You Deserve More

A few hours ago I was lying around feeling blue and I wasn’t even really sure why. My body ached and I just generally felt bad. For a few minutes I talked myself into lying around and then even proceeded to justify my actions.

I have found that I will believe whatever I tell myself. I convinced myself I deserved to snooze this morning when the alarm clock went off. I started right then making excuses for myself. And I have found I can be very convincing, especially in the wee hours of the morning. It doesn’t take much to make me forego my morning exercise routine for an extra hour of sleep. However, what I don’t mention is that when I fail to exercise I ache that day and my mood plummets. Then I just want to crawl in the bed and pull the covers over my head. I convince myself that I’m unwell and then before you know it, I’m not able to do anything the rest of the day or possibly the remainder of the week. Then I get behind on my work and feel overwhelmed, and the cycle continues. Until, I decide to change it and ask God to give me the strength and knowledge to be able to.

However, when I get up as soon as the alarm goes off and make myself exercise, without discussing it, I start feeling better just a few minutes into the routine. By the time I’m finished, my problems don’t seem as challenging and my life doesn’t seem so bleak. My pain diminishes and I feel wonderful, ready to face my day. I can see my blessings so much clearer and even look forward to my chores and the accomplishments they bring. We all need goals and accomplishments, both little and small, in our daily lives! Sometimes we have to do things that are just for us.

Every decision we make has an impact on some part of our lives and the lives around us. When I feel bad it affects my whole family. When I’m in a bad mood it disturbs my family and they usually mimic my behavior. When I think negative and walk around believing my life is like a half empty glass with a hole in the bottom of it, then that is exactly what I get in return; negative feelings and negative energy.

However, when I only allow myself to believe positive thoughts and actually train myself to look for those positives and seek them out, then everything about my life is better. I smile at my husband and kids and it has the boomerang effect.

It’s the same way with going to church and serving God. If you listen to that voice inside your head that tells you to stay home, or keep your mouth shut and not do the things He bids you to do, then you get in bad shape after a while. The devil will always find us a million excuses why we shouldn’t obey the Lord. In my experience, I have found the best thing to do is ignore him. Don’t even discuss it with him. He doesn’t tell you there is a day of reckoning after awhile, when you have to pay for all that you owe the Lord.

We can’t make bad choices day after day, week after week and expect our lives to get better. When we are out of fellowship with the Lord and the church, then nothing in our lives will go right.

There is no antidote for a Godly sorrow. Just like there is no price to measure up to His beautiful blessings. God controls it all. Just because we attempt to pray to Him doesn’t mean He hears us or that He will answer us. He may ignore us as we have ignored Him.

I have been on both sides, the receiving end of His blessings and the wrath of his punishment for my disobedience and I can tell you, the latter is very painful. It’s a horrible feeling to cry out in the depth of misery and be ignored. He can be a terrible God when He pours out His wrath. However, He is a wonderful paymaster for those who serve him willingly and He expects so little of us when you think about it.  

He wants us to turn our problems over to Him. He wants to carry them for us and help us. I believe He loves to bless His children. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to be prosperous in our journey. He wants us to shine our light and tell of the hope in us. He wants people to know by our lives that we belong to Him. He wants us to be able overcome that negative voice in our heads with faith and thankfulness, through Him.

He wants us to understand that if we resist the devil he will flee from us. However, if we have a conversation with him, nine times out of ten he wins. His thoughts are always the worst case scenario. His arguments are always filled with hopeless and bitterness. He is the one who gives us the feelings of fear and being overwhelmed. When we look to God we realize things are never as bad as they once seemed. In fact, they are most often times way better than we expect or even imagine.

Whenever life has you down, instead of pulling the covers over your head and giving into the temptation of surrender, realize and know you deserve more. Claim your happiness and push yourself to new limits. You will never know what you are capable of until you’re faced with the challenges.

Trials and tribulations are not meant to break us, they are used to strengthens us and mold us; therefore, making us a viable and willing vessel for God.