Experimental Living

Have you ever come home after a long day, crashed in your room, and felt like the most unfortunate human being on the face of the earth?

Well, I certainly have.

It’s rather embarrassing to admit, but I am easily distracted by any problems or negative issues surrounding me, and even more easily influenced by the emotions they can bring. In fact, even if I fully realize the fact that a few inconsiderate words or an answer I was not hoping for are not life-changing issues, I still can crash under the weight of feeling sorry for myself.

It’s during circumstances like these that I often force myself to sit back, take a deep breath, and observe everything else that is going on in the world around me. After what has sometimes been as little as 5 minutes, I’m usually feeling blessed, content, and calm. And as a result, the dramatic problems I was facing just a minute ago are suddenly reduced to the size of kick-able pebbles, and I can deal with them much more confidently and gracefully.

For example, the other day I was under a heavy depression because I can’t seem to decide between two very important, huge choices I have to make in the next year or so. Even though these issues are pretty big for me- in fact, they’re life-consuming- I was not properly handling them with maturity or common sense. But during the course of praying for a day or two, God dropped some very interesting solutions in my lap, and because I took the time to realize that in the face of everything else that will happen in my future, these solutions were readily visible. Now I feel as if a large burden has been dropped from my shoulders, and though I still am trying to figure out what exactly to do with these solutions, I feel more adequately equipped to manage my career and life.

It’s not an easy thing to force yourself to admit that an issue or problem you’ve been clinging to isn’t as big of a deal as it seems to be to you. But it’s a healthy process, and one that is, fundamentally, spiritually profitable. God doesn’t need us dwelling on ourselves and our struggles, and for two very important reasons:

1. We are putting the focus on “me”.

2. He is in complete control, and it’s not honoring God to worry about the future.

Yes, it’s stressful to have to worry about paying your car bill, or healing from a severe illness, or going through a failed relationship with a significant other or a family member. But if you remember what He went through for us, perhaps it’s easier to put things into a proper perspective.

And something that makes it even easier is knowing that no matter what happens to us, He will always be there right by our side and in complete control. Remember: nothing can surprise, debilitate, or confuse God. The future has already been written… and by Him alone.

So, the next time you feel like a walking zombie from a lack of sleep and an overload of responsibilities, think about some of these things, and hopefully they’ll aid you in seeing the “bigger picture”:

• Hundreds of thousands of unsaved sinners are dying everyday, each one lost in their sins. Some of them are your friends, neighbors, and family members. What can you do?
• Millions more are suffering from fatal illnesses, starvation, poor living conditions, and a lack of Christian contact. How can you prevent them from not knowing your Savior, too?
• You only have, on average, less than 70 years left of your life to live. Why let such insignificant things as debt, lack of social activity, or poor grades take your focus away from living your life for Christ?
• Most people on the other side of the world do not have your privilege of being able to wake up and not worry about losing your home, job, family, or life, due to hazardous living circumstances and a constant threat of homicide. How are you going to thank God for blessing you with the opportunities that most can’t even dream of?
• You live in the most blessed country in the history of the world. Let me repeat that: the history of the world. How are you going to use this opportunity to bring glory to God?
• If you are a believer and are reading this, then you have the ultimate gift anyone has ever been given: the gift of eternal life. How are you going to thank God for giving you His Son?

So in reality, nothing is really as important as the fact that you are alive and a child of God. Use these two greatest gifts for His glory, and refuse to allow the most insignificant of matters weigh you down.

Don’t give in, and look for the bigger picture.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 9th, 2008 at 1:30 pm and is filed under Christian Living, Expositional, Personal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.