Facing a lot of challenges? Wouldn't it be good to get some tips on how to live under the circumstances so that you can have a joy-filled, happy life?

 

You’ve undoubtedly heard someone say, “I’m doing well, under the circumstances.”

We’re all in different seasons of life.

Some of us have some fun and exciting things going on… building new houses, expecting a new baby, an upcoming vacation to a foreign country, or maybe even wedding nuptials and a new life ahead.

Others are struggling, “under the circumstances.” I know a mom desperately ill in the hospital, others who are experiencing unemployment or underemployment, there are some with empty nests, others with an empty spot at the table, there are many with financial burdens and relationship struggles.  Truly difficult circumstances.

Being “under the circumstances” can be very humbling.

Our pride can take a big ding. Or maybe many little dings.

Being “under the circumstances” can leave us feeling stuck.

Who wants to be stuck let alone feeling stuck?  Not me.

That’s why this verse grabbed my attention…

 

Facing a lot of challenges? Wouldn't it be good to get some tips on how to live under the circumstances so that you can have a joy-filled, happy life?  "Casting all your cares on him..." --1 Peter 5:6-7

 

And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand
by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7

When you’re “under the circumstances” you want out.

We all would appreciate a hand up when we feel like we’re in the pit.

Peter… who certainly knew what it was like to have lived “under the circumstances” lets us know that God has provided a way out.

Here’s the plan…

Dump the pride. We all have pride and it’s an issue for all of us.  I might struggle with it more than you on an issue and you may struggle with it more when it comes to something else.  Like it or not… pride is our master too often.

Peter certainly had his issues with pride.  So… for Peter to tell us to humble ourselves… it’s big.

Getting off our high horse is not always an easy thing to do.

What’s really amazing… it really can be an easy thing to do.

It’s a letting go.

It’s freeing.

It’s giving everything that troubles or worries us to God and letting go.

It’s realizing that we are incapable of controlling all those plates we are trying so hard to juggle.

Fear, finances, relationships, health, etc., etc.

We try so hard to work-out all those things ourselves.

And guess what?

We stink at it.

We make ourselves God and worry and fret and manipulate and work and stress over ________.  Because some how, some way, we’re going to figure a way out or solve our problems.  We can do this, we tell ourselves.

But for the most part… we can’t.

God knows that and Peter experienced that and spelled it out for us…

And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand
by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7

Facing a lot of challenges? Wouldn't it be good to get some tips on how to live under the circumstances so that you can have a joy-filled, happy life?

What consumes your thinking?  What do you spend your time worrying about?

Cast that and ALL your cares on God.

Here’s the definition of CAST…

kast
verb
1. throw (something) forcefully in a specified direction.
“lemmings cast themselves off the cliff”
synonyms: throw, toss, fling, pitch, hurl, lob; informal chuck
“he cast the stone into the stream”

We’re not talking about shrugging off the stuff you’re dealing with.  Nor dropping it. We’re talking about giving that pack of worry and care the heave-ho.  Flinging it directly to God with all you’ve got.

And then here’s what really interesting…

There is a why... there’s a purpose for casting our cares on God.

Wait for it….

 

Facing a lot of challenges? Wouldn't it be good to get some tips on how to live under the circumstances so that you can have a joy-filled, happy life?

 

Because he cares for you.

Just think about that for a moment.

Does your heart melt, or feel tender, thinking that God cares for you?

Mine does.

Whatever it is going on in your life… God cares.

A lot.

So much so that he wants you to throw the whole mess at him.

I don’t know a single person who would want you to throw your whole mess of worries and problems at them.

No one. No way!!

But… God says… I’ll take it.  Every bit.

 

Facing a lot of challenges? Wouldn't it be good to get some tips on how to live under the circumstances so that you can have a joy-filled, happy life?

 

It’s going to take some humility on your part to pick up your load of cares and heave that heavy lot on God.

You’ll have to pack up your pride.

Because when you do that… you don’t own those cares any longer.  God does.

You will no longer be in control of the results of all that worrying.  God is.

You’ll have to choose to be grateful and satisfied with whatever God does with all your junk.

[Gulp!]

I know… letting go of pride and control isn’t easy.

But…

There’s a silver lining.

And God will exalt you in due time...

I’ll admit, I’m not exactly sure what this will mean for you… or for me.

What I do know… God is faithful.

I know that he works everything out for our good and his glory.

Everything.

He doesn’t waste the hurt from the malicious words that people have been saying about you.

He doesn’t waste the financial hardship.

He doesn’t waste the drama and pain in those challenging work relationships.

God doesn’t waste a thing.

He uses everything we pass through to grind and polish us into beautiful stones.

So beautiful that when people look at us they see HIS reflection rather than the stones that we are.

And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand
by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

 

Facing a lot of challenges? Wouldn't it be good to get some tips on how to live under the circumstances so that you can have a joy-filled, happy life?

 

Picture for a moment…

kneeling down before our great and awesome God… and he lifts his mighty hand over you…

to be in his presence, to be under his hand, what a moment.

Words would not be capable of expressing that moment.

And… at that moment… nothing else is important.

You are in the presence of Almighty God.  The creator of the universe.  The lover of your soul.

That in itself is enough.

Period.

Neither you or I would be thinking about our issues.

Instead we would be in complete awe to be in the presence of God.

 

Facing a lot of challenges? Wouldn't it be good to get some tips on how to live under the circumstances so that you can have a joy-filled, happy life?

 

Now… let’s get back to reality.

All that stuff you’re living with… the pain, the hurt, the anger, the fear, the overwhelm… yeah… that.

When we’re carrying all that around with us we make ourselves big and God small.

God wants us to make ourselves small and him big.

He wants us to chuck it all over on him… because he is big.

Big enough to carry that load and then some.

When we let God be God… we can be small.

We don’t even want to be big.

That is so totally unimportant to us.

 

And then….

then…

something mind-blowing happens.

At the right moment… God will exalt you.

 

Here’s the definition of EX·ALT

iɡˈzôlt/
verb
hold (someone or something) in very high regard; think or speak very highly of.
“the party will continue to exalt its hero”
synonyms: extol, praise, acclaim, esteem; More
raise to a higher rank or a position of greater power.
“this naturally exalts the peasant above his brethren in the same rank of society”
synonyms: elevate, promote, raise, advance, upgrade, ennoble, dignify, aggrandize
“this power exalts the peasant”
make noble in character; dignify.
“romanticism liberated the imagination and exalted the emotions”
synonyms: elevate, promote, raise, advance, upgrade, ennoble, dignify, aggrandize

 

How? When? Why?  I don’t know.

But, does it matter?

God is going to do something amazing.

Something we don’t deserve.

And… he does it simply because we throw the junk from our lives at him and say… it’s yours!  Keep it!

 

Facing a lot of challenges? Wouldn't it be good to get some tips on how to live under the circumstances so that you can have a joy-filled, happy life?

 

This is so upside down from the way things are in our world.

Culture says we’re important when we’re busy, when we have a to-do list a mile long, when we’re working our tails off, when we are responsible for a zillion people, when our plates are overflowing with the good, bad, and ugly, and we adding plate after plate to the spinning mess.

God says… fling it all to me and I’ll lift you up perfectly… to be exactly what I’ve designed you to be.

So… what do you think?

Can you do it?

Can you collect that load of cares… the overflowing plates… and throw them at God?

If you do it… will you let me know?

And let me know how it changes you.  ‘Cause I know it will.

 

It's JOY DAY! on the blog!  Join us as we give thanks in community.

 

It’s JoyDay!

I’m so glad you’re here to join me for JoyDay!  Taking time to share the good things God has done in our lives…  the good and the not-so-good… is one of the highlights of my week.

Will you join with me in counting ‘seven’ from the past week?

I’ll start!

Thank you God for…

  1. cooler weather
  2. beautiful sunsets
  3. seeing your power at work in the lives of those around me
  4. friends who know how to pray
  5. lies and the peace you’ve given me in spite of them
  6. precious hours with my husband
  7. your faithfulness

Now it’s your turn!

Please join me by tapping in your ‘seven’ in the ‘share your extraordinary thoughts’ section below. I dare you!

Thank you for stopping by and taking time to leave your sweet thoughts.

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Comments

  1. Donna Krobock says

    Happy Sunday to you Diane! I haven’t been reading any blogs for some time now, but felt drawn to open yours today and am so glad that I did! Your words spoke directly to my heart and were exactly what I needed to hear this day! Thank you! Thank you!

    • Thank you for your kind words Donna! I love how God gives us those little nudges. 🙂 And I’m grateful for how he directed my writing and what it did for you. God is so good! May your heart be lightened and your way brightened for the week ahead! [hugs]

  2. Debbi Saunders says

    This Blog post is incredible and exactly what I and a few close to me needed to hear! and I will be forwarding them this blog….
    Thank You God for:
    1. walking with me every step of the way of my journey!
    2. for communicating with me constantly in so many ways and forms! Always letting me know you are with me!
    3. for the small Birthday Celebration held for me by a close group of Dear Friends that I have known for years! that uplifted me so and made my day! this 64th birthday was extra special as it is truly a celebration of life!
    4. making me feel so loved!
    5. for the trials and struggles that have brought me this wonderful personal relationship with you!
    6. for going before and paving the way during a difficult period in my Son, Nephew and Brothers life and letting me know that you are taking care of them and their individual situations…
    7. My continued healing and health!

    • That is sooo God, Debbi!! He directed me to the verse and the Holy Spirit showed me how to unpack it. I am always amazed at what he does with our obedience. 🙂

      This birthday surely is a celebration of life! God brought you through so much and he has made you stronger in so many ways. Your JOY is contagious!

      {Hugs} and early birthday wishes sent your way!!

  3. Gwen says

    Joy Day
    1. I got over my confusion and had moments of clarity
    2. My nephew is married!!
    3. I cry and I sing tomYounLord and I’m better
    4. Where does confusion and this injured me come from when earlier I had a normal conversation? Thank you that a bit of me is me
    5. Thank you for the nice visit with atom after much silence. Keep her in your care
    6. Thank you Lord that my kids are safe
    7. Thank you Lord for a clean house with accessories all replaced. It looks nice.
    Joy Day yet sorrow remains there unpredictable and I don’t know the cause

    • Gwen, I rejoice with you! Being freed from confusion and having clarity is a true answer to prayer… believing with you for more and more of it. God is good!! We’ve been praying for Curt and hope that his doctor’s visit was a good one… with answers.
      May your week be filled with amazing God moments and your heart with joy! [[hugs]]

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