There are many things in life that don’t go our way. We attribute this to personal failure, an enemy, demons, or bad luck. But, we’ve all had the moment when the floor dropped out from under us, we struck out, we got blindsided. It stinks.
What’s my first response?
Most of the time I tend to worry. I tell myself, “It’s no big deal” and then attempt not to think about the concern while still thinking about it WAY TOO MUCH. The funny thing about worry is that it doesn’t change the outcome one bit! Other times, I’ll try to fix things, make quick decisions, and place my faith in GUTS instead of God. I’ve known others who get depressed or angrily vent to friends.
What’s your first response?
I think we respond this way because we haven’t completely settled in our hearts that EVERYTHING in life is a gift from God and that these gifts come with rules. The rules are 1) God gave me the gift 2) He protects the gift 3) The gift was meant to be shared – This means that anything at any moment is available and held lightly! I didn’t earn it, I can’t keep it, and I’m looking for how I can give it away!
When we live this way our response to surprise changes. When something breaks down or doesn’t go our way, we’re able to trust God with the outcome. When our dream snags, we’re excited to be back on our knees and looking for a new miracle. When we lose something, we trust that it was better fit for someone else. When we are denied, we believe wholeheartedly that God has a greater gift in store (Matthew 7:7-11).
“If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without God’s consent, surely a nation cannot rise without God’s approval.” -Benjamin Franklin