When we receive news about what’s happening in the world (on a local, national, international level) it can definitely be very sad. And when we’re dealing with challenges in our own personal lives, it can also be very sad. With this in mind, it’s important that we maintain a positive attitude, and don’t allow ourselves to constantly think about negative things. It’s crucial that we continue to focus on Jesus even during the difficult times. If we take our focus off of Jesus, it can be easy to be overwhelmed by what’s going on in the world, and what’s going in our personal lives. When I say “continue to focus on Jesus”, I mean that it’s important to keep our trust in Him (even if we have questions that we don’t know the answers to).
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV)
I also want to point out that when I say, continue to focus on Jesus, I don’t mean ignoring the difficult things that other people are going through. In last week’s blog entry I talked about serving others. By serving others we can show them that we love them, and we can also help them improve in various areas of their lives. Sometimes when we see certain things going on in the world (whether it’s close to home or further away), we may have a strong desire to do something about it. It’s a good idea to seek God about how we can serve others in our day to day lives. God may allow a person to be in a situation where they can play a part in providing a solution to a problem in their local area. Or He may allow a person to be in a situation where they can travel and help provide a solution to a problem in another part of the world. The important thing is that we stay in fellowship with God, and seek Him for guidance.
When we think about how awesome God is, and reflect on the great things He has done in our lives, it can help us put things in their proper perspective, remembering that God will be there for us regardless of what we go through. So as we continue to grow in our walk with Jesus Christ, let us continue to remain thankful to Him, and glorify Him by the way we live our lives. Let us also continue to pray for the people in Oklahoma that were affected by that devastating tornado.