Four Ways to Face Life

When spiritually confused, there are four ways to face it:
1. Flee it
2. Fight it
3. Forget it
4. Face it

Fleeing and forgetting reek of escapism, basically running away and ignoring what God has put in our heart to resolve. Fighting it means we're fighting what God is trying to teach us.

What God wants us to do is to face it, bravely and with His guidance and wisdom. He is our Deliverer. FEDEX = Facing Every Day Enjoying Christ

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9

"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour -
from violent men you save me.
I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies."
2 Samuel 22:2-4

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways."
Isaiah 55:8,9



"Those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."
Isaiah 40:31

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
2 Corinthians 12:9

When we face spiritual uncertainty and confusion, all God needs us to do is to acknowledge our shortcoming and depend on Him and draw on His strength to bring us through, rather than fabricate some grandiose explanation of His workings. We just don't know enough.

But that's not all.

After confronting the dilemma, we must then acknowledge the reality. Our confusion is not for the sake of exposing the fallibility and ineptitude of human comprehension. While our inadequacy might be a convenient excuse, we have to seek God for an answer.

Which brings me to the third point: We have to feel the pain. While not necessarily as obvious as the physical trauma the self-flagellation practised by some Filipino Catholics practise during Good Friday, learning a lesson hurts sometimes.

Learning requires us to deal with the emotion, rather than swallowing it. Inevitably, confrontation does tax our spirit, for we are emotional beings too.

But put it this way: It's like phlegm. (!!!)

Keep swallowing and it builds up, causing germs to build up. (erm correct not, missy?) While getting rid of it is often unpleasant, it has to be done to allow the throat to clear. Then we can move on.

I'd bring up the mucus example, but then we'd probably all fast dinner too. Get it? Bring up mucus?

Ahem. If we don't address the issue, God will have to bring it to our attention again.

Apologies for the visual analogy. Rather unbecoming of one so phlegmatic.

"Unacknowledged emotions stay within us to cause trouble, acknowledged emotions do not."
Selwyn Hughes, whose points I've paraphrased here.

Acknowledge issues both internally within your spirit being, and externally in your human relationships. Do it in God's strength, and he will strengthen you to deal with bigger issues. Otherwise you just can't move on.

Two of my regular female readers, am I hitting something home? Hope you get it.

But don't do a Judas on me and ask, "Is it I?" Do I look like someone about to gice bread to you? =]

Let God deal with your issues.



"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."
Matthew 5:23,24