An attitude adjustment (2)

Realise that rough times won’t last forever. As surely as God created spring to follow winter, ‘He changes times and seasons…He gives wisdom’ (Daniel 2:21 NIV). The season of adversity you’re in will end. And when it does, you’ll glean from it the wisdom to build a better future. Sometimes your greatest blessings come from your most negative circumstances. Paul writes, ‘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!’ (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT). Tough times don’t last, but tough people do! Out of your greatest tests come your greatest testimonies. Don’t make major decisions during a storm. Thoughts and feelings often run wild in the midst of a crisis; those are times when you need to be careful about making decisions. Remain calm, discipline yourself to focus on what you can do, and trust God to do what you can’t. Just as a pilot error can cause a plane to be diverted from its intended destination, or have to make a dangerous emergency landing, a bad decision can divert or delay you from reaching your destiny. Let your emotions subside – before you decide. You may not always have that option, but as much as possible, put significant decisions on hold until your storm passes. Just as the wind blows about wildly during a storm, your thoughts can become wild and frantic, and that’s not the best time to make crucial assessments. What should you do? Paul answers, ‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and…His peace will guard your hearts and minds’ (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).

Prayer Point

I pray that I won’t allow my fleeting and untrustworthy emotions to be the sole guides of my decision making. Lord, I want You to be my consultant and guide whenever I face a decision – help me remember to turn to You first for wisdom, rather than trusting only my own judgment. When I’ve been guided by You, I can have peace that I’ve chosen the right and best course of action.

Meyer, Joyce, Power Thoughts (Brentwood, TN: FaithWords, 2010), 18-20.