The One Lesson That Changed My Life
I have learned a LOT of lessons during my time in ministry.
Whether through church ministry partners and leaders, pastors, and especially at my time working here at a rehabilitation facility and homeless shelter, it has been the school of life.
I have learned a great deal about how to talk, and how not to talk, to the homeless, and to those struggling with addiction, and to those struggling with mental health issues, and with those who seem to share no similarities with me.
I have been through many classes and training on counseling.
I have sat through many marriage courses.
But of all the things I’ve learned, one lesson stands out as the frontrunner for my worldview and general perspective on what drives my life now.
If I had learned it early on, so much stress, drama and mistakes could have been avoided.
So many words that I’ve spoken have been because of my ignorance about this one thought.
Literally every time I have lost my temper or raised my voice in anger has only been because this truth had not rooted itself in my heart well enough, or maybe at all yet.
The lesson is simple:
My life is not an autobiography I am daily writing out.
My story is written by a better author than me!
The reason this is so profound, even though it seems so mundane, is that every person, every annoyance, every frustration, has been written into my story, and now it is my responsibility to assess why they are there.
Why has God written into your story the guy who gets on your nerves so badly? What growth is He wanting to see in you by how you respond, love, share and help?
Think about the fleeting anxiety and wonderful rest you would encounter, should you be continually reminded of the complete sovereignty and authorship of God in the midst of financial struggle!
In the suffering and sorrows that come, what reason could God possibly have for writing them into your life?
Is there some stubborn independence He wants to break in you so that you will understand why he tells us to pray for our “daily bread” rather than for our yearly bread. It is so we will have to keep coming back each day, dependent on Him!
It is what is best for us!
Think about this, if God is the writer of your story, what reason could he have for writing all of the things you have woken up wrestling with this morning before He even wrote you reading this blog post into your day?
It is an awesome new perspective to realize that your life is not chaotic, but strategic, in drawing you closer to God and giving Him glory, as you were created to do!
Hebrews says that God is the “author and finisher” of your faith. Even your faith has been written by God because of His great love for you.
John Piper said in an article once that "faith’s best friend is trouble." He's right. That’s why James says to “count it all joy” when you have troubles and trials because that is how you grow your faith to endure anything! Trouble actually helps faith grow as you endure and stand through it, resting in Christ as the author of it all!
God gives to each a measure of faith (Romans 12:3) and you can be sure that He will try it, so that it will grow!
Today, learn to rest in knowing that God has written out your story and you can trust that it is for your good and His glory!
Psalm 139:16
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.