Lately, I have been feeling so unworthy of entering into the Lord's presence and promise of peace. My focus has been so distracted this summer and my spirit desperately in need of renewing and reviving. I seem to be waiting for the time to stop, reflect and renew; constantly battling the internal struggle of negative thoughts and the pace and expectations of this world. But, after Shiloh on Monday night, I was reminded that we are not always just given the time...we have to seek it. It's there, but in this hectic world, so easily missed. And in the process, missing so many precious moments of the present...of being present. So much joy, love, peace, grace and unlimited love is offered by our Savior...but, have I tapped into it? I have been running on dry and empty and wondering why. And how can I be a spring overflowing to others when I am not filled up myself? I can wallow in guilt and shame for not being good enough for God and letting the enemy build upon the failures in my mind or I can cry out to God. Last night, I found myself pouring over the Psalms and feeling, at last, myself being able to claim a little bit of the promise of peace and hope of my Savior against the despair and destruction of the enemy.
I want my attitude to be positive and my perspective to change. I want my heart and my life to reflect what God has done in it. And not just so I am changed and blessed, but for the transformations and blessings of my family and the generations to come after I am gone. For others, who I encounter in my journey through this life, to see a little bit of Christ in me and come to know Him. I am no where near where I need or want to be. But, I am not where I was. And I will probably need to start over again tomorrow. But, at least for today I am moving forward.
This daily devotional was in my inbox this morning. I love how God is so timely and speaks to each of our hearts and our circumstances individually. Beth Moore says that life is hard...no matter your circumstances. Whether it's an illness, a loss, marital problems or raising children...life is hard...and it's not always fair. We were never promised an easy life...but, we are promised a peaceful life when we tap into the only true source of Peace.
"Several months back, my daughter Ashley had a gymnastics meet that didn't go so well. She fell on almost every event. She scored well below her expectations and I thought there would be lots of tears at the awards ceremony. But, much to my surprise, she bounced up to me and exclaimed, "Mom, did you see I landed my vault on my feet. That's a good thing about today."
She then flitted off with her teammates to get ice cream. One of the other moms grabbed my arm and complimented Ashley's good attitude. Though I did feel sad for Ashley - after all she had worked so hard to prepare for this meet, my heart still swelled with joy. That compliment meant more than seeing my daughter with a neck full of gold medals. Do I want Ashley to win? Yes, of course. But seeing a good attitude displayed in the face of adversity - well that's simply priceless.
Ashley's outlook challenged me. How many times do I have something bad happen in my day and it just seems to turn my whole attitude south? Instead of just resigning myself to being emotional or sensitive, I've decided to see this as a call to action. I've started making the choice to say a simple statement that often diverts a bad attitude. And the statement is this, "If this is the worst thing that happens to me today, it's still a pretty good day."
Boy does this statement put things into perspective. I guess it's an everyday way to do a little heart check up. The Bible tells us that we should intentionally make our minds think of things that are good, true, excellent, and praiseworthy. The more I think about things like these, the more my perspective seems to stay in check. In Colossians 3:15 we are instructed to, "Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts... and be thankful." Verse 16 goes on to say that we should also, "Let the word of God dwell in us richly..." Finally, verse 17 says, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus..."
Letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and letting the Word of God dwell in us richly doesn't just happen naturally. We have to intentionally make those choices. And we have to challenge ourselves to deal with the bad while focusing on all the good that is there as well.
So, what aggravation or disappointment are you facing today? If that's the worst thing that happens - I bet you could say it's still a pretty good day too."
