“You and the World”

Does it ever happen in your life when you expect your day to go well, smooth, easy, and happy, and when you wake up, you feel good and excited, like, “THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE; I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT?” But it turns out that it’s not that good day for you! And it’s completely the opposite; things aren’t going well as you expect them to.

Maybe your boss is criticising or reprimanding you for your work; there may be misunderstandings between you and your partners, and you are feeling frustrated or sad; sometimes problems may arise even in your ministry’s work, and so on. You know that you put in all the hard work, but people don’t see it; they don’t recognise or appreciate what you’re doing. You gave your time and effort. But in return, you receive one complaint after another. And you’re fed up. Tired. Drained out. It’s like a battery going down to 1%, almost dead, and to the point where you want to give it up! And you think, “Why on earth do I have to go through all this?”, or “I have prayed this morning; I have asked God and surrendered everything to Him. But why? It doesn’t make sense,” or “Why does it always happen to me?”

Well, not everything will go the way you want it. The truth is, we are living in a world where not everything will be perfect, easy, or without trouble; it’s a fallen world. Something will always happen, and we cannot control it or overpass it, and sometimes we cannot see it coming either.

But here’s what I have to say: it all depends on how we see it and how we take it. Whether these things will either help you become stronger and better and help you grow or bring you down or cause you hurt, and so on. They are not in your control, but you can stop them from getting to you or affecting you. Sometimes they can be a trap, and once you’re caught in the trap, it’ll be hard for you to get out, like a fish caught in a net.

Jesus said that in this unbelieving world, you will experience troubles and sorrows, but He also said to take heart because He has already overcome the world. What we all can do is look to Jesus. He is our Strength, our Confidence, our Joy, and our Peace. Look to Jesus. When you are feeling discouraged, pray and “take courage.” God said, “He is always with us.” He will display His works in us as we learn to surrender completely, especially during these times.