Getting caught up in all the world says is important is probably the biggest hindrance to keeping your Christian priorities at the top of your list. It's so easy to go about your business every day, look out for your own interests, and if someone else is having problems, well...."thank goodness it's not me".Most of the time you can't see anything important enough to make you stop moving long enough to evaluate where you are, let alone where you're going. And of course, as long as you don't feel an immediate, pressing problem preventing you from moving forward....there's no reason to stop. At least, that's what the world says.
Unfortunately, it takes some kind of tragedy to stop you in your tracks. Then you look around and wonder why it happened....why me? And that's when the struggle really starts. Sound familiar?
I Can't Look.....
There they all are....your priorities all laid out, Christian or not. When you're forced to look at where you are, sometimes you're faced with some really difficult truths. Often it isn't hard to see why you're in the situation, and that is pretty tough to swallow. And yet, your next step is to do absolutely everything you can to reason your way out of the mess. There has to be someone to blame, there has to be something to do....there has to be some way out of this mess....
And so the mess continues until you've absolutely exhausted every remedy you can think of. And, after all else fails, you FINALLY throw up your hands and ask God for help.
God....You Want Me to Do What?
It isn't until you stop trying and start relying that God has a chance to work. Being the perfect gentleman, God won't interfere with what you're trying to do until you stop, step aside, and let God into the situation.
But of course, you expect God to straighten out your mess today. Right now would even be better. It may have taken you weeks, months, or even years to create the mess, but you expect God to clean it up in a day. And when it appears that He's not moving fast enough, you get frustrated. You start whining, complaining, grumbling.....and of course, you might even try to take control again, and it just delays the answers even more.
When God does come on the scene, you'll know it. His Word says you will experience peace and the knowledge that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.
And let's face it.....when you're in the middle of a bad situation, peace can be a very good thing. You'll be able to rest assured, knowing God is working and no matter what, you're going to be OK.
Get REAL....
When God enters the picture, He does expect you to.....
*** Get honest. That means taking responsibility for the choices you've made that have caused you to be
in your current situation. It means stopping the blame game....it's not easy to get real.
*** Forgive everyone who's hurt you. OUCH. Forgiveness is one of the hardest things to do, especially if you're still in the middle of it all, and things are still pretty awful.
*** Be open to whatever He wants you to do. Sometimes that can mean doing nothing. Sometimes it can mean apologizing, walking away, or even just accepting things as they are until God has a chance to change things.
God never promised the ride wouldn't be bumpy, but He did promise that He'll sit right beside you the entire way. Things may not get better today or tomorrow, but slowly, little by little, God will make sense out of it all and set you back on the right path. The trick is to stay focused on the right priorities....the ones that lead to peace. Those would be your Christian priorities.
About The Author
Karen Wolff
For more help in this area, go to http://www.christian-books-for-women.com/spiritual-growth.html.
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