How to Overcome Difficulties with Confidence
I recently chatted with a friend who was struggling with a particular circumstance in her life. She needed to vent, and I was willing to listen. As she verbally processed through her situation, I heard my own voice and how I was processing our current move.
Managing our Circumstance
Our circumstances are dramatically different. Yet both my friend and I talk about the different ways we want our circumstance to change. We both have clear ideas of how we want our situations to develop. In each of our stories, we have particular elements we want to fix and/or control.
My guess is you are no different. If you told me about a current frustrating circumstance in your life, you would also tell me how you think it could be improved.
On a consistent basis we are faced with how life is and how we think life should be. Daily, God gives us the opportunity to trust Him implicitly. All too often, we attempt to tell God how He should get things done.
Studying the Book of James
I’ve mentioned before either in a blog or a social media post that I am studying the book of James. My typical rhythm is I study for five days, and then I spend two days reviewing what I’ve learned. Recently I took 4 days to review my five days of study.
At first, I wondered if I was being lazy. I felt the pressure to stick to my typical schedule and be productive. However, I knew I had filled my calendar with many appointments and commitments. I honestly accomplished what I could accomplish. On day four, I recognized the longer time spent on the passage was a God gift.
For those four review days, I pored over James 4:8-5:9. If you read that section of scripture, you might think James is one random guy. You might think he is jumping from topic to topic.
Each morning, I began my time with Jesus by reading the entire passage. Each day I read the verses in a different translation and jotted down what jumped out to me. By day four, I began to see a clear thread, especially as I considered our move and how I was managing it.
Listening to God’s Spirit
Holy Spirit clearly pointed out to me God is Sovereign and utterly trustworthy. If you were to ask me if I believed that to be true, I would answer with a definitive yes! However, I recognized my actions and conversation revealed I was not fully trusting God with our move.
I spend too much time on Zillow or our realtor’s website searching for my ideal new home. Our home has not sold, and we can’t purchase a new one until we are under contract. I found myself choosing a favorite home and then experiencing frustration and despair when that house was labeled pending.
Submit to God’s Authority
James clearly tells us in chapter 4, verse 7, that we are to submit to God’s authority. In the very next verse, he challenges us to take an additional step and draw near to God. We do not submit out of obligation. Instead, we submit and snuggle up close to Him because He is our dad; we trust He will do what is best for us every time, all the time.
James instructs us in chapter 5, verses 7-8, that we are to wait for God to do what God does. We are to be just like the farmer who waits for the rain to come and his crops to grow. The farmer knows the rain will come and so he waits with confident expectation.
James clearly states in verse eight, “You too, be patient and stand firm.” As we submit to God’s authority, we wait with patience and unwavering assurance that God is in control. We journey through our days with a calm belief that God will move, provide, protect, and bless.
Motivation to Submit
James ends verse eight with the motivation that “the Lord’s coming is near.” James and the disciples were convinced Jesus was returning in their lifetime. We believe Christ is coming back. However, we aren’t convinced it will happen in our lifetime.
Pause for a moment though and look at your current circumstance with the filter that Jesus is returning. Christ will come back and set up His kingdom and we will experience life as God originally intended.
When I look at moving through this filter, I recognize I have so much more to anticipate in that move than my current one. I lose the urgency to find an ideal home. Instead, I gain the perspective that since I get to live with God’s presence even now, all is well.
The Struggle to Submit
James provides a few warnings in the passage I studied. He points out areas where we struggle and lose our willingness to fully depend on God. First, he reminds us to live a life of purity and obedience. James then instructs us to grieve over any sin we allow to enter our hearts and humble ourselves before God.
Next, James cautions his readers against thinking we are better than others. In addition, he advises us against believing we can do things on our own. We must make sure our plans always are made in conjunction with God. Lastly, James admonishes us to not buy into the world’s concept of life will be better if you have more money or stuff.
Each warning James provides stands in stark contrast to fully depending on God Himself. We each have a sinful bent toward taking control. We hold a false belief that we can manage on our own. David tells us in Psalm 86:8-10, “Among the gods there is none like you, LORD; no deeds can compare with yours…you alone are God.”
Whatever your current circumstance, God is in complete control. We must humble ourselves and submit to His authority. However, we also get to snuggle up close and experience His compassion and grace. Holy Spirit journeys with us as we wait like good farmers for God’s provision and blessing to come. We can move forward with complete confidence that whatever God provides will satisfy our every need.
In God We Trust Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
