Who Made This Mess?

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.-James 1:4 NIV

Life can become a mess for all kinds of reasons and in many different ways. It’s important to know that God doesn’t cause our problems, but He does use them to test and mature us. In fact, all trouble tests us. It tests our character and determination to serve God.

The apostle James writes that we should be joyful when we encounter trials because they will work patience and perseverance in us…and when patience and perseverance have finished their work, we will be mature and complete, lacking in nothing we need in life (see James 1:2-4).

I am sure most of us would admit that we have grown more spiritually during hard times than through easy ones. Even our mistakes can be valuable if we will learn from them. In all things, God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28). I have seen God take my messes and turn them into messages that have helped a lot of people many times. He doesn’t waste anything and will use even our mistakes for our good and to help mature us if we trust Him to do so.

And that maturity includes taking responsibility for the messes in our lives. When I say that we should take responsibility for our mess, I don’t necessarily mean that the trouble you have is your fault. It could be, but it may not be. There are various reasons why we encounter problems in life. Our enemy, Satan, attacks us, and we live in a wicked world full of sin that causes difficulties of all kinds, some of which we cannot avoid. Other people also make choices that impact our lives for better or worse.

But no matter the source of our problem, we must take responsibility for facing it and going through it in a godly way. If we have sinned, we should admit it and repent, meaning we feel remorse for what we’ve done and change our mind for the better, turning in another direction (the godly direction). When we sin and repent, God will not only forgive us, but He will also help us deal with the problem (see 1 John 1:9).

Even when others do the wrong things, we are still responsible to do what is right. For years, I blamed my ungodly behavior on the fact that I had been sexually abused by my father. Although that abuse did cause anger, self-pity, selfishness, jealousy, insecurity, and other negative consequences, I could not keep using it as an excuse to continue to behave badly if I wanted to be free from my dysfunctional actions.

Hebrews 11:6 says that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. There have been so many times in my life when I didn’t know what to do, but I did know how to run to God with my problems. And regardless of how I got in a mess, He has been faithful to provide me with His strength, peace, joy and perseverance in the midst of it.

God is no respecter of persons; what He’s done for me, He will also do for you (see Acts 10:34). When you ask yourself, “Where is God in this mess?” the answer is: He’s right by your side, helping you every step of the way. Even when it doesn’t feel like God is there, He is always working on your behalf and looking out for you.

Adapted from the book Blessed in the Mess by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2023 by Joyce Meyer. Published by Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Prayer: “Lord, show me how to learn from the messes in my life. No matter where they came from, teach me how to face them with Your help. I know that You will use trials and troubles to help me grow spiritually, so I pray that You will guide me through them and allow me to cultivate maturity. Strengthen me through the difficult times and help me to lean into You more than ever before. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.”