I spoke at a Middle School, and was asked “How do I cope with my disability and not stay mad at God?”
It is very easy to allow problems and difficulties in this life to get us upset with God and even with other people. And there are times when I’ve allowed myself to feel sorry for myself and become discouraged by what I have to face each day in my life and how different some things are for me than for others. The problem’s always start when I begin to take my eyes off of Jesus Christ and focus on me. It is easy to get discouraged when we think we deserve better and when we are jealous of others who seem to have nothing wrong in their lives and seem to have everything that they want.
I learned that as a Christian, this life is not about me. It’s ALL about Jesus Christ. And when I stopped thinking I deserve better or life is unfair, and I began to realize God knows exactly what He is doing, even when we can’t understand why He does what He does, I began to have peace with God and with what He wants to do in my life. And especially when I saw God using my life to impact others.
We live in a world that is filled with the idea “Everything is about ME!” Many of the commercials on television are about “You deserve this!” And many people are all wrapped up in feeling sorry for themselves, because they don’t have what others have or they have to deal with things others don’t have to deal with. It’s VERY easy to get caught up in that thought pattern, and focus on our problems instead of being thankful to God for what He has done for us and will do for us each day that we focus on Him and on His Son Jesus Christ.
That’s the key – Focus on Jesus. Remember, He DIED for us! And remember, all He wants is what is best for us and what will bring honor and glory to Him. It’s not about ME – it’s ALL about Him! Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” For that very reason, many people stop trusting Him, because they are not willing to GIVE UP their lives to God and let Him do WHATEVER He wants. It’s a struggle for sure, and that’s one of the reasons Jesus said “take up his cross DAILY” Every day of our lives, we have to refocus our attention and our love on our Savior. We make the choice each day – am I going to focus on ME and what I want, or am I going to Focus on Him and Trust Him for what HE wants?
It’s all dependent on what we think about, what we spend time focused on, and what we allow into our hearts and minds. That’s why is SO important to read God’s Word and talk with Him DAILY!