Life
often requires a balancing act. We find ourselves thrown off center by
confusion or a catastrophe, which comes when we least expect it. Our normal
peaceful life spins out of control. Each compartment of our life, which we
meticulously created to provide us with security and a safe haven, suddenly
tilts to one side.
We feel disoriented, insecure and fearful. Reacting with negative emotions can create even more problems. We panic and make poor decisions. 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 frustration we create in their lives.
Part
of the problem occurs when we acquire more possessions than we need. Our life
slowly sinks under a burden of stress created by trying to pay for this
accumulation. Another factor comes if we lean toward making sinful decisions,
because we end up reaping what we sow. A third aspect transpires when we tip
under the weight of the demands, which others place on us.
So,
let’s simplify our life. We can sell unnecessary possessions and discipline our
spending habits, make wiser choices in the future and maintain a life of purity
and serenity. We can also simplify time and energy, which other people demand from
us, by doing on that which God’s Spirit directs us to do for them. Peace comes when
we trust God to order our lives (James 1:2-4).
Prayer:
Lord
Jesus, as we walk the tightrope of life, help us to focus on the equilibrium
You provide for us within each moment that we live, rather than focusing on the
spinning details of our negative circumstances (Hebrews 12:2). Life wavers like
the ocean, with a continuous ebb and flow, but You give us the words of the
prayer, which never fails: "Father, not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42-43)
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. 