“The passing nature of troubles is something Jesus calls us to recognize. His challenge is to endure to persevere, to grow, and to overcome. . . . Jesus knows that God permits things to happen in our lives only for a certain period of time and for a particular reason.”- Dr. Charles F. Stanley
Dr. Charles Stanley concludes Chapter 9 of Can You Still Trust God? with five questions. The author offers these questions for you to consider if you feel your peace slipping away. Or if you’ve fixed your focus on life’s negative aspects.
Question #1: Have you stopped thanking and praising God? Followers of Jesus need a vibrant prayer life. Because that prayer life stymies the urge to lay down your peace. In addition, avoid talking with God only about what you think you need. Rather, give thanks in all circumstances for all things.
Question#2: Are you limiting God by the way you think? No problem exists that’s too difficult or awful for God to handle. As Oswald Chambers once wrote: “When it begins to dawn on my conscious life what God’s purpose is, there is the laughter of the possibility of the impossible. The impossible is exactly what God does.
Question #3: Are you dwelling on negatives? Instead of dwelling on the negative aspects of life, harness your mind to dwell on and appreciate life’s positive, good things. Because your faith erodes when you feed your mind a steady diet of negative thoughts.
Question #4: Are you allowing negative emotions to linger in your heart? When anxiety occurs, panic then erupts, and then fear strikes. Hence you face one of two choices:
- open the door, inviting these negative emotions to settle in your heart
- take immediate action to restore your peace and confidence
Question #5: Are you forgetting Jesus’ example? In the Gospels, Jesus confronted problems as a realist. Therefore, Jesus assures us of God’s presence. Thus, we need not give in to, sink beneath, or become defeated by problems.
Today’s question: What Scriptures help you understand the passing nature of troubles? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Confuse concern with anxiety?”
