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One of the main hindrances to enjoying life is the cluttering effect that unresolved problems can have in our moment by moment existence throughout our day. Indeed, we can be trying to juggle so many problems in our own strength that we unknowingly forfeit the ability to enjoy our lives in the process of seeing each of troubling issues resolve themselves. We become convinced that we can only be happy and at peace once our problems have been resolved, instead of realizing the truth which is, we can be happy, expectant and confident even while we wait for our problems to resolve themselves. In other words, enjoy reaching your 'destination', but enjoy also the journey! It is not God's will that we become so paralyzed by life that we lose the joy of living. Living life God's way enables us to, in a sense, place problems on 'shelves' in our minds so that they are 'up and out of the way', so we can go about our day with peace unbothered by our problems. Our faith is what allows us to believe that God has the answers, and in His good time, He will reveal to us what our role will be in seeing these problems resolved. We can take this 'shelves in our minds' idea one step further, in that we can imagine that there are 'radiation boxes' on the shelves. One of the definitions of radiation cancer treatment is: Radiation treatment uses ionizing radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors ... So, you can imagine that a 'spiritual radiation box' is something where problems are 'broken down' and over time 'lose their life'. Leaving our problems in God's hands (or in these radiation boxes) opens the door to resolution so much faster than if we relied on our own understanding to figure out an answer. But what do most people do? They rely on their own understanding to resolve the problem. Scripture talks about this in Proverbs 3:5, 6 which reads: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.So, every time a situation arises in your life, place it in a radiation box on a shelf in your mind. Label it, such as: My Unemployment Problem or My Marriage Problem, and become quiet as you go through your day and be open to any ideas that God might show you regarding how best to deal with it. Doing this will enable you to keep God's Word as it relates to not worrying. Some Bible verses along these lines are: "Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. " 1 Peter 5:7 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." John 14:27 "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." John 14:1 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. " Colossians 3:15So, are you ready to do some mental house cleaning? Question: What are some of the situations in your life where you recognize you need to place them in a 'radiation box' on a 'shelf' in your mind?
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