seems like there are times where there are more bad days than good. and how are we supposed to keep afloat on those days? i mean, after awhile, you get exhausted treading water. the water i'm treading right now includes bills stacking up, decisions to be made about the fall, a 9 year old who is a constant parenting puzzle, and a marriage being attacked by a spirit of negativity from both sides.
so what do we do on those days where we feel like we're drowning in emotions or circumstances and its all we can do to keep our little heads above water? i believe God's Word has the answers we need. i have always believed this in theory, but not until just recently has God begun to reveal to me just how complete and perfect His Word is for our every need. its like he's a doctor just waiting for us to come see him with our symptoms so He can write a prescription with His Word. and there's a Word for every need, every ailment, every sickness in our hearts.
today's remedy included philippians 4. on the days where we struggle to keep our head and our hearts above water, "4 Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
"8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things....."
"12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
"19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
so here's what he showed me with these words:
1) on the days when we struggle, we are to be more intentional than ever about rejoicing. we must search for nuggets of truth to rejoice in. Rejoice in WHO HE IS. Take joy that we are LOVED!
2) we must consistently remind ourselves that HE IS NEAR. not only is His return promised and ever nearer, but His Presence is near NOW, TODAY, right in this moment. and whom shall we fear if this is true? what circumstance should we fear if this is true? none!
3) anxious and depressed? take it to Jesus. decisions to make? take them to Jesus. struggles in marriage, kids, job, coworkers, etc? take them to Jesus. and when we hand him our struggles, he hands us His peace. what a trade! (and i'm not a greek or hebrew scholar, but I have a feeling in my heart that that peace must include JOY)
4) we must train our minds to focus on the good if you're like me, you can find anything to complain about. but i am finding that i am much more joyful when i choose to focus my mind on the good things. i mean, when you look at the public school system in general, the state of things is very depressing. but i can choose to be thankful for the good things. like the amazing teacher my daughter has. the sweet ladies that work in the front office. the fact that i don't know that i could teach my kids how to read on my own. the ability to be involved in the community in such a powerful way. a wonderful way to teach my kids to be in the world and not of it. etc, etc.
when i think about the things about my husband i don't like it, gets very depressing real quick. but when i focus on the good things, i find that i like him and enjoy his company a lot more. and the same goes for myself. when i dwell on the things i'm not good at, my heart begins to sink into defeat. but when i set my mind on the strengths God has given me and His strength in my weakness, i find joy there.
when i watch a movie or read a book or talk with a friend, or go to walmart, i can choose to complain about all the things i don't like, or i can choose to focus on the good things. i can choose to take the good out of just about any situation, and leave the rest in the trash where it belongs.
5) i think paul had learned the secret of being content because he had learned to depend on Jesus to meet his every need. i think sometimes we expect our spouses, kids, friends, and even ourselves to meet emotional, financial, physical, and spiritual needs. and God has designed us to need all those people and for them to complement and build up and encourage.. but He is the only one who can FILL us. i think often we try to fill the void ourselves and look to those people or things to fill voids and then go to Jesus to fill the leftover space. but Jesus wants us to come to him first to meet the needs, to fill our souls completely. and then the rest will be over and above what we need, an abundance of His provision. and i think when we can learn to release ourselves, our kids, our spouses, and our friends from the responsibility and burden of filling these needs, we can have joy. because at that point we are truly living in His grace.
so these may be the ramblings of a mad woman. or they could be nuggets of truth from His Word. or both :) but i hope they encourage you as they have encouraged me this morning. may He bring you His JOY abundantly today!
