Proverbs 12:25 (ESV)
“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”
Whether it’s a relationship, situation, or other commitments and engagements, when their time in our lives is winding down, it’s a very challenging time for many of us. This is especially true when something very meaningful and important is coming to its close. The emotions often surprise us. There are things about us that we might not have realized until the heartbreak of separation dawned our doors. Then there’s the panic. We get used to people, places, and things, and they fade into the fabric of our lives in a way that makes us believe they will remain. The reality is that sometimes things end with an outcome we could never have predicted, and a place that we didn’t design or seek to own is where we’ve ended up.
It’s easy to lose perspective when our lives take an unexpected and sometimes disappointing turn. A person can start out very strong in the Lord, and heartbreak and disappointment can make them shrink back in their commitment to the faith. They stop pursuing the things of God and neglect the call He has on their lives. It’s not uncommon to see two believing spouses turn into two completely different people after their relationship ends. One may use the wilderness experience of a breakup to fuel their fire for God even more. The other may do the exact opposite.
We need to know that God can bring beauty from the ashes of our devastation. He is a Redeeming God, and through His infinite love, power and grace, He can take the worst of the worst and bring it back to life. When the Apostle Paul was struggling with a troubling situation, God told him in 2Corinthians 12:9(NLT), “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” God’s grace is all that we need, but sometimes we don’t see it that way, even though we’ve been on this journey a long while.
The degree of our pain and disappointment over the end of something important can be deep, but our willingness to surrender it all to God and go higher in Christ should be greater than our pain. Proverbs 12:25 tells us that heartbreak and anxiety can weigh us down, but God’s Word can turn our sadness and mourning into joy.
Jesus Christ said in Mark 8:36(NLT), “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” The world teaches us to deal with anxiety and pain by indulging the very things that will cause more of them. Many people use drugs, alcohol, or other addictions as a way of escape. It’s not uncommon for these same individuals to turn their backs on God and blame Him because their heartbreak and sadness were not prevented.
The lesson of life isn’t about clinging to people and making them stay in our lives. The lesson of life is Christ, to be like him in every way so that we can please God. Growing in Christ is God’s priority for us, but many haven’t understood this. They’ve never practiced the teaching of Christ in Matthew 6:33, which is to seek God first and above any other thing. Because they didn’t do this, their heartbreak was life’s wake-up call to open their eyes, so they’d repent from neglecting their relationship with God, and then change their ways.
As Christian women, we are required to keep our minds sharp and our hearts saturated and overflowing with love for God. This is the foundation that allows us to love in a healthy way. Jesus Christ teaches us about this in Luke 12. He tells us that wherever our treasures are found, our hearts will be found there as well. So, if we’re treasuring any other thing over our relationship with the Creator of the universe, we’re robbing God of the honor that He is due.
We should never allow any situation to cause us to become out of faith’s reach. Jesus tells us in Luke 12:35-36 (ESV) “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast.” This is the remedy for all of our heartaches and anxiety. It’s to remember our commitment to God through Jesus Christ, and to always make it the highest priority of our lives. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Stay Dressed for Action” written by Kim Times, edited by Fran Mack and K. Stephens for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!