We all do it. Daily. Multiple times a day. Far more than we care to realize. When we are delivered an outcome or an outlook that is unfavorable, overwhelming, hurtful, unjust or downright aggravating, we instinctively go right into ”fix mode”:
When we get hurt, we seek relief. When we suffer loss, we retreat to compensate. When we are broken, we pursue repair. When we are sick, we call for a remedy. When rejected, we turn to “another” for belonging.
When we are accused, we rebut to justify. When we are empty, we chase after filling. When we are defeated, we run for shelter. When we sense danger, we look for safety. When we feel scattered, we reach for peace.
When betrayed, we build protection.
When we can’t see, we grope for clarity.
When we are pressured, we cry for release.
When we feel alone, we wish for company.
Must I go on? You know I could. The list above could very well continue on for pages on end.
But before you and I allow ourselves to go into a dismal funk over our common plight, I have a secret that will unfold a new and healing perspective...
Honestly, the secret to this new and healing perspective is not actually a secret. It has been made known since the beginning of time...
It's just that we so easily forget.
We forget that our lives are not just stories of the past and the present, but the eternal.
He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)
We are an eternal story! We are meant for much, much more! And the eternity God has already planned, "the whole scope", promises to be PERFECT!
So, when we try "to fix" our disappointments, our problems, our chaos, we are actually attempting to make our NOW ”perfect”, which can never be...this side of eternity.
We instinctively go into "fix-mode" because God "planted eternity" in our hearts to be and live in perfection. We are meant for perfection. It's just that on this side of eternity, perfection is not ours...yet. Thus, the secret now begins to unfold...
Our desire and actions “to fix” is not wrong, it’s just not the secret to making disappointments and chaos our best friend.
Instead, the secret is remembering.
Remembering what?!
I forgot.
And that’s the point...we forget. We forget the truth that today's pain and tomorrow's yuck is not forever.
So what?!
To forget is to lose hope.
To be reminded is to gain perspective.
To gain perspective is to move forward with new eyes, new strength, new confidence, new freedom.
Leave overwhelm behind.
Gain clarity.
Move forward.
Make a difference.
”But how?” you ask?
Again, our Creator, our Designer, reveals the secret in one simple action:
Remember.
God’s Word promises us over and over that ALL our present chaos, overwhelm, pain, suffering, loss, etc. will be, once again, made new and right and perfect, just as He originally designed us and the world to be.
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.
All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. Romans 8:18, 21 (NLT)
But let's be raw and honest here...You and I would be first to agree that wrestling daily with this tension of the “now” and the “not yet” can be so exhausting.
Exhausting? Yes, absolutely!
Because we are human and we forget that no matter how hard we desire and work at "fixing" our overwhelm and chaos, it can never become the perfection we so long for...this side of eternity. Futile? No. When we remember this life is not all there is. There is so much more!
When we remember our true reality is not only contained here in the present, but in the eternal future. An eternal future promised to be without pain or tears, sickness or death.
When we invite our overwhelm and chaos to be God's gracious, tangible reminders of the assurance He promises that one day, all things will be right again...
It is then that we make "friends" with our overwhelm and chaos.
Allowing for such awkward companionship to be a gift of God's grace.
Allowing what appears and intends to kill, steal and destroy to instead vividly shake us to remember the unwavering promise God himself has guaranteed. Period.
In this world, we will have trouble. But take heart, He has overcome the world! John 16:33
But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world where everyone is right with God.
And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. And be at peace with God. 2 Peter 3:13-14 (NLT)
Remember...if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently. Romans 8:25 (NLT)
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:37 (NLT)
So what?
Truth without action, is Truth still to be claimed.
Truth is meant to change you, personally...
Prayerfully take this coaching-journey with Jesus:
What is ONE Truth that stuck out to you as you read this post?
What potential change could this ONE Truth have in your life?
What is holding you back from such a change?
What is at stake if you do not let this ONE Truth change you?
How urgent is it to you that this change be allowed to happen?
What will be your very next step so you can move forward?