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Several years ago, a man sat before me
looking as if he had been traveling on a runaway train. His emotions were out of control.
There
was a wild, frightened look in his eyes.
He looked far older than I knew his calendar years would tell.
It
was not the first time I had seen someone that afraid, nor would it be the
last. But he spoke softly, controlled,
“I take my medicines but they aren’t doing me any good. I believe in God but somehow I can’t seem to
connect. What do I do now?”
“Put God first,” I answered. I hated the theological cliché but it was
where everyone has to begin, even if it is sometimes a beginning again. And since I knew he was on anti-depressant
medicine I continued, “I know there are 18 million people in America who
suffer from depression.
I know about Prozac and I have no problem
with it. In fact, if the doctor
recommends it, I think you would be foolish if you didn’t consider it. But still I say put God first.
I
know everyone has down days and moody days and sick or sad days, and some worse
than that days. But I also know that if
we do not feed that part of us that is immortal, our mortality will not be as
happy or content as it otherwise might be.”
He looked like he believed it, but was
having a hard time applying it.
I continued. What does the Psalmist say? “From whence
cometh my help. My help cometh from the
Lord who made heaven and earth.”
We continued to talk, to share a common
belief that we are all both body and soul.
That we may need medicine to take care of chemical imbalance but we
definitely need God to take care of spiritual imbalance. And how, when things get out of balance,
there is a terrible grinding of our emotional gears.
He looked at me and asked the question I have heard so many
times, “Is it really that simple?’
And I replied, “Yes, it is. Not easy, but simple.”
“Take
a pill. Pray a prayer.” He wasn’t being flippant. He was digging. He was seeking. I could see it in his face.
“And having prayed, just stop and listen.” I said to him.
And I say the same to you and me, “Just
listen.” And in listening, know your
Bible well enough to be able to pull quotes off the library shelf of your
mind. Jesus’ words, “ So do not worry,
saying, What shall we eat?’
Or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall
we wear?’…your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But
seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be
given you as well. Therefore do not worry
about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s
own.” (Matthew 6:31-34)
Is all anxiety bad? Of course
not.
We need to be concerned about walking in
front of a bus or leaving the motor running in a closed garage.
We need some intelligent anxiety or else
we won’t be around long enough to have any kind of anxiety.
Line up 100 people and if they are
honest, they will all admit to sometimes worrying a lot, sometimes a little and
sometimes in between.
Indeed, when my worry button has sometimes gotten stuck because
something was giving me a fit, I have literally taken out a stopwatch and
allowed a few minutes for concentrated worry.
10 or 15 minutes is really enough, after that it will only begin
to rip and tear at my being.
I’m
serious. When your worry is about to
become a runaway train, set a timetable.
Let it run on tracks of anxiety for 15 minutes in the morning, say when
you first awake.
And
when those minutes are up, stop worrying.
Pray for God’s peace and serenity, yes, but then, because you are human,
allow yourself an escape valve that you can come back later and take up where
you left off - 15 minutes in the late afternoon.
There
are some things that deserve a little honest concern, however, what nothing
needs is over-whelming panic.
Foolish anxieties happen when a person has a distorted view of
reality.
Like the reflected
images in the mirrors in the fun houses of old.
Remember how they got all twisted out of shape? We used to laugh at them
because we knew the difference. Worry
too much and soon you lose perspective.
Life becomes a fun house mirror, only you really don’t know the
difference.
That is when the 13th chapter of 1st
Corinthians can step in and begin to do some good. What does it say? “Don’t be a noisy gong. Don’t be a clanging cymbal.” Love a lot.
Can this help your anxiety?
You’re doggone right it can.
Got any doubts? Want to
make the bad worse?
Then be angry and get angrier.
Get your feelings
hurt and allow them to be more so.
Be loud to yourself and those around you. A negative, noisy gong and clanging cymbal of
complaint. Such ongoing behavior will almost guarantee that you will become
depressed and have none, or very little, of the peace that passeth
understanding.
Even if you are well, you can make yourself sick, and if you’re
sick you’ll get sicker. And, of course,
part of your sickness will be that you are sick of yourself.
Will
Rodgers was once asked, “What’s wrong with the world?” and he replied, “I guess
it’s the people.”
If it’s
true, try not to be one of those people who create their own mountain range of
anxiety. Who are impatient with
people. Look for their faults and then
underline them. Approach the checkout
line at the grocery store with your chin out and your fist clenched. Make sure that there is at least one thing
that drives you crazy on a regular basis.
If you see yourself in any or all of these
descriptions, we’re back to square one.
Put God first, your fellowman second and yourself third. For, yes, a great deal of anxiety is caused
by spending an inordinate amount of time thinking about self.
ANOTHER WAY TO SHARE THESE ONE
A DAYS WITH FRIENDS...CLICK ON "MORE" AT TOP LEFT OF THIS BLOG PAGE AND FROM THERE IT SHOULD BE EASY
CHURCH BOOK CLUBS ARE
USING REV. WYRICK'S 9TH BOOK "The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln."
It is
available on amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and many
other book sites.
A new quote below from
Rev. Wyrick's 9th book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN (read the rave reviews below the quote)
If
Mary had not instigated another of her famous feuds the assassination might never
have happened, at least at this time in this way.
She had raised the ire of the wife of
Ulysses S. Grant and so Julia Grant refused to attend the play at Ford Theater
in her company.
Had the General been present that evening,
there might have been more guards.
Instead, the Lincoln’s sat alone enjoying
“Our American Cousin,” until John Wilkes Booth put a bullet in his head.
It placed him in a coma and pushed the
nation further toward chaos.
The time was 10:15.
"Positive,
powerful utterances...skillfully enhancing our understanding and appreciation
of Lincoln while revealing the Divine source of his strength."
Lt.
Colonel C.A. Olsen (Ret.) Asbury College (Professor Ret.)
"The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln is
an extremely well written book that investigates what might be
termed the spiritual side of President Lincoln. It's both scholarly and very
readable. I came away impressed at Mr. Wyrick's portrayal of the President and
with an altered and enlarged vision of the man:'
William Hoffman, Award winning fiction writer; author of Blood and Guile, and
Wild Thorn
"Wyrick has authored a wonderful
examination of the spirituality of one of American history's most devoutly
religious leaders...a pleasant and readable book that has a rich depth of
information."
Maynard Pittendreigh Presbyterian
minister
"When it comes to invoking religion in
support of any of their decisions, politicians need to sit at the feet of Abraham
Lincoln. Reinhold Niebuhr once called him 'America's greatest theologian.' Why
so great? Because he invariably distinguished between human works and the works
of the Almighty. As Wyrick says, 'He wore the mantle of humility
easily: because he was more impressed with what God was doing in the world than
with what he, president of the United States in the midst of an awful crisis,
was doing. That is why in his last major speech he distinguished between both
human causes in the Civil War and the Almighty's 'own purposes.' Lincoln would
have agreed that it is better to leave God-talk out of politics than to
decorate human proposals with divinity. This is a book for our American time.
Through his careful study of Lincoln's career, Wyrick compels us to remember
that piety belongs in politics only when piety transcends
politics."
Dr.
Donald W. Shriver
Emeritus professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York.
Author of An Ethic for Enemies: Forgiveness in Politics
"V. Neil Wyrick's fine work allows the reader to appreciate Abraham
Lincoln's Christian commitment and his prophetic role in American history.
Should have a wide readership."
James
H. Smylie Professor
of Church History (Ret.) Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia
"Neil
Wyrick's The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln should be read by anyone attempting to understand the man who was probably
the most complex person to ever hold the office of president of the United
States. Dr. Wyrick is intent on demonstrating that the spirituality so often expressed
in Lincoln's writings and speeches was not merely lip service to a Deity, but
rather expressions of a profound faith in a real God. It was this faith that
provided the wisdom, compassion, insight and sometimes steel that Lincoln would
need in full measure as he led the United States through
the Civil War. Dr. Wyrick's clear and unpretentious style of presentation is
very much in keeping with the character ofhis subject, and in so doing, Wyrick
makes his point very well that Lincoln, his beliefs, and the faith that formed
them, are as relevant to a troubled America in 2004 as they were in 1863."
Daniel Allen Butler, author
of "Unsinkable"; The Full Story of the RMS Titanic, The
Lusitania and The Age o f Cunard
QUOTE BELOW IS FROM WYRICK'S
WRITINGS
There
is no other organization in the world like the church. It is a breed unto itself. It is a congregation of sinners, not a
country club for saints. To become a
member you have to profess your unworthiness.
CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING TO TAKE YOU THERE
(These are selected sermons from over 50 years of ministry and as a worldwide evangelist Rev. Wyrick preached them all the United States and all over the
world)
+++++++++++++++++++
CLICK ON www.go60.us
IT WILL TAKE YOU A NEW WEBSITE FOR SENIORS....click on
"Voice" on the home page and then on the list of authors click
on Neil Wyrick
Recent articles Rev. Wyrick has written for this web site are:
REFLECTIONS
·
Here Comes Summer (July 2012)
·
Spring (May 2012)
·
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow
(April 2012)
·
Wayward and Windy (April 2012)
Just
remember that “the pain of discipline will cost you pennies, whereas the pain
of regret will cost you millions.”
++++++++++++++++++
How can we keep our faith from being a weak and fruitless thing? How can we not be foolish little men and women groveling in the dark shadows of overeager egos.
Well, first we must do more than just pray. We must believe in our own prayers.
+++++++++++++++++++
Anxiety
out of proportion makes us become like a centipede trying to put his best foot
forward.
++++++++++++++++++
It's
an old joke, I went to the doctor and I said, “Doc, when I do this, it hurts.”
And the doctor said, “Then don't do that.”
++++++++++++++++++
How many things have you been anxious
about that were things which you knew before you got into them were probably going
to create some problems for you? And if
you asked your doctor, or your minister, or common sense and your God, all of
them would have said, “Don’t do that.”
++++++++++++++++++++
To buy into the
community of accountability we have to realize that like bikers we are divided
into two categories. Those who have fallen and those who will fall for anything. None of us are perfect.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Think
on it this way, some philosopher of old wrote it and it endures because there
is so much truth in it… every right
implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a
duty
++++++++++++++++++++++
Some of the sermon titles
posted recently
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Before you decide
to purchase or not purchase his book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN.... view his Award Winning One Man
Dramatization of Lincoln (since he wrote the script
for this drama it will give you an insight into what you will find in the book
itself)
Available on
Amazon.com in printed form and on Amazon Kindle Books. and at
many other sites
TO VIEW THE LINCOLN
One Man DRAMA and 3 other dramas; Ben Franklin, Martin Luther & Charles
Wesley
click on the
following URL
http://www.speakerneil.com/
++++++++++++++++++++++
BELOW
ARE MORE QUOTES FROM NEIL'S RECENTLY POSTED SERMONS
++++++++++++++++++
A QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS POSTED ON MY
OTHER BLOG WYRICK'S WRITINGS ENTITLED
Two stores faced each other across a very
busy street. Their owners were in constant competition
with each other. One day, the owner of
one store put out a sign that read – If
you want it, we have it!
Almost immediately the other owner put out a
sign –If we don’t have it, you don’t
need it!
A QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS POSTED ON MY
OTHER BLOG WYRICK'S WRITINGS ENTITLED
WHO ARE
YOU?
NO…WHOSE ARE YOU?
Who are you? Whose are
you?
You influence and are influenced
according to the answer you give.
Are you are the flavor of the month because
you are determined to be like everyone else no matter what? If so, consider being more independent in our
thinking and actions...because God wants you to grow up.
It may be easier being someone's shadow but
wouldn't you really rather be a sun.
QUOTE FROM THOUGHTS POSTED ON WYRICK'S WRITINGS ENTITLED "Who
Are You? Whose Are You?"
This is an old quote, and a romantic one
as well but, nevertheless, can anyone say of you, “I love you not because of who you are,
but because of who I am when I am with you.”
QUOTE FROM THOUGHT PIECE POSTED
ON WYRICK'S WRITINGS ENTITLED
" WHEN A NATION STRAYS TOO FAR FROM BEING MORAL IT IS WELL ON IT'S WAY
TO BECOMING A MESS
James 4:17
To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it,
to him it is sin.
Someone once said: “A
belief is what you hold, a conviction is what holds you!”
So what holds you,
constructs you, leads you with a push when needed?
Quotes
POSTED ON WYRICK'S WRITING ENTITLED WHO
ARE YOU?
NO…WHOSE ARE YOU?
In a Peanuts
cartoon strip Peppermint Patty is shown talking to Charlie Brown.
“Guess what, Chuck? It’s the first day
of school and I got sent to the principal’s office.
And it’s your fault!”
Charlie Brown responds, “My fault? How
could it be my fault? Why do you say everything is my fault?”
To which she declares, “You’re my
friend, aren’t you, Chuck? You should have been a better influence on me.”
In the comics, it’s funny… but in real life it’s much more
complicated.
Would you like to read the entire thought
piece? Then... TO TAKE YOU TO THE WYRICK'S WRITING'S
SITE
click on
the following
Yes, God loves you the way you
are but he loves you too much to let you stay that way.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Click on the URL below to WATCH NEIL IN
HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE MAN DRAMATIZATIONS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN,
CHARLES WESLEY AND MARTIN LUTHER
To
Order and Read
Neil's 9th book THE
SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN
GO TO amazon.com
QUOTES ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL INSPIRING INFORMATIVE book
STILL RECEIVING RAVE REVIEWS 8 YEARS AFTER IT'S PUBLICATION.
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