The Easiest Way Out

As humans the easiest thing to do when life brings you a difficult situation or person or a struggle with a weakness that never seems to go away is to harden your heart and withdraw. It hurts when you continuously get rejected or feel unloved by someone. It is frustrating when you feel like you have done everything right and the situation just gets harder. Or a particular sin haunts you and you feel overwhelm with it all the time, and it is easy just to forget it for a little while and go watch Netflix. No matter what it is, the easiest way as a human is just to harden your heart.

But then you have to ask yourself,

Does that accomplish anything?

Do you want to grow in your walk with God?

Do you want to be the same person that you are now in a year or so?

But most importantly does God want you to be this way?

No of course He doesn't. He wants to bless you. He wants you to see His love and purpose through this situation or person. Or as the Apostle Paul states in 2 Corinthians 12:9

 

"... 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." NKJV

 

Here are a few things that helps me to not harden my heart and withdraw

 

1) "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you". 1 Peter 5:7 NKJV

 

He wants to hear it all! Tell Him how you are frustrated! Tell Him that you want to give up. Tell Him that you recognize that it is wrong but in your flesh you just don't care. He wants to hear. Also the act of casting your care upon Him is an act of humility asking Him for help and recognizing your need for Him. It is the first step of letting go of your pride and need of control and allowing Him to help you. It is a starting point of opening yourself up to Him. He does it because He loves and cares for us.

 

2) Recognize that in "...Your [His] book they all were written, the days fashioned for me [you],..." Psalm 139:16 NJKV

 

Every single thing that happens, every person apart of your life, and everything that you struggle with is written down in God's book of your life. Even if you made a bad decision that has affected the rest of your life, it is still apart of your story. He is in control! Whatever is going on isn't an oopsy or something He missed. Every detail is for His glory and His purpose. It all comes back to wanting to bless you and make you into that person that He wants you to be.

 

3) "But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

 

People wont change as fast as you want. Situations don't go away in a blink of an eye. The weakness we struggle with doesn't go away overnight. But when you realize that God is ultimately the one in control, you can wait and allow Him to deal with the situation person or weakness. You have to keep proceeding on drawing near to Him, seeking His word, recasting your cares but allow Him to do the changing. Allow Him to work in the situation or person. Because He will renew your strength. He will help you walk through this and maybe if it is His will and in His timing, you will see what can happen.

 

Don't give into the easy way out of hardening your heart. Humbly cast your cares, recognize He has the best story for you, and wait on Him as He gives you strength and might see you through.

 

linking up with Jennifer #tellhisstory and Holley Coffee for your heart and Jo Thankful Thursday