Life
has a way of demanding more from us than we are prepared to accept or to give.
We feel lost, inept, fearful, insecure, muddled and even depressed at times.
These challenges require that we cling to God more strongly than ever before,
and they can change us in vital ways that make us a better person.
If
we are honest, we even find our self in conflict in our own soul. Have you ever
wondered: "Why did I say that?" "Why did I act that way?"
"Why do I feel like this?" Psychology teaches us that we have three
inner "ego states" that often have different needs and unique
perspectives on what we are experiencing.
This
same inner conflict accompanies us in our relationships in life with our spouse,
children, extended family, church family, neighbors, community, workmates, etc.
These issues force us to resolve the difference through compromise, or to shun
parts of our self and those in our life as toxic. We avoid them like a plague.
Unbelievers
rely on faulty worldly philosophies to guide them. However, authentic Believers
have tried and true Biblical wisdom, as well as the Holy Spirit to direct us
through these times of darkness. Yet, we often bury our feelings and questions,
because they are too confusing to consider.
If
we trust in God, we rely more on Him and the direction of His Holy Spirit.
Rather than resenting these trying circumstances and our inner turmoil or the
person causing conflict, we find our self acting like Christ, with His divine
nature and the fruit of His Spirit taking the place of our short-comings.
We
come into a deeper dependence on and understanding of who God really is, what
He requires of us, and how to trust in His predetermined, individual plan for us
(Psalm 139; Ephesians 2:10). We realize that our Father God knows best.
We
no longer need our learned assumptions of how to survive in life. God draws us
into a closer personal intimacy with Himself. Instead of trusting in our self,
we fully submit our body, soul and spirit to God's safe keeping, as we obey His
will for each moment of our day.
Prayer:
Father
God, thank You for circumstances that enable us to experience a closer walk
with You, that mature us spiritually, and that strengthens our soul to do
"hard things," which we never envisioned our self accomplishing. You
use these conflicts to transform our mind and to change our perspective, as
they teach us that we are capable of more than our natural gifts and talents
are able to achieve.
Even
when we are weary and heavy laden with dire circumstances, as we yoke up with
You (Matthew 11:29), You provide us with Your wisdom and power to rise to the
occasion, and to minister in ways in which we never envisioned our self
serving. Our trials revise our concept of who You are and what You mean to us.
Thank You for these times that cause us to depend more on You than on our human
resources.
Thought
for the Day:
Our life's circumstances may include mental and physical abuse, abandonment, rejection, estrangement from loved ones, etc. that trigger us to develop a controlling attitude toward people who affect our life, and cause us to develop methods to provide for our self, and to defend our self from real or imagined future wounds; we live like this until we come to experientially know the intense love and compassion that are ours through our relationship with the God of the universe.
Our life's circumstances may include mental and physical abuse, abandonment, rejection, estrangement from loved ones, etc. that trigger us to develop a controlling attitude toward people who affect our life, and cause us to develop methods to provide for our self, and to defend our self from real or imagined future wounds; we live like this until we come to experientially know the intense love and compassion that are ours through our relationship with the God of the universe.
