Are You Being Tossed? Where To Find Rest.
James 1:2, 5-8
Vs 2: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
Vs 5-8: If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is on God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
Wow! This totally made me think of life before my weight loss surgery! I kept begging and asking for 'wisdom' in the MANY diets I tried. However, I never actually had faith in God for the results, or for my abilities to carry it through. I most definitely was like the waves in the ocean, ebbing and flowing in and out in all sorts of directions! Tossed this way and that way, up and down on the scale. Healthy eating, then crashing down with unhealthy choices... I guess I actually DID have divided loyalties. I was SO unstable in everything I did! The thing is, I didn't actually fully trust in God OR in the world! Talk about a mess - yup, that was me and my life!
The thing that is different now, is that I actually DO see troubles as opportunities now. This is also one of the amazing things that was shared at the Obesity Help Conference I went to at the end of October this year. The main speaker, kept saying this truth as well. That each time we struggle, have hardships, things not going quite like we expected... these are opportunities for us to grow, lean on God and learn to persevere and keep going. It is in those moments and situations, that we have one of the greatest gifts ever - the ability to ask for and lean on God and His wisdom to help us through it! The opportunity to get stronger, deepen our faith, help others.
But, really?! Joy in troubles?! Yes. The joy that can come might be for you specifically, or it can be for someone else that you are to pass it on to. The amazing thing about THAT is, that when you pass it on, and help someone else, that learns to lean on and trust God - you WILL be filled with joy too!! Paying it forward so to speak. Today, life is going to happen! When it does, instead of reverting to what you "normally" do - try, just try, and stop for a minute. Ask God for His help, guidance, understanding, and wisdom in the situation. Then, ask if it is for YOU to learn something, or if you are to pass it on to someone else. He WILL let you know! Then, you need to do it! Is it easy? Not necessarily. Will we mess up? Of course! However, if we endure through things trusting that God has a plan and direction for it, and NOT fall into the old habits of worldly thinking - then we WILL have joy! Joy that is almost unspeakable! Inside, deep down - that we will not even be able to contain it - it WILL spill out on to others! Trust in and have loyalty to God and God alone - then even the worst day possible, will be a fulfilling day. You will make it through, you will endure, you will find wisdom and understanding. In the ocean, beneath the surface, the water is calm. The waves are just the top layer that are affected by the outside world and its conditions (wind and rain). So, take a deep breath, hold on, and sink into Gods protection. You cannot hold your breath for very long, so you will need to use the "air tank" of God - the Holy Spirit - to be able to breathe and walk under the surface of the crazy storm called life. I'm praying for you and your "scuba gear" today. Let God fill your tank with His Holy Spirit, so you can breath easy, even in the middle of the troubles.
Vs 2: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
Vs 5-8: If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is on God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
Wow! This totally made me think of life before my weight loss surgery! I kept begging and asking for 'wisdom' in the MANY diets I tried. However, I never actually had faith in God for the results, or for my abilities to carry it through. I most definitely was like the waves in the ocean, ebbing and flowing in and out in all sorts of directions! Tossed this way and that way, up and down on the scale. Healthy eating, then crashing down with unhealthy choices... I guess I actually DID have divided loyalties. I was SO unstable in everything I did! The thing is, I didn't actually fully trust in God OR in the world! Talk about a mess - yup, that was me and my life!
The thing that is different now, is that I actually DO see troubles as opportunities now. This is also one of the amazing things that was shared at the Obesity Help Conference I went to at the end of October this year. The main speaker, kept saying this truth as well. That each time we struggle, have hardships, things not going quite like we expected... these are opportunities for us to grow, lean on God and learn to persevere and keep going. It is in those moments and situations, that we have one of the greatest gifts ever - the ability to ask for and lean on God and His wisdom to help us through it! The opportunity to get stronger, deepen our faith, help others.
But, really?! Joy in troubles?! Yes. The joy that can come might be for you specifically, or it can be for someone else that you are to pass it on to. The amazing thing about THAT is, that when you pass it on, and help someone else, that learns to lean on and trust God - you WILL be filled with joy too!! Paying it forward so to speak. Today, life is going to happen! When it does, instead of reverting to what you "normally" do - try, just try, and stop for a minute. Ask God for His help, guidance, understanding, and wisdom in the situation. Then, ask if it is for YOU to learn something, or if you are to pass it on to someone else. He WILL let you know! Then, you need to do it! Is it easy? Not necessarily. Will we mess up? Of course! However, if we endure through things trusting that God has a plan and direction for it, and NOT fall into the old habits of worldly thinking - then we WILL have joy! Joy that is almost unspeakable! Inside, deep down - that we will not even be able to contain it - it WILL spill out on to others! Trust in and have loyalty to God and God alone - then even the worst day possible, will be a fulfilling day. You will make it through, you will endure, you will find wisdom and understanding. In the ocean, beneath the surface, the water is calm. The waves are just the top layer that are affected by the outside world and its conditions (wind and rain). So, take a deep breath, hold on, and sink into Gods protection. You cannot hold your breath for very long, so you will need to use the "air tank" of God - the Holy Spirit - to be able to breathe and walk under the surface of the crazy storm called life. I'm praying for you and your "scuba gear" today. Let God fill your tank with His Holy Spirit, so you can breath easy, even in the middle of the troubles.
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