I am finishing up my "busy" time of year this week. I have to confess that over the past several weeks, I have not felt God's presence. Sitting listening to the preacher yesterday, I heard something very profound. We've all had moments where we knew that God was speaking to us through our pastor. Preaching "straight at us" if you will.
He said, "Don't let life (whether it be a task at hand, your job, your family, etc.) get bigger than your God. By concentrating primarily on my work, and not God, I felt somewhat separated from Him.
Thinking back over the past several weeks, I realize my criteria for being stressed didn’t rank very high on what we would call a crises list! It’s amazing how problems we face in the moment loom larger than they really are. Have you ever been faced with what you thought was a huge trouble, only to learn in due time, that it wasn’t such a big deal? I certainly have.
I am developing a motto to fall back upon during times I feel overwhelmed. I am going to say "God is bigger than this problem!" Then, I am going to be still and listen for a solution.
Christ Jesus has served as my model for human action in times of trial. When he didn’t know what to do, he’d listen for God’s guidance. He knew God’s wisdom was always bigger than any dilemma he faced.
One time, when pondering the direction his ministry should take, he spent forty days in the wilderness fasting and praying. The devil tempted him severely. Jesus resisted the temptations with his final proclamation of, "’Away from me, Satan!" For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. Rather than to give in to the devil’s pressure tactics, Jesus persisted in prayer until spiritual light broke through. He did not yield to discouragement.
If we ever come upon an unexpected hardship we too can resist despair and anger by remembering that we’re not alone. God is with us! God is bigger than the trouble we face. Listening for a little inspiration from above can calm alarm, dissolve despair, and keep our life moving in a progressive happy direction.
