Embracing Disappointment and Change with Gratefulness and Faith

Change isn't easy.  Whether we are moving to a new place, starting a new job, or adjusting to life without someone we loved, change brings with it a specific pain and struggle.  God's Word says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  A grateful heart can handle life's changing winds more easily. 

     Lauren Daigle's song "Trust in You" reminds me that when life is changing in a really confusing way and God doesn't appear to be answering our prayers the way we had hoped He would, we can still trust Him.  Here are some of the lyrics from her song:

"Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings; There’s not a day ahead You have not seen; Your plans are always good; There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood; I will trust in You! Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings; There’s not a day ahead You have not seen; Your plans are always good; There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood; I will trust in You! When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move; When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through; When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You; I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!"

     Job gives us a beautiful example of praising God and hoping in Him in spite of disappointment and change (he had lost almost everything) in Job 1:21: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”  In Job 13:15, he said, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him."  I am going through a season of change in my life right now so when I read an article earlier this morning about three things to do when struggling with change, my heart stirred because Abby Perry had written so exquisitely about things I could relate to, and she had given advice for dealing with the struggle. 

   Here is a quote from the article from the section where Perry encourages us to look for new opportunities to serve others inside the new seasons we encounter in life, "Change often brings a new group of people or issues into our view. When our second child was born with special needs, I suddenly “saw” a whole group of mothers I hadn’t seen before, at least not as clearly. I suddenly had doctors and specialists orbiting around my son, many of whom do not know Jesus. I suddenly had the opportunity to embody reliance on the Spirit in a new way. None of these were (or are) easy, but by the Spirit’s power, I have been able to write and serve in new ways because of this change. Keep your eyes open for ways to contribute to kingdom flourishing in your changing season, and put your hands to the plow. He is with you." 

    Her article is very encouraging.  Read more here: http://www.ibelieve.com/faith/3-things-to-do-when-you-are-struggling-with-change.html I am determined to be grateful for the opportunities that change gives me to truly "see" whole groups of people I had never truly seen or understood before.  I will embrace change because it will give me new things to write about!  It will give me new ways to serve and new things to praise God for!  Let’s thank God for the truth of Malachi 3:6: "I the LORD do not change.”  Even when life is shifting underneath us, our God remains steady. Let's embrace gratefulness by faith today so that when change and disappointment comes, we are ready. 

I Need a Break! Unplugging from the Crazy for 3.7 Min

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)

7 casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].

    I want to remind you that God is deeply concerned about your troubles, and it honors Him when you choose to have faith and trust Him instead of giving in to worry and fear. If you are battling anxiety, ask yourself whether you are taking responsibility for things God never intended or handling situations in a way that God never asked you to handle them.  We often become burned out because we are taking on things that God never ask us to shoulder.

     I am determined to make it my habit to cast my cares on the Lord!  And I'm not going to pick them up again!  I'm resolved not to tell God how to deal with my problems- He doesn't need my help.  Praise God!  Our God is in control and He sustains us!  

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

     It is my prayer that instead of desperately striving to to feel like our little lives are under our control, that we would sit back, relax, and know that our God has it all under control and that He is faithful. In His presence, we can become detached from the crazy going on around us because instead of focusing on our circumstances, our souls are becoming more deeply rooted and grounded in the eternal rather then in the temporal. 

     Nothing in this world can touch the peace we have in Christ. Let's seek God's face so that we will have His perspective for our lives.  These Brandon Heath lyrics come to mind, "Give me Your eyes for just one second, Give me Your eyes so I can see, Everything that I keep missing"  Let's ask God to give us His eyes so we can see our lives from His perspective today.  I am so thankful that we serve a God who we can trust and cling to even when our days are frazzled and confusing. The Prince of Peace gives us an inner calm that is not dependent on what is going on around us.

     We can be encouraged in the midst of exhausting seasons of life because the God we are depending on has overcome the world, so we can too- by His strength.  Psalms 105:3b-4 (NIV) "3 Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."  Let's retrain our minds so that right when our stress levels begin to rise, instead of turning to our electronic devices for contact or distraction, we automatically look to the LORD and His strength and seek His face with joy in our hearts.  Let's unplug from electronics more often and just drink a cup of coffee or tea while pouring out our souls to the God who loves us so much that He died to save us.  He deserves our undivided affections, and He is faithful when we depend on Him.  This verse is both an invitation to enjoy the comforting presence of the Lord as well as a gentle reminder that we can come to Him for the strength we need each day.  

     Let's choose to live in the power of the Holy Spirit today instead of giving in to defeat and discouragement.  We must make it our steady choice each day to rely on God and on His grace in our weakness so that we can be victorious.  As we spend time drawing closer to God in prayer, we will become closer to Him and more connected to Him for all that we need.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.  Instead, let's joyfully expect to see God's power at work in our lives!  

     I don't understand why I'm going through what I'm going through, but I know my Almighty God, and He has a purpose for my struggle.  I don't know what your burdens are, but I want to encourage you to cast your cares on the LORD today, and trust Him to sustain you!  He won't let you be shaken!  My pastor reminded me on Sunday of this beautiful hymn chorus: "Jesus is the answer, for the world today, Above Him there's no other, Jesus is the way."  He is the Way: choose the peace of resting in Jesus today.