Hard Times Ahead

What is it about that next curve? It comes a little faster, bends a little harder. The next unpleasant surprise shakes us as if we never faced a challenge before. We spin away like a mote of dust, grasping for and not finding an anchor that was there just a minute ago. Spiritual cliches run through our minds: God hasn't given us anything we can't handle, Jesus is with us, reach deeper for your salvation. Old pathways open to us and not the good kind. Anger, escape, despair work their time worn magic. Where did that faithful man or woman disappear to?

Is there such a mindset, a state of being, a course of travel that would have us meet that next wave without faltering?

I'm not sure about the "faltering" solution because it might be part of the journey. However, I do suggest that love is, indeed, the answer to the next wave.

At the core of our being is the need to be loved. When our heart light is dim our ability to love is purely low wattage. We may know we should love, trust, obey, fight for goodness, be diligent, enter God's rest but low powered as we are, find ourselves shrinking back. Where did our confidence in God's love for us go? Perhaps we became too confident in the smooth running life we were living? Maybe we've faced one crisis too many for our present "love" capacity. God, who knows us so well,  prunes and grows us to expand our horizons. He wants to help us put the nix on our personal resources. We must decrease, He must increase.

I'm not sure if this maps your fall into mediocrity or crisis. It's the closest I can find at present to make sense of mine. I'm pretty good at attacking a crisis with either activity or escape. Asking myself if I feel loved is a little counter intuitive. God loves me. Do I believe it? Or do I shrink back. It's a faith question. Once resolved is not always resolved. Next curve, next chapter -- time for a new inventory. Is your love tank full?

Once full, there's some other activity you can participate in:

Take root downward, bear fruit upward
Be anxious for nothing but in everything, with prayer and thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God
Cast your care on Him for He cares for you
Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things will be added to you.
Surrender
Hide yourself in Him
Fear not
Set your minds on things above
Fix your eyes on Jesus
Wisdom calls in the streets, you don't have to look far