Get Off the Roller Coaster and Enjoy Peace!

Scripture:

Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord.  For he will be like a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out its roots by the river; and will not fear the heat when it comes; but its leaves will be green and moist.  And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought nor stop bearing fruit.

~Jeremiah 17:7-8

Perspective:

For many years, when things were going well in my life, I was happy, and when they were not, I was not happy, even flat out miserable at times.  I was on a roller coaster driven by whatever my life circumstances were at the time; I was not rooted in Christ but rather in my circumstances.  THAT is a stressful, unsettling way to live, because life consists of unending ups and downs.  When we had our financial crisis in 2016-17 it could have been much worse for me, and even for my family, had I not learned to get off the emotional roller coaster I had ridden for so long, surrender to God, and finally learn to live in peace despite what my circumstances were at any given time.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your path.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

This world is a temporary stop on our eternal journey.  Have you ever wondered why we do not just go straight to Heaven, what is the reason for this life with its many trials?  There is only one explanation, God does have a purpose for our short stay on earth and it involves our transformation!  God does not bring us to places and stages we are not ready for, He gives us just one step at a time; He gives us what we can handle with His help.  The Israelites are the perfect example of this.  God could have taken them a much shorter route, but they were not yet ready to fight for the promised land.  However, what we do in each season and at each stage is our choice since we have freewill.  The Israelites did not need to spend 40 long years in the desert either, that was a consequence of their choices on the journey.  I like to think of this life as preparation for our eternal life with God, or not.  During the years we reside on earth we can choose to accept Jesus as our Savior, or not, each with very different outcomes.  We are all born into various families throughout the world and we each learn a variety of lessons till we are adults and then have the responsibility of making our own choices, including to continue learning or not.  When that time comes, we are free to choose all aspects of how we want to live our life, and from those choices will come consequences and then more choices, each affecting the other.  “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9) 

If you believe in and trust God (the two go hand-in-hand), then you must trust and surrender to His plans and His timing, even if it looks much different than your own.  We must submit to God and in doing so, decide to live life according to His will for our life, for He knows what is around every corner, we do not; He has a purpose of each of us.  In doing so, you are choosing to stop worrying and instead commit to trusting His plan and purpose.  This does not mean that you should sit back and relax, but rather that you must take your ques from the Lord as to what to do and then work as if working for Him and His glory!  Remember, trials test and strengthen our faith, IF we choose to allow them to.  “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:6)

Some readers may be filled with doubt right now, but I have seen it work in my life; I have seen things unfold in my life that I could not have planned or done without the Author of my story holding the pen.  Looking back on my difficult upbringing and the many years I worked (and struggled) to learn, grow, and create change in my life, right through this very moment, I see Jesus’ hand in all of it.  After 14 years as a stay-at-home mom to three kids with ADHD, I was terrified to get back into the work world.  I prayed, set goals, and accomplished one step at a time, all while believing with all my heart that God would give me the next step when it was time because He gave me the ideas, and He did!  He took all that He brought me through during my life and the passion He gave me for self-growth, and later for Him, and led me to and down the path I am on now.  I keep doing what He tells me to do and ideas flow from Him, through me.  In my first book, Growth Mindset Living, I share my background…believe me, I had more than enough reasons to be angry and lose faith that there is a God who loves me.  But that is not the path I chose to take and as I look back God has been faithful.  Be persistent in seeking God and as you mature as a Christian you too will see that God is both good and faithful.  “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18)

God is usually not quick to change our circumstances because they are meant to change us!  Learning, growing, and changing is a process, day-by-day, little-by-little until one day you realize your efforts are adding up and you have made progress.  If we are consistent and persistent in our faith and in our efforts, we will see change.  You cannot give up because it feels like it is taking too long.  When you face an obstacle, embrace it as an opportunity to grow and then seek to learn the lesson in that trial.  How you sow is your choice, what you reap is the consequence of that choice.  “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6) 

Take the time to get to know God, to mature as a Christian.  Read God’s Word; understand what He says about Himself/the trilogy, you/His children, and how to live your life.  There are many modernized versions of the Bible and resources to help you understand it, so do not allow yourself to be intimidated, instead decide to dive in.  Then, life’s circumstances are filtered through that knowledge as opposed to this world or your fears.  Whatever I go through now, I remember that God is in control, He has a plan, and since I trust Him, I immediately feel at peace and I am usually able to surrender to Him quickly, but it took effort and practice to get to this point.  What I choose to think about, say, and do aligns with His Word now, and when it does not, I genuinely repent, He forgives me and wipes my slate clean once again.  I can honestly say that since living my life this way I have a sense of peace and joy like never before!  Try it, not for a week or a month, but just simply commit to living your life this way, recommitting to do so each and every morning when you open your eyes.  You will know you have truly surrendered to God’s plan and timing when you trust Him and no longer spend measurable time in worry!  “For as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 43:2)

Life Application:

>What are the things that rob you of your peace?  You must identify them so you can be prepared to avoid that from happening; peace is a choice. 

**Because of my ADHD I struggle with time management, that has been a longstanding weak area of mine; my husband, despite his ADHD, is very punctual, so when I am running late, I quickly become frazzled.  My lesson: avoid running late; I must intentionally learn and consistently apply time management skills in order to avoid that upset! 

>>Listen to the song, I Surrender, by Hillsong Worship, maybe even repeatedly; I think I listened to it 500 times in 2016!  Let it fill your spirit and then do what it says.

>>>Each morning recommit to trusting and living God’s will for your life, in His perfect timing; He is all-knowing we are not.  Take time each day to develop your relationship with Him, like any good relationship it takes time and effort.  Living in faith is a marathon not a one and done, it requires daily recommitment, effort, and practice!