Friday, March 16, 2012

Trust God With The Details

“Yet you have forgotten the LORD, your Creator, the one who put the stars in the sky and established the earth. Will you remain in constant dread of human oppression? Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies from morning till night?” -- Isaiah 51:13

What did you worry about today? Oh, come on! I know you worried about something. Almost everyone does. It doesn’t change anything. Worry doesn’t solve problems. But we do it anyway.

I worry about the future. I’m not alone in that. Some people worry about affording retirement. Others worry about paying the rent or mortgage. Still others are concerned about providing for their children.

Sometimes worry can motivate us. In that way, it’s not always bad. Worry can motivate someone to get a better job or save more money. But worry can also destroy our health and our relationships. Worry becomes the focus rather than people.

I’ve come to realize that worry doesn’t change anything because I can’t change those around me. I can only work on me. And what I want most of all is to follow God and do His will. So why do I worry so much about what other people think or what other people want from me?

But I do. Don’t you? We want people to like us. We want to have friends. We want our families to love us. We want to be smart and successful and valued by others. And it doesn’t happen, well, it hurts.

People can just be so unpredictable. Just when you think things are going well, something else pops up. Most of us have had someone like that in our lives at one time or another. I once had a boss who said one thing when she meant another. And not just to me. Another person asked her about it. She just chuckled but didn’t offer an explanation. I’ve always believed it was a power thing fueled by insecurity.

It doesn’t really matter. I tried to please her. Others tried to please her. No one could. She wasn’t an awful person. She just didn’t have a clue. I learned a valuable lesson about trying to please impossible people. Don’t even try.

When it comes down to it, we need only please God. If we do His will, everything will be fine. It doesn’t mean we won’t have rough waters. We will. But we’ll be headed in the right direction and we’ll be supported by the Creator of the universe.

So stop worrying about things you can’t change and people who will never be satisfied. Focus your time and attention on God. He’s got your back. Trust Him.

Monday, October 18, 2010

God Is All That Matters

"I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass," -- Isaiah 51:12

I am afraid. Of what? I don't really know. It's just an all-encompassing fear that resonates through my life. I am afraid of change. I am afraid change will never come. I am afraid of rejection, yet I experience it every day. I am afraid of the darkness, though I know God is always there with the light.

I was once a person who thrived on conflict. As a editorial columnist, I loved to upset people. I didn't care if they agreed with me or not. I cared that they thought about what was going on in the world around them. Now, I am but a shell of that person. I hide from conflict. I ignore it when I can. I just want to get along without having to deal with any turbulence.

Life is full of turbulence. No matter how much effort I put into avoiding conflict, there it is. Always. Someone is always unhappy. I say the wrong thing. I do the wrong thing. I say too much. I don't say enough. Someone always needs something and I am never enough. I could go on and on except it sounds like a pity party and that isn't what I intended. It's just that I spend a great deal of time trying to please people and get along with people who are never going to be happy with anything I do. Why do I try?

I know I'm not alone in this. Most everyone values the opinions of those around them. We want people to like us. We want people to seek time with us. We want to please the people we care about. I suppose there's nothing wrong with that -- until it becomes so important that you deny the person God made you to be. Then it's a problem. Because God always gets top billing. That means pleasing Him first and everyone else gets to take a number and wait in line.

I've learned to deny that voice God gave me. The voice that makes people think, even while they're squirming. It's a voice that says no one has all the answers and most people are only partially right anyway. Yeah. I'm a bit sharp-tongued and impatient. I get upset when Christians behave like they've never read the Bible or studied God's Word. I refuse to tolerate people who refuse to welcome all God's people because they've determined that some are not worthy.

Why should I fear comments or criticism from people? Who are they anyway? I must seek God's voice. I should reclaim the voice I've learned to suppress and speak once again for those who have no voice. I've denied who I am to please others. This time I just want to please God and be the person He called me to be.