No Grumbling Allowed Only Trust

If You Must Take It to God.

Philippians 2:14-15; Jeremiah 31:25

I was reading my Jesus Calling for today and yesterday (10/10 and 10/9). I was struck by the fact that if I think that I have reason to grumble I should take to Him. If I grumble and complain to anyone else it opens the door for deadly sins like self pity and rage. Yet, by going to Him He will lift it and replace it with His thoughts and put His song in my heart. Wow, what a shift in paradigm this is. God after all can handle it better than anyone else could.

For today, I am reminded that I am to live in the present and not to divide my life into things that I can do myself and things that require His help. I am to train my mind to seek His help continually. All I need to do is relax and refresh myself in the light of His presence. This is easy to do when I am in need of Him yet it is a challenge to do so when I am feeling on top of the world. 

I saw the movie Inside Out and in it, I learned that all our emotions have a purpose and one cannot remain in one emotion all the time. Sometimes joy comes out of sadness. It is like learning to appreciate the rain in a drought. I have had plenty of days where I was filled with joy and then the next day I felt the opposite. There was uncertainty and sadness. I didn't like feeling this way. I reminded myself that God remained faithful and that I could not abide in the elevated mood all the time. Maybe my focus on Him had shifted and I needed to be brought back to a place where I would turn to Him. 

From my own experience, when I have trusted Him in every situation (for a time) I have been able to enjoy life more and face each day confidently. Therefore, I need to recognize it better when I have shifted my focus and bring it back to trusting Him more and myself less. I will do my best to take my grumbling before Him and ask for Him to help me to see things differently.

My Prayer: Gracious Lord, I am thankful that not only will You listen to my grumbling but also will give me a change of heart and put Your song in my heart. Forgive me for the times that I lose my focus and rely on myself. When will I learn that You are trustworthy in all things and at all times? Amen.