Focus On The Big Picture

by | Dec 26, 2012

1 Samuel 30: 6  And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David encouraged himself in the Lord God.

Have you ever had someone angry with you for something that isn’t really your fault or maybe you don’t even know why they are angry or mistreating you?  David seemed to live a life that was full of being hated for no apparent reason.  It must have started as a young boy because when you read the story of David and Goliath, his brothers were accusing him of showing up to cause problems and David’s response was, “what have I done now”?  In this verse the people were upset because while they were off to war the village was burned and all of their wives and children were taken captive, it was a devastating day.

What is your response when you are being mistreated or falsely accused?  David’s response was to encourage himself in the Lord.  Instead of taking the time to whine and complain about what the people were saying, he reminded himself of what the call of God was on his life and who He was in Christ.  By taking the route he did he could have a clear head and ask God what his next move should be.  If he had allowed anger and frustration to take over he couldn’t have led the people on any level.

In order to lead others we cannot allow our emotions to interfere with decisions and reactions.  If we allow our emotions from circumstances to dictate our reactions then it is impossible to be led by the Holy Spirit at the same time.  Either the Holy Spirit is guiding your reactions or your emotions are it is your choice.  As women we cannot allow our hormones to dictate our responses either, I know that is easier said than done at times but it is good to recognize why we are feeling the way we are and determine whether or not it is reality or hormones.  I have to admit I asked God the other day when I was having a day where I could have sat down and cried for no reason whatsoever just exactly what role hormones play in furthering the cause of Christ.  I made sure He knew I didn’t want Him to give me a visual aide on that one (those “visual aides” tend to end up being embarrassing circumstances for me) but if He could just give me a little hint I would be grateful.  No answer yet, but I believe it is an area of spiritual growth somehow, what else could it be?  Maybe the spiritual growth is for those around us, who knows, but anyhow we do need to be careful just how much we allow those hormones to control our behavior.  If you are struggling with hormones I would encourage you to ask God to show you what route to take, meds, vitamins etc to help maintain a balanced level so they don’t drive you crazy.

Let’s determine today to allow God to guide us in our responses to the circumstances that cause us to feel like snapping.  Pray and ask Him today to give you His view of what needs to be done and what role you play in His big picture.

Quote:  “You can’t be a smart cookie if you have a crummy attitude.”  John Maxwell

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