Stress

It seems like, without fail, every Lent season is stressful. This year is no exception. I thought maybe we would get a little further into it before it started to hit, though.

Right now, my wife and I are facing some uncertainty in a couple areas of our lives. Looking at it from a worldly standpoint, it would be easy to start freaking out. Actually, it's pretty hard not to freak out if you look at all the different ways things could pan out.

However, the good news for us is that no matter which way things go, God is there for us. I'm reminded of Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV):

(4) Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (5) Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (6) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (7) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(8) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (9) Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I think the key verse for me is verse 6: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (emphasis added)

I am, by my nature, a fairly anxious person. I tend to worry about a lot of things. However, this scripture gives me peace. Nowhere does it say that everything will work out the way I want it to. Instead, it says that I need to be thankful when I ask God to take control of these situations - not just ones I struggle with, but with ALL situations - and God will give me peace about whatever happens.

That is truly the toughest part here. It's easy for us to get disappointed when things don't go our way. We often forget, though, that God has the bigger picture in mind. For more than 4 years, I prayed that God would give me a specific job. Time and time again, I was passed over for that job. It didn't seem to make sense - everyone around me was saying I should've gotten it. For more than 2 of those years, I struggled with no full time job and only lived on part-time hours. God provided for me during that time, even though it was rough.

Then, finally, I was offered a full-time job. However, it wasn't the one I had prayed for. Sure, I could have looked at it as though God still wasn't answering my prayer or that I was being cheated. I wasn't being cheated though, it was just a different answer than I expected.

God has blessed me through the job I did get. He has provided for me (and now my wife, as well) through the job and other opportunities that He has given me. I think had I not went through the waiting period I did, I might not be as appreciative of what I have.

I have realized that no matter how bad things look now, they WILL be okay in the end. Maybe we are struggling so that we can learn a lesson. Maybe it is to make us stronger, or maybe it is for a reason that we will never know. All I know is that God never fails - He always provides for us, and no matter what, I will keep my eyes focused on Him.