The Key to Victory

How do you react when things don't go your way?

For many, myself included, you look for an explanation or someone to 'blame'. 

There simply must be a reasonable explanation for why I didn't get my way.

...but what if there isn't an explanation, and there isn't someone to blame?

What do you do then?

I think the Scriptures are pretty clear: 

Trust God.

Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding, acknowledge Him with all your ways, and He will direct your paths."

There is both an 'active' and a 'passive' way of doing this: The 'Active' way comes down to "acknowledging Him" in all our ways. 

It means living as if He IS Lord--of the universe, of course...but also Lord and Master over our lives!

The 'passive' way is that of "Trusting in the Lord". This is more a mindset. It's a way of thinking which KNOWS that God is at work, and He has us in His hands. 

He has not lost sight of us, He has not forgotten us, and He is not insensitive to our situation. 

He knows what is best!

So, when we face troubles, we are to react differently than those who don't have a relationship with Him.

James wrote that...

"when troubles of various kinds come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 

So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." (James 1:3-4)

Again, it's dependent on our trust being in the Lord...HIS strength, HIS wisdom and HIS work 'behind the scenes'.

That's really why we at KCC are going through the "Rise Above" series that we are...because we are all going to face trials, and we need to know how to deal with them.

But look at what James wrote: That we should actually "Consider it an opportunity for great joy..." 

God doesn't only want us to 'survive' the trial...He wants us to 'THRIVE' within the trial! He wants to give us Victory over it and Growth through it!

Remember the famous passage from Isaiah 40:31: 
"those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint." 

It comes down to this:

Trust.

He is worthy of it, and demonstrating it will change you!