Sunday, October 20, 2013

Sunday Thoughts - Enough Endurance Already?


I've been sick...again. I'll be honest - I'm not handling it real well, either. I'm tired of either being in pain or sick or both. We've had some kind of stomach thing running through our family and it's just the pits. I know - it's not that big of deal, but sometimes it's the little things that send us over the edge of despair.

I'm doing Beth Moore's Bible study on James and the Scripture that I studied yesterday was James 1:2-3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." (NIV)

As many of you know, my life verse is Romans 5:1-5, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." 

Do you see a theme there? Yeah, me, too. Like I said to my husband, though, I feel like I have enough perseverance and endurance. *smile*  However, God must know that I need to be refined more. The question is, how do I handle it? With bitterness or depression? Or with joy? I'll be honest, right now I'm in the latter category. It's okay, though. God doesn't ask us to be perfect. There is no perfect faith - only faith in Jesus Christ - and that I have in abundance. This too shall pass and I will wonder why I was allowing this to get me so down.

I think part of my exhaustion, despair - whatever you want to call it - is that my hubby had another eye operation this week. Yes, it was just for a cataract, but the doctor always tells us how difficult my hubby's eyes are to operate on. It's stressful for both of us. Thankfully, I was not sick during the operation day or the next day when we had to return for the follow-up appointment, so I could be with him. I find these times of waiting while he's going through his surgeries very stressful.

I just want to encourage you (and me) that it's okay to feel upset or down for a bit over things. (Obviously, if you've been experiencing depression for a long time, please see your doctor!). Sometimes I think we as Christians think we have to maintain a stiff upper lip, so to speak. We don't. We're human. We have our times when we don't feel well - physically or mentally - and it's okay. I think we need to give ourselves permission to feel what we feel. Rest assured, though, that God is with us, He will never leave us, and He understands what we're going through. God loves us and that's what we need to hold on to.

Praying you have a blessed Sunday!

Blessings - Julie


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