Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!
Psalm 42:5
Yesterday I posted about the impact our thoughts have on our life. They can make us or break us. Our outlook on life drastically effects everything else, it's a trickle-down effect. By nature, I am a realist. My husband has lovingly suggested that I'm actually a pessimist hiding behind the 'realist' label. But I digress.
I've been through a lot of ups and downs the past three years...
there are prayers unanswered, prayers answered not the way I had hoped they would be, and things I'm (still) waiting on God for.
It would be really easy for me to just look at things as they (seem to) appear. But God has been slowly eroding away at my 'realist' way of thinking. Does this mean that I am a bundle of optimistic sunshine 24-7? Ha! Not a chance! But, again, God is slowly but surely changing me.
What is so awesome is that God completely knows and understands that I am human. He understands that I have emotions. He is so gracious that He even lets me complain a little while and get it all out. God knows that I need to do that! But then (and there IS a then), there comes a point where He tells me, "Enough is enough." It's time for me to wipe away the tears, pick myself up, put on my big-girl pants, and keep moving forward.
"We can expend so much energy whining about our situation that we have nothing left to invest in the real fight." Beth Moore
I don't have time to walk in despair! Satan wants me so wrapped up in my own issues, that I neglect my precious family and the daily ministry opportunities that God has for me. Not only that, but he wants to keep me from living out my God-given purpose.
I encourage you today that if you are dealing with some confusion, frustration, hopelessness...pour your heart out to God. Don't be afraid to be gut-level honest with Him, He knows what's in your heart anyway! But then, when God says "Enough is enough", get up, dust yourself off, and move forward. Don't stay in the mind-set of despair but walk forward in hope.
