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Find inner peace by managing your perspective

Lately, many people I meet are apprehensive about the future. I can’t blame them. We feel like we have never been this way before. And we know that the world and or our country has never been this way before. There is a “whole lot of shaking going on” inside and outside of people, weighing them down like a cement life jacket.

The “what if” of the future is staring us in the face. We wonder if anyone knows what to do about it. Pressure and intimidation are always there. Add this to the disappointment of dreams shattered, and it can be overwhelming.

Here is a story that catches how many people feel. As a sergeant in a parachute regiment, I took part in several night-time exercises. Once, I was seated next to a lieutenant fresh from jump school. He was quiet and looked a bit pale, so I struck up a conversation.

“Scared, lieutenant?” I asked. He replied, “No, just a bit apprehensive.” So, I asked, “What’s the difference?” He replied, “That means I’m scared, but with a university education.”

As for the United States, some feel like it’s the fall of the Roman Empire, and the only difference is that now we have Wi-Fi.

Let’s explore the concept of managing ourselves from the inside out. Did you know the Chinese symbol or word for “crisis” is the word “opportunity”? The Chinese see a crisis as an opportunity. They see a crisis as a classroom, teaching us something about life to be learned. Adversity is a way to opportunity. I say it this way: When we miss God, we learn about God. God’s grace recognizes consequences but refuses abandonment.

Think about this. The person who has no inner life is the slave of his surroundings. Managing your inner thoughts is when we don’t get intimidated, stay calm, and uncompromisingly depend on God to make a way where there seems to be no way. Frankly, I would rather be proactive with God than reactive without God. Whatever doesn’t kill us has the power to make us stronger and conceivably better.

Many times, a crisis is a test. There are many kinds of tests. For example, there is the discouragement test, the purity test, the fi nding God and asking God to help test, the attitude test, the character test, the patience test and the trust test.

You receive a promotion when you pass the test. Don’t walk out of the class. Don’t quit on God or yourself too soon. Promotion often comes after the most signifi cant spiritual battles in life. Instead of thinking, “Why me?” think, “Why not me?”

Sometimes we get apprehensive about what other people think of us. Sometimes decisions we made that contributed to our problems are embarrassing to us. Hint: Don’t worry about what other people think about you. What others think about you is none of your business. Most times, if we threw all our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we would probably take ours back again. Some people would love to have your worst days.

Are you worried? Corrie Ten Boom once said: “Worry is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength — carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due.

Nigerian educator Babatunde Olatunji said, “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. What is today? Today is a gift. That is why we call it the present!” You open the present in the present.

The Bible states: “Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn a life

CHURCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Pastor Ed Delph

Glendale Star Columnist

SEE PEACE PAGE 15

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PEACE FROM PAGE 14 around.” Proverbs 13:12. Most folks look at the unrelenting disappointment part and miss the second part of the verse. The Hebrew wording says that a “sudden break will come.” Let’s not forget that God can make sudden breaks come and restore our hope and lives again. When you’re down to nothing, God’s up to something.

So, how do you manage yourself from the inside out? Our inner life and our inner way of thinking are crucial for having peace in unpeaceful times. Our best friends or our worst enemies are our thoughts. A thought is better than a doctor, a friend, banker or the government. But, unfortunately, a thought can also do us more harm than a brick. So, choose your thoughts but choose wisely.

Think about it. What apprehensive people are looking for is peace. The Apostle Paul, who knew by experience what apprehension could do to a person, reveals the way to peace beyond all understanding and misunderstandings in the Scriptures.

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious — the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”

Here’s your takeaway. Real peace is the deliberate adjustment of our lives to the will of God.

Ed Delph is Phoenix native who lives in the North Valley. Since 1980, he has pastored three churches in the Valley. He is a noted author of 10 books, weekly columnist in several local and worldwide newspapers, teacher, business owner and speaker. He has been to or ministered in over 100 countries. He is president of a worldwide ministry, NationStrategy.

To learn more about Pastor Ed Delph, the Church-Community Connection and Nation strategy, call 623-376-6757, e-mail nationstrategy@cs.com or visit nationstrategy.com.

PUZZLE PAGE

ANSWERS ON PAGE 3

ACROSS

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DOWN

1 Leary’s drug 2 Discoverer’s call 3 Ear membrane 4 Venue 5 Satan’s forte 6 Lass 7 Flamenco cheer 8 Morose 9 Buffalo’s lake 10 Hobbling 11 Broadway failure 16 “-- Rock” 19 Epidermis 20 Rosebud, to Kane 21 Pisa farewell 22 Trademark symbols 23 One-named supermodel 25 Faucet problem 26 Letter holder 27 Ms. Brockovich 28 Tabula -30 Unique 33 “Amen to that!” 34 Actor Rickman 36 “Adam Bede” author 37 Poet Teasdale 38 Roasting spot 39 Bloke 40 911 responders 42 Wee dollop 43 Sugary suffix 44 Moray, for one 45 America’s uncle

EVEN EXCHANGE

by Donna Pettman

Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers differ from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters.