like I have no hope?”

Then enters the thought “shaken not stirred.” Except that if you don’t stir yourself up, then you will settle to the bottom. So I will say that I began to “stir” myself up. I know the life that I am called to live. I know who my Father is, and His plan is not to harm me, but prosper me. I know He has a calling over my family. Though the world labels me in negative terms, I remember my identity in Him, and that is what counts. I began to counter every lie with a promise that God had given.

I have to tell you, friends, this was a fight. The Christian life is not for the faint hearted. It calls for us to DAILY renew our minds, and stir ourselves up with the promises of God. The easy way out is just to let go of it all and go with the flow. The harder thing to do, which may be the right thing to do, is to stand for the Lord and His perfect way, will and work.

We can’t do this alone, but with Him we can do all things. I’ll be praying for you to also STIR yourself up!!

God bless you!

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