New hopes, new dreams, new promises, renewed goals, renewed activities, and a new sense of “I can do it” all accompany the anticipation of a new calendar year. I have always been amazed at how moving from one month to another can spark the energy to do something fresh. This attitude often grows in the heart of the discontented.
I’ve read so many different posts and heard so many comments about how this past year was one of the worst ever. This is code for discontentment. Many comments were made with rich descriptions of tearful weeks and misery-filled months. There is no doubt that major life changes and disruption of our ordinary routines often cause this discontentment. However, I want to encourage you to look at life through a different lens and a different perspective. What we sometimes view as the worst year in our lives is actually the vehicle God uses to move us to a place of unimaginable joy. Here are three new ways to view the worst year of your life.
God is working through your circumstances
The way we look at things is critical for us to experience contentment in every situation. First, we can blame others for our situation. Whenever I do this this I generally shift the blame from me to them. Whether it is right or not, it makes me feel better for a few weeks. Do you do the same thing?
Second, we can sink into depression because we see no way out of our situation. We sometimes make ourselves out to be a martyr and put on the cloak of despair around our friends. After awhile, your friends will chose to hang around other people because no one wants to be with unhappy people. Do you ever think about God’s purpose working in and through the worst year of your life?
The loss of a job, spouse or family member, and the decline of health are issues that sometimes cause us to question God’s purpose in our lives. Here’s what I want you to know. You are not experiencing those things isolated on an island somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean. You are not alone. God is working in you through your circumstances for His good and His purposes. The problem is trusting God through the worst year of your life. Can you look back and see how God was working for His good and His purposes?
God is growing you through your circumstances
I really don’t like going to the gym, but it is necessary in my life so that I can become and remain healthy. I don’t like it in the middle of a cardio workout when sweat is pouring down my face and the sharp pain attacks my legs. However, I know that the outcome is going to be good. What is the outcome? I lose weight and I become healthy. While I don’t enjoy the circumstances, I love the results. That is exactly what God is doing through the worst year in your life. He was growing you in ways that only pain could accomplish.
We know that God is working through our circumstances, but understanding that He is growing us causes us to see things with a different perspective. Maybe you remember the “growing pains” you experienced as a child when your legs were sore and your arms hurt at night when you were trying to go to sleep. I remember them well. The doctor just said they were “growing pains” and would be short-lived. It is the same way with God. Sometimes we have to go through painful years. However, we have to understand that God is growing us through the painful circumstances so that he can accomplish His good and His purposes in your life. Can you look back and see how God was growing you this past year?
God is increasing your faith through your circumstances
Ultimately, our lives become immeasurably better when our faith is increased. I’m not talking about a saving faith, but a living faith. I think there is a misconception that we will always experience job security, perfect health, faithful marriage relationships, and healthy friendships. These are certainly attainable, but not always realistic. So how do we make it? I think it is easier than we think.
We realize that God IS always working in our circumstances and that God IS always growing us through our circumstances. Ultimately, these two truths should increase our faith in God. God is actively involved in every one of our circumstances and loves us so much. It is a matter of understanding that God is always at work in our circumstances.
So you had the worst year of your life? I want to encourage you to look at things differently. Remember, God loves you, He’s working in your life, He’s growing you, and increasing your faith in Him. It doesn’t sound like the worst year to me. It sounds like an amazing year of growth. Is it time to look at your life through a different set of lenses?