Solution to striving.

Tonight, November 13th, I got in my car to drive out and get a coffee because I was bored sitting at my house.  As I got in the car I started thinking about what has been going on in my life lately. Then I heard God say to me "clarity does not come in striving, clarity comes in peace."

There have been so many negative things happening all around me over the last few days.  Stress of traveling half way across the country for the Holidays and all that goes along with it.  Friends who are facing unthinkable devastation in their family.  My church back home facing difficulties to the worst degree.  My family members experiencing sickness and fear.  Church members facing sickness to the verge of death.  And all of that on top of typical stress with life.  I have been quietly wondering what I am supposed to do, what can I do to change things in my life and to help all these people around me.  It has been impossible to focus on one issue because there are so many different things weighing on my mind.

I have begun to shut down to it all.  Too tired to seriously think about it and even more tired to do anything about it.  The thought of facing these issues has left me telling myself to just sit back and watch what happens.  Instead of adjusting to overcome the issues I have been doing nothing but waiting to see what is left after the destruction.

Without doing anything I have been striving internally.  It is like warning signals are going off inside and all around me.  When I begin thinking about one issue another area of issues pops up and takes my focus away.  I have been striving like never before.  My thoughts have been clouded and I have not been myself.

It is natural to strive when things go wrong.  Maybe things went wrong because I was not showing enough attention to a specific area.  If I strive to figure things out I can somehow fix it all.

God is showing me that relief and clarity do not come in striving, they come in peace.

Earlier today I was so exhausted from it all that I couldn't get out of my bed.  I needed to get up and go to church to get some things done but I literally could not get out of bed.  I stayed there and thought "God what do I need to be learning right now?"  His response was " Trust Me."
Right then and there I stood up, got dressed, and began saying out loud what I believed about God and my life.  I started saying "I am a son of Abraham and his blessings are mine.  I am blessed in my coming and blessed in my going.  I am blessed in the city and blessed in the field.  My descendants will be as vast as the stars in the skies."  "I am a brother of Jesus and a son to The Father.  He has a plan for my life.  A plan for good and not for evil.  I have been healed and blessed and I am prosperous."  I audibly spoke anything and everything I could think of that told me who I am in Christ Jesus.  I was not thinking about the issues I was dealing with, I was not thinking about solutions to my problems.  I was focusing on who I was in Christ.  I had stopped striving and instead confessed who I was in total peace.

Psalm 34:4,5 says
   4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
   5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

Among other things the hebrew word for "sought" means to "frequently follow".  Following someone can be difficult or easy depending on the trail you are on.  Jesus said in Matthew "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Therefore we know that frequently following Him will not be a burden we are unable to handle.

To seek The Lord is not to strive.  To seek The Lord is to remain in peace in His presence and in the understanding and knowledge of who you are in Him.

My plan to succeed during these times of difficulty in my life is to remain in His presence and to remain in His peace.  To remind myself daily who I am in Him and to remind myself of His promises to me.  I never asked God to make the promises to me, I wasn't alive when He made them.  Therefore I do not feel guilty or greedy when I remind Him what He said He would do.  He said He would do all things according to His glory.  He said He would do exceedingly and abundantly beyond all I could ask or think.  I refuse to feel greedy when I expect Him to hold true to His word.

Wherever you are right now, if things in life are falling to pieces, if friends and family members are going through tough times, or if things are great for you, choose to remain in His peace and refuse to strive for the answer to your prayers.