Tag: encouraging articles
“Don’t Romanticize Life!”
“Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you,” 1 Peter 4:12
“Confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we may through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God,” Acts 14:22
One of the best things about being an avid reader is the happy ending that appears at the end of almost every book I read. When you first dive into a new book you begin to get familiar with the characters and their life. Each turn of the page takes us along on their journey, revealing to us their joys and sadness, hardships and pain. By the time we reach those last few pages everything has worked itself out. There’s almost always a reason for celebration and the typical “aww” moment, especially if you’re into romance novels.
That’s the great thing about books. They allow your imagination to soar, taking you into worlds you may not otherwise get a chance to explore. Your mind’s eye gets hooked up with the writer’s vision for the book and soon a vivid story begins to unfold before you. Though there are no pictures, illustrations begin to form revealing all that is written therein. Television has its place – oh, but to read a book!
Whether it be a movie, television program or a book the stories we hear and see transport us, giving us a reprieve from reality. But, when the last page is read or the screen goes blank, it’s back to reality. And, reality isn’t always as picturesque as the stories we left behind. Sometimes love does not find its way. Sometimes the bad guy does get away. Sometimes the hero doesn’t make it home. Sometimes the disease doesn’t get healed. Sometimes the child does not find their way home. Sometimes the friend does not stick closer than a brother, and so on.
Sometimes life is just plain ole not fun! I think more so than ever that we have not heard enough about the reality of life. Instead, we are raising up a generation of rose colored glasses wearers. Even from the pulpit of most American churches, the messages of peace, prosperity and wealth has taken over the reality of life. Jesus Christ, Himself clearly stated that in the world you will have tribulation, John 16:33. Peace and blessings will come. Promises will be fulfilled. But our physical being is planted in the world right now, and while we are here we have to face the reality that everything, every day is not going to be easy.
This philosophy breeds a culture of disillusionment. Romanticizing life leaves one totally off guard and taken aback when troubling times occur. A hard life is a hard life no matter which way you look at it and when one is not ready in the least for it, the residual effects can be devastating. “We may through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God.” It is going to be hard sometimes.
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you,” 1 Peter 4:12. In other words, the test is going to be hard sometimes. Tests are not passed with a fly by the night attitude. Tests are passed when people are prepared for them. But, the wearer of the rose colored glasses with will have a harder time because the tests seem like a “strange thing” that has happened unto them.
Listen, prepared or not, some things in life will just come out of the blue and whip your world around causing you to say, “What the what?” It’s inevitable. The idea behind not romanticizing life is to expect the unexpected. We don’t want to lose out on those promises God has for us because we have the false illusion that nothing will ever happen to us.
The promises are coming, that’s a given. In John 16:33, after Jesus warned, “In the world ye shall have tribulation,” He also gave us cause to celebrate. He said, “But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” And, after Peter wrote of the “strange thing,” he exhorted his readers with verses 13-14a. He said, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you . . .”
Oh yes, thank God for the promises. Every word that speaks of them is true. But, don’t be surprised when we have to go through some stuff today before we reach those promises.
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Complaintus Interruptus Devotional + 7 Bible Verses that Deal with Complaining
Now, if you grew up like me watching Saturday morning cartoons (which were the best) with a bowl of cereal in hand, you have probably spent your fair share of time being entertained by a certain coyote and road runner who were always trying to outwit one another. One of the humorous things about the show was the fake scientific or Latin names given to these characters that expressed some funny trait about who they are or what they were doing. Thus, in parodic form was the title of this article born of the humorous need to make it sound really scientific.
One day, I was walking with my husband and something was really bothering me I had dealt with during the day and I couldn’t wait for an opportunity to unload what occurred. It was like someone trying to play double-dutch jump rope, looking for the right time when I can jump in and unleash my complaint.
Walking side by side with him to go into our church that evening, while right on the tip of my tongue, ready to come out, my complaint was interrupted. We ran into another church member and what she said to my husband escaped me, but my husband’s response didn’t. He said, “I won’t complain.” And, he wasn’t saying it in a lackadaisical church manner either, for he put emphasis on his point by refusing to acknowledge the reason for complaint. Obviously, I was floored. Here I am holding something that’s just itching to get out and I suffered from a case of “complaintus interruptus.”
And, sometimes, that’s not a bad thing.
Often in life, we do deal with things and we look to unload the weight of it on to others. Sometimes we feel that if we can just talk about it with someone, that act alone can help us to feel better. And, in most cases, that’s true as long as we are seeking to do it in a constructive manner, not just to do it for the sake of wanting to complain.
There is a big difference. Out and out complaining is negative and tells those around us that I am just not happy about a situation and I want to gripe about it. It’s not seeking resolution; it’s just seeking to show discontent, tear down, and spew out unnecessary drama. Whereas, constructively telling someone of your concerns and upsets, not to unleash or accuse, but to seek counsel that will help you deal with the situation, is a positive move in the right direction to wrangle in the feeling of upset and misunderstandings one may be facing.
We find cases of both in the Bible to teach us the do’s and don’t’s of what goes on in these situations. First, we have the gripers, or murmurers, as the Bible calls them. Those, who for the mere sake of wanting to expose their displeasure, pops the cork off their mouth and lets the unhappiness flow. We can find these type of characters throughout the Bible, particularly in those whom God delivered from Egypt, and yet they constantly found something to complain about and were never quite happy with what God was doing (see Exodus 14:11and 16:2-3; Numbers 14:27 for some examples).
For these type of people, God was greatly displeased (Numbers 11:1; 21:5-7). After only three days of their journey (compare Exodus 15:22-23) they expressed to God their discontent about their wandering situation even though it was these same people who cried out to God for deliverance because of their taskmasters. It was hard for these people to overcome testing because their complaining spirit always seemed to win out over their emotions.
Then, we have those like King David who, in psalms prayed, “I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble,” (Psalm 142:1-2). He comes before God humbly, with a prayerful spirit, seeking help and consolation, not to gripe or show his displeasure about his situation. Simply put, he was going through trouble and he took that supplication to the Lord in prayer.
The Bible invites us to give our worries, upsets, and problems to God by saying, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you,” (1 Peter 5:7; see also Psalm 55:22). This is a constructive and positive way of dealing with the hurts and disappointments of life. We take it to the Lord in prayer and we leave it there. We express to Him, reverently, how we feel, how we are hurting and upset, and we let Him take the wheel, and we leave it alone. It is a matter of trusting God with our problems, and not demanding something from Him or murmuring.
God loves those who sincerely seek Him in prayer but He doesn’t like complaining. Sometimes, we need to check ourselves, put a hand up to stop the words flowing before what we think we need to say comes out of our mouths. Perhaps we need a case of complaintus interruptus to corral wayward thoughts and words.
Some Verses to Ponder:
Philippians 2:14 – “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.”
Ephesians 4:29 – “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
Lamentations 3:39 – “Wherefore doth a living man complain . . .”
1 Corinthians 10:10 – “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”
Psalms 39:1 – “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.”
Philippians 4:11 – “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
Hebrews 13:5 – “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Photo Credit: Pixabay
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“Hurts and Disappointments and Troubles – OH MY!”
Anytime we hear a three-worded phrase followed by a quick, “Oh my,” our minds automatically associate with that old 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. It’s when Dorothy and her companions are readying themselves to go into the dark, dense forest when their chant of possible woes begin that tell of what may lay ahead and come to prowl.
The Bible tells us there is an enemy that’s on the prowl. He is described as a “roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,” (1 Peter 5:8). He is never full and always looks for destruction and he seeks to block the pathway of those trying to reach that glorious city. And no, we’re not talking about the Emerald one, but that city called heaven.
Hurts, disappointments, and troubles are things we can run into during our sojourn in this life and things the enemy seeks to magnify in our lives. David likened it to times of walking through the “valley of the shadow of death,” (Psalm 23:4a). It can be a fearsome place with many traps and travails scattered about the pathway. But, unlike the fear that took over those venturing into the dark forest, David declared, “I will fear no evil: for thou art with me . . .” (Psalm 23:4b). For David, it wasn’t about the dark forest and it wasn’t about the valley of the shadow of death. For him, it was all about Who was with him in the midst of it all.
And, the “Who” that was with him was the same God who declared, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5). The same God who sits high above the earth and His train fills the temple, Isaiah 6:1. The same God who is ever mighty, ever omnipotent, everlasting, and never failing.
This is the same God who is Jehovah Jireh (Genesis 22:14), our Provider in the time of need. He is God Most High (Psalm 97:9), always in charge and always reigning sovereignly over all. He is always above and never beneath. He is always with and never without. All dominions and powers must and will bow down to Him.
God is the Creator who spoke the universe with all its cycles, atoms, particles, and life into existence. With His power to speak anything and everything into being, comes also the strength and authority to heal. With His ability to fashion the things uncontrollable to men such as the winds and the waves, He can speak, and bring forth peace out of chaos, and make them be still.
You see, when David gave his recitation of the Lord as his Shepherd, he was doing more than putting cute words together. He was making a bold declaration of faith, choosing to believe in and focus more on He who was with him than all that’s going on around him.
This is the strong key to the faith we need to successfully deal with things that may be hiding in the dark forest or the low valleys of our lives. Hurts, disappointments, and troubles are something we will all have to face from time to time.
But, oh my! When they meet the God I know; the God I serve! The God whom David expressed such bold confidence in! The God who is indescribable in His holiness and majesty because it goes beyond what we can comprehend; and yet, describable by His characteristics of love, mercy, and grace. The only God of all heaven and earth . . . When they meet Him, He can change their roaring course. He can subdue their evil uprising. And, He can take over and overwhelm their destructive nature, all the while, surrounding and protecting His people with His love, security, and readiness to stand with them and for them.
While we are on this side of glory we are going to have unpleasant things to face. But, oh my – when we see Jesus, every trial, trouble, and evil way will dissipate and all that will remain is our God and those who are tied to Him in a covenant relationship through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Until that day, remember, no matter what you are dealing with today, if you are a child of God, you are not alone. He’s there. He’s here. He’s right beside us. His Spirit dwells in us. God is walking with us and holding us through every dark forest and every valley of the shadow of death.
Isn’t that wonderful to find out – oh my, you are not alone. Lean into Him with trust as He walks with you through this journey.
