Me vs. Paul… pretty sure I win… or not…

Posted On May 6, 2008

Comments Dropped 9 responses

Count it all joy (James 1:2), he says!! Oh and “… I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances…” (Philippians 4:11) chimes in his buddy Paul. Oh and if that wasn’t enough, Paul also tells us to “… be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances…” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Yeh, well, what do you guys know?? You’re not a reluctant university student, doing a commerce degree against your will who just wants to be singing and dancing in a prayer room. Ok, Paul, it’s all well and good for you to tell me to count it all joy…

  • you received forty stripes minus one from the Jews five times
  • you were beaten with rods three times
  • you were stoned once
  • shipwrecked three times
  • have spent a night and a day out at sea
  • endangered by waters, robbers, your own countrymen, Gentiles
  • endangered in the city, wilderness, at sea, among false brethren
  • endured weariness, toil, frequent sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, frequent fasting, the cold and nakedness

– 2 Corinthians 11:24-27

Suck it up, mate!! I have essays to do, readings to trawl through, podcasts to endure, boooooring lectures to sit through… and you tell me to count it all JOY?? Mate, I’ll take the shipwrecks any day…

… I am totally kidding.

Sooooo… I need to complain less and trust Him more. To lift my eyes and fix them on Him, no matter how sucky my circumstances feel. I need to count it all joy, be content in all circumstances, be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances.

Not that God doesn’t notice or care about how much I hate being at uni… He knows all the reasons why I hate it… but He also knows all the reasons why He won’t let me get out… He knows the desires He put in my heart, He knows the gifts and abilities He’s given me, He knows the things I enjoy, He knows what fascinates me… and what makes me so bored I want to run out of a lecture hall SCREAMING!!… He knows the plans He has for me (Jeremiah 29:11)… He has searched me and knows me (Psalm 139:1)… He created me… and He loves me. He hears my prayers, He sees every time I cry and treasures every tear (Psalm 56:8), He sees my confusion and distress… and yet even though He sees the big picture and is so much bigger than all these things that seem so overwhelming for my little heart… in all my distress He is distressed (Isaiah 63:9)… because He loves me.

He loves me… *smile*… that truth is enough to make me smile and feel just a little more peaceful even in the midst of a trying day at work or uni… enough to make me want to dance and sing all the time… enough to be transforming everything about me… enough to set my heart on a pilgrimage (Psalm 84:5)… enough to turn my heart from hating Him to loving Him.

And hey, I am fully deserving of hell… but now I get to be with Him forever, dwelling eternally in the fullness of joy in His presence (Psalm 16:11). I have to get through uni first though… but it’s better than hell ;)

9 Responses to “ Me vs. Paul… pretty sure I win… or not… ”

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  1. Ekerin taiwo

    If u dont chose for life,life will choose for you.Life is like a bag filled with substances called choices. One has got 2 make choices evryday.some chose 2b happy rich,a blessing $ find such in lif, others decid 2 take whateva comes $ find life horrible

  2. helen

    i’m not saying to never make choices when it comes to circumstances. sure, for things you can control, choose away (seeking wise counsel if necessary), and we have a voice that matters to God and we can ask Him to change things… but in every circumstance, whether i chose it or not, i want to choose to count it all joy, be content in all circumstances, be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances ;)

  3. Ekerin taiwo

    A happy spirit attracts good things 2 ones life.It is good 4d health,it shows u are stil in cont rol,when sad ,u are out of cont rol .refuse 2 let circumstance determine ur joy,mood.u nid 2 say 2 urself,i chose 2 be happy,joyful over this challenges

  4. Ekerin taiwo

    Yeah,i do agree wit u,sometime i find studying my university courses challe nging,bt i hav learnt that they dont determine my prosperity in life,nt my futur, hence no fear of failure.i do my best as a stu dent,i sow d seed of suces. God gives d harvest

  5. helen

    I don’t think it’s so much that when I am sad I am not in control of my emotions… I just don’t want sad emotions to control me. And there is definitely a time and a place to be sad, such as when someone dear to you dies, repentance etcetc… “[There is a] time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…” Ecclesiastes 3:4. Also, Jesus felt sadness (John 11:35)… but He is Lord God Almighty (Revelation 4:8), the blessed only Sovereign (1 Timothy 6:15)… He is always fully in control. And yet He always had joy. He has more joy than anyone ever (Psalm 45:7). He had joy set before Him even when He went to the cross (Hebrews 12:2)… I want to be like that. Having joy in every circumstance. Not something I try to work up in my own strength… not ‘willing’ what’s going on inside of me to change… but finding joy in Him… by lifting my eyes from my circumstances and onto Him… and spending time with Him… for in His presence in fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).

  6. helen

    hey! you commented when i was writing my comment… haha… now its outta order :(

    i agree with your last comment… and it reminds me of something i once heard and loved… “I love God, and He loves me… and that makes me successful.” Not the university degree or wealth or success in the eyes of the world… we have the best thing going for us if only we love Him and know He loves us :)

  7. Ekerin taiwo

    I belive u can control all thing on earth,cos GOD has given u power 2do so. Christ said if u speak 2d mount b move,if u beli v,it wil b done.w ith ur mouth,u c an speak $ cha nge anyting u dont like in life.u hav power in ur mouth

  8. trbaggett

    Complaining. Mm. I have a problem with that too. But I’m doing this thing where I try to stop complaining. Er.. This might explain better than I can :P

    http://www.acomplaintfreeworld.org

    It’s really neat. You get a bracelet, put it on a wrist, and try to go 21 days without complaining. Every time you complain, you take the bracelet off and put it the other hand. Not sure if you’ve ever heard of it or not

    It’s not as easy as it sounds. And that’s not me complaining :P

  9. helen

    @ Ekerin taiwo
    yep, our words have authority… they move the heart of God… that does my head in. my words that can’t describe Him MOVE Him :O … and yet, i don’t think it’s as easy as saying ‘ok, i am going to be happy right now…’ and then suddenly i love things i was chafing under a minute ago. there is definitely truth in speaking truth over yourself… but i find most power in speaking the Word of God over myself (eg. You said i am to count it all joy, be content in all circumstances, be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances… so help me…), rather than me just saying ‘cheer up helen…’ for at the end of the day, my words are so weak but His Word is eternal (Isaiah 40:8), the truth (John 17:17) and perfect, converting my soul (Psalm 19:7)

    @ trbaggett
    haha knowing me i’d start complaining about the bracelet… ;)count it all joy, helen, count it all joy… lol… oh and the speaker at church last week spoke about complaining… and i’m like ‘ahhhhh conviction…’… she mentioned Philippians 2:14-15 “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure…” and then was like, ’so does that mean that if you complain you won’t become blameless and pure??’ and i was like ouuuuch… :)

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