Difficult Days

Many of us have faced some sort of difficulty over the past few months.  A friend of mine recently wrote about some of the struggles he was facing and how he worked through them.  Maybe this will help you, or encourage you in someway as well. 


Accept His Ways

Isaiah 55:8 was the verse that really stuck out to me today, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”  I’d have to say out of everything in Christianity this has to be one of the hardest aspects for me, and that would be trying to accept and find joy in God’s ways because at times I just do not understand them.  I have to admit sometimes I just get so frustrated in trying to accept the things God gives me in life. 

The perfect picture of my struggle, I have had some fairly lousy jobs over the last three years, at least according to my standards, and the funny thing is the more I complained it seemed like the worse they got.  I actually was just able to transition from the last one and have started a job that as of yet seems to be far better than everything I’ve done since my relocation to Florida, and the catch to it all was I was contacted by this company who found my resume.  It was just at the moment I really started to just say, why am I complaining, I have it so much better than so many others.  in an economy that is struggling, where unemployment is high, and no matter how difficult it was juggling two part time jobs and keeping everything straight I was so blessed to have a job at all, to be healthy, to have just closed on my first house when so many are homeless, I had to ask God for forgiveness for my discontent.  After all this was where God had me and he works all things out for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28) again this was where my faith was tested, I either had to believe this was where God wanted me and just accept it and in that moment of contentment, not that it happened RIGHT away, but after I found contentment with my situation that is when He decided he would move me. 

What did I have to be upset about, God’s promise is to supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19) he tells us to find joy in our circumstances and in my act of selfishness God sought to teach me to be content.  I wish it didn’t take me so long to learn it, but I have been accused of being hard headed.  Paul summed it up perfectly, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” (Philippians 4:11)  Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians in a Roman Prison, and yet somehow throughout everything we know he endured he learned to find contentment.  It is something every Christian must learn, so often we get caught up in our own desires, in our selfish ambitions, in what we think will bring us joy, and we forget who is in control and who knows what is best.  We serve a sovereign God and when we struggle we make our petitions known to Him (Phil. 4:6), but in the end trust Him in all things and be content no matter what His answer is,  in the end “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6)

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