Motivation Monday with Aaron {Oct 12, 2021}

“16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. There have been many times in history where people have paused, looked around and honestly admitted they faced an uncertain future. Today is no different. A person who thrives on control must struggle in today’s climate. It can be very worrisome not knowing what’s going to happen. We experience fear and anxiety and simultaneously have hopes and aspirations. We can’t simply hide away and try to live our lives with as little risk as possible and lose the fullness of life. Instead, God calls us to a life of courage, gratitude, trusting and listening for His leading safe in His unfailing love. Change and danger are constants in life. If we are going to live our lives as fully as God intends, we must open ourselves to all the challenges, risk, danger, disappointment, as well as love, peace, and joy that we are likely to encounter. God sees all the possible outcomes from a very complicated and messy set of circumstances, and we should rely on Him alone to set our course. In Matthew 6, Jesus reminds his followers, “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” (v. 26) Jesus goes on to say that God already knows what we need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (v.34)When we read those verses, we can only conclude that we have a God who meets our needs. But we must stop thinking of God as a backstop in case our efforts to control our life and circumstances fail. When we worry over the future, we need to remember that God will take care of us. It requires a decision to trust Him and not to jump in before we have a resolution from God. We are all facing an uncertain future. If you are worried or stressed about that future, don’t panic. It’s amazing how the heart changes, learns, and grows from these times. It’s not always easy but trusting God is the solution for an uncertain future.