Scripture: Philippians 4:6

Coping with frustrations

All of us struggle with frustration at times. The circumstances can be different, but the result is the same: frustration! Where’s the joy and peace of God? Can I be honest with you? I hate traffic jams and waiting in lines. I’m not sure why these situations bother me so much. I’ve tried many ways to cope with my sudden loss of joy or peace. It’s often been embarrassing and discouraging. 

Do you ever lose your joy because of frustrations? 

You can change situations by using a secret battle plan that I’ve learned through trial and error. Lots of errors, I must confess. I tried praying about my frustration with lines and traffic jams, asking Jesus to help me, but nothing seemed to change. Not until I put into practice this battle plan that has worked well for me: 

1. Ask Jesus for the gift of joy. 
2. Prepare yourself for the inevitable delays. 
3. Listen to calming Christian music. 
4. Immediately forgive the bad drivers or rude people in line. 

Have you developed your battle plan? I’d like to encourage you to make a plan and invite the Lord into the events that seem to bring the worst out of you. 

Paul the Apostle found his secret plan: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6, NIV). 

I haven’t won every battle over frustration, but I have a plan that helps me. How about you? Would you like to start your plan with prayer? Here is a simple one: “Jesus, please help me ‘cause these people are driving me crazy. Amen.”

One last thought… are circumstances controlling you, or are you controlling your responses? I know you can win this battle. You will find your joy again when you find the Lord in every situation. Then you will change the atmosphere by the grace of God. 

You are a miracle!

Scriptures: Genesis 1:27, Ephesians 2:10, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Matthew 22:39

Your body is a temple

People who can change the atmosphere know who they are. In fact, I’d even say they like themselves. They like their bodies’ look, style, and appearance. How do you feel about your body? Has anyone ever asked you that question? 

Whether you look like a fashion model or a sumo wrestler, your body image is so important. 

A body image is the way you think and feel about your body. You may find it ugly or beautiful, huge or too skinny. 

What does the Bible say about our bodies? Does God care about how we see ourselves? The answer is 100% yes. Here are a few Bible verses that might help you change the way you see and feel about yourself: 

1. God created you in His image (Genesis 1:27, NIV). 
2. He calls you His work of art (Ephesians 2:10, NIV). 
3. He calls your body the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19, NIV).
4. God desires you to be whole — body, soul, and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NIV).

So what’s the problem? Here are four classic reasons that distorted body images have become an epidemic: 

1. Most women and some men compare their bodies to unrealistic images in magazines that have been airbrushed to perfection. 
2. The accuser of the saints loves to condemn us and tell us that we are a mistake. 
3. Children in schoolyards can be very verbally abusive. 
4. Some parents are overly critical of looks and body size. 

Isn’t it time for you to reevaluate your body image? Your body is important to God, a valuable and sacred gift. He wants you to love and care for it. The Bible says, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39, NIV).

Would you pray with me now and ask the Holy Spirit to transform your body image? 

“Dear Father, please fill me with Your Holy Spirit as it says in Ephesians 5:18. Help me see myself and my body as a unique gift from God. Lord, help me be confident in myself and accepting of others. May I not esteem others based on looks but on character and integrity. Amen.” 

You are a miraculous work of art, designed in His image. 

Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:18, 1 Peter 4:8

Whom will you lean on?

Do you believe love can change any atmosphere? I do. Someone once said, “love looks like something.” Could it be that we are designed to lift each other up in times of trouble? 

When I was eight years old, I loved to walk down the street with a small radio in my hand, singing along to the beats of Motown and The Beatles, moving my body like the rock stars of the past. There is one song in particular that would get my friends and me going every time: “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers. Do you remember it? “Lean on me, when you’re not strong, and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on.” Isn’t that a great theme song for real love and true friendship? 

It bothers me that our society seems to have shifted from this heart of love. The media appears to focus on our differences: Black, White, Latino, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, French, English, etc. So much division and even hate. Taylor Swift says it so well: “haters gonna hate, hate, hate…”

Because I’m a follower of Christ, I believe I should be different. Paul called our ministry “a ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18, NIV). He said we are to love above all things. I encourage you to adopt this real heart of love and let it permeate your core. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8, NIV). My approach uses three questions that will help me love others when I meet them. Try these out and see if they will work for you: 

1. “Hi, my name is Paul Marc. What’s yours?”
2. “Where are you from?”
3. “What do you do for a living?”

Then I listen to them, and I love them.

I believe the song “Lean on Me” talks about building relationships where people can lean on you and your love gets them through tough times. 

Did you notice the Bible usually focuses on the whole person? Why? Because God cares about everyone personally, and so should we. If we focus on others, our eyes depart from our problems. Love-filled people think and care about others. You change lives with love because you are a miracle. 

Scriptures: Matthew 6:9-10, Genesis 32:25-26, Exodus 24:18, Matthew 14:23, Luke 17:21, Revelation 4:1-2

Make an appointment with God

It’s difficult to change the atmosphere in your home, business, or school without the presence of God. In fact, I’d say the presence of King Jesus is our only hope to impact the atmosphere of this world. Jesus prayed, “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’ ” (Matthew 6:9-10, NIV). The Kingdom of God is full of peace, health, and wholeness. 

You have a mandate to bring this environment down to the Earth, but it can only be done if you spend time alone with God. Do you spend time alone with God every day? 

The Bible is full of people who invested in an intimate relationship with God. They are the ones who changed cities, families, companies, and nations. The Bible tells us: 

1. Jacob wrestled with an angel of the Lord. “When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me’ “ (Genesis 32:25-26, NIV). 
2. Moses withdrew from his people for 40 days to meet with God. “Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights” (Exodus 24:18, NIV).
3. Jesus would purposefully withdraw from the crowds to meet with His Father alone. “After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. Later that night, He was there alone” (Matthew 14:23, NIV).

I believe most Christians have forgotten this secret of spiritual strength and revelation. Maybe it’s the cell phones, the iPads, or the hundreds of television stations that are readily available. Maybe it’s our fear of being alone or of silence. If we want to change the atmosphere in our world, shouldn’t we invite the Lord of the universe into our lives, businesses, and governments? Didn’t Jesus say, “‘the kingdom of God is in your midst’” (Luke 17:21, NIV).

Would you invite Jesus into your spirit, mind, and body? With Jesus, you will impact the attitudes and atmosphere in every situation. John the Apostle discovered this while he was exiled on the island of Patmos. Although he was faced with exile, persecution, and death threats, one encounter with the Spirit changed it all. “After this, I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it” (Revelation 4:1-2, NIV).

I don’t know what you are facing, but I do know the One who can help you overcome it all. Please take a moment to invite Christ into your atmosphere and watch Him work for you because you are a miracle. 

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:33, Psalms 1:1

Your associations determine your destination

John Maxwell has changed the atmosphere in churches and corporations around the world. I’ve known him for more than 25 years. I’ve attended his leadership seminars and read his books for decades. In many ways, he’s become one of my primary mentors. 

Who are your key mentors? Who helps you change the atmosphere in your home, office, or sports arena? 

There is a saying: “Show me your friends and the books you are reading, and I’ll predict where you’ll be in five years.” I believe this completely. The Bible warns, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’ ” (1 Corinthians 15:33, NIV).

David coached his son Solomon with these telling warnings: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers” (Psalms 1:1, NIV).

Associations are so important. I’ve chosen my coaches, friends, and mentors very carefully through the years. I’m completely aware that I can be influenced for the good or the bad. 

Many years ago, I had to make a difficult decision about a long-time friend who had stumbled into a shady financial deal. Although his intentions were good, money blinded him to a bad business associate. I warned my friend and eventually had to sever our relationship because he refused to distance himself from the potentially illegal activities. Have you ever had to break a relationship that went toxic or worse? 

I’ll never forget the day I appealed one more time to my dear, blinded friend. I wept with sadness at his refusal to heed my warnings. Much to my chagrin, the FBI arrested the key initiators of this company, and my friend fell into massive shame. 

Please ask the Holy Spirit to help you choose your friends, business partners, and leaders because they will influence your destinations in life, finances, and career. God will show you because you are a miracle. 

Scriptures: Ephesians 2:1-2, Proverbs 3:5-6

Whom should you trust?

There is no doubt the world has gone crazy. Very little seems to make logical sense on the political and social scene. The Bible says it so well: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 2:1-2, NIV). The prince of the power of the air has clearly abducted the hearts and minds of so many people. What should we do about all this mess? 

A simple answer came to me in the middle of the night: trust in the Lord. It may sound a little simplistic and perhaps kind of crazy, but these verses from Proverbs jumped into my conscious mind: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).

I have to admit that this past year has been a series of trying times. The COVID-19 catastrophe, political turmoil, lockdowns, wars, and rumors of war have destabilized so many of us. Over and over again, I’ve asked myself, “Whom can I trust?” 

Doctors can’t seem to agree on prevention or treatment, some of the media has lost its way, people want to defund the police, and prejudice still rears its ugly head around the world. On a more personal note, I struggled with a large staff having to be downsized, new technologies needed to reach people during the lockdowns, and the responses to some of those difficult decisions. Over and over again, I’ve had to cry out to God for wisdom, strength, and His Spirit. 

Have you struggled with the same desperate cry? Your series of challenges may be different from mine, but I know that God has an encouraging word for all of us. The only way to change the atmosphere of our lives is to trust God. We can’t stop all the chaos of the world, but we can get off the world’s roller coaster by trusting in the Lord with all our hearts and not leaning on our own understanding, perceptions, or fears. 

God has got this, and He’s got you. You are a miracle! 

Scriptures: Isaiah 61:3, 2 Kings 3:14, 2 Kings 3:15

Praise and worship change the atmosphere

Do you know you can change every atmosphere with the power of worship? Have you ever been depressed or discouraged? How did you cope with the struggle? Did you turn on the radio or start singing with all your heart? The Bible says, “and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair…” (Isaiah 61:3, NIV). 

Worship is not a one-dimensional sound to precede a Bible study — it is a powerful tool for you to change your world. Do you use worship as a tool to create change? Have you ever used it to shift the atmosphere in a room? 

Elisha was once faced with a difficult task. King Jehoram, a wicked king of Israel, was surrounded by enemy armies. He was in a pickle. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, he asked for help from the good king of Judah, Jehoshaphat. Have you ever been in a big mess? 

Well, Jehoshaphat did the only thing that could help them overcome insurmountable odds. He sought the help of the great prophet Elisha. Associations do influence your destination. 

Elisha’s response was classic: “As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you” (2 Kings 3:14, NIV). It was obvious that Elisha didn’t like the king of Israel, but he respected Jehoshaphat. So Elisha changed the atmosphere by the power of worship: “ ‘But now bring me a harpist.’ While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came on Elisha” (2 Kings 3:15, NIV). Now that’s a great story! 

I’ll never forget the day I was battling discouragement. I was a therapist, dad, and husband, and our finances were in the garbage. I was sitting alone in the house at our dining room table. I put my head between my hands and cried. All of a sudden, I had a strong thought come to my mind: put on “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3, NIV). It really surprised me because it was so contrary to my emotions. Praise instead of wallowing in my problems? Thank God instead of giving up? It really didn’t make any sense, but I did it anyway… and the heaviness started to leave. I discovered I had a weapon against the depression that had threatened me most of my life. Worship is a weapon for you, too. I’ve often taught people that worship is really a “warship.” You can fight the visible and invisible battles of life with worship. 

Have you ever used praise and worship as weapons? I’m praying your daily moments with God will be filled with spiritual and emotional victories through worship. I pray that you will change the atmosphere in your home, car, and office with the power of praise because you are a miracle.