"Quiet waiting before God would save from many a mistake and from many a sorrow."
~ J. Hudson Taylor
All of us have "Mission: Impossible"s to face: those tasks that look way too big, bad, and ugly for us to grapple with. One cannot go through life without encountering walls that seem impossible to climb, oceans that seem impossible to swim, or races that seem impossible to run. It's inevitable. The question isn't "Will I face such things?" The question is, "How will I respond?"
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There are a variety of ways one can respond to the "big, bad, and ugly" things of life. Here are some of the most common...
- Complain. This is what got the Israelites in trouble. Whenever they found themselves facing overwhelming odds, they started playing the "Woe is I" game. Too often, we are just like the Israelites, and voices which should be lifted in praise to the Lord are used to murmur against Him.
- Ignore. We try to take our problem and sweep it under the rug, hoping it will somehow magically disappear. We convince ourselves that a trouble unacknowledged is a trouble nonexistent. Of course, this is really poor reasoning. Ignoring a problem will not fix that problem. Rather, it will most likely cause that problem to grow, leaving us worse off than before.
- Despair. This response often goes hand in hand with complaining. When we face a trial, and realize just how big it is and how little we are, we go belly up. We quit, and let our troubles suck all the joy out of us. Instead if rejoicing in the Lord, we moan, groan, and say, "Just shoot me, I can't take it anymore".
- Panic. Sometimes, we treat life like some sort of arcade game. We're fine as long as we feel that we've got things under control. When things get real tough, however, and we begin to feel like we're losing our grip, we automatically rush to hit the big red panic button in the lower left corner of the screen. This is a very childish response to trouble. Running around like headless chickens is a sure way to get absolutely nowhere.
- Rage. This respones is akin to the toddler's temper-tantrum. When things don't go like we want them to, we steam and stew over it, inwardly shaking our fists and gnashing our teeth. We resent the tough situations and trials we are dealing with, and fight madly against them. In reality, however (although we often won't admit it), our steaming and stewing is against God, who in His infinite wisdom, prepared those very trials for us.
So, there you have five common responses to the "big, bad, and the ugly" things of life. All of them are wrong, of course (and on further consideration, these responses are more like reactions). There really is only one right way to respond to those times when we're between a rock and a hard place: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." (Prov. 3:5-6)
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In this passage from chapter 16 of Created for Work, Bob Schultz shares the following story...
"At two o' clock in the morning, I couldn't sleep... In a few hours my boss expected me to begin the interior woodwor on a new house. Not just any new house, but the biggest and fanciest house I've ever built. The foundation was easy enough. We got through the framing O.K. However, now he wanted me to install the trim and I had only a little experience."
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"Thinking of the massive entry staircase, the expensive walnut paneling for the living, the truckload of tongue-and-groove ceder for the library left me weak with fear. I'd never nailed on one piece of baseboard before, let alone all this costly wood. How could I do anything but fail?
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"I poured my heart out to God telling Him my fears and worries. My spirit calmed but my stomach remained in a knot. From two o' clock to six o' clock I read the Bible, listening for His answer to my need...
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"By the time the sun came up, God had calmed my fears. He promised His wisdom and convinced me that He would communicate it. I wasn't overflowing with boldness that morning, but I did have the courage to show up for work. He was there and He kept His word.
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"I stood in the living room holding the first sheet of paneling. A painter walked through the door beside me. 'Hey,' he said, 'I saw a carpenter once putting on some of that and he...' At that point the painter began to speak as if he was lecturing to a classroom of new paneling installers. After telling me everything I needed to know, he apologized, 'I don't know why I told you all that, I'm sure you knew it already.' Embarassed by his outburst of information, he ducked from the room.
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" I followed God's advice given to me through the painter. The paneled walls turned out beautifully. No one would imagine that the installer began without knowing how.
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"My God taught me how to build stairs. I blundered my way into the double valutes, upeasings, and newels. With His help I precisely installed all the parts... Throughout the job, God brought to my mind just what I needed to know to finish the house and to exceed my boss's expectations...
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"God loves to speak, to teach, to lead. He constantly teaches anyone willing to learn. A good worker will listen for God's practical instructions and follow them. I hope that describes you. If it doesn't, start today to pay attention to the wisdom God is speaking to you. Your God isn't
a distant being who left the world to fend for itself. He's constantly speaking. May you have ears to hear."
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"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." - John 10:27
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Persevero,
Scribe
