My daughter woke me out of a dead sleep. “Can I show you this?” she asked. In my stupor I wondered if she’d actually waken me up to show me something on her phone. “This better be good,” I thought.
By the time I managed to speak, I could sense panic in her voice.
Her arms were covered with a rash and welts. It was an allergic reaction, and I knew why she was panicked. Last year she’d watched a friend experience a possibly fatal allergy attack while friends argued over who would be brave enough to stick her with her EpiPen.
“My arms itch so bad, I can hardly stand it,” Camilla said. After checking to make sure there was no rash or swelling around her throat or face, I gave her Benadryl, prayed for her, and tucked her in bed.
Runaway thoughts kept me awake. “What if the swelling spreads? What if it gets worse, and I have to take her to the emergency room? Why don’t I have an EpiPen on hand in case I ever need one?”
I finally fell asleep, and the next morning, my daughter’s rash had totally cleared up. I thought about how I’d turned a minor allergic reaction into a full-blown, life-threatening emergency in my mind.
Have you noticed whatever you focus on grows bigger in your mind?
If you focus long enough on that unexpected bill for $295, it grows to a million dollars. If you think hard enough about that thing your husband did that drove you crazy or hurt you, you start believing your marriage is hopeless. (Of course it isn’t.) If you think long enough about your problem, it turns into you facing the Red Sea with a horde of Egyptians behind you (Exodus 14). Panic grows.
If you focus on God, your picture of Him grows bigger.
We’ll always have troubles and trials, yet somehow mine shrink when I turn my focus away from them and towards God. Remembering God’s power, wisdom, and love gives me a better perspective on my problems.
Lately God’s showing me I need to feed my faith with plenty of scripture about His greatness and power. Here are some of my current favorites:
This reminds me I can trust God to be my Savior in any situation. He may not change things as I’d like, but He’ll always strengthen me and renew my joy.
God is more than enough to care for me and my problems. He works wonders. Sometimes I just need to be still long enough to watch Him work.
The same God who put the stars in place holds us in His hand. God’s faithfulness and love will never fail us.
Got problems today, friend? I understand how it feels. Whether your problem is a night-time emergency or a never-ending trial, may I encourage you to go to God’s Word? As we feed our minds with scripture, He’ll renew our perspective. Our problems will shrink when we focus on God’s love and power.
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Linking up with Kelly Balarie’s #RaRaLinkup, Holley Gerth’s Coffee for your Heart, Crystal Storms’ #HeartEncouragement, Salt and Light with Alisa Nicaud, Lyli Dunbar’s #FaithonFire, and Arabah Joy’s Grace and Truth. Check out these communities for more encouragement.
Thank you for this encouraging message inspired by experience and God’s word!
Blessings to you. Thanks for reading, Faith
I needed this today, Betsy! Thank you!
Thanks for reading, Sabra. Praying for you, friend!
Amen. Beautifully said.
Thank you for this reminder to look to God and his love and power at all times. I think all problems can take on outsized proportions during those midnight times of worry and fear.
Yeah, that’s true, Jeannie. There’s something about that midnight hour. 🙂 Thanks for reading today.
It’s very easy to blow things up out of proportion. This is a great reminder that we can choose what to fix our thoughts on, and that there is great power in that.
Oh, yes, I’m one of the very best blower-uppers around. I’m totally writing this to myself because I need all the reminders I can get to keep my focus on God!
Dear Betsy, you have such a knack for putting things into perspective! Thank you for listening to the Lord’s voice of reason and sharing what you learn. Prayers and blessings for keeping small things small, and big things bigger.
Alice, I LOVE this comment about keeping small things small, and big things big. 🙂 Can I quote you on that someday?
I do this all too often. So thankful that God doesn’t judge me each time I come to Him after not initially trusting Him!
Amen. He always receives us, doesn’t He, Sarah?
Betsy,
I love Exodus 15:2 (and the other scriptures you quoted). When we hold these scriptures up against our problems, our $2,000 reaction to a $2 problem somehow seems to fall in line. Great reminders this am.
Blessings,
Bev xx
Hah! That is hilarious about the $2,000 reaction to a $2 problem. I started to respond that way to a 90 euro computer cable we had to purchase today, but I thought, “Hmn, in light of everything else in this world, it is really not worth it!”
So true, Betsy. The only thing that really puts our problems or fear into perspective is seeing how big God is. One of my favorite paraphrases of AW Tozer’s words is: “As God is exalted to the right place in our lives, a thousand problems are solved all at once.”
That’s a beautiful Tozer quote, Lisa! Thanks so much for that!
Ah … runaway thoughts are no stranger to me, Betsy. It’s amazing how we so often default to the worse case scenario instead of recalibrating our fears by grabbing hold of all that Scripture we hold dear and claiming it as our own.
Thanks for the gentle prompt today, friend. You never fail to inspire me …
Thanks so much, Linda. I appreciate your encouragement today.
Your words generated a great conversation, Betsy. Sometimes it’s a good thing to come into a blog post late in the game!
Blessings to you!
Thank you, Michele. 🙂
Amen, Betsy. Those verses are so uplifting. They are much better to meditate on than my problems. It reminds me of praising God. He doesn’t NEED our praise, but it certainly reminds ME of His awesomeness.
Amen, Kelly! Worship and praise DO remind us of His greatness. Yeah, I need better stuff to think about than problems. For sure!
Yes!!! Such a powerful illustration! Gotta choose to focus and what you want to increase!
Thanks, Liz. Yes, we do have to choose our focus, indeed. 🙂
Even when I trust God to strengthen me through a trial, I usually feel like I am just gritting it out. I’m not focused on the finding joy in it … find the song of my salvation. Thanks for sparking these thoughts!
I know what you mean about gritting it out, friend. Sometimes I feel that way too. Thanks for your thought-provoking comment!
Such a great illustration of this truth! I wanted to let you know you’re nominated for a blogging award. Congratulations! The details, if you want to participate, are in this link: http://firstandsecondblog.com/read/
Grateful for you and your love for our Savior!
Thanks so much, friend. Let me read and let you know. Grateful for you too.