Stay calm and carry on

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Live long, live well”

Our Bible verse for today: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Stay calm and carry-on”

The late Prince Philip of England was a remarkable man. He was a hero in World War II and of course, he was then married to the Queen of England. Philip was known for his strength of character and his calm demeanor, the man could not be ruffled. That was especially true when he was faced with challenging and even dangerous situations. He was a rock. He lived by the philosophy of “Stay calm and carry-on”, and that’s what he expected of others as well. Philip was also a devout Christian. He also lived to the age of ninety-nine.

If you were to conduct a study of all the times and in all the ways the Bible instructs us as God’s people to live with calm, cool, confidence – courageous and without fear, trusting the Lord and refusing to give in to anxiety, you would be amazed. It’s a dominant theme throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. But that shouldn’t surprise us. Jesus told us in John 14:27 that He came to give us peace. In Matthew 11:28-30 He urged us to come alongside Him and to calmly and confidently walk through life with Him. Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples and eventually the leader of the early church urged us in 1 Peter 5:7 to cast all our cares on Jesus. Peter learned that through long and hard-earned personal experience.

In 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul paints a picture of calm and cool Christians who do not live in anxiety or fear. Paul was essentially echoing what God said to Joshua in Joshua 1:9, “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

What does all of this have to do with our study of living long and living well, and more specifically, to our current conversation in recent days about not living at the mercy of your emotions? God has called us to be people who are by nature calm, courageous, steady, reasoned, and reasonable. People who refuse to give in to emotionalism or to live in a state of edgy anxiety.

Why? Why does God call us to a life of cool confidence and steady emotions? Because that’s what’s best for us. People who are highly emotional tend to be edgy and anxious which creates a lot of stress – and sustained stress is a killer. Not only does it steal our joy in the moment, but high levels of sustained stress contribute to heart disease, poor sleep, overeating, and poor mental health, just to name a few. Living at the mercy of your emotions is a prescription for an unhappy and short life.

God wants you to learn to stay calm and carry-on. Walk closely with Jesus, cast all your cares on Him, lean on Him, and trust Him. People who have learned to stay calm and steady rather than being edgy and emotional tend to live better and to live longer than those who don’t.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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