Last week I won over $80,000 in cash! I was so excited. Until I dropped twenty dollars on the ground, and someone grabbed it and ran off. Let me tell you, I was so upset I got rid of all the remaining money.
That’s a ridiculous story, isn’t it?
But don’t we do exactly that a lot? Each of us is given 86,400 seconds every day of our lives. Yet, how often do we allow something to ruin an entire day? Being cut off on the highway, something going wrong at work, an unkind word from a co-worker, boss, friend, or even our spouse. Most of these occurrences involve an interaction of maybe a minute at most. However, because of that bad moment, we choose to throw away what is left of our 86,400 seconds. What had been a good day suddenly turned bad.
Admittedly, I’ve had my share of bad days, but as I reflect upon them I’m reminded of Romans 5:1-5:
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
When we are facing problems, it’s not easy to remember (and rely) upon these verses. Neither is it easy to remember that suffering produces endurance or that endurance produces hope.
If I’m honest, there are times when I don’t even want endurance for myself. Then I notice eyes looking my way, and I’m reminded that there are others who see my actions. It might be my brothers and sisters who I serve with in the church, my unbelieving neighbors, or even my wife. Yet, while those are concerning enough to me, it really hurts when I turn and see one of my twelve grandchildren or my three children and their spouses viewing my actions.
The truth is, God only gives us so many days on this earth. And my goal is to bring honor and glory to Him in each and all of those days.
I’m not doing that when I have wasted the time that He has given me by being in a bad mood. I realize that I am not going to be bright and chipper all the time. But when I choose to dwell in a dark place God is not glorified, so I pray that I’m reminded of this when problems and difficulties come.
I pray, also, that you will remember what we have been given in His Word and that you will learn to look to Him before allowing a bad moment to ruin your day.
Now… if any of you can replace that $80,000 I got rid of…
