1. Trusting Jesus with certain things is not easy.
Can I say that again? Not. Easy. There are just certain things in my life that I just cannot let go of. That I cannot relinquish control of. It is nearly physically impossible for me. But you know what? Once I let go of those things (whether kicking and screaming or not), can I finally experience true redemption and true healing from that stronghold. Because if I am really honest with myself, those things I feel like I can't let go of, are strongholds that have a tight grip on me. One example of a "stronghold" in my life used to be bugs. I know it sounds silly but I am so serious. Up until third or fourth grade, I was deathly afraid of any large, buzzing bug, any bug that could sting, any bug that could land on me, and any bug that could crawl on me. Basically, all bugs in the universe. That fear kept me from going outside and playing and enjoying the summer sun with my brother. Any time I did go outside, within five minutes I would come running inside screaming and crying. It took years for my parents to finally break me of that fear. It took so much patience for them to calm me down and assure me that bugs are not trying to kill me. (There was a lot more to it than that but for time's sake, I won't give you a play by play of every single bug conversation I had with my parents.) As time passed by and I calmed down every time a bug flew by me, bugs didn't seem as much of a big deal. Eventually, I had to trust that my parents were not lying to me, bugs were not trying to kill me, and God was going to protect me from all big and scary bugs. We have to trust Jesus the same way. He is not lying to us, whenever we give up our stronghold to Him, it will NOT kill us, and He is going to protect us during big and scary times that tempt us to go back to our fears and strongholds.
2. Trusting Jesus with everything feels nearly impossible.
This is 100% true. For me personally, I will sometimes have a list of things that I am going to handle and a list of things that I want God to handle. I convince myself that I will be easier if God and I "divide and conquer." Well, I have learned that it may seem easier that way but it definitely isn't. It leads to a whole lot of unnecessary stress. But I feel like I can handle my list. I know I can handle it. I don't want to give up those things because I can handle it. Then once I get knee deep into completing my "list," I feel like the little engine that maybe can. "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." Then coming to a complete halt and saying "God, I can't. Not without You." Almost every single time this happens. I have learned that despite my own opinions, it really is easier to give it all to God and trust Him to handle it all. He may not handle it the way we think it should be handled (which can sometimes be a scary thought) but He will handle it in the way that is best for us.
3. Trusting Jesus through good times is easy.
Many of you probably know this. It's easy to trust God when everything is good. Nothing is falling apart, you feel like you have it all together, and all is right in your world. But what really counts is if we are going to trust God with the same ease when the rubber meets the road and the going gets tough.
4. Trusting Jesus through tough times is hard.
We probably all know this one to be true too. Whether what is going on is a big deal to everyone else or not, it's a big deal to us and we are having a hard time dealing with it. I have definitely gone through things that didn't seem like a big deal to everyone else but for me it was huge and it felt like my world was falling apart. Let me encourage you with this: It doesn't matter whether or not people understand. God totally understands. He knows it is a big deal to you and He know why it is a big deal. He knows everything that has led up to this moment and knows how and why you are hurting. He knows. Dear friend, you do not have to face this alone. You can trust God. He is not going to let you down, not going to hurt you, and NOT going to leave you. He wants to go through this with you and He wants to heal you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So dear friend, cry out to Him. Tell Him exactly how you feel. Allow Him to hold your hand through this things and allow Him to take control of this thing. He'll bring you out of it in once piece. He will bring you out stronger than you ever were and more at peace than you ever thought you could be. Just trust Him. He's got this.
5. Trusting that Jesus has a plan despite countless "doors closing" feels impossible.
This has definitely happened a lot this past year. I would make and plan and prepare to see that plan through and the door would close. I would make another plan and then that door would close in my face. There have been so many times when I have said, "Lord, why? What on earth are you doing?" I have learned that with every door that has been slammed in my face, another one opens. It may be a very, very small door but a door nonetheless. I have had to learn to praise Jesus for the closed doors. I may have been counting on those doors being wide open but I can always count on Jesus to take care of me. I do not know what would have happened if I had walked through that door. But whatever it would have been, Jesus was protecting me from it. Learning to praise Jesus for the closed doors has not been easy. I have learned that you can't look at those closed doors as a missed opportunity but God's clear hand of protection and orchestrating my life in such a way that will ultimately bring Him glory.
6. Trusting that Jesus will work all things to my benefit is not easy.
In keeping with the "closed door" analogy, there are so many times that I feel like those doors that God has closed is truly what is best for me. It hurts when those doors close but I have no idea what kind of hurt I might have been facing if God did not close that door. A lot of the "closed doors" in my life throughout the past year has been a lot of amazing job opportunities that I applied for and was rejected from. There wasn't really anything that I did or didn't do to prevent me from getting those jobs but it really was that it wasn't in God's plan for me to work in field. Each time was so discouraging because as a college student with student loans looming, I need the money. It has been hard to trust that God has a plan and eventually everything will work out. Once I realized that it doesn't matter that I didn't get the job but what really matter is that I realized that God was in control. A small door would open and I would get on my hands and knees and crawl through, praying the whole time that God be glorified and He would get all the glory in my life.
7. Trusting God in all things: big, small, significant, insignificant, tough, and easy is one of the most rewarding things you could ever do in your entire life.
Through trusting God with it all, I have learned that God has a plan even though He doesn't always clue me in on it. I have learned that Jesus is the most trustworthy person this world has ever known. I have learned that God will not hurt me, break me heart, or let me down EVER. I have learned that through trusting God, I have gotten to know Him better. I have fallen more in love with my God and my Savior in this past year.
"For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he put the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
He commanded, and it stood firm.
The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever;
the purposes of his hear through all generations."
Psalm 33:4-11 (NIV)
Can I say that again? Not. Easy. There are just certain things in my life that I just cannot let go of. That I cannot relinquish control of. It is nearly physically impossible for me. But you know what? Once I let go of those things (whether kicking and screaming or not), can I finally experience true redemption and true healing from that stronghold. Because if I am really honest with myself, those things I feel like I can't let go of, are strongholds that have a tight grip on me. One example of a "stronghold" in my life used to be bugs. I know it sounds silly but I am so serious. Up until third or fourth grade, I was deathly afraid of any large, buzzing bug, any bug that could sting, any bug that could land on me, and any bug that could crawl on me. Basically, all bugs in the universe. That fear kept me from going outside and playing and enjoying the summer sun with my brother. Any time I did go outside, within five minutes I would come running inside screaming and crying. It took years for my parents to finally break me of that fear. It took so much patience for them to calm me down and assure me that bugs are not trying to kill me. (There was a lot more to it than that but for time's sake, I won't give you a play by play of every single bug conversation I had with my parents.) As time passed by and I calmed down every time a bug flew by me, bugs didn't seem as much of a big deal. Eventually, I had to trust that my parents were not lying to me, bugs were not trying to kill me, and God was going to protect me from all big and scary bugs. We have to trust Jesus the same way. He is not lying to us, whenever we give up our stronghold to Him, it will NOT kill us, and He is going to protect us during big and scary times that tempt us to go back to our fears and strongholds.
2. Trusting Jesus with everything feels nearly impossible.
This is 100% true. For me personally, I will sometimes have a list of things that I am going to handle and a list of things that I want God to handle. I convince myself that I will be easier if God and I "divide and conquer." Well, I have learned that it may seem easier that way but it definitely isn't. It leads to a whole lot of unnecessary stress. But I feel like I can handle my list. I know I can handle it. I don't want to give up those things because I can handle it. Then once I get knee deep into completing my "list," I feel like the little engine that maybe can. "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." Then coming to a complete halt and saying "God, I can't. Not without You." Almost every single time this happens. I have learned that despite my own opinions, it really is easier to give it all to God and trust Him to handle it all. He may not handle it the way we think it should be handled (which can sometimes be a scary thought) but He will handle it in the way that is best for us.
3. Trusting Jesus through good times is easy.
Many of you probably know this. It's easy to trust God when everything is good. Nothing is falling apart, you feel like you have it all together, and all is right in your world. But what really counts is if we are going to trust God with the same ease when the rubber meets the road and the going gets tough.
4. Trusting Jesus through tough times is hard.
We probably all know this one to be true too. Whether what is going on is a big deal to everyone else or not, it's a big deal to us and we are having a hard time dealing with it. I have definitely gone through things that didn't seem like a big deal to everyone else but for me it was huge and it felt like my world was falling apart. Let me encourage you with this: It doesn't matter whether or not people understand. God totally understands. He knows it is a big deal to you and He know why it is a big deal. He knows everything that has led up to this moment and knows how and why you are hurting. He knows. Dear friend, you do not have to face this alone. You can trust God. He is not going to let you down, not going to hurt you, and NOT going to leave you. He wants to go through this with you and He wants to heal you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So dear friend, cry out to Him. Tell Him exactly how you feel. Allow Him to hold your hand through this things and allow Him to take control of this thing. He'll bring you out of it in once piece. He will bring you out stronger than you ever were and more at peace than you ever thought you could be. Just trust Him. He's got this.
5. Trusting that Jesus has a plan despite countless "doors closing" feels impossible.
This has definitely happened a lot this past year. I would make and plan and prepare to see that plan through and the door would close. I would make another plan and then that door would close in my face. There have been so many times when I have said, "Lord, why? What on earth are you doing?" I have learned that with every door that has been slammed in my face, another one opens. It may be a very, very small door but a door nonetheless. I have had to learn to praise Jesus for the closed doors. I may have been counting on those doors being wide open but I can always count on Jesus to take care of me. I do not know what would have happened if I had walked through that door. But whatever it would have been, Jesus was protecting me from it. Learning to praise Jesus for the closed doors has not been easy. I have learned that you can't look at those closed doors as a missed opportunity but God's clear hand of protection and orchestrating my life in such a way that will ultimately bring Him glory.
6. Trusting that Jesus will work all things to my benefit is not easy.
In keeping with the "closed door" analogy, there are so many times that I feel like those doors that God has closed is truly what is best for me. It hurts when those doors close but I have no idea what kind of hurt I might have been facing if God did not close that door. A lot of the "closed doors" in my life throughout the past year has been a lot of amazing job opportunities that I applied for and was rejected from. There wasn't really anything that I did or didn't do to prevent me from getting those jobs but it really was that it wasn't in God's plan for me to work in field. Each time was so discouraging because as a college student with student loans looming, I need the money. It has been hard to trust that God has a plan and eventually everything will work out. Once I realized that it doesn't matter that I didn't get the job but what really matter is that I realized that God was in control. A small door would open and I would get on my hands and knees and crawl through, praying the whole time that God be glorified and He would get all the glory in my life.
7. Trusting God in all things: big, small, significant, insignificant, tough, and easy is one of the most rewarding things you could ever do in your entire life.
Through trusting God with it all, I have learned that God has a plan even though He doesn't always clue me in on it. I have learned that Jesus is the most trustworthy person this world has ever known. I have learned that God will not hurt me, break me heart, or let me down EVER. I have learned that through trusting God, I have gotten to know Him better. I have fallen more in love with my God and my Savior in this past year.
"For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he put the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
He commanded, and it stood firm.
The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever;
the purposes of his hear through all generations."
Psalm 33:4-11 (NIV)