When Life Unravels

Whether it’s unemployment, Alzheimer’s or a personal tragedy – all of us face moments when life unravels. When our carefully controlled spheres no longer make sense and nothing we do can change the circumstances.

How do we deal with life when it unravels?

Psalm 43 gives us three action points.

Focus on God; not the problem.

Psalm 43:1-2 reminds us that God defends us and delivers us. He is the vindicator and the one in whom we take refuge. As we focus on God, we think more positively and we’re better able to deal with the problem.

As Reverend G explains it during her own unraveling, “The question may be ‘Why’ but the answer is ‘Who.’”

Focus on the lesson; not the pain.

Psalm 43:3 promises that God’s light and his truth will lead us. He will bring us to his holy hill and to his dwelling – to that place of utter peace whether we’re in heaven or on earth.

When we focus on the lesson, we ask God to teach us what we need to know about our own faith journey. We  learn how to purge some of the worldly attitudes that seem to control us. We  learn more about God’s power and his love for us. And certainly, we  learn more about trust.

As we focus on the lesson God wants to teach us, the pain becomes the secondary focus and a bit easier to bear.

Focus on the future; not the present.

In Psalm 43:5, King David reminds us to keep our hope in God because he is our salvation. He teaches us an important principle that I like to call, “Living in the Yet.”

“Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.”

As we focus on the future, we think about living in the yet – when this present circumstance has worn itself down, when we have worked through the grief, when we have learned the lesson.

Ultimately, the things we go through on earth will be just a tiny speck of memory. Someday, none of these unravelings will ever affect us again.

Focus on the future, not on the present circumstance. Live in the yet and stay in hope.

©2013 RJ Thesman