Do you ever feel like you would rather have someone else's life than your own; that your life is just too hard in comparison with someone else's life? You must remember that we
all live in the land of thistle and thorns. No one has a fairy tale, perfect life. It isn't real. No one is without problems. No one is without pain. No one is without disappointments. No one is without hurts. Does that mean we all should be sad or miserable? The short answer...yes. You should be ..if you aren't relying on Christ. You should be, if you aren't looking at the big picture. You should be, if you don't see those things as the work of God's loving hand in your life. You should be sad...., if you aren't keeping an eternal perspective. You should be sad, if you aren't able to count your blessings in the mist of the hard stuff.
Do you know that God has promised to meet ALL of your needs according to HIS glorious riches! In a great book,
Jesus Calling, Sarah Young, talks about that. Look at Phillipians 4 and see what it has to say about that......
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. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. 10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
God plants Peace in our hearts ...when we ask for it. We have to focus on what is true..and not make our
problems what they are not. We can "what if"..."What if God does______?" God does not call us to do this.... Yes, my youngest son has several tumors and likely will have several more. Yes, he will need many surgeries and I don't know how things will turn out. But.... I can have peace that transcends human understanding. I can have JOY in the midst of pain. I can have comfort as I rest in HIS arms..
2 Corinthians 4 Treasures in Jars of Clay- 1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”[b] With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
This is NOT pretending we don't have problems. This is NOT putting our heads in the sand. Do you know what HE has TAUGHT ME..
It is hard to look at yourself and the Father at the same time. So, Fix your eyes on Your Heavenly Father. Trust Him in the midst of trouble. Peace will grow and the weeds of life (worry, pride, selfishness, control, unbelief, anger,etc) will die away. God can use the hard situations to produce peace that far outweighs the trial we are in. Trust His goodness...
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