My Devotion
My Heart
What’s worse?
Teresa Jenkins
And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going
to Jerusalem
What is worse? Knowing what is going to happen, or not
knowing? In either good or bad situations some think if I could just know
the outcome I can endure anything. Paul didn’t know exactly what was
going to happen to him, but he knew it wasn’t going to be good, because he was
almost single handedly spreading the gospel of Christ, through his mission
trips, through his writing and encouragement of the saints who have already
accepted his message. He was a threat to the very way of life he used to
defend. He was powerful as an enemy of God and after his conversion he
was even more powerful as a messenger for Christ. He was an educated man
who knew the law and understood the meaning of grace and mercy. Yet
everywhere he went he faced danger. What kept him going? He knew
God’s grace was more powerful than living by the law. He knew the mystery,
the secret. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in
heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete
understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,
in who are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians
2:2-4
We all go through things that even in the middle of the
situation we don’t know from one day to the next what is going to happen,
conflict in relationships, conflict at work, sickness, financial struggles and
the list goes on. Letting go of what we cannot control will consume us in
one way or another. For me when struggles come that I don’t have a clear
solution to or have to wait it out, I get ill, headaches, heartburn, upset
stomach, aches and pains, either one or all depending on how much I dwell on
what is absolutely out of my control. If it directly affects me or
someone I love and I am powerless to make changes the worries really eat at me.
Struggles, hardships, and failures happen for many reasons,
lack of faith, disobedience, rebellion, or testing. The number one reason
most people think they are having troubles is because they have been told their
faith is not big enough. More times than not that is not true, Jesus said all
we need is a mustard seed size of faith and we can move mountains.
Disobedience, doing things our way and not God’s way is a very good way to
experience trouble and conflict. Testing, 1, 2, 3…Test this is only a
test. How many times do we face the same struggles over and over?
If you keep doing the same thing you’ve always done you keep getting what you
always got. Many struggles happen because we just don’t get that
concept. Make a bad choice get a bad consequence. Struggles can
also be the best way to test the faith you do have. God will allow
struggles to show us how much we will trust Him and depend on Him to help us
through. It’s all a process. Sometimes we must keep going through
the same process until one day the light comes on and we say “OHHH ok, this
would work better if only I would do this instead of that.” We are a
stiff necked people, stubborn and strong willed.
Sometimes the struggles we face are training for the next
level, the purpose for which we were created. An athlete never becomes
great without endurance training, practice, and trials in his/her sport.
We cannot run our race effectively unless we go through some endurance
training, if the little things trip us up and make us fall, we’ll never get
over the bigger hurdles around the corner and for those who come behind us may
see the power of God at work in our lives my press on in their own race and
purpose, for seeing others overcome encourages and gives strength to the weaker
younger believers.
Knowing what is going to happen is not as important as
knowing that God is in control and will provide all wisdom and strength needed
for any task that is put before you and me. Without God we can do
nothing, but with God all things are possible not to just endure but to be more
than conqueror through Him who loves and gave His only Son that we might
live. Knowing this one thing makes all the struggles worth the
gain. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 and
Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will
carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
God will never allow more than we can handle with His help. So don’t
worry about knowing it all, just know the One who knows the ending. Trust
His heart He loves you more than all His creation. If He brings you to
it, He will bring you through it.
