A friend walked in the door and before she even said hello, I knew what topic would dominate the conversation. It seems that this one topic was always on her mind and was never close to being resolved for her. She could not have a conversation without bringing it up and voicing her disillusionment regarding it. It became her pet peeve and seemed to always be bothering her to the point where she was unhappy overall. As much as I love my friend, at times I really didn’t enjoy being with her.
It seems that many of us have issues in our lives that we dwell on way too often. These things can affect how we live our lives, choices we make, how we see ourselves, relationships that we engage in, limitations we put on ourselves or others, addictions we may develop, what is important in our life, and so on. We all have struggles that we deal with day in and day out—some are little irritations, some are difficulties that we cannot change, some can even be life-altering. They can defeat us or make us stronger….they can conquer us or we can not allow them to hold their grip on us. As Dr. Phil often asks: “How’s that working for you?” God did not promise us a life free of trouble—He promised that he’d always be with us and give us the grace to get through our troubles. When we unite our will with His will, amazing things will happen in due time.
I came across a relevant reading in Jesus Always by Sara Young for Sept. 14ththat I’d like to share with you. Imagine Jesus speaking these words to you:
A long term problem can be an idol. When you are troubled by a situation that just won’t go away, its important to monitor your thoughts. An ongoing difficulty can occupy more and more of your thinking, until it looms in idolatrous proportions—casting ugly shadows on the landscape of your mind. When you realize this has happened, confess it to Me. Pour out your feelings as you seek to break free from the hurtful preoccupation. Acknowledge your weakness in the face of this hardship, and humble yourself under my mighty hand.
A problem-preoccupation makes you anxious. So I urge you to cast all your anxiety on Me—trusting that I care for you. You may have to do this thousands of times daily, but don’t give up! Each time you cast your worrisome concerns on Me, you are redirecting your attention from problems to My loving Presence. To strengthen these transactions, you can thank Me for caring so much for you. Remember that I not only died for you, I live to make intercession for you.
So my friend, no matter what issue has an overpowering hold on you, God can help you handle it. He probably won’t take it away, but He will give you the grace to get through it. Is it easy to align our will with God’s—NO! You’ll have to do it over and over. But, Fear not! He is a God who does not abandon and He keeps His Word. Have a blessed and problem-releasing and thank-filled week!