Joy Robbing
This morning was not like any morning for I woke up with no job, a heavy heart, and anxiety about what all is about to happen next in my life. Not that I like working, but there is something to be said about having money to make ends meet rather than depending on family and friends for everything. Oh, and plus when you’re working you aren’t bored all day.
Anyway, after I called a friend to complain about my life and my lack of joy, I went to have coffee with another friend of mine to talk about the “what’s next” in my life and he said something to me that quickly became one of those “aha” moments I so often enjoy having. I can’t quote him excactly because my self-prescribed ADHD was having me watch the people come in the door while he was pouring out his heart to me, but he said something like this, “Matt you need to find one habit in your life and elliminate it, and you need to make realistic goals.”
Now, for me , I can combine both those comments into one. I need to quit worrying about finding ways to touch 10,000+ peoples lives and concentrate on a more realistic goal of touching the life of someone I see daily. I guess I was “aha”ed by his comment because so much of my frustration about life comes from me having these huge dreams, and then them being so big that I don’t have any clue where to begin to get them accomplished. I need to find something small and start there.
So for me and for those people I touch and see daily, this blog is going to be for you. I’m going to start living like I should have started living years ago and that is by not focusing on such a big picture. There is nothing wrong with seeing the big picture, for that is always needed in life, but for me right now, I am going to let God deal with the big picture. That seems so much easier to do and for some reason as I type this all out I feel a weight being lifted off my chest as I realize that I don’t have to worry about the future. I believe in the God of provision, healing, reconciliation, comfort, peace, joy, love, and salvation. Why do I need to worry when the God who was still is?
The truth of the matter is that our society and culture places so many demands on us that if we don’t have this (nice car, clothes, etc.) we haven’t made it, or if we aren’t making money we can’t be respected. The truth of the matter for all of us is that if we start living for Christ daily (or maybe I should say dying for Christ daily to quote the apostle Paul) and worrying about that day only, then our fears of tomorrow would not be as overpowering to us. Sure we are always going to think about the future, and it is smart too, but to think about the future only, atleast for me, is the way the enemy, the devil, or whoever you may want to call the evil one, will keep me from experiencing the joy of my Savior today. As for today, I’m not going to let the enemy rob me of my joy!