My way!
So last week, you may have noticed that I posted on Tuesday instead of my usual Monday. I didn't forget, but I had what I feel was a reasonable excuse.
I was sick.
Like about to throw up sick.
I woke up in the morning feeling absolutely terrible. I didn't call out of work, because usually when I feel sick in the morning it disappears within an hour or so.
But this time it didn't.
It actually got to the point where I had to step out a minute at work to try to avoid losing the few crackers I'd eaten that day.
So when I finally got home, nauseated and my brain trying to get out of my skull, I pretty much just went to bed.
Monday definitely didn't go my way. And considering I suffered residual symptoms a lot of last week, it wasn't a week of awesomeness for me.
It stunk. I had so many plans...
Sometimes, though, God lets our plans get spoiled because He has better ones. He allows things to happen so He can turn it around for His glory, so no one can say without looking totally deranged that He didn't have control of the situation.
The problem is, though, we can't see that ahead of time. He doesn't exactly send us a text saying; "Hey, saw you had this week booked. Guess what, I got something else in mind. Better clear it."
And because we don't know what's going on, it's a lot easier for us just to run around like crazy little kids making a fuss over things.
Because we don't trust God to work it out, we riot, destroying property and hurting people because things don't go our way.* We steal, choosing rather to make God look like a joke to unbelievers rather than trust Him to provide for us. We do all kinds of horrible and unspeakable things, just because we didn't get the results we wanted.
Doesn't God know our plans are spoiled? Doesn't God know when injustices occur? Isn't He able to judge and repay to those who deserve it? To take care of us at all times?
And yet we see people who claim to be saved by God's grace acting as abominably as those who deny Him altogether.
Galatians 6:7-8 tell us, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life" (NKJV).
We are going to pay for our foolish behavior. Granted, it will not be the hellfire that the unsaved will receive. But what if our foolishness causes a loved one to think Christianity's a joke? What if our childish behavior causes people to think God can't possibly be real if those who claim Him behave in such a manner?
Instead of throwing hissy fits and acting like spoiled children, let's see instead if we can learn from it when things don't go the way we wanted them to, or even the way we think they morally should have. Like I learned at least two lessons from feeling so ill last week:
1. All the things I wanted to get done weren't as important as just spending time with my family and taking care of myself.
2. Never eat Chinese food without making sure it has no MSG in it.
*If you live in the U.S.A., you probably have a pretty good idea of what situation I'm thinking about right now. I chose not to name it though because I don't want this to become political. Instead I want this to be about what's really important: trusting God no matter what the situation, no matter whether we've judged justice has been served or not. After all, "...'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19b, NKJV).
I was sick.
Like about to throw up sick.
I woke up in the morning feeling absolutely terrible. I didn't call out of work, because usually when I feel sick in the morning it disappears within an hour or so.
But this time it didn't.
It actually got to the point where I had to step out a minute at work to try to avoid losing the few crackers I'd eaten that day.
So when I finally got home, nauseated and my brain trying to get out of my skull, I pretty much just went to bed.
Monday definitely didn't go my way. And considering I suffered residual symptoms a lot of last week, it wasn't a week of awesomeness for me.
It stunk. I had so many plans...
Sometimes, though, God lets our plans get spoiled because He has better ones. He allows things to happen so He can turn it around for His glory, so no one can say without looking totally deranged that He didn't have control of the situation.
The problem is, though, we can't see that ahead of time. He doesn't exactly send us a text saying; "Hey, saw you had this week booked. Guess what, I got something else in mind. Better clear it."
And because we don't know what's going on, it's a lot easier for us just to run around like crazy little kids making a fuss over things.
Because we don't trust God to work it out, we riot, destroying property and hurting people because things don't go our way.* We steal, choosing rather to make God look like a joke to unbelievers rather than trust Him to provide for us. We do all kinds of horrible and unspeakable things, just because we didn't get the results we wanted.
Doesn't God know our plans are spoiled? Doesn't God know when injustices occur? Isn't He able to judge and repay to those who deserve it? To take care of us at all times?
And yet we see people who claim to be saved by God's grace acting as abominably as those who deny Him altogether.
Galatians 6:7-8 tell us, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life" (NKJV).
We are going to pay for our foolish behavior. Granted, it will not be the hellfire that the unsaved will receive. But what if our foolishness causes a loved one to think Christianity's a joke? What if our childish behavior causes people to think God can't possibly be real if those who claim Him behave in such a manner?
Instead of throwing hissy fits and acting like spoiled children, let's see instead if we can learn from it when things don't go the way we wanted them to, or even the way we think they morally should have. Like I learned at least two lessons from feeling so ill last week:
1. All the things I wanted to get done weren't as important as just spending time with my family and taking care of myself.
2. Never eat Chinese food without making sure it has no MSG in it.
*If you live in the U.S.A., you probably have a pretty good idea of what situation I'm thinking about right now. I chose not to name it though because I don't want this to become political. Instead I want this to be about what's really important: trusting God no matter what the situation, no matter whether we've judged justice has been served or not. After all, "...'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19b, NKJV).
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