Are you old enough to remember the VCR? For those who are born a bit later, it stands for Video Cassette Recorder. It plays VHS movies. I have about 100 of these vintage cassettes stashed in the garage. Why? I’m not sure. There is something sad about getting rid of them. There are a lot of memories of watching movies with our children while eating popcorn and ice cream sundaes. Some of these movies were watched over and over again! Our son especially liked the Mickey Mouse short stories. In one of these stories, Mickey “kind of” makes others believe he killed a dragon with one blow, but he was actually talking about swatting a bunch of flies with a fly swatter! It caught up with him when the people of the kingdom asked Mickey to kill a “real” dragon. Yikes! That is one tough day for Mickey. He was successful in the end, but not because he was strong in his own power. It was because he received support from his community and his friends.
I want to share with you something I know Holy Spirit dropped in my heart. But I must rewind a little. Life is rarely what we think it should be. We can make the plans, but it’s God who orders our steps. It’s not that God wants us to go through difficult times or circumstances, but He does allow situations to come into our lives to break us, mold and shape us, and ultimately use us to give Him, our Creator, all the credit. I’ve never had to fight a dragon like Mickey Mouse, but I sure have felt the fire breathing monster’s breath on me many times. Don’t get me wrong, some of these times I’ve only needed the fly swatter to get rid of those nasty nuisances. There is always a sense of accomplishment when we can just get it done and move on. But what about the times in our lives when it takes more than a few swats to get out of the mess? Like our favorite little mouse who made everyone think he was just fine, when the real deal of that dragon came along, he needed more than himself. He needed friendship and community.
That is what I need, only I most certainly add God in that equation. Let’s take a look at what the Holy Spirit wants us to learn for 2023. This will be easy to remember if we call it the 4-P’s
Process-When going through a situation, whether it is small like a fly or large like a dragon, it is important to process it with someone you love and trust. For me it’s my husband, because the matters usually pertain to him as well. But you can talk with a pastor, a trusted friend, or a parent. I do think it’s important that they be of the same spiritual likeness. The Bible says this:
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. James 1:5
Together, you and your trusted person can process the issue together with God being in the center. Communication is so important. Keeping it bottled up inside is not a good idea and I do not recommend that to anyone.
Pray & Praise-When you are done communicating the issue at hand, pray and praise! This should be a priority (ok, another p word). Don’t move away from the conversation without doing this. There are many scriptures in God’s Word about prayer, but this is a simple one to remember:
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praise. James 5:13
Seems easy? That’s because it is! Talk to Jesus and praise Him for what He is doing in your life. Sing of the goodness of God!
Put it Down-This is an action you must take or you are going to keep processing it over and over, and that will become an unhealthy habit in your life and the lives of those around you. It’s not easy to lay it down. Our nature is to want to hold on to something that isn’t resolved, somehow thinking we can fix the situation if we keep holding on to it. I can’t tell you how many times I pick it up again. This takes practice and God’s Word gives us this easy scripture to remember when we want to hold on to the “fly swatter” and keep control:
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7
I trust you believe God really does care about you and everything you go through. There is no situation that is a mystery to your loving Heavenly Father. You may not understand it all and that is okay. Maybe you’re not supposed to. Let that soak in.
Press On-You probably knew this was coming! The familiar scripture from Paul in Philippians says it perfectly:
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 4:12-14
Yes! Press on to what God has planned for you. Keep serving Jesus. Remember none of us are perfect and we need each other in life. As we begin 2023, let’s forget the imperfections and mistakes and press on, realizing we won’t be perfect until we reach our forever home located not on this crazy dragon-filled earth, but on the new heaven and earth with our Savior and Rescuer! Press on so your relationships can be healthy. Press on so others can join you for eternity. Press on and shine bright!
The old VCR is on its last leg, and I may even get rid of my VHS tapes this year. But seeing those old cassettes was a good reminder for me to not try to fight the dragons alone because my God and my community are on my side. Even the tough times have purpose and I trust you will keep these simple truths in your heart this year! And as you practice the 4-P’s, I pray you will position yourself to point plenty of people to be in a pleasing place with their walk with Christ!
