Learning to Surrender What I Can’t Control

In review of James 2:22, I read  “You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” (NIV)

Abraham was "shown to be right with God" for what he did. He was justified because he believed God. I am not justified by what I do in any way. True faith always results in good deeds, but my deeds do not justify me. Faith brings me salvation; active obedience demonstrates that my faith is genuine.

If you want to come through a crisis like a global pandemic with your emotional health intact, I’ll need to learn to control what's controllable in my life and trust God for the rest.

God is active in your mental, spiritual, and emotional health. He wants me to make wise choices based on his guidance from the Bible and through prayer.

And then, when I encounter something out of my control, I can surrender it to God and trust him to work it out for good.

There is a great biblical example of this with Abraham: "You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did" (James 2:22 NIV).

It's easy to go to extremes with this. For instance, I can say / think it’s all up to God and become passive to the point where I do nothing. On the other hand, I can act like God doesn't play a part in my life and assume everything depends on me.

Both extremes are wrong. Maintaining good physical health is about balance, and the same is true with emotional health. Find a balance that helps me recognize what’s in my control and then make wise decisions, based on God’s guidance as I read his Word and talk to him in prayer. And, learn to let go of those things that only God can handle.

In the movie, The Lord of the Rings, there's a moment where Frodo complains about all the evil and pain in the world. He says to Gandalf, “I wish none of this had happened.” Often I think the same thing.

Gandalf wisely responds to Frodo and says, "So do all who live to see such times; but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

All I have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to me.

There are a lot of things in life I have no control over. I can't control the pandemic or how the government and other people handle it.

I can't control the circumstances of life, but I can choose how I will respond, and that will make all the difference. God is always there to help me make that choice.

In summary, my faith and my actions need to work together. My faith is made complete by what I do. I am not justified by what I do in any way. True faith will always result in good deeds, but my deeds do not justify me. Faith brings me salvation; active obedience demonstrates that my faith is genuine. Learn to control what's controllable in my life and then trust God for the rest. God wants me to make wise choices based on his guidance from the Bible and through prayer. And then, when I encounter something out of my control, I can surrender it to God and trust him to work it out for good. Maintaining good physical health is about balance, and the same is true with emotional health. Find a balance that helps me recognize what’s in my control and then make wise decisions, based on God’s guidance as I read his Word and talk to him in prayer. And, learn to let go of those things that only God can handle. All I have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to me. There are a lot of things in life I have no control over. While I can't control the circumstances of my life, I can choose how I will respond, and that will make all the difference. God is always there to help me make that choice.

Father I thank you for this verse and this study today. I pray with the help of the Holy Spirit to learn to control that which is controllable in my life and then learn to trust you with the rest. All I have to do is to decide what to do with the time and circumstances that are given to me. I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, and any of my interactions with others. I pray this through your Son Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.

Why and How I Need to Share My Grief with Others

In review of Galatians 6:2, I'm reminded to  “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (NIV)

I should never think that I am totally independent and not need help from others, nor should I feel excused from the task of helping others. The body of Christ functions only when the members work together for the common good. Humbly and gently reach out and offer to help lift the load if someone needs it.

During this coronavirus crisis, my emotional health needs to be an important priority. Feelings are neither good nor bad, they’re just emotions but they need to be expressed appropriately to God and to a trusted friend. Today’s verse reminds me to, “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2 NIV).

I do not have to share my feelings with everybody, but I do need to have one person I can confide in. Someone I can go to and say, "Hey, can I just tell you how I'm really feeling right now?" This is someone who will listen, share in my pain and frustration, and then help me move forward.

Paul gives a great example of sharing feelings instead of stuffing them in: “My friends, I want you to know what a hard time we had in Asia. Our sufferings were so horrible and so unbearable that death seemed certain” (2 Corinthians 1:8 CEV).

If Paul, the greatest Christian who ever lived next to Jesus Christ himself, could be gut-level honest about what he was going through, then we can do it, too.

Sharing my problems includes sharing my frustrations, fears, and feelings. I’m living in unprecedented times, and everyone is feeling the stress of the pandemic. There are a lot of losses and missed opportunities due to the upheaval in the world. 

I need to grieve those losses, and not just in private. Grief is a good, healthy thing. It’s how I can transition. Sharing my grief with others keeps me from isolation and loneliness and will remind me of God’s provision.

God created me to need others! He designed me to share my feelings with others. But he also wants me to share my feelings with him: “The LORD is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope. The LORD's people may suffer a lot, but he will always bring them safely through” (Psalm 34:18-19 CEV).

Sharing my feelings with others may not come naturally. But it is the only way to be emotionally healthy. Find a person I trust to help me process what I’m experiencing, and then be that friend to someone else.

In summary, Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. I should never think that I am totally independent and not need help from others, nor should I feel excused from the task of helping others. I need to humbly and gently reach out and offer to help lift the load if someone needs it. Emotions need to be expressed appropriately to God and to a trusted friend. I do need to have one person I can confide in, someone who will listen, share in my pain and frustration, and then help me move forward. I need to grieve losses, and not just in private. Grief is a good, healthy thing. It’s how I can transition. Sharing my grief with others keeps me from isolation and loneliness and will remind me of God’s provision. God created me to need others! He designed me to share my feelings with others. But he also wants me to share my feelings with him: So I need to find a person I trust to help me process what I’m experiencing, and then be that friend to someone else.

Father thank you for this verse and study today. It has helped point out that I need someone to confide in/with. I’m taking some of my grief to too many people and not the right audience just to feel justified. I’m feeling let down by my direct leadership and a strong loss of trust. I pray that with the help of the Holy Spirit that you help me to find the right person that I can confide in. Also with the Spirit’s help, be someone others can confide in and where they can share their grief as well. I ask for forgiveness and help with my attitude toward my leader. I also ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my tasks, my leadership and my interactions to others. These things I pray through your Son Jesus name, Amen.

The Best Way to Start and Finish My Day

In review of Matthew 4:4 Jesus says, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (NIV)

Jesus was able to resist the devil's temptations because he not only knew scripture, but he also obeyed it. Knowing and obeying scripture helps me to follow God's desires rather than the devil's.

During these days of uncertainty and unrest, it’s important to start and end my day by refueling my soul. My soul is the way I think, feel, and choose. Just like my physical body has to be fed every day to stay healthy, so does my soul. If I don’t feed my soul, I’m going to be drained emotionally and spiritually.

I refuel my soul, by getting into God's Word every day. Jesus said, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4 NIV). The Bible is life! I don’t just read it when I have a problem and need some advice. I don’t open it up just when I need a pick-me-up. I feed on it every day so that I am constantly nourished and growing in truth and love.

I should not begin my day by scrolling through your phone or listening to the news. I shouldn’t let the last thing that fills my mind each day be something on the TV. None of those things are going to feed my soul.

If you only develop one new habit during this pandemic, let it be starting and ending your day in God’s Word. Wherever I leave my Bible leave it open if possible. If the Bible is closed, I will have a tendency to overlook it. But if you leave it open to where I read last time, I’ll have an easier time remembering to be consistent in Bible reading.

It doesn't matter how long I read. It matters most how I let God’s Word change me, how I see myself and others in light of God’s love, how I view my circumstances, and how my relationship with God deepens and grows.

"The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will" (Isaiah 50:4 NLT).

Nourish my soul and stay emotionally healthy by starting and ending each day with the Word of God.

In summary, I need more than food to live on. I need the word that comes from the mouth of God. Knowing and obeying scripture helps me to follow God's desires rather than the devil's. So I need to start and end my day by refueling my soul. This means getting into God's Word every day, and not just when I have a problem and need some advice. Feed on it every day so that I am constantly nourished and growing in truth and love. Start and end each day in God’s Word. It doesn't matter how long I read. It matters most how I let God’s Word change me, how I see myself and others in light of God’s love, how I view my circumstances, and how my relationship with God deepens and grows.

Father I thank you today for this reminder to get into your Word. It’s most important that I not just read, but allow it to change my life. I pray that with help from the Holy Spirit to remind me that I will incorporate this into my daily routine. I ask also for wisdom and guidance for my day, for my work, for my leadership and for my interactions with others. I want to do what is right and do my work knowing that you are my ultimate leader. Allow me to display courage and provide an example to others through how I handle my new work situation.

Grace Is Needed Now More Than Ever

In review of James 4:6, I'm reminded that  “God gives us even more grace, as the Scripture says, ‘God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.’” (NCV)

James gives me five ways to come closer to God. 1). Humble myself before Him, yield to his authority and will, commit my life to him and his control, and be willing to follow him. 2). Resist the enemy, don't allow him to entice and tempt me. 3). Lead a pure life. Be cleansed from sin, replacing my desire to sin with my desire to experience God's purity. 4). Express deep heartfelt sorrow for what I have done. 5). Humble myself before him, and he will lift me up in honor. To humble myself means recognizing that my worth comes from God alone. Lean on his power and guidance, and not give into my own independent way. Although I don't deserve his favor, he wants to lift me up and give me worth and dignity, despite my shortcomings. 

To make it through the extraordinary crisis of a pandemic and social unrest, I need to treat myself and others the way God treats me: with grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Grace means that God always gives me what I need, not what I deserve. If I got what you deserved, I wouldn't even be here. “God gives us even more grace, as the Scripture says, ‘God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6 NCV).

God opposes the prideful and arrogant because they think they can do it all by themselves, apart from God. They don't think they need God or his grace. They approach life—even life in turmoil—with the mindset, “If it's to be, it's up to me.”

But when I’m humble and admit that I can’t make it through this situation on my own, God opens the floodgates of heaven. He pours out his grace. And he expects those who have been shown amazing grace to then show that grace to others.

Everybody’s having a tough time right now. To maintain my emotional health, I need to cut myself some slack and do the same for others. I can see that everybody's feeling the stress, particularly the millions of people who are out of work and concerned about the future, maybe even about how they will make it to the next day. I need to be kind and gentle. Even the hardest people to love are fighting some kind of battle right now and need my grace.

This will take a lot of humility. With tensions high, it’s easier right now to return wrong for wrong, give a sharp answer, withhold the benefit of the doubt, and speak before listening.

My neighbor needs my grace. My family needs my grace. The person you disagree with politically needs your grace. The world is on the defense, and there is nothing that will disarm people more than being given unexpected grace.

God has given me great grace. I need to go and extend that grace to others so they get a glimpse of what Jesus has done for them.

In summary, God is against the proud, but gives grace to the humble. I need to humble myself before him, and allow him to lift me up. Recognize that my worth comes from God alone. So lean on his power and guidance, and not give into my own independent way of thinking. Although I don't deserve his favor, he wants to lift me up and give me worth and dignity, despite my shortcomings. I need to treat myself and others the way God treats me: with grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Grace means that God always gives me what I need, not what I deserve. God opposes the prideful and arrogant because they think they can do it all by themselves, apart from God. When I’m humble and admit that I can’t make it through this situation on my own, God opens the floodgates of heaven. He pours out his grace. And he expects those who have been shown amazing grace to then show that grace to others. So I need to be kind and gentle. This will take a lot of humility. With tensions high, it’s easier right now to return wrong for wrong, give a sharp answer, withhold the benefit of the doubt, and speak before listening. However there is nothing that will disarm people more than being given unexpected grace. God has given me great grace. I need to go and extend that grace to others.

There is so much packed into my study this morning. It speaks not only to humbling myself but giving grace to others, even when I don’t think they deserve it. It is much easier to want to return wrong for wrong, give a sharp answer, withhold the benefit of the doubt, and speak before listening.

Father, I admit my wrong thinking and wanting to respond in the wrong ways. I pray Father with the help of the Holy Spirit in my life to remind me that I am humble and show grace at all times. I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my tasks, my leadership and my interactions with others. I ask these things through your Son Jesus name, Amen.