We all have trials.
We often hear the saying, “If you’re not in a trial, you’re soon to roll into one.” It’s just part of life, I suppose. Sometimes it’s a hard battle (I wont give examples, because that’s a pretty objective statement), sometimes it’s a small battle, and without hesitation I’m sure we will all admit that there are many trials we go through that are much harder or much easier than others. Regardless, it’s a trial. Our faith is either weakened or strengthened, our spirit becomes active or quenched, our hearts grow more selfless or pity.
Do you ever find it strange that we can all deal with trials yet it affects all of us in dramatically different ways? I know some of that has to do with personality or the way different people were raised…but, what about ourselves? I find that I often know how to handle a trial so that it builds me up and makes me stronger, but many times I find myself trying to balance in limbo as I decide if I’m going to let the current trial choke my heart, passion and drive or if I’m going to let it fuel my heart, passion and drive. Maybe not intentionally, but at times I find myself thinking, “I don’t feel like dealing with this… I kinda want to just throw my hands up and do what I want, and pretend this isn’t happening.” I don’t think I’m the only one who deals with that thought process. How many times do we think, “I should handle [insert situation] this way because [whatever reason we assure ourselves it’ll be fine]” but instead of doing that, we contemplate how things will turn out if we just ignore it, or handle it how we “feel” like handling it. We often settle- wanting character to build through the struggle, without working to build it- so we settle for mediocrity. We don’t take care of our hearts with excellence, but rather mediocrity.
We find ourselves considering complacency, and that consideration can turn into doing.
So, why do we go through that process? Why don’t we just look at a situation and say, “God’s got this!” and rest in His arms as He carries us through? Instead of panicking and stressing, why don’t we just say, “It’s out of my hands. I will do what I can do, but that’s all I can do”?
Maybe it’s because as we grow up we gain a distorted view of faithfulness. We see what “faithfulness” looks like through other people and it’s not always faithful. As we get older, we have a harder time grasping the faithfulness of God, so we try to put our hands in everything going on in our lives and control whatever aspects we can. Usually, all we can control is how we react to whatever storm we are in, but that’s not enough to satisfy our need for security so we panic, reaching out for whatever we can, causing even more havoc within ourselves because we are taking on more than we were created to take on. I could talk about this forever. Really, because it’s something I know we all deal with. Some more than others, I’m sure.
When I go through “the storms” and I realize I’m doing the whole “control things outside of what I was created to control” thing, I take time and sit outside and just stare at the stars. Now, I hear people talk about how beautiful the ocean is… I just don’t’ see how it can compare to the night sky. I go sit under the stars because it always reminds of God’s faithfulness.
I go back to Abraham. He was promised that his descendants would be as many as the stars.
Genesis 5
5 and He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “so shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believe the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness
Romans 4 also talks about this, expanding on the faith Abraham held.
19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was good as dead, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
I look at the stars and I stand reminded of God’s faithfulness. His promises hold true. Vs 16 reminds us that Abraham is the father of us all.
God is faithful. He is who He says. He does what He promises. He is as faithful in our lives just as starts are faithful in the night sky.
When we don’t see how Gods promises could possibly come through, you can choose to stand and trust in His faithfulness. Romans 4:18 “In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, ‘So shall your offspring be.”
I challenge you, next time you see something is out of your control, don’t try and control it. Let God carry you through. Control only your handling, your reaction to the situation and trust in Gods faithfulness.
Thanks for reading, sharing, praying and supporting.
With all the love in my heart,
Andie
