Momentum For Monday, September 19th 2022

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God—those whom he has called according to his plan.” (Romans 8:28)

Many of you know I have been learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for years. It is a martial art, but also a very effective form of self-defense. A few weeks back, I was speaking on self-defense with a women’s trauma support group when a woman asked a question that speaks to so much more than self-defense, but life in general. Her question was essentially, how should you live your life without being overly paranoid of something happening? And as much as her question spoke to so much more about women’s self-defense, my answer also encompassed much too. Let me come back to this in a second.

These women were there that night because they all had something in common- trauma. And you may not be a woman reading this, but I can guarantee that you have your share of trauma. I don’t know what you’ve been through, but if you’re reading this, you’ve survived by the grace of God.

Every time you or I go through something that is distressing, we always have a decision that follows. How will we respond? Will we grieve or take time to heal appropriately with God, or will we bury it and distract ourselves with addiction or pleasure? We will ultimately end up doing one of the two.

We can go through pain and come out stronger and wiser, or we can come out of it weaker and smaller. Do you really want to make your life smaller and smaller because of fear, dread, or anger from all that’s happened? Or will you trust that God will turn everything for your God somehow, someway, even when we can’t see Him working in the foreground?

Hear me, I’m not saying anything you or I have been through isn’t disastrous or heart-breaking, I’m just saying we inevitably have a decision to make. Healing actually requires responsibility on our behalf. What is it going to be?

Let’s circle back to the trauma group. My best answer to the woman’s question without knowing her backstory was one word- wisdom. I told her to live her life, but to do it with wisdom. Don’t mask your fear or dread as wisdom. Instead, understand the emotions driving your decisions. Are you being wise or are you being afraid? Don’t be afraid to sift these things out with the Holy Spirit.

Happy Monday friends, I pray you live your life wisely.

“Even though you planned evil against me, God planned good to come out of it. This was to keep many people alive, as he is doing now.”

(Genesis 50:20)