A believer's spiritual maturity can be measured by what it takes to steal his joy.
~Dr. John MacArthur
Yes, Dr. MacArthur, I failed (again). When will I learn how to not give into the flesh? When will I learn to not allow things and people to steal my joy? I am obviously still spiritually immature. I can totally relate to Paul, when he talks about how he does what he doesn’t want to do, but yet he does it.
So here’s the story: I am out of the pain pills from my knee replacement surgery. The doctor gives me another prescription and when we went to get it filled, we were informed that specific medication had been pulled off the shelves by the FDA. The other pain pill options have made me sick in the past, so they sent in a new prescription to our local CVS. When we went to pick it up they said it was never send in, so I called the doctor’s office back and they said they would call again and fax it. So we went back to CVS and they still said they had not received it. While Darryl was standing there waiting I was calling the doctor again after 5 pm, knowing full well they weren’t going to be there. I was hoping for after hours contact number because I was down to my last pill and facing the Thanksgiving weekend. During this time the CVS Pharmacy folks finally found it! I was so upset that we had made two trips there, the doctor’s office had made multiple calls, and they overlooked the script several times. I’d like to report that I was calm, that I rejoiced or I prayed for divine intervention, but nope I had a full blown melt down like those drug addicts on Intervention. I told Darryl to tell them they are idiots! I said it again, IDIOTS!! Now if you know my husband, you would know that he did not do as I asked.
Just call me the Hulk! I turned green and puffed up it was really ugly, but I was so angry that they had overlooked my prescription not just once, but several times. I was a little overwhelmed at the thought of facing the weekend without something to help with the pain that starts to show its ugly head about every 5 hours. On top of that I was trying to cook some items for our Thanksgiving meal. As I sat at the dinner table contemplating my fate Darya walks in and asks me what was wrong because my face looked white. Well at least it wasn’t green!
Mistakes happen. Mishaps comes. Anger comes. What will we do with it? I obviously don’t have the answer; certainly I have not achieved turning the other cheek, trusting Him completing to take care of my needs, casting my anxiety on Him, rejoicing in all things
Here is the Truth to which I find I must learn to cling to when mishaps happen, when anger creeps in to steal my joy:
Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.1 Pet. 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.1 Pet. 5:7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Phil. 3:6-7
When will I learn that my “Father knows what I need...” Matt. 6:8 I must purposely live today how I want to be remembered tomorrow. When I pass from this world to the next I hope others can look back on my life here and say:
That girl loved Jesus with everything in her. Her passion was to live each moment reflecting of the Savior who died for her and although she failed many times, she always looked to the Lord for correcting, for help and by His Spirit within her she begin to succeed, bringing glory to God.
Now may I purposely try to live like it…again.
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