We have a play room in our house for grandkids. To tell you the truth they rarely play in there, but they do go upstairs to get toys out of the playroom to bring down to the living room! Often great fights start because inevitably two children want the same toy. One day Stella was upstairs playing by herself when we heard her begin wailing. I thought for sure she’d dropped the toy box lid on herself or some other catastrophe. We ran upstairs to find her crying inconsolably in the middle of the floor. A toy was there beside her. There was no sign of physical distress so we asked her what the problem was. It was simple. The toy would not do what she wanted it to do! She was actually furious not hurt. We got her mind off the situation she was in and on something else and everything was fine. A change of attitude came when her heart changed as her focus changed.
It’s hard to admit but there are times when we are the same as Stella. We’re having a good time, things are going great and our life is all planned out. We’re paying our bills, loving our family, enjoying our jobs, and may even be ministering for the Lord. A nice neat tidy play area we’ve created. It’s all good. But then something changes. There’s a blip in the system and we find ourselves in a bit of a situation. Something has gone wrong and we’re furious. We become frustrated, anxious and demanding. We want it all to work our way. We want life to “do what we want it to do”. What we’re really saying is where is God? How did He let this happen? We become angry and cry and throw a spiritual tantrum because God isn’t doing what we want Him to do. We lay in the floor and we wail and gnash our teeth at our entire situation. We may even say, “Oh God!” But we’re not really praying we’re just mad. Mad at the situation, made that our life is upset and maybe even made that God would do this to us. Life quits working and if we don’t get a handle on our emotions we’ll eventually blame God for the mess.
But God steps onto the scene of our ruined lives and scoops us up. Suddenly our perspective changes. We’re no longer in the floor having our pity party. We’re in the Father’s arms. We begin to fellowship with Him just as the Psalmist did: by sharing our hurts, our pain, our problem , our anguish. He listens and lets us spill it all out before Him. Then He speaks to our hearts and our attitude softens. We forget the brokenness of our life as we rehearse the Truth that our Father speaks into our life. “In this world you will have tribulation, but rejoice I have overcome the world”. “All things work together for your good”. “Peace I give you…” “Surely goodness and mercy will follow you…” On and on God speaks. On and on Jesus provides. On and on the Holy Spirit woos. Finally we relax in the midst of the situation and our heart is softened and our focus is no longer on our problem, but on our Savior.
Oh beloved, are things not going how you wanted them to go? Was it all just right and yet now it’s not working? Have you found yourself in the middle of the floor having a pity party and wanting to blame God for all the mess you are surrounded by? It’s time to crawl up in your Abba Father’s lap and let Him speak His truth over your life. Look full in His wonderful face as the hymnist wrote, and the things of earth will go strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. God loves you and yet things will go wrong. Your only recourse is to seek the Father’s face and let Him change your attitude. Instead of berating the situation God will begin to teach you the eternal perspective of what you are going through. His promises remain and His purpose for you is steady.
Ultimately, even if something is permanently broken, you can be assured that your life doesn’t have to be thrown out. Your plans don’t have to be discarded. Rather God wants to change you. His ultimate goal is to make you like Him and give you a stronger heart for the days ahead. Jesus is your example and faith is your window of opportunity to let God pick you up and change your heart.
Stella’s toy was left in the floor not to be picked up and get frustrated over again. God says give me the thing that you can’t get to do what you want anymore and I will turn it into an opportunity for your good and My glory. I love you and I am for you and that’s all that matters as you grow in grace and the knowledge of My Son, your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:28 We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. Amplified
Psalm 73:21-24 When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.
2 Corinthians 3:18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.
Psalm 27:8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! NLT
Psalm 34:5 Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. NLT
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