I look back at some of the times in my life when I was so negative and living a "whoa's me" type of life, and simultaneously wondering why I was not seeing any of my prayers being answered.
Grumbling and complaining was part of my daily routine. Feeling sorry for myself was a way of life... I had gone through a tough divorce, was working full time and raising 2 young boys, feeling very vulnerable and alone and reminding myself of those very feelings everyday followed by a" why me"?attitude that ran my life. It was not until I changed my thinking and my attitude that I began to see God move in my life. I realized that I was holding my own blessings captive by having a negative mindset.
I was a Christian, this was not the kind of life that Jesus died for me to have.
That old saying, " one more trip around the mountain," was mentioned at a service where the teaching was all about the 40 years it took the children of Israel to get into the promised land, a trip that should have taken just a few weeks... Moses had the tough job of leading them through the desert wilderness. They were being lead out of slavery and were promised a wonderful new life, instead of focusing on what was waiting for them in this beautiful land, they could only rebel, complain and gripe about their present situation!
The longer they complained, the longer they remained, why would God bless them for that type of behavior? He was there the whole time, meeting all their needs, yet their negative attitudes would keep them from their wonderful destiny God had in store for them.
The Bible is full of scriptures about staying positive through adversity. There is no shortage of verses telling us That God will see us through ALL that we face when we trust in and fully rely on Him.
James 1:2-3 says" Count it all joy when you face trials of many kinds, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."
This simply means to stay joyful even during the toughest times knowing and trusting that God will bring us through it all better than we could have imagined on our own, but it is our attitude however that will determine how long it will take!
1 Peter 1:7 says "These trials will show that your faith is genuine."
How better for God to grow our trust and faith in Him than to see how we behave in the "wilderness". It's so easy to say "yay God"! when everything seems to be going great, it's saying the same when we are at our lowest that will strengthen us and grow us in our relationship with God. Each new test is one we must first pass in order to move on to the next level.
Hebrews 10:36 says" Patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God's will. THEN you will receive ALL that He has promised."Notice the emphasis on,"then"... God gives us exact instructions on how to receive our blessings, by enduring trials patiently!
I believe God allows the hardships and trials in our lives in order for us to get out of those certain unhealthy situations and into better ones. For an example, you may have been in a situation where you were miserable at your job , you may have been overlooked for promotions you felt you deserved. Sometimes you have to be so miserable in order to leave one situation so God can bless you with a better one. You may never have left and found the bigger, better job unless you went through such troublesome times at the old one.
We must stay positive in all situations saying" God I cant wait to see what wonderful things you have in in store for me, I know this is only temporary and I am excited about my future!"
Proverbs 23:7 says, "Where the mind goes, the man follows."
We are clearly the architects of our own lives, we have a choice, its up to us. Eternal joy follows pure thoughts.
Phil 4:8 even tells us exactly what to think about, " finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, if there be any virtue and praise, think only on these things."
Imagine our lives if we could follow those instructions ..... We dont need one more trip around the mountain, lets say we check out that promised land!!
Stay positive stay focused on God. He will always show up, He may not be early, but He is never late!!!!!!
Have a blessed, wonderful and positive day!!
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