Life Unscripted

I can’t tell you enough how completely awesome it’s been studying the book of Acts.  God is so on time with His Word.   If we’re not regularly spending quiet time with Him, how will we hear His voice and experience His presence?

A few verses back, Paul was in Lystra with the other apostles.  A man who was crippled from birth was sitting among them and Paul spoke directly to him saying “Stand up on your feet.”  He was instantly healed.   Pretty good day so far. 

Or maybe not.. Let the mass chaos begin.   People in the crowd shouted that the gods had come down in human form.  Regardless of how much the apostles tried to assure them they were simply servants of the living God, they wanted to sacrifice bulls to them.  A good day quickly gets awkward.

Then Paul is dragged out of the city, stoned by the people, and left for dead.  His friends gather around him and he gets up and goes BACK into the city.   He encourages the disciples to remain true to the faith and ensures them that we must go through hardships to enter the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22

I mean wow. Wow. Wow. We’re going to face hardships. We’re going to feel beaten and discouraged.  Paul and the disciples knew that first hand.  Instead of accepting defeat, they knew that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.  (Romans 8:37)

We have the decision on how we choose to perceive the situations we’re faced with on a daily basis.  We can have a glass half empty or half full attitude.  We can wake up on the wrong side of the bed grumping around about how horribly we slept because our kids have been sick for weeks, how much of a pain the little munchkins are on prednisone, and that our window on our car won’t roll all the way up.

Yadda, yadda, yadda.  Endless negative chatter.  Suddenly we turn into that nagging, dripping leak that Proverbs 19:13 speaks of.

I’m learning this step by step.  We’ve been in a constant state of struggle for months now.  At one point, I was like a ticking time bomb.  I wanted to explode, if nothing else, to just make myself feel better.  But I knew that wasn’t the answer.  People will get burned e.v.e.r.y.t.i.m.e. that way.

Take the advice of Paul and the disciples.  I know I am.  Remain true to the faith as you go through hardships.

Remember, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  ❤

Living Life Unscripted,

❤ Brittany Jones