Do you ever get overwhelmed by the foolish, broken, incompetent, overly-complicated or unnecessary things in this life? (you know like technology, cars, customer service, etc)
I know I do!
People make things harder than they need to be:
- And we over-promise and under-deliver.
- And sometimes we leave a wake of chaos and confusion behind us.
- And the end result is stress, frustration and disappointment because of the actions of others.
So what do we do when this happens?
Often times, I feel like losing my mind!
I feel my frustration and anger growing, and I simply want to blow off steam like a tea-kettle that is finally boiling.
But I realize that doesn’t help me, nor is it what is best for the people around me or my witness.
So I have to take a deep breath.
And pray.
And ask God to help put things in perspective.
“This is not the worst that could happen – This is not the end of the world – This is not insurmountable – This can be overcome – Don’t let this steal my joy – Help me to walk by faith – Give me strength and patience to go through this – Help me to look forward to the day when I will be in heaven with you and all this broken mess will be a thing of the past.”
Sometimes I have to walk around to clear my head.
Other times I may need to read or quote a Scripture.
Sometimes I just have to stop thinking about or dealing with that particular aggravation at that moment, knowing I can come back at another time with the energy, patience and wisdom that God will provide.
I hate that it has to be like this sometimes for you and for me.
I wish it weren’t so.
But in the middle of a fallen and broken world, full of sinful, selfish and imperfect people, and imperfect things and situations, these types of things are bound to happen (or as Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble”).
But may we always remember that Jesus has overcome the world and that He invites us to more than overcomers in Him as well! There is a way through this, as we call on His mighty name!
Pastor Michael Johnson 