Hey friends,
I want to ask you a question: When you're discouraged, what do you do? Do you spiral down in negative thoughts and doubts? Or, do you fight against the current of your feelings to remember God's promises? I just want to remind you that He's so faithful. People, circumstances, expectations will all disappoint now and then. But God never will. He will never fail you.
So, let's dig deeper here - how you do frame disappointment? From the little things to the big things - when things turn out differently than you had hoped, where do you run? What's your first thought? What's your automatic response?
For me, it has to be praise. All throughout God's Word we are encouraged to rejoice always, give thanks in all things and count it all joy (yes, JOY!) when we face trials. What would your life look like if every time you were disappointed, every time something you hoped for didn't turn out, every time a situation ended differently than you planned - instead of feeling sad or upset or discouraged or even apathetic - what would it be like if you turned up the music and praised God with all of your heart for the outcome you didn't ask for and didn't want? What would your life be like if you sang out to God in worship at those times when you'd normally complain or feel sorry for yourself or just wish you'd had known better. What if in those moments you stopped and made the bold decision to praise God for who He is - not for making your life look a certain way? What would it be like if the people in your life saw your praising God through a challenge, an unexpected disappointment, a change in your plans? How would your trust in God impact those around you?
God is so gracious to us - more than we could ever comprehend. Daily I am amazed by His unending grace towards me and how He showers me with it. I see His grace in the littlest things and the big things concerning me and I am constantly left in awe of this God who cares for my heart with such a passionate fervor and tenderness. He is such a good Father to me and the best thing about my life is living as His daughter knowing that I am His beloved. His love completes me, heals me, fills my heart with joy, enables me to be bold and fearless, and gives me confidence in each season.
Today I was thinking about a disappointment I faced earlier this month (which I discussed in my earlier post - "my will or Thy will?"). But instead of doing what would be expected, I turned up my praise music and sang out to God with all of my heart. Why? Because I know that God loves me and His will is always that I rejoice and trust Him in all things. I have decided that I will not let anything or anyone steal the song out of my mouth. I will not let circumstances take away my worship of the One I love most, the One I live every breath for.
Singing to Him is how I remind my heart of who God is and what He's done for me. I was literally crying in church this past Sunday when my pastor asked us to think back on a time in our lives when God carried us. I was reminded of this time exactly a year ago when I faced a huge challenge that was really scary and overwhelming. Unbearable pain, countless doctor appointments, no answers. And God truly carried me through that season. I did not walk. I did not crawl. Y'all, He carried me through that season. CARRIED. There's no other way to describe that time. And as the tears fell remembering that time, I just know that He's got this covered, too.
I sang my way through that season. Through my pain, my questions, my fears, my sorrow. By the way, if you want to see me ugly cry, just put on "In Control" by Hillsong. I listened to that song a million times last fall and it always reminds me of that time. God saw me through that season. I didn't understand why He let me walk through that fire then - and honestly, I still don't really know why here and now. But I know that He used it to make me more like Christ - to care more about those who are suffering in physical pain, to not judge others because you never know what they could be going through, to be generous with my love and belief in the best about others, to consider others' needs, how to walk alongside people when you don't have the nice and neat answers. So many lessons and so much growth through that time.
Don't forget those times when God's carried you. Don't forget them because His faithfulness in the past is what gives us boldness here in the present to look forward to the future with hope. He doesn't let us go and His plans and His timing are always perfect. Always!
If you're facing something unexpected and hard, sing to Him. Remind your heart of who He is and who He has promised Himself to be to us. Remember when He's carried you. He's not going to drop you now! He will never, ever fail you.
If you need a song to get you started, here's the one I was singing today on repeat:
Know that you are held and carried by the One who loves you more than anyone in all this world: Jesus.
Blessings,
Colleen
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18