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At first glance you might think I should have asked, “Can God make a bad situation good?” No, I didn’t make a mistake when I wrote the above title.
The reason I opted for the human angle is because if I had asked you whether or not God could right a wrong in your life, you as a Believer would inevitably tell me, “Well, of course! That’s why He is God.” End of discussion.
But when we put the burden back on ourselves, it’s a bit different, isn’t it? We have to make decisions. We have to take responsibility for our actions. We have to think differently about what we are going through. No couch-potato living here if we truly want to expand our faith and live for God.
I am not trying to be Oprah-esque here. Making a bad situation good isn’t like pulling from deep within your soul. I am not referring to mustering up some “power within.” I am not talking about tackling issues with brute force of mind over matter.
I am really talking about seeing your life differently. It’s that whole making lemonade from lemons that I am referring to, only in the less secular vain. Instead of spiraling down deeper into your problems, switch that focus to the ultimate Solution, God and your relationship with Him.
This sense came to me last night while watching Facing the Giants. If you haven’t seen the film by director Alex Kendrick of Sherwood Pictures you really should. Here is this failing coach who is probably going to get the boot because his football team, the Eagles, have been on a losing streak for six years. Coach Grant not only feels like a failure, his team sees him as a failure and his school sees him as a failure.
Can you make a bad situation good? Yes, if you choose to trust the Lord, because He will do it in and through you. Let the Holy Spirit breathe life into the yucky stuff you see and feel and know in your not-so-great day or not-so-great season of life.
Before we let our feelings get the best of us, let’s try to take every thought captive for the cause of Christ. Let’s nip the negativity in the bud before it blooms and takes over the garden of our minds and hearts. Let’s choose to place our circumstances in God’s capable hands and rest assured that He will do what we cannot do on our own.
— Laura J. Bagby
I don’t know about you, but I am not the most patient person. I like things to be moving, clicking. I like it when cars in front of me move fast and when things are going forward at work. I hate waiting, especially when waiting doesn’t look productive or when waiting means more than a few days. When waiting interrupts my neatly planned schedule or blocks some long-held dream, the ire rises in me.
When waiting drags on indefinitely and goals are placed on hold, when I wonder if things I have longed for will ever materialize, that’s when I find myself saying to God, Come on already! What gives? I am ready for my break. I am ready for my breakthrough. I am over the breakups and the breakdowns. What’s taking so long? You know I am all over that next plan you have for me, so bring it on!
But God isn’t impressed with my need for speed. He pulls up a chair and listens patiently. He just lets me beat the air. He lets me get it all out. And then He says with a certain firmness in His tone, Nope. It’s time you do the little stuff. Keep on keeping on. I know the beginning from the end. No worries. You just be faithful in the small stuff right now.
But God?!
Little things. Small beginnings. There is that verse in Zechariah 4:10 about not despising all of that. There is a reason that the word “despise” is clearly used. It’s because some of us hate the thought of doing the stuff that holds no glory. Read the rest of this entry »
Several years ago, when I was working for the Christian Broadcasting Network as a Web writer, I wrote an article challenging Christians to think positively when the situation looks like the exact opposite.
And here I am again, ready to say the same thing: What’s right with your life?
Sure, we all know what is wrong. Our minds go there faster than we can type in a Google search. Our boss isn’t right. Our finances aren’t right. Our relationships aren’t right. Heck, everything is just all wrong!
Or is it? Read the rest of this entry »
Oh the joys of a really good, meat-filled sandwich—now there is a satisfying meal. And places like Subway have been making it their claim to fame for years.
But try separating those two foods, so that you eat only bread in the morning and only meat at night. Not quite the same thing, is it? And it gets worse if this diet continues for days, even months.
Now imagine that the bread you eat when you arise is the same white flaky stuff. It kind of looks like frost and it’s sweet, but it’s definitely some kind of grain, although you really can’t put your finger on what kind. The best way to think about it is to put it in today’s breakfast cereal terms: It’s like Frosted Flakes. But even such a sugary daily dose of dry cereal can get old after a while.
Stranger things have happened in real life. Let’s look back. . .way back. Read the rest of this entry »
Since I have been out in the desert, there have been some Bible verses that have really been speaking to my soul. It seems God is teaching me something about the hard ground of people’s hearts and the importance of the life-giving nature of the Lord in a desolate place.
I like to hike on weekends to this peak not far from where I live to unwind and enjoy God’s beautiful backyard before the weather gets too hot.
And on this one particular Saturday afternoon, one verse really came to mind as I was trying to find sure footing on the way down the steep, rocky mountain. Instinctively, I knew to look for sections where there were immovable rocks, rather than trying to put all my weight on shifting pebbles and loose rocks. Read the rest of this entry »
Perspective is a funny thing.
We cry out to God to get us out of the sameness we have slipped into. We want desperately to leave the old behind, say good-bye to the past, and walk into our new season. And then, when the opportunity comes and we walk through the door into something completely new, we can sometimes falter. We want our old life back! Read the rest of this entry »
Why is it we can get all teary-eyed when we see two wonderful people pledge to love each other through good times and bad at a traditional wedding ceremony – with these famous last words, “For richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health” – yet somehow we often don’t translate those same vows to the relationship we are meant to have with our Bridegroom Jesus in our walk of faith?
When things go wrong, instead of sticking it out or standing up for our Beloved, we tend to blame, pull away, and throw in the towel. We think, Yes, Lord, I will follow You no matter what. But when sickness comes and stays for a prolonged season, we can often distance ourselves from the One who can truly help us. Read the rest of this entry »
