❝ As David did with his psalms, use prayer to ventilate vertically. Tell God your frustrations. Cry out to him. He’s never surprised or upset by your anger, hurt, insecurity, or any other emotions. So tell him exactly how you feel. Most conflict is rooted in unmet needs. Some of these needs can only be met by God. To meet a need that only God can fulfill, you are setting yourself up for disappointment and bitterness. No one can meet all of your needs except God."
— Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life)
I have found this to be so true. This week has been difficult for me. I had a lot of things from my past brought back up to the surface and it was hard to face some of it. Instead of first going to God, I talked to friends and family about the problems and struggles I was facing. This seemed to only magnify my worries and build to the pain I already felt. But God taught me something through all of it. I can trust Him. Because He is Faithful. So many times I fall on my face and He is there to pick me back up. Psalm 121:3 says, "He will not let your foot slip- He who watches over you will not slumber." It's a beautiful Love story. Christ gave His life so that we may dwell with Him for eternity; IF we chose to follow Him. The Love of the Father for His children is unfathomable. I get so stressed and worried sometimes that I forget to remember what is really important. I forget the pray and read scripture. I run to others instead of my Creator. Where is my faith?? Can't the God who created the Heavens and Earth take care of my small problems? I so often look at situations in such a narrow view. If I step back and look at it as a whole, my situation no longer seems so important. It is ok to vent to God. It's ok to let out my anger, frustrations and pain. It's called being Genuine. Not everything is always Rainbows and Butterflies. If I thought it was, then I'd be lying to myself. Life can be hard. But when I trust God and pray for Joy and Peace, it becomes bearable; Even in hard times. Being real with God helps create a Bond that is unbreakable. If He is my everything, what can hurt me? Who can knock me down?"The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?" -Psalm 27:1. I talked to one of my mentors about the things I was struggling with. She pointed out that my past does not define who I am today. There is so much truth in these words. Not only does it not define me, but it could also be used to glorify God and expand His kingdom. I can relate to those who have gone through the same situations that I have. I can point them towards what helped me. I can show Christ's love through understanding what others are going through. Maybe it is a struggle now, but God can take it and make it part of my testimony. And if that's the case then I thank Him for everything. The good and the bad. Whatever has happened in the past, it doesn't define you. When you follow Christ, he makes you a new creation. All sin yesterday, today and tomorrow is on the cross. He accepts us as broken and turns us into a new creation. I love the beauty and simplicity of this.
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." -Isaiah 41:10
No comments:
Post a Comment