Part 2 of Big Picture:
A Series On How to Change Your Perspective In Order to Change the World
She falls out of bed in the morning, her brain madly trying to remember the events of yesterday. Then she remembers. She gets back in bed. There's no point in even trying.
He looks in the mirror and rubs a grizzled hand over his gray beard. The voice taunts him. "You could have done so much. Look at you. All alone. Haven't changed a thing."
She picks the screaming baby out of the crib, her body exhausted, her mind running mutinous thoughts. "So long, dreams of yesterday. Today is too much to handle."
He drives to work, trying not to think about it. It just hurts too bad. He doesn't even think about the dreams he used to have. Those were an idealist's circus, and they mean nothing, nothing, nothing...
So you want to change the world? I have news for you. Life might get in the way. Translate: Life will get in the way. Every person in the world suffers. It's non-negotiable.
1. The Enemy isn't too happy with you and can't wait to make you miserable.
2. There's other people on earth, and they also have an innate ability to make you miserable.
3. You tell yourself lies all day that make you miserable.
4. There's about ten million decisions you could make right now that could make you miserable.
Here's the really amazing part.
The more pain and training you go through, the stronger you're going to be.
In Isaiah 58, it says (italics added):
"Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily..."
According to these verses, as we (broken and hurting) serve others, our healing will come quickly. As we put aside our problems to focus on anothers' issues, ours become a little smaller.
To wrap up this post, I want to finish with the story of Joseph. I hope you take the time to read his story this week, (Genesis chapters 37, 39-50) but I'll give a quick recap here.
Initially, Joseph was his father's favorite.Unfortunately, this favor was not shared by his half-brothers, who were proactively jealous: they decided to sell him to Egypt.
In Egypt, Joseph was then sold to Potiphar, where he rose to a higher position. Perhaps Joseph thought that finally his life was headed in the right direction. He knew that the Lord was with him. But God had different plans for Joseph. Soon he was degraded to the prison when Potiphar's wife accused Joseph of what he did not do. Still, God was with him. It says,
"But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison." {Genesis 39:21}
At this point in his life, he must have asked so many times, "Why me, God?" There didn't seem to be any purpose. Almost everyone in his life had totally let him down. But his story wasn't over yet. The Lord had given Joseph the gift of interpreting dreams, and this gave him access into the very palace of Pharaoh. Later, Joseph was reconciled to his brothers. Joseph later said:
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." {Genesis 50:20}
The perspective change for this week is this:
The pain is not your enemy, it is the road to strength.
So, in summary, the pain is not pointless. God is preparing you for a purpose that only He knows. Don't lose heart; your story is far from over. Through this preparation, you are becoming a world-changer. Hold onto Jesus as if your life depends on it. (It does.) And may we all be able to someday say:
"But God meant it for good."
{This song is from Dreamworks' rendition of Joseph's story, and it's one of my favorites right now. Enjoy!}
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