The Answer to the Madness

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The Answer to the Madness

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How is your world right now? How is it working for you? If you're like many people, it sometimes seems overwhelming and frightening.

We all have so many concerns these days. We have to care for our families, putting food on the table, shuffling bills, shuffling time. We have concerns about our shrinking paychecks with the rise of taxes, pay cuts and perhaps even job loss. Add to that the rising cost of health insurance or maybe even health issues. Not only are we concerned with our own debt, but the national debt hangs over us. Will our nation go under with all the debt? Will we lose our freedoms?

It seems everyone is at war with one another. We have to be politically correct in how we speak. Lawsuits prevail. Everything must be put in writing because people don't keep their word. No one seems to be able to come together to solve the big issues we all face. And then we have to worry about our safety, protecting our prosperity and our most prized possession, our children.

While the news media adds to our fears with negative reporting, they are followed by seemingly endless commercials capitalizing on our fears while recommending solutions to counteract our uncertainties. They offer special medications, antacids, identity protection. On and on the list goes. Referred to as "fear appeals advertising," such commercials are often successful. The reason is simple explains, Todd Van Slyke, an advertising instructor at the Illinois Institute of Art-Schaumburg. "Fear appeals strike a nerve with people who have doubts about things or do not know about things. They play on our inherent fears of the unknown or that something is going to kill us. This is why scare tactics are stunningly effective."

Living in this crazy world makes you just want to pack up and move to an island. But wait—that costs money. Is there a genuine solution to all this madness, rather than medications or "Calgon Take Me Away"? Aired years ago, a television commercial for Calgon Bath Beads took advantage of our stresses by explaining that if we took a relaxing bath in their product, we could lose our cares. If only it were that simple.

But there is good news! There is an answer to the madness we feel, and it is written for us in the pages of the Bible. The Bible shows you what to do when faced with the emotions of fear, alarm and confusion.

The apostle Paul wrote, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). Also Jesus said: "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:31-34).

Turn to God with all your heart and ask Him to give you His peace. Pray and study the Bible. Discover God. He can deliver you from the anxiety, worry, stress and fear. Despite everything going on you can live in peace knowing God will take care of you. The only side effect you will receive from seeking God is peace in this crazy world!

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Comments

  • Tammy Vaught
    Let's pray for those under going suffering in this way..there are solutions out there that need to be researched for, using the wisdom God gives. I pray and thank God for giving the thoughts to research and learn more about our health and what could be causing this. Pamela is so right, we hasten God's Kingdom by our prayers and obedience, there's so much more to learn.
  • 2balite
    Encouragement is a rarely used tool in our tool box of life. Thank you for the reminder of what the world needs now to stay fearless and to rely on our Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ for all of our needs.
  • Pamela Joan Bartholomew
    I found this out, that I had to trust God to get me through each day when I found myself having anxiety and depression symptoms that would not go away. This went on and off the whole past year. It was very debilitating because the symptoms I had were hard to make decisions, hard to organize my activities, feeling like I was getting dementia, no joy in being alive. These symptoms came every few days. Well, after asking for annointing the third time and more specifically for the depression/anxiety. I decided to go without beef as I had gotten symptoms the day after eating a t-bone steak. When I stopped all beef and cow products, the depression/anxiety disappeared. I evidently have a food sensitivity to it. My mom told me years ago she had a problem with beef and my daughter often throws up after eating it. When depressed, it was hard not to see all the negative in the world like this article talks about. I often felt overwhelmed in recent years. Thank God He has given me the information I needed more than just this time. Negative thinking will take you down. This world is negative. Satan has created this world system to destroy mankind and it is getting more complicated, expensive, debiltating, etc. The only answer is to depend on God and to do as He says: Whatever is of good report, beautiful, etc., think on these things. Sometimes it is better not to listen to all the negative news. Pray for all the people in dire distress. The only answer is God's Kingdom. Hasten it by your prayers and obedience to God.
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