Sometimes
life is so frustrating. Everything that could go wrong does go wrong. We are
either in a trial, coming out of a trial, or about to go into a trial
physically, relationally or financially. We have a hard time maintaining joy in
our circumstances.
The
best way to count all of our experiences as joyful ones (James 1:2-4) is to
remember that God is still on His throne and that He loves us so much that He
suffered persecution and death on our behalf.
There
is nothing we will ever experience, even torture and martyrdom, which is worse
than what Jesus went through for us. The
God of heaven left His glory to come down to live on this sin-cursed earth for
33 whole years, just to pay the penalty for our sins.
Our
perception about life is what determines our attitude. When we react with
negative emotions, we only make matters worse. Adopting a positive attitude,
regardless of how difficult our circumstance is, will better enable us to
negotiate the issues.
Worry
and stress are killers. They negatively affect our health and cause depression
and anger to rule in our heart. We do not have to allow what happens to us to
dictate how we feel about it.
We
really can consider everything as a joyous opportunity, because God loves us,
cares about us, and has a perfect plan for our life. However, God can do little
to help us if we insist on maintaining a negative attitude.
I
love to use the Serenity Prayer to direct my outlook. First, I pray for wisdom.
Then, if I can change the issue, I ask for courage to do just that. However, if
I cannot change it, I do not give it another thought, because I put it in God's
capable hands.
In
fact, I often go one step further. I bought a heart-shaped box and filled it
with tiny pieces of paper. Now, when something continues to trouble my soul, I
write it as a prayer on one of those pieces of paper.
When
I am tempted to worry or stress over that issue again, I remind myself that I
already put it in the heart of God, and He is perfectly capable of working it
out for my good (Romans 8:28).
When
He answers those prayers, I write the date on that piece of paper. That little
heart-shaped box is a testimony of how God worked on my behalf. This helps to deepen
my faith and to give me the joy of the Lord as my strength (Nehemiah 8:10).
Prayer:
Father
God, teach us to count our blessings; and to realize that everything, even the
most negative of circumstances, is for our good. You have a perfect plan that
includes the issues we are experiencing, and we can trust You implicitly to
carry them out to completion for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).
Help
us to keep our focus on Your goodness, rather than on the issues that cause us
worry or stress. As we keep our mind (Isaiah 26:3) focused on You and Your
goodness and faithfulness, we will glide through life with a smile on our face
and a song in our heart. We put our confidence in You and not in our abilities,
so that we are never disappointed.
Thought
for the Day:
God
will enable us to be a peaceful and joyous example to others, as we live our
life focused on Him and not on what we are experiencing, because we live by
faith in His faithfulness.
