by: Dr. Amanda McElroy
A Devotional Thought
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” ~ Psalm 46:10
Sitting alone, tears streaming down my face, my heart squeezed in hurt, reading an email filled with hate and bitterness. Struggling with how to respond and if responding is even appropriate or necessary. My ego wants to puff up and say, “If I wanted to make everyone happy, I’d sell candy.” But I’m not confident that mindset honors God. More than anything, I want to please Him with this decision waiting to be made. A question floats to the front of my mind: “Did I do everything in my power to do right by this person?” Another question follows: “What could I have done differently or better?” In my heart, I analyze myself with transparency and honesty. It isn’t easy to admit that I could have done better, even in my own heart.
My fingers hover over the keyboard, aching to send a sharp-tongued response. I pause; something is whispering to me to wait, to take a moment to be still. The Holy Spirit is pricking my heart. It’s like my guardian angel has his hands on mine, keeping my fingers from flying free on the keys. My mind races between potential responses and wordings, searching for the perfect comeback. Psalm 46:10 displays on the movie screen of my mind: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” I hesitate again, a war is waging in my heart and mind: my ego or Christ, which will I choose?
Ultimately, I choose to wait. As much as I want to defend myself, as much as I want to attack this person’s ridiculous and hateful behavior… I cannot control them; I can only control myself. Anytime I set out to fix another person, I am wrong. My focus needs to be on fixing myself, my behavior, and my attitude—on embracing my own growth opportunities.
From time to time, I face difficult and unpleasant situations: sometimes because a decision has met opposition, sometimes because someone else needs an outlet to vent their anger or frustration, and sometimes because everyone faces difficult and unpleasant situations, and it’s part of life. Whatever the case, every person will find themselves in these situations occasionally. Every hard, unpleasant, and uncomfortable situation is a growth opportunity for me – to act in a manner that pleases the Lord. No other person’s behavior should be able to dictate mine. Mine should be determined based on a desire to please the Lord and nobody else. When others are being unkind and unreasonable, I must remember that the Lord knows my heart, thoughts, motives, and decisions made in the corners of my heart. If I honor Him with my decisions, He will handle the rest. I must let the Lord handle them; no response is needed from me. He will respond in His way and in His time. I may never see what He did, but I know I can trust the promises of the Bible. So, I will control myself and not spend energy or effort trying to control someone else.
When I am unsure if a response will please the Lord, I claim Psalm 46:10. I will be still and remember that He is God, that He will be exalted (with or without my input). I will focus on what I can control, myself, and leave the rest to Him.
I love this way of thinking, but it is not the common way of the world. Only after years of personal experience doing it both ways have I been able to settle into a predictable pattern and In recent years it has become my normal way of handling these type situations as well… even going back to the basic: WWJD
Yes ma’am! I find it comforting that no matter what year it is, no matter what is going on in the world, and no matter what new societal norms we see, the basics always work. Great insight! Thank you!