I remember where I was when I realized I didn’t know more than God. I had a very difficult situation in my life that was the sole focus of my prayer life and requiring the majority of my emotional energy. I felt plagued by this problem. Up to that point all my energy had gone into trying to convince God to change my circumstance. I was sure this painful situation was an oversight by Him. I thought, “Surely God did not actually intend for me to have to go through this problem. If I can just get Him to see things my way, God will realize He messed up and relieve me of my pain.” I spent a lot of time pleading with God and bringing the necessary evidence before Him to win my case. However, the situation was not changing. One day while I was out for a run and bringing my problem to God yet again, a thought came into my mind that was so clearly from God I nearly stopped dead in my tracks. I heard God say to me,
"Julia, I know better than you and I know what I’m doing.”
Until that encounter with God I realized I had essentially been telling God what to do. My prayer-life had been focused on trying to get God to change my situation. After this moment my prayers changed from “God change my situation” to “God change me.” My entire perspective changed when God revealed to me that this painful circumstance was not a mistake or oversight but had a purpose in my life. I began to pray, “God, teach my whatever I’m supposed to learn so I never have to learn this again.” Interestingly enough, when the focus of my prayer life changed to “God, change me”, the situation ended up also being changed.
God doesn’t accidentally let things happen. He has a plan and a purpose for everything that comes into our lives. In John 16:33 Jesus says, “ These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Peace does not come from a change in a situation but from change in perspective.
God has told us what to expect in this life- grief, pain, sadness, and times of uncertainty but the good news of the gospel is we have the ability to have peace in the midst of all of it. We serve a God who has a purpose for our situation and says to all who are listening, “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
(As seen on FirstDallasWomen.org)