Life has a way of throwing
at us some unexpected, and sometimes horrific circumstances. We go to the doctor
and the last thing we expect to hear is cancer. We call our parents and we find
out one of them does not have long to live. The school calls and our child
never arrived from the bus. At times like these, we feel insecure and fearful.
We find our self thrown off center by this confusion and the looming catastrophe.
Our normal peaceful existence
spins out of control. Each compartment of our life, which we meticulously created
to provide us with security and a safe haven, suddenly tilts out of control. We
hectically, yet unsuccessfully, try to manage the disruptive people and events
in our life in an attempt to make us feel safe again. But this never helps. In
fact, it usually increases our anxiety, when these people react to the turmoil
our panic creates in their lives.
The only true help for us
comes when we fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). He
spent considerable time each day in prayer (Mark 1:35). He did
only what He saw our Father do (John 5:19). He lived in the
moment and did not worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:33-35).
He made sure to center his goals on the will of God for His life. He walked in
the Spirit. This is how we too withstand the disheartening uncertainty of life.
God already
clothed us with garments of salvation and arrayed us in robes of righteousness,
which are even finer than those worn at a wedding (Isaiah
61:10). He gave us the words of the prayer that never
fails: "Father, not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42-43). When we surrender our will to His, then God can provide us with everything
we need, even things we did not even realize that we wanted.
Prayer:
Father God, we are never
comfortable when the fishbowl of our life gets turned upside down. We despise
all of the demands and expectations other people have for us. We take one
precarious step after another on the tightrope of life. Help us to focus on the
equilibrium You give us to live each moment that we live, rather than focusing
on the spinning details of our negative circumstances.
Thought for the Day:
Thought for the Day:
When we trust God more and
strive less, serenity seeps into every area of our life, no matter how the
circumstances play out around us.
