If you are a Facebook
friend of my daughter or me, you may have seen her big announcement that we are
going to be blessed with another grandchild next March. Their son is 16
months old and I’m sure he will be ready to be a big brother by then!
We were blessed with
three children, and I will never, ever forget the moment that each of them were
born. I can remember that whenever I would complain during my
pregnancies, my mom would always say that this was only for a season and that
when the precious bundle would be placed in my arms, all the pain and
discomfort would be worth it. As was the case many times…my mom was
right.
The problem is that
not everything in life is that way. Not every discomfort, not every pain,
and not every time of suffering ends with a joyous moment. The trials we
face aren’t always contained in a nine-month period where we can see the light
at the end of the tunnel from the beginning. In fact, I have witnessed
people who have had to face times of testing that have lasted for years. How unfair is that? Why do some people seem to skate through life
without pain and suffering, while others seem to face misery at every turn?
If I had the answers
to these questions…I just might be a very wealthy woman. God never promised that we would always know
the “whys” of life. As I have written
before, He only promised that we could know the “Who” of life. Without exception, those who I have met who
have faced adversities with grace, have demonstrated that their “Who”…Jesus
Christ…has remained their constant focus.
Let’s face it. It would be much easier to keep our focus on
Christ if we didn’t have someone else who is working overtime to keep us
distracted. Satan’s full time job is to
make sure we don’t keep our eyes on Christ, so that we will easily become
discouraged, frustrated and want to give up.
He wants nothing more than for us to dwell on our adversities so that
others won’t see Christ’s image in us.
I may have shared this
phrase with you before, but I think it is a good reminder of what our thoughts
should be as we begin each day. It says,
“Be the kind of woman (or man) who, when your feet hit the floor in the
morning, the devil says, ‘Oh no, she (or he) is up!’” To be successful in combatting Satan’s
forces, we must be intentional in putting our complete faith and trust, even
during the adversities, in our Lord Jesus Christ. We must stand firm in making sure that Satan
knows that we have no intention on giving him any of our allegiance today, tomorrow
or in any day to come.
I have no idea what
you are going through today. You may be
experiencing physical, mental or emotional pain that has lasted far longer than
you ever dreamed it would. I want to
encourage you to not give in to Satan’s taunts that this life is futile. Today is the Lord’s day… not Satan’s… and in
Him you can find the strength, wisdom and courage it will take to handle this
time with grace. Remember, no matter how
long this “season” of life is for you, there will be a great reward someday
when we see Jesus face to face. Oh what
a day that will be!
“Put on the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to stand
against the schemes of the devil.”
Ephesians
6:11
“Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you.”
James
4:7
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