"Don't worry about it." "Just trust God." Don't you hate it when this is the advice you get when everything around you seems to be falling apart? Then there are the well meaning people try to give you a spiritual pep rally. Boy isn't that just the best. I like the way Job's friends handled things (Job 2:13).
When life becomes one giant struggle after another, it is very difficult to focus on anything other than what is happening right now. Everything is so...loud. The noise of the struggle is deafening.
There are some trials that you just can't prepare for. We are blindsided by things. A spouse leaves the marriage for someone else, a child dies in an auto accident, a job is unexpectedly lost, a house burns down, an economy collapses suddenly...
The truth is that in these situations, once the initial shock (that time that you feel like what is happening can't be real, it has to be a dream) has passed, it's time to deal with it. Time to calm down and remember. Remember that we are in fact children of God. Remember that He is there and (even though it doesn't seem possible at the moment) is in control. Time to remember His promises to us. Remember that He is our Wise Father.
Philippians 4:4-7, John 14:27, John 16:33, The book of Job, 1 Peter 5:6-7. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but just a few that helped me through some rough times. As I said before, we can never prepare for some things, but with a solid foundation in Christ Jesus, we will be able to withstand the blow (Ephesians 6:13-17).
Thank You, Father, for adopting me. For loving me and providing me with the tools necessary for coping with bad situations. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit and the comfort and understanding that He gives. Thank You for giving us an "other side" of things, and the ability to say at the end, as Job did, "Before I had only heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You."
God is AWESOME!
0 comments:
Post a Comment