More than positive intent

Is there really an real time in our lives when we are too young, immature, or obstinate to be important to God? Sometimes I think we discount our potential based on our chronological age, accomplishments, or obedient responses! God doesn't! He sees potential in the words of a child just learning to speak and the aged who share from a vast wealth of accumulated knowledge. He sees only the best in the one who seems to struggle with obedience repeatedly because he knows how badly we don't want to do the stuff we do. The potential one has in his eyes is really determined by the way we choose to yield our hearts and spirit to him - even when we do it less than perfectly.

I'm too young to be important, but I don't forget what you tell me. Your righteousness is eternally right, your revelation is the only truth. Even though troubles came down on me hard, your commands always gave me delight. The way you tell me to live is always right; help me understand it so I can live to the fullest. (Psalm 119:141-144)

Do we all have days when it seems like trouble is nipping at our heels? You bet! There are days when I don't know if I have seen my tail coming or going because I have been chasing it so long I don't know the difference! There are definitely times when trouble is chasing us and other times when we are chasing it. We just cannot do much about this phenomena except to pull closer to Christ and place him in control. The more difficult times for us are when we are the ones chasing trouble! This is a situation we can, and should definitely change! What we pursue is quite different from what pursues us, isn't it? Make the right choices and the pursuits are likely to be different than making a whole lot of wrong choices.

To chase trouble is simply unwise all the way around. In order to break the cycle, we must recognize that we are in the cycle of chasing something unwise, unprofitable, or unkind! It is likely unwise because of what the pursuit embodies, such as selfish motives or impure (unholy) outcomes. It is definitely unprofitable because of what if produces - things like destroyed character, lost relationships, hurt feelings, habits, and hang-ups we just have multiplied troubles ever trying to be free from. These kind of troubles we CAN avoid - - but do we? Living to the fullest is only possible when we get a handle on the things we are chasing! We can do very little about what is chasing us, but we can learn how to respond to the chase! When chased, do we allow the troubles to stop us in our tracks, surrendering to their influence, and just allowing ourselves to be taken in by the pressures of the trouble? If so, we are playing the part of the victim. God wants us to remember that we are not the victim, but the victor!

Police officers learn the tactical expertise of "the chase", going after the criminal in a skillful manner so as to "minimize" the potential for injury to bystanders. Have you ever noticed the troubles that seem to chase us are not as skillful in minimizing the injury to innocent bystanders in our lives? Why is this? Probably because we haven't learned how to avoid responding to the troubles chasing us by turning them over to God for him to deal with them! When we try to deal with them, others often get hurt in the process. We can do much about what we allow our mind, spirit, and emotions to chase after, respond to, and be affected by. It is equally important to allow God to prepare our minds for the troubles we will face with each new day - some out of our control, others brought on because of our "lack of control". Every response to trouble begins with the thought we attach to it. If we attach the thought process to a troubling circumstance such as, "With God, all things are possible," then we are more likely to look for a solution instead of surrendering to what we may feel we have no control over. Every thought leads to an action - every action leads to a reaction. Respond to trouble with the right action and the reaction will be positive! Just sayin!