Trust in Change to Bring Improvement - Part 2

One main component of conflict is unmet expectations that result in disappointment. As a college freshman, a promising athlete had high hopes of playing sports, but a serious injury kept him benched. As he improved, he fully expected to be allowed to play, but the coach refused. Anger and depression followed the disappointment.

The conflict he experienced with the coach became unbearable because his primary reason for attending college was to play sports. Bitterly disillusioned, he dropped out of college. Coincidentally, a friend later asked him to go to the driving range and hit some golf balls. Here he discovered he had a knack for driving the ball.

During the pain of disappointment and failure, this young man found an inroad for change that helped him let go of bitterness caused by unmet expectations. God in his mercy gave him a way to find direction, meaning and purpose in life. Jesus assures us he is the way, the truth, and the life. In Jesus, there is hope and light. He heals the heartbroken.  

Choosing Reality: For Today and Tomorrow - Part 3

Eventually, just about everyone has to ask, "What is my purpose for occupying space on the planet?" For those who ask that question and receive even a partial answer, expectations for their lives usually change. As meaningful purpose is recognized, seized opportunities will, in all probability, become available for choosing.

Jesus told about a businessman who discovered a pearl of great value and immediately sold all his assets to buy it. He demonstrated a proactive mindset by taking the initiative to do what would change his life and secure his future. The man in the parable was looking for an opportunity of a lifetime.  Have you asked, "Where is my life going and why?"

Perhaps there have been severe disappointments that have narrowed your trust for change.  Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost and to bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted. Permitting him to heal your wounds and give new purpose and meaning for your life is definitely being receptive to a reality for positive change.  

Accomplishment: A Fresh Look - Part 2

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment in the time frame God has given you so far? It's helpful to measure our progress against the goals we set in place at an earlier date because we encounter distractions. Distractions may have been associated with a crisis or with opportunities that couldn't be passed up. Sometimes original objectives need to be re-prioritized.

In some cases it's appropriate to let go of a hope or dream that could not come to fruition. It may be impossible to reach an objective because of issues and factors beyond our control. It's important to evaluate carefully and prayerfully what role God's purpose and objectives play when disappointments or downright failure are unpreventable.

Celebrating what you have accomplished and what God has provided is a positive way to take stock and accept what could not come to fruition. Philippians 3:14 instructs us press on to what is possible. "Forgetting what is behind, I press onward toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me." This is a good and godly choice.  

Managing Mistakes - Part 1

Getting older is desired by adolescents seeking independence and greater control over their destiny. With age comes the privilege of decision-making and the right to choose a career. But by mid-life, disappointments surface as a consequence of earlier choices. Facing disappointments is unavoidable, but the way they are managed depends on your attitude.

Mistakes and bad choices can be attributed to immaturity, but choosing to learn and mature requires being receptive to what God wants us to see about ourselves and to his plan for our future. While mid-life's uncertainties will come, we choose to cope by submitting our future to Christ Jesus who empowers us to make helpful choices and changes.

Your choices permit a shift from trusting your own intelligence and power to trusting God. Psalm 22:5 assures that those who trust in the Lord will not be disappointed. "Trust in the Lord and do good and he will cause you to dwell safely in the land." This is an assurance as well as a choice that ensures positive change.