The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith
Out of My Control
My lack of control over circumstances in my life has kept being reinforced for me over these past few months of escrow and moving activities. Frequently I have allowed the stress of this massive change in our lives to supersede all else in ways I don’t remember experiencing in my life before, to the point of almost shutting down. And Jesus’ still small voice continues to pervade my thoughts with His promise of “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
But there are times I have found myself outside His peace because I wasn’t paying attention. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 is such a good reminder of where my mind needs to dwell all the time: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
But wait a minute. Didn’t I learn this before? In fact I wrote about God’s peace and the other promises of God that we experienced while going through Dan’s first cancer. “Even though we don’t have a choice about what happens in our lives, we do have a choice about how we deal with adversity. Choice number one is to ignore the promises and act like the rest of the world, in bondage to the prince of the power of the air. Choice number two is to, by faith, accept the sovereignty of God and recognize that He is equipping you through circumstances for his service. As my sister-in-law says, “When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change” (The Culture of Hope Founded On Faith…, 19-20).
God is so patient with me when, in my human frailty, I keep having to relearn those things that He has carefully engrained in me before. It must grieve His heart to speak to me and be ignored. But then 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He forgives me when I repent and come to Him, as His child seeking her Father’s gentle embrace of love and acceptance, for the peace he was offering all along.
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