Each person’s experience in life is different. Some of what happens to us is out of our control. Some of what happens to us is a direct result of our own bad choices. And all of what happens to us is in God’s hands. The truth of the matter is that our lives are not punched out with the same cookie cutter. We are all on different rides at the amusement park. We all have different tools in our sheds. There are different colors in our crayon box. OK. OK. You get it. I’ll stop with the analogies.
Are We Really Lacking?
Does the fact that we have different lives indicate that some of us are lacking or less than? Nope. Comparison really is where the trouble comes in. Instead of focusing on what God has going on with someone else and what He’s given them, we need to focus on our own experience. And if you don’t like what is going on at this particular moment in time in your life, your circumstances could change and probably will.
God has us where we are right now with what we have, or don’t have, for a reason. You’re probably saying, “That’s all well and good. God’s in control. But why do I feel so dissatisfied?” I’ll tell you why. We have other influences besides God, and they are often up to no good.
What we have or don’t have materially, mentally, socially, or physically is constantly being brought to our attention. We are reminded by the media, other people, and even ourselves as we look in the mirror or try an accomplish something we are having difficulty with. Advertisers spend millions to get into our head.
Satan is also an expert at telling us that our lives are not as good as someone else’s. He reminds us of what we don’t have and what we should have. Remember the garden? He told Eve God was withholding something wonderful from her and Adam, and he talked her into taking that something for herself. Big mistake. That something was not meant for them, and it caused such great harm.
Why We Have or Have Not
Our world is constantly telling us we are less than, don’t have enough, or even that what we have isn’t good enough anymore. We need new stuff, even though we just bought that stuff yesterday. Not. But the truth is we are enough, we have enough, and there is a method to what we believe to be the madness. The method is simply God is at work, and we need to rest in that fact.
- You may want to rage against the cancer you are fighting, but that battle may show you strength you never knew you had, drawing you closer to God. It may be preparing you to help someone else who will be going through the same thing very soon.
- That motorcycle you wanted? Perhaps God is withholding it from you, because He knows if you had it you would end up in an accident, leaving your family devastated.
- That person who you desperately wanted to love you, that you couldn’t live without, the one you wanted to be with forever that ended up with someone else? God knew they would have destroyed you, and He saved you from that fate.
- Perhaps the difficult job God has you in, the one you desperately want to leave, is strengthening you and preparing you for something better.
All of those are examples from my own life. Looking back, I can see God at work in each of those moments in time. Not buying it? Read on.
From Corporate to Calling
You see, I lived in DC for about 12 years. During that time, I worked at Discovery Communications Inc., home of Animal Planet, TLC, The Discovery Channel, etc. That was a major corporate environment, and at times, it was brutal. I did not understand what climbing the corporate ladder really meant, until I was smack dab in the middle of people doing just that.
Employees would kick and claw and bite all the way to the top. And when they were there, they fought to stay. This meant for a hostile work environment, and I cried a lot while working there. I wished that I could leave, but I couldn’t for many reasons. But then, God’s perfect timing finally sent me on my way.
When I moved back home to Arkansas, my work in DC did not translate into a new job very well. Twelve years of experience seemed like such a waste, or so I thought. My mother, who believes she always knows best, said I should be a teacher. I had zero interest. I did not have a teaching degree, and teenagers were not my favorite. I’d been one, and I was a handful.
I did not want to pursue teaching at all. But to make a long story short, everything fell into place. I got into a program that certified me in a short time. I passed all my exams with flying colors, even though I had been out of college for over a decade. A highly desired school district sought me out and hired me very quickly. And my first year of teaching was a breeze.
God Prepares Us for His Purpose
Anyone who knows a first year teacher or has been one is aware that lot of folks don’t make it. It is hard to find that first teaching job, and teaching is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Many teachers quit after that very first year or at least within the first five. Not this girl. The job felt so easy to me, and I felt like I was meant to be there. And guess what? I was. It was easy and felt right because God had prepared me.
During my time at Discovery, I learned a lot. I learned to speak in front of people. I learned to keep going under fire. I learned how to create presentations. I learned to manage a team and how to manage up (that means telling your bosses what to do without really telling them). I learned to deal with difficult personality types, work on teams, problem solve, manage a budget, and more. All of that was preparing me for teaching school.
I didn’t know that God was at work when I was stressed and frustrated and wishing I could be anywhere but at my job in DC, but I know it now. And I wish I’d know it then. When I entered that classroom, those teenagers were nothing compared to the people I met in the corporate world. God knew what He was doing the entire time He kept me in a job I wanted to leave. He only let me leave when the time was right.
God Sees Us Individually
How awesome is it that God is mindful of you! He sees you as an individual and cares enough to sift everything through His hands with his divine purpose for you. You may not realize what is going on, but if you trust Him, you can rest easier and be more content during a difficult season.
You are unique, unlike anyone else. This moment in time. This life experience. The things you have or don’t have. God has decided this is what is best for you. Not the media. Not your friends. Not that voice in your head that breeds discontent. Yep. That’s Satan, and He is definitely not for you. God is for you. Trust Him.
Finding Joy: Remind yourself that God is in control and has you in mind right now. His divine wisdom has crafted your life experience. It is unlike anyone else’s for a reason. It is based on your choices and His desires for your life. Steer clear of comparisons to others.
Ask yourself the following about a current circumstance you are having difficulty accepting. What is God trying to teach me? What might God be saving me from? What is God preparing me for? What area of my life might God be testing me in so that He can bless me further? What mistake have I made that I am having to learn from right now, so my life can be more full of joy going forward?
Focus on what God is doing in your life, rather than what is going on in someone else’s. Don’t compare. Let go of jealousy. Joy can be had no matter your circumstance, if you believe God is doing a mighty work in you. He is focused on you, furthering His kingdom, and is helping you become more like Christ. And when you reach that point, you will be totally content, totally at peace, and full of joy.
Related Scriptures:
Luke 12:29 – 31 – And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Hebrews 13:21 – May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.
Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Isaiah 64:8 – Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Psalm 8:4 – What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
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