Don’t be like Joe
Are you given what you get in life?
“This is the life I was given . . .” or “We get what we deserve . . .”
Who is giving it to you? God?
I’ve always been bothered by people who make statements to the effect of, “God is putting me to the test, but He only gives me what He knows I can handle.”
What does this statement mean? What kind of God hands out tests?
Does God play us like pawns in a master game? Give a little here and take a little there.
For instance, let’s talk about Joe.
Joe’s been humming right along feeling pretty good in life. Then, God decides he’s had a good stretch so it must be time to throw him a curve ball. God says to himself, “I’ll break down Joe’s car, jack up his rent, and cut his hours at work.” But . . . it’s okay, because I know he can handle it.
I’d like to break through the absurd idea that God has anything to do with scenarios such as these.
Could it be that Joe has a deeply held belief that every time things go well for a while something’s bound to come along and break it down? After all, that’s what his Dad always said and his Grandmother too. He could hear her now, “That’s what you get in life, two steps forward, one step back.”
Could it be that Joe’s deeply held belief has been causing him to spend a lot of time thinking about how good he’s had it lately and that something bad is going to happen?
Could it be that when you think something bad is going to happen, guess what, it does . . .
Could it be that God has nothing to do with what we get, but the ‘way we think’ is actually the precursor to every result?
What are your most deeply held beliefs and what are you getting as a result of them?
How you think matters. It’s not easy but examining your beliefs can answer a whole lot of questions. Once you do, you’ll realize you don’t have to be like Joe.
God isn’t playing you like a pawn, you are doing it all on your own.
