Isn\u2019t that the way most of our problems are successfully solved? To leave out any of those steps seems nearly impossible to me.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to say that I could leave out the whining, but unfortunately dramatizing problems is my specialty.<\/p>\n
In fact, we all fight the urge to whine and complain. It is human nature to get frustrated when things don\u2019t go our way.\u00a0 I suspect even Buddhist monks get annoyed on occasion.\u00a0 The only difference is that they rebound in a nanosecond, whereas the rest of us need to work at keeping our complaining to a minimum.<\/p>\n
The key is to learn to jump from the \u201cwhining\u201d step to the \u201cpulling it together\u201d step as quickly as possible. The less time you spend in the \u201cWoe Is Me\u201d zone, the happier you will be.\u00a0 One way to make that transition is to become skilled at redirecting your attention.\u00a0 Obsessing about a problem, aka worrying, never solves anything.\u00a0 The next time you are chomping at the bit to worry or complain, instead say to yourself, \u201cI\u2019m going to give my mental energy to something else and let God handle this problem on His timetable.\u201d<\/p>\n
When we \u201cpull it together,\u201d we let go of our problem as a show of faith. In 1 Peter 5:6-7, Peter the Apostle writes,<\/p>\n
\u201cHumble yourselves, therefore, under God\u2019s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7\u00a0<\/sup>Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.\u201d<\/p>\n The phrase \u201ccast your anxiety\u201d provides a wonderful image. The definition of \u201cto cast\u201d is to throw something forcefully in a specified direction.\u00a0 We aren\u2019t just called to stop worrying.\u00a0 We are called to figuratively throw our worries away from us.<\/p>\n Once we\u2019ve cast our problems to God, we then can pray from a place of faith. If we pray while we are still clutching on to our problems, our prayer will sound something like this: \u201cGod, I hope you can help me.\u00a0 But if you can\u2019t, I guess I\u2019ll figure this out on my own.\u201d\u00a0 I, unfortunately, have prayed with that attitude many times in my life.\u00a0 However, it is so much better when we pray with faith.\u00a0 When we cast our cares to God, we are able to pray, \u201cGod, please resolve this issue.\u00a0 And while you are solving this problem, I will be at peace, knowing that you will work all things out for my good.\u201d<\/p>\n The final step after we pray is to wait. I have found in my journey with God that there is a lot of waiting.\u00a0 In fact, sometimes I feel like there is a silly amount of waiting.\u00a0 However, I\u2019ve learned that when I am waiting, God is working<\/em>.\u00a0 When I am waiting, He is helping me to grow in maturity.\u00a0 He is using that time to teach me to trust him.\u00a0 And He is using my situation in a very creative way to help me to fulfill my purpose on this earth.<\/p>\n Waiting with peace and trusting God go hand in hand. In fact, that is what our journey with God is really all about.\u00a0 As we go through life, we are learning to trust God.\u00a0 We are learning to trust that His ways are better than our ways.\u00a0 We are learning that if we simply do the right thing every day, He will work out our circumstances out for our benefit.\u00a0 And when we inevitably make mistakes, we can be assured that He will redirect us toward the right path.<\/p>\n It is hard to get through a day on this earth without having a problem, either large or small. Learning to handle those problems with God is the key to living a happier life.\u00a0 So the next time something in your life goes wrong, consider taking these steps: Whine.\u00a0 Pull It Together.\u00a0 Pray.\u00a0 Wait.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Isn\u2019t that the way most of our problems are successfully solved? To leave out any of those steps seems nearly impossible to me.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to say that I could leave out the whining, but unfortunately dramatizing problems is my specialty. In fact, we all fight the urge to whine and complain. It is human…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n