Chapter 9: The Faith Habit -- Friday – Acceptance with Joy AND Abandon yourself to God

I loved these two sections in the book. Sometimes it is so hard to wait in joy. I have a few friends who are waiting for a baby. They cannot have a baby and so are going through the adoption process. I have a few friends who are single. They are waiting for Mr. right. I myself am waiting for the next big thing. Currently we are experiencing a summer season in our marriage and relationship and I'm waiting for the shoe to drop.

In all these cases we can choose our attitude. We can choose to wait and be miserable. We can worry, stress and be anxious. Or we can have the peace that only God can give us. We can ask for what you need and expect him to answer.

Mark 11:24 NIV says:

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

I was reading another book last night about the life of Elijah. In the book it said "Do you ever think that God makes us wait for something because he wants us to become fully reliant on him?" Another devotional from yesterday stated that most Christians talk about the redeeming qualities of Jesus Christ, but never focus on the true end, a true relationship with God. In our fallen world it usually takes God something big to get us to follow him and his ways. In the good times we seem to go through the motions. When something big happens we seem to see real transformation.

Are you in a period of waiting today? Are you joyful while you are waiting? One thing that Tracy Miles said in her book Stressed Less Living is to not focus on the negatives. Focus on the positives. I challenge you today to start a blessings list. Each day write down three things you are thankful for. On a day where you are feeling down or upset pull out this list of blessings. Sometimes seeing them written down helps us to focus on the positives and not the negatives.

Someone once said a Non Christian lives in the past and worries about the future, but a Christian lives in the present with hope for the future. Do you want to live in the past? Or do you want to have hope for the future? Are you abandoning yourself to God? Let God forgive you for your transgressions. Forgive yourself for you past and start living in the present.