Part 2: Navigating Life's Ups and Downs
Trials and Trust. God first and then the world.
In the first part of this series, we looked at our purpose and the role of the Holy Spirit in reaching our purpose. In this article I will look at the circumstances we sometimes found ourselves in. Life is a mix of varying circumstances. These situations often control our mood and can easily change how we feel and tip us into emotional unrest. I have read something long ago that has given me a new perspective on my circumstances:
You can’t choose or control what happens to you, but you can choose or control how to react to it.
Every day, good and bad things happen to us. Your car breaks down, something bad happens at work, you hope for something you really want, you plan a vacation that doesn't happen, you hit a pothole and ruin a wheel, and you didn't get a raise or a bonus at work. There's always something going on, and you feel like you'll never show up.
99% of the time, when you're in such a situation, you start to feel anxious and can't help but fall back into depression. It is things that happens to you that you can’t control, and the question is how you are going to react to it. Blame others, start to feel anxious and depressed, or isolate yourself?
What does this say about our trust in God? It sounds mean, but what it really says is that you have no trust in God. Paul says that he is actually happy when bad things happen to him because he knows that God is busy with him. This lets him know that in his bad circumstances, no one or nothing can help him except God. It was that realization that made him choose to praise God while he was in chains in a filthy prison.
We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. When your circumstances seem unbearable, inner meaning is still available.
Paul knew that he was not alone in this situation and that the Holy Spirit was beside him. He had put God in control of his circumstances, but not only his circumstances, his whole life. This is where God wants you to be: aware that He is the only one who can save you. There’s no one else who’s able to create something from nothing. There’s no one else who holds the power of life. There’s no one else who sees the worst of us and loves us anyway. There’s no one else who has compassion for our deepest longings. There’s no one else who can be trusted with the most tender part of our dreams. There’s no one else who’s there to guide, teach, and comfort—when it feels like everyone else has left. There’s no one else who has the power to save.
What I am trying to get at is where do you find happiness, where is your joy? Is it in God or your circumstances. You see, your circumstances can change at any time. When things are going well, you're on a high, but when bad things happen, you're on a low. However, God is unchanging. He has not changed from yesterday to today to tomorrow. He doesn't change. Therefore, no matter what your circumstances are, you will find rest and peace if you put your joy in God.
In part 1 we saw that God’s plan for you, your purpose, is to glorify Him in everything you do, in good and bad circumstances. To be like Jesus, who always puts God first. So, He could die for us because He did what the Father wanted, not what He wanted. He carried out God's plan by depending on God and trusting him completely.
In navigating life’s ups and downs, focus your eyes on Jesus and make Him the center of everything going on in your life and worship Him in everything you do. Don’t allow your situation to dictate your reactions. Remind yourself every morning of who God is. He is the only One who’s holy and worthy of your praise. He is always faithful, never changing and worthy of your trust, your respect and your heart.