It’s been a week in which friends I know have experienced major setbacks. Just normal life tribulations but major setbacks for their health, family or work.
Last Sunday I spoke about the fact that “trouble must come” and shared my personal response to these confusing, often shattering experiences. This week I have really been tested on the convictions I’ve gleaned from the bible and practiced in life.
I’m pleased to report that these three principles have stood firm in this weeks storms.
They are: as a Christian;
•Determine to keep your focus on Jesus – I do this by reading and remembering what be said and did, especially in trouble. I remember and choose not to forget Jesus promise and example.
•Share your experiences and troubles with reliable people who will pray with you and for you consistently. Don’t leave people and situations to chance, prayer pushes people and situations into the path of Gods blessing.
•Relinquish the desperation to control to Jesus – there is a mysterious truth; having given our concerns to Jesus, we must leave them there, if we are to know his transformation in our lives and the lives of our families and circumstances.
These things are simple but hard to do. They are what faith is about and they have brought me closer to God. Talk about it and try it, you may well be surprised what happens to you.
I’m being convicted at the moment through recent teaching, that God is looking for people He can trust. In the small matters, producing faith for the big stuff, so He can bless us and trust that we will then be a blessing to others! Press In.. Press On..
Your right though, simple principles, but why do we sometimes struggle to put them to action?
I love the phrase “prayer pushes people and situations into the path of God’s blessing”. Utterly no doubt about that, but how DOES that work with a sovereign God? It is great to get to that point which says “I know that is what happens so I will pray with my whole heart” while remaining mystified as to how that works….which leads on to my appreciation of your comment on relinquishing control to Jesus. This is the BIGGEST thing I have learnt to (imperfectly) do lately and only by SHEER NECESSITY – like if I had ANY ability to handle the situation by myself I probably would have still done it solo…But once you do and you know the freedom and grace in doing that, it really does encourage you to try to do it more often. It is so good to have moved from trying to “include” God in my life (often as an afterthought) to seriously wanting and needing to get out of the driver’s seat and let HIM sit there.
Indeed it is [working]. Ill be able to blog on hols!