Three major causes of discouragement in
this life are when our plans do not work out for us, our expectations are
disappointed and our perceived desires are not fulfilled.
We hope that our life will turn out a
certain way, and when it takes a course outside of our control, we get
depressed or we fight tooth and nail to gain control again, which is
impossible.
The little nagging issues that arise,
setbacks that occur and people who disillusion us will wear our
nerves thin and gang up to overwhelm us.
These issues etch away at our positive
attitude and tear us down to the point of exhaustion. Rather than to
succumb to them, we come up with witty mottoes to discharge our anxiety, such
as: "Trouble only comes in threes."
The remedy for plans going wrong is to stop making them.
We can avoid so many negative aspects
in life by walking in the Spirit and seeking God's counsel for each moment of our day (Proverbs 3:5-6). We consult God for His plans (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Through prayer, we find out God's desires and walk
in His Spirit, accomplishing so much more through His direction, inspiration
and power than we can through our own human strength.
God's love, instead of our human compassion, directs us according to His will. When we walk in His ways, we find the resources, words and ideas we need to accomplish His list for our day.
We set our priorities according to
Biblical principles, and we keep Jesus as our first love. As we rely on God's agenda and wisdom, rather than on our human capabilities, we live a life centered in Him.
Prayer:
Father God, remind us to do only those
works, which You planned for us before we were even born (Ephesians 2:10). This
means that
we may say "No" to the good things and
the dire needs presented to us, unless You tell us to help.
Teach us that although we may feel guilty for not helping
someone in need, even when we have
the time and means to help, to obey You and not to step out of your will for
them and for us by helping anyway.
As we wait on You, we never enter the
pit of despair, because we view all of the opportunities, issues and demands in
our life with the eyes of Your understanding and according to Your will for us.
Thought for the Day:
Rather than living under the tyranny of
the next item on the agenda, or the next emergency, which presents
itself, we dispel depression and stress by totally surrendering to God's
direction.
