One of the biggest causes of individual stress is having to deal with a situation that doesn't go the way you want it to. When you try to close a deal with a client but it falls through, when you plan for a vacation and it doesn't happen, or when you shoot for a career opportunity but it falls flat, we can often get worked up about it.
But there's a reality of life that is simple enough for us to grasp, but never easy to swallow. That reality is the reality that not everything will go our way. You can call it bad luck or "persecution," but you're always going to face a situation that doesn't fit the bill of what you thought should have happened. And that's not always necessarily a bad thing. In fact, many times that's a good thing.
One instance we can learn from Jesus about facing unwanted circumstances is found in Matthew 26:39: "And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."
What Jesus was basically saying here is, "Father, this really isn't turning out the way I want it to anymore, but it's not about what I want or think but about what you want and think." How do we come through circumstances that do not fall the way we want to? Here's a tip for all of us today: Stop thinking it's about what you want.
That may sound harsh. I wrote it down, and it felt harsh writing it to myself too, but that's the reality. You see, many of us get offended when we are forced to do something that we don't want to, but many times it's actually the things that we want to do that get us in trouble. When you want to skip work, eat five slices of chocolate cake, quit the ministry, flirt with your officemate even if you're married, the chances of you ruining your life are self-evident.
But God in His mercy sometimes uses situations to get us back on track into His blessing and calling for our lives. Just as Jonah was swallowed by a big fish (who'd want that to happen?) but in the end, he was drawn back to God's call. Just as Paul was left blind (again, no one would want that) but it drew him to God's call.
When God lets your plans get delayed or even fall flat, it's because He wants you to know that He has something better for you, and He wants you to trust His way more than your own. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[a] for those who are called according to his purpose."
