by David Brenneman
Yesterday sure was what amounted to as a "Monday". Seemed like Murphy's Law was ruling the day. It, for sure, was discouraging.
At one of my breaks I caught this from Dr. David Jeremiah on Facebook: "Praising God in tough situations isn’t always easy; it takes practice to praise God when we are having a bad day or week or month. But we can and should keep practicing! The next time you have a difficult day or face a tough situation, think of one thing you can praise God for. Maybe you can praise Him for a delicious sandwich at lunch or a yummy pizza for dinner. Maybe you can praise Him for the colorful flowers in your backyard or a good friend to talk to. Maybe you can praise Him for family who loves you and cares for you. The key is to look for one thing, no matter how small, to praise God for and then pray to Him and thank Him for that. The more you do this, the more things you will find to praise God for, no matter how your day is going!"
When people are excessively critical, when they are coming at you from what seems like all sides...it's easy to try to run to whatever is safe. To just give up and run the other way. To make matters worse we often justify our new direction in life and touting our former successes as reason to go that new direction. Problem is: what if in all our reasoning we didn't do or go where God wanted us to be?
We do what we do, react how we react in life only because of a few things. Intentional and unintentional sin. Sometimes it's not sin at all but just the path that God has us on. Psalm 23 sort of depicts things as being rough at times when David refers to a valley of the shadow of death.
I know that in my past jumping into what appeared to be a lifeboat going away from a situation seemed like the right thing to do.
Looking at people today who struggle with dealing with the heavy things of life that others made it through...many you can tell have never hit rock bottom. Someone kept them from finding out what the pain of it teaches.
When we try to escape what God's path for us takes us we lose out on what it would have taught us. Even if it's excruciatingly difficult. Even if we think we can't handle it. You would be right! We can't. In Christ we CAN.
Yesterday, after reading that post, I stopped myself and pushed myself into a thankful mode.
I remembered things to be thankful for.
I remembered a chorus from Church.
"Thank you Lord for saving my soul.
Thank you Lord for making me whole.
Thank you Lord for giving to me,
Thy rich salvation so pure and free."
I pushed my mind towards being thankful rather than allowing either the day or the critics get to me. To be honest I was ready to throw in the towel. To give up for the day. I am reminded of part of a passage of being shown "a more excellent way".
Physical problems can likewise push us right off the road that God has us on. We justify changing our life because of the trauma we go through rather than staying the course. Physical and Spiritual trauma are the same. Both are referred to in Psalm 23. You can throw emotional trauma in there too. We know not what Paul's request of God was about but it proved to be a weakness that in Christ he would boast about.
We are as Paul was...in a race. We are to do as the Bible says in regards to running it as if running for the prize at the end.
We are going to have all kinds of things get in the way. But regardless our calling in Christ Jesus is irrevocable. We see that playing out in the life of Jesus. We see it in the lives of the Apostles because they were taught by Jesus. We see them following the Great Commission in making Disciples, teaching them all that Jesus commanded. Making them fully aware of what to expect in life. Many were killed by many various ways by the Romans but those people stayed the course, remaining faithful.
We, regardless of what we face, must remain faithful. We must not get off the rough road we are on because we justify our doing so. In and of ourselves life is GOING to be too hard for us.
It brings me to what happened next.
My mood brightened. My day turned around because of setting my mind on things above. On being thankful in spite of how the day began. To keep on thanking God throughout the morning.
It's easy to quit and go the way of the world. Many people come to Christ and do that. At just the wrong moment they decide that some teaching was too difficult or some situations are too much. That it can't be God's will for them to go through something and they justify not going there. Be mindful of the Old Testament examples. A priest knew of what things his sons had done which was against God and he refused to admonish them to make things right between them and God. They died in their sins.
We read in the Bible this too: he who knows the good he ought to do and does not do it, sins.
When facing what appears to be a fork in the road, when life is overwhelming. Stop. Push yourself into being thankful instead.
Push yourself into a right frame of mind.
Push...some say push means: Pray Until Something Happens.
There's another song, of course, "Give Thanks" by Don Moen.
"Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy OneGive thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
Give thanks with a grateful heartGive thanks to the Holy OneGive thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"Let the poor say, "I am richBecause of what the Lord has done for us"
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"Let the poor say, "I am richBecause of what the Lord has done for us"
Give thanks with a grateful heart (with a grateful heart)Give thanks to the Holy One (to the Holy One)Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
Give thanks with a grateful heart (with a grateful heart)Give thanks to the Holy One (to the Holy One)Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"Let the poor say, "I am richBecause of what the Lord has done for us"
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"Let the poor say, "I am rich (I am rich)Because of what the Lord has done for us"Give thanks
We give thanks to You"
What do you have to be thankful for?
Are you one of those who abandoned your calling in Christ? Stop. Return to God and ask forgiveness for giving up. He indeed will show you a still better way.
Are you one of those who is overwhelmed? Stop. Find anything to be thankful for to God and let that list grow.
Are you really not living as you know you ought to be? Stop. Jesus is one step away from taking you back into His arms.
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