Building One Another  

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. I Thessalonians 5:11

Stomach Lag – when our feelings lag behind our faith!

Dear Friend,

It’s easy to mix up the way faith and feelings work in our lives. In fact, we are invited to trust God regardless of how we are feeling.

Sometimes, while we are trusting God, our feelings soar with joy. At other times we experience “stomach lag” as our feelings lag behind our faith.

Faith isn’t a feeling, it’s a trusting, a relying, a resting upon another, no matter what we are feeling!

At times we experience stomach lag about something even as we trust our Lord to be with us. How did the royal official with an ill son feel when Jesus sent him home? Perhaps he was cheerful and hopeful, yet it’s quite possible that although he took Jesus at his word, trusting him, that he was worried about his child when he left for home.

An old Texaco service station song went, “You can trust your car to the man who wears the star.”  You may worry whether the mechanic can fix your oil-leaking car, but if you leave it with him, you are trusting him!

“You can trust your soul to the God to makes you whole,” no matter how much stomach lag you are feeling! As Deuteronomy puts it, “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.Deuteronomy 33:27

The apostle Paul does offer a way to counter stomach lag: do not be anxious about anything… but in everything by prayer… with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God…  will guard your hearts and your minds [and I might add, your stomachs] in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Joy to you – Stan  

Listen to the podcast to learn more of trusting God when you have stomach lag!

‍© Copyright 2024 E. Stanley Ott

Scripture from the ESV

1. Can you think of a present or past situation in your life in which you truly trusted God yet you were feeling uneasy or anxious?
2. Read the stories of the Centurion in Matthew 8 and the Royal Official in John 4 and ask yourself, when Jesus healed their loved one with a word and they left for home, how do you think they were feeling?
3. How have your found Philippians 4:6-7 helpful in you life. Make a list of the matters over which you are anxious today, pray to the Lord who loves you reviewing the list with him, then tear up the list trusting God to beg with you!

Photo by Kyle Broad on Unsplash