11/15/2020 1 Comment Responding to CircumstancesThere is a well-known quote that says: “It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you react to it”. I fully believe that this quote is true, and it should be the theme of 2020. As we go into a new year soon, my hope is that after going through a year like 2020 more of us have this outlook on life. Our first instinct is to look at everything from a flesh perspective as my mom likes to say. This really means looking through the eyes of yourself and not through the eyes of God. Our natural instinct is to be in the flesh rather than the spirit however, we can change that. We as humans often feel as if our circumstances are a part of our emotions, and we think it is nothing we have control over. This leads us to think negatively and have negative feelings like guilt, shame, hopelessness, anger, etc. The reality is that GOD IS IN CONTROL. If we understand, know, and TRUST that He is. We then can choose to respond positively to our circumstances. Growing up it wasn’t always easy; I was an 8-year-old girl once. As I looked around, I knew I was different and every other girl in school could jump rope in gym class, swing on the monkey bars at recess, and put up their hair in a ponytail. These were things I could not do YET. Key word: YET. My parents raised me to NEVER say the word can’t. I knew that if I had the will, I would find a way, and I always did. I never let my circumstance of having one arm stop me from anything. Sure, it took me many years to learn those things, but I was determined. I have always been asked how I am so confident. My answer is simple. I truly have always believed that God created me with one arm on purpose and for a purpose. It didn’t matter if I didn’t know that purpose yet, I TRUSTED the Lord’s plan for me. 2020 has been a year of uncertainty, a year where we see a lot of negative. I’m with you, this year my world got flipped upside down. My wedding got rescheduled, my honeymoon cancelled. A year that I was so excited for. The reality is: I still found the love of my life, I still got married, and GOD had and still has a grand plan in all of this. Sometimes it’s hard to trust. I remember the day and week my wedding had to be moved. I was a wreck, I felt sad, frustrated and angry. Yet when I sat and opened my Bible and my devotional God spoke as clear as day and as always, he knew the exact words I needed at that time. Oh, how Good God is. We must choose Happiness and Choose God amidst the chaos. We have the ability and power to choose positivity over negativity. Unhappy people feel a lack of control in their lives. They often blame others and take on being the victim. This sends them into an emotional loop. The Bible teaches us how to respond to difficult circumstances. In Romans 12:12-13 says, “Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.” Romans 12:12-13 details five godly priorities in the midst of difficult circumstances. First, we rejoice in Hope. We might not know the details of tomorrow. But as believers we do know that Jesus has a great and glorious future for us. Second, we are to Persevere in Tribulation. We are called to persevere, and not give up. With God all things are possible. In His strength we can do anything. Third, we must be Devoted in Prayer. We must pray for others, Jesus prayed often for his disciples and for future believers. Keep this in mind, on the cross Jesus prayed for those who crucified him. When the sins of the world were placed on Him, He prayed to His Father. We all must pray. Prayer is simply just talking to God. I remember as a kid during tests at school I would get really anxious because I wanted to do well. So, before every test I would pray, and then I would set out a pencil for God and I joked with Him that He didn’t need an eraser because He never made mistakes. Then I would scoot over in my chair so He could sit with me, and on questions I didn’t know I would talk to Him and say, “Jesus which would you choose?”. Fourth, Contributing to The Needs of Saints. We must help others whenever we can. In Acts 20:35 Jesus says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Fifth, we must Practice Hospitality. Love others. I think in this world this is something we could use a lot more of. Kindness. It’s time for us to stand up and make a difference. Every day is an opportunity to serve God and others. By the Grace of God, we can seek to respond to our circumstances in a way that His purposes are at the center, instead of what we think ours’s are. Though we don’t know all the reasons for battles, we do know that God loves us and that He would not give us anything we can’t handle.
1 Comment
Leave a Reply. |
MEET SARAHHi there, I'm Sarah. I'm a writer, speaker, wife, daughter, and most importantly, a sister and friend. My hope is that through blogs, and my posts you will leave here encouraged and know that you were created with a Purpose. My hope is that you leave here feeling loved by Jesus. Categories |