Today I woke up thirsty. Physically, yes, but also spiritually. I poured myself a large glass of water, grabbed the Joyce Meyer book I've been slowly making my way through (Battlefield of the Mind), and sat down at the dining room table. Typically I do not spend my mornings this way. They usually consist of jumping out of bed as my alarm sounds, rushing around to get ready for class, and running out the door with breakfast in my hands. This morning was a bit different...a good different. I would love to start every morning like this, but I will be honest and tell you that I do not. Anyway, this morning I felt as though there was something that God really wanted to tell me. I felt Him saying that He just really wanted about 20-25 minutes of my time this morning. So I gave it to Him. I opened my book and began reading, and immediately God began speaking to me.
The chapter that I read and meditated on this morning was called, ""I can't help it; I'm just addicted to grumbling, faultfinding, and complaining."" The last couple of chapters in this book deal with what Joyce calls "wilderness mentalities". They are things that we tell ourselves that keep us from experiencing true joy in Christ. This particular chapter was about having a godly attitude in our times of suffering. I was very much convicted about this, as I often encounter situations in which I do not act very godly. Sometimes when someone does something that upsets me, I want to get angry with him or her and show how I really feel. Of course, it's much easier to get upset and complain, so I'm tempted to do just that. In fact, I see why Joyce identifies this attitude as addicting. What stops me sometimes, though, is the power of God. I hear His voice telling me to calm down and act rationally. I recognize a couple of reasons why He might be telling me this. First of all, we are made in the image of Christ. Therefore we are to act as He acts...and "Jesus suffered gloriously! Silently, without complaint, trusting God no matter how things looked" (Meyer, 218). Secondly, we are called to be a light to others. Those around us should be able to observe us and get an idea of the love of Christ through our actions and words. If we walk around grumbling and complaining whenever something in our life goes wrong, what image might others get of the Christian life? Especially if they hear us call ourselves Christians, yet they see us acting poorly in times of trouble. What good is it to talk the talk and not walk the walk? Lord, I pray that You would work through me. I pray that You would give me a patient heart and kind words. Please grant me the courage to act holy in difficult situations. Let me be a light for You.
I organized a little "spring break story time" for after the weekly meeting of Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) tonight. It was really awesome and encouraging to hear one another's stories and see how God worked in our lives during break. Some of us went on mission trips and some of us stayed home...but all of us had great stories to share because God works in our lives no matter where we are.
I hope that you all are having a good week. I pray that God keeps you safe this weekend and that He brings you closer to Him each and every day. God bless!
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