Sundays are usually one of the busiest days at the Paine household! As you can imagine, little feet are running everywhere, hurriedly finding clothes that look nice and match their preferred styles. A tirade of questions echoes through the house— “Where’s my shoes?” “What’s for breakfast? Where’s my backpack?”
I hear each girl excitedly tell Chad the specific hairstyle they want, and yes, I’m blessed to have a hubby that gets the kids dressed every Sunday! I check off my mental to-do list before we all pile in the car, which is followed by a tiny voice in the back seat muttering that she forgot to use the potty! Eventually we make it to church with a couple minutes to spare (most of the time!). As we greet friends and get situated in our pew, I feel a sense of peace and anticipation, confident that God is going to meet me there.
This Sunday was no different than normal, except that I found myself stretched between being a mom to the little ones that sat beside me, and trying to open my heart to God’s Word. But something grabbed my attention in the middle of our preacher’s message that hasn’t left my thoughts since. He briefly talked about what to do when you are struggling with being overwhelmed, discouraged, or even having a hard time in the relationships around you (and the list could go on)— you just need to STOP and CONSIDER HIM. That phrase has just played continually in my mind, almost like a broken record. The more I think and meditate on it, the more powerful it seems.
Take a moment to read this passage with me . . .
“For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (Hebrews 12:3).
This verse implies that if we are not considering Him, the danger is we will become weary and faint in our minds. Notice that everything always begins in the mind. If you can stop it at the starting point, it will be much easier. The more we allow it to grow, the harder it is to overcome.
Sometimes it helps me to mentally envision things, so this week, I started picturing a big, blank canvas with a distinct line drawn down the center. On one side, my struggles are written out line by line, and then on the opposite side it simply says “Consider Him.”
In the light of Calvary, what have I ever suffered? In light of His power, how big are my problems? In the light of His goodness, how much faith should I have in Him? In light of His mercy, how much gratitude should I feel? You see, He is so much bigger than ANYTHING I may be facing, or anything I will face in the future. Just keep thinking about it for a few days . . . I promise it’ll bless your socks off!
Be encouraged.
Erin
