TRUST JESUS EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND

Some stressful situations are very perplexing. You were rowing your boat minding your own business. The sun was shining and the sea was calm. You knew where you were going, you had ample supplies and everything was just fine.

Suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, you are in the middle of a raging storm, clutching to the edge of your capsizing boat.

You don’t know what hit you. You didn’t even see it coming and you can't understand why it would hit a nonviolent person like you so hard.

In your situation, you may be stressed right now because even though you had annual physical checkups, ate healthily and exercised religiously, you have been diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer at the age of 35.

Or, you may be stressed because you are the Youth Pastor, you’ve brought up your children in the church and monitored them closely while keeping the lines of communication open yet your 16 year old is pregnant and has HIV!

Or, you were the picture perfect couple whom the married people at church looked up to and came to seek advice from. You thought your relationship with your spouse was perfect yet you are separating!

Whatever your actual situation, when you find yourself in an incomprehensible stressful situation that you wish was a nightmare, yet it is your reality, do not try to understand why it is happening just yet.

Do not try to understand it right now because your perception of the predicament may be tinted red by anger or your judgment may be blunted by the shock. Understand and accept that the more you just can’t see the reason why it has happened, the more you should blindly trust in God to show you your way through it all.

Entrust the whole situation to Him in prayer as you acknowledge Him so that He can direct your path. (Proverbs 3:6) Let go of your need to understand the why and just say to Him, "Lord Jesus, let me to know the way in which I should walk for I lift up my soul to You." (Psalm 143: 8)

Even if you have a rough idea of why the situation had to happen, you must still trust in God with all your heart and lean not on your own limited understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)

Focus on finding out what He wants you to do at that particular time and then do it as you continue trusting Him. After you have done it, ask Him what you should do next then focus on doing it. In this way you will be able to move forward through your stressful situation even though you are blinded by pain and tears.


Excerpt from Managing Stress with the Word of God (C)2006 Dr. Miriam Kinai. For more info click here.