What Channel are you Listening to?

“Please come home! A tornado is coming through our county!” I yelled at my husband over the phone.

We had recently moved to an area where tornadoes were prevalent, from a country where they’re unheard of, so my anxiety level rose to the max.

“Who told you that?” he responded.

“I heard it on the radio just now. What do I do? Where do I go? We don’t have a basement?”

“Calm down,” he said. “You’re listening to the wrong channel! It’s the same name, but they’re talking about another state!”

All the fear, anxiety and worry melted off my body.

“You can’t believe everything you hear,” he added. “Make sure you’re listening to the right channel.”

I learned that lesson quickly.

I wrote down everything I needed to do in case of a real tornado and even prepared a little plan that we went over with the children.

We’ve had several warnings since then and even though it’s not fun, I don’t panic like I did that day.

Unfortunately, I don’t always follow my own advice when I’m faced with problems or challenges in life.

What I choose to believe determines whether I handle situations with strength, peace, and determination or if I turn into a ball of anxiety, worry and negativity.

We have two choices when threatened by bad news of any kind: do we believe and settle with the facts in front of us, or do we choose to believe God’s Truth related to it?

A negative report from a doctor

– “I’ll never get well”,” I’ll die”, “I’ll always be in pain” …

But He was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on Him, and by His bruises we are healed.

A negative balance in the bank account (“I’ll never get out of debt”, “I’ll never be able to buy a house”, “I’ll never afford to send my children to college” …)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

The scale won’t budge no matter how much exercise I do or how many diets I try

– (“I’m ugly”, “I’m fat”, “I’ll never be fit”, “I’ll never look like those girls” …)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind, and self-control] 2 Timothy 1:7AMP

These are just a few examples of problems we may face.

The point is, we have a choice to pick the channel we listen to and what to believe.

One takes us down the road of negativity, fear, defeat, hopelessness, anger, worry, and more.

The other leads us on the path of faith, trust, strength, peace, love, hope and everything that Jesus offers to those who choose to believe Him, trust Him, and surrender their lives to Him.