“But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now”
(Joshua 23:8).
Sometimes it seems my life is a tug of war.
When I am with healthy people, I sometimes feel that I can’t
relate to their lives anymore. I may be
bombarded with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. Conversely, on my better days I sometimes
feel guilty because so many people I know are still suffering.
Illness aside, life in our society is a constant pull
between now and later. We no sooner
enter one season when the next one is promoted.
Fall and Christmas decorations appear in July. Where did summer go? I am never able to fully
enjoy the “now”, but am always being reminded of “the next thing”, and that it
should be bigger and better than the present.
Perhaps the greatest tug of all is trying to live out this
earthly life in a godly way while staying focused on eternity at the same
time. How do I manage these pulls and
tugs?
I must begin each day yielding myself to God’s plan. I need
not feel either inferior or guilty, but simply trust that God’s way for me is
best. I am to show His love to all those
with whom I connect - healthy or sick - remembering that His plan for each
person’s life is tailored specifically to them for His purposes.
While I can certainly enjoy anticipating and planning for
the future, I must guard against discontent with the present and purposely stay
focused on what God has for me right now - both the blessings and the trials.
Above all, as I rejoice in and long for heaven and a
pain-free perfect life with God, as I remember that whatever in life is lacking
now will be more than compensated for in eternity, I also need to see the
glimpses of heaven on earth and know that God’s strength, mercy and grace makes
each day not only bearable but purposeful.
God can and will keep me stable through life’s pulls and
tugs, as long as I keep a firm grasp on Him and His truths.
Prayer: O Lord, as I am pulled and tugged by the realities
of both heaven and earth around and within me, give me the wisdom and strength
to hold fast to You, this day and every day.
Amen.
