Dealing With Our Circumstances

We all have "circumstances." Our situations in life are as varied as the people involved. How we react to our circumstances- whether we believe the lies presented to us or embrace God's Truth - has a profound effect on everything else. Some circumstances are beyond our control. If we fail to see the hand of God behind our circumstances, we will be vulnerable to confusion, frustration, bitterness, anger, and despair.
One lie many women believe is that if only their circumstances weer different, then they would be different - they would act differently or they would be happier. What they are really saying is that they are victims of their circumstances, that they are powerless to control what they say or do. The truth is that we are not victims. Our circumstances do not make us what we are. They merely reveal what we are. We may not be able to control our circumstances; but by God's grace, we can choose how we respond to our circumstances.
Another way many believers have been deceived is by the idea that they shouldn't have to suffer. After all, as Christians, we should have lots of money, success, and no worries, right? Not necessarily. Jesus never promised an easy life. On the contrary, the Scriptures teach that it is impossible to become like Jesus - to be holy - apart from suffering. Because we don't understand the necessity and value of suffering, we are often more concerned about getting relief from our pain than about discovering the pure fruit God wants to produce in our lives through the pain.
Another lie we may fall for is that our circumstances will never change. If we believe this lie, we will grow discouraged and be tempted to give up when facing seemingly impossible circumstances. In order to walk in freedom, we must exchange our temporal, earthly perspective for a set of heavenly, eternal glasses. Even if nothing changes in our lifetime, the years we experience on this earth are a mere blip on the time line of eternity. So, we can pray for God to intervene, but we must be patient when He does not act as quickly as we'd like. We must trust, obey, hope and persevere even as we await His answers. And we must set our eyes on heaven!
The fourth lie deceives many people to give up and say they just can't take it anymore. They truly believe that God has placed too much in their lives. God promises, however, that His grace is sufficient to help us in our weakness.
Finally, the fifth lie seems to have found its way into the fabric of our selfish society - "It's all about me." Everything revolves around me; nothing is more important than my wants, my needs, my desires. This attitude has broken marriages, families, and hearts everywhere. The truth for believers is that this life is not all about them; it is all about God. He is the reason we exist, and we should live to honor and glorify Him.

From "Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free" by Nancy Lee DeMoss. Chapter Nine of the workbook.

This is from the Bible Study we have been doing on a weekly basis. It's been a wonderful study, and we highly recommend it.