If you are in the midst of a trial, whether it is personal, relational, or financial, your first thought is probably not to thank God. But God uses these “unwanted” circumstances to drive us to Himself: we become desperate for His presence. But when circumstances are good, we are at risk of becoming complacent. The peril of prosperity is spiritual ambivalence. Not that it is impossible to be penitent and prosperous at once—just difficult (Luke 18:25).
If you’re in the middle of some difficulties even as you read this, don’t be jealous of your brother who seems to have it all ‘together.’ Be thankful if you have less than him. You are really far better off—if only you could see how God is blessing you. Do you believe God is good and gives only good things to you? (James 1:17) Do you believe God knows what you need? (Matthew 6:8) Hold fast to the words of Job: “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10)
Listen to God’s warning to the Hebrews: “Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your God and disobey his commands... For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, that is the time to be careful” (Deuteronomy 8:11-14).
In God’s economy scarcity or prosperity are of equal value. That is the secret of contentment: “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances… I know how to get along with humble means, and... how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret … of having abundance and suffering need. (Phil. 4:12). Paul embraced his difficulties and learned contentment. Will you!?
Greg,
ReplyDeleteBy the grace of God I am being trained to ask the following question first when pressures make their presence known: "Okay, Lord, what are we going to do about this?" This helps me keep the focus on His abilities and not my frustration. It also helps me recognize that my initial feelings of weakness or anger or grief or panic are not the things that determine the outcome but it is rather Christ in me the Hope of Glory that provides an expectation, no matter the degree of urgency that the pressures bring.
The tendency to feel abandoned in my plight is minimized as I purposely include God in my responses so I find more reason to be certain in His understanding of my circumstances than in my ignorance and anxiety. That way I can also recognize the transition from being squeezed in between situations to being brought into a "broad space."
"...He must increase, and I must decrease!"
Stan