The pressing in of all that feels overwhelming in life...responsibilities, schedules, relationships, regrets, aspirations, finances, reconciliation, prioritization, even thawing the meat out in time...and various other tasks, great or small, that fluster the heart and make dull your eyes of faith...
...all that feels overwhelming today can either be met with lies or met with truth. They can either be stroked and coddled as pet sins of worry or they can be preached to by your own heart through the Word of God.
I sat down to write these truths out as a reminder to myself, and remembered an archived post, one that I'd write again today in response to my current set of concerns. So, I'm saving myself the trouble, adding a few thoughts, and offering this post once again...for your encouragement, friend...and for my own reminding when the "what ifs" overwhelm and threaten to sink your vessel of hope:
(Re-worked post of one originally published on September 19, 2012)
What if...
...things don't change, ...you don't feel better, ...the person who hurt you never apologizes, ...your dream doesn't come true, ...people don't understand you, ...you feel like you haven't been successful, ...hard work doesn't pay off, ...your family isn't your closest ally, ...you feel unprepared for current circumstances, ...your loved ones reject Christ, ...your heart gets broken, ...life's harder than you thought it would be?
You can choose to respond in Truth:
...Your circumstances may not change, but YOU are a new creation:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
...He is the Comforter.
"I, even I, am he who comforts you." Isaiah 51:12a
...He will right every wrong.
"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." Romans 12:19
...In which Kingdom do your dreams reside?
"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
...Don't fear man's opinion of you:
"The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Psalm 118:6
...There's only one thing to boast in anyway:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD." Jeremiah 9:23-24
...I can be confident that all my circumstances are God's design for my ultimate good and sanctification:
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
...It doesn't have to pay off with man to matter to God:
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men," Colossians 3:23
...You are not alone:
"He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him." John 1:11
...He is faithful in what he gives you to bear:
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
...When relationships are hard, you can still strive to win them over with your life:
"Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives." 1 Peter 1:1
...Nothing compares to having Christ:
"Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you." Psalm 63:3
...Use a broken heart for blessing:
"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:9
...The disappointments in life are not surprising to Him:
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
What if you are looking at life with disappointment and weariness?
Fear not, friend. His GRACE is sufficient for you. His Word is more than plentiful to turn your self-focused mind CHRIST-WARD. Join me as I take my gaze off of the "What ifs" and onto the beauty of the Gospel!
Because of Grace,
