How to Lack Nothing Part 1 of this article can be found in the March edition of the She Yearns Newsletter. Click here to read the archive when it becomes live.

How to Lack Nothing

Part 2

How then, do we become women who recognize our difficult days as God-ordained endurance-exercises and learn to LET IT BE?

Let God be God in our lives.

God is sovereign. I cannot emphasize this truth enough. You and I don’t have to like it. We don’t have to agree with His methods or decisions. But accepting His sovereignty over our lives in every season, especially ones like I experienced today—ensures spiritual maturity and inner peace. I want to experience both. I hope you do, too.

Learn to Roll with It – rather than fight against it.

This is easier for some than others. For those of us who are the more organized-controlling types who like to keep all our bins lined up in neat rows, with our chairs pushed in and our clothes hangers separated with the same amount of space between them and our meals planned—this is going to be difficult. But there is hope, even in the small stuff.

Practice builds endurance.

Last night I dropped an entire pan of potatoes I needed for a group– all over my floor and stove. It was a mess! All I said to my daughter was, “Let’s get this cleaned up before anyone notices there is a problem.” We threw it away, served a substitute, and went on about the evening. THAT would not have happened several years ago. In the past I would have had a conniption, cried, and everyone would have known about my mishap, ruining the tone of the evening for sure. But I’ve had to practice lots of mishaps larger and of greater significance than spilled potatoes over the last decade. At this point, I can’t afford to let a mess all over my floor in the middle of an event interfere with the relationships and the end results I’m after. You see how this is working? Endurance is beginning to build and have an effect. Regardless of the circumstances and details, somehow we begin to see past the disaster at hand — to experience the peace James speaks of and move further onto maturity in faith.

Focus on others – rather than yourself

Days like these draw us inward. Instead, we want to be intentional about looking to the needs of others. Even on my worst day, there is another woman, or another family who has greater needs than mine. I don’t always do it, but I want to make it my priority to look toward the needs of others rather than myself in these seasons when all I tend to do is think of myself and my own needs. What would God have me do? What would He have you do? Who would God have us minister to today –in an encouraging word? In deed? In prayer? These are God-honoring questions to ask ourselves that build our faith and the faith of others.

If you are part of a small group, you might want to use these questions to guide your discussion. If you are not part of a group, but would like to join the community of Shoulder to Shoulder readers, just read the questions below and write your responses in the comments section and post below. I would love to hear from your perspective. 

Discussion Questions

1) Have you ever found yourself in a season of endurance-building exercises? Describe what it was like to the group.

2) What do you find most difficult about this challenge in James to “let endurance has its perfect way”?

What do you find most encouraging about this challenge?

3) If you were to offer one piece of advice for learning to “let endurance have its perfect way,” to someone struggling in this area, what would it be?

3) What are other ways you can think of to become women who “lack nothing,” according to James 1:3-4?

Challenge

We should be challenged here to stop and think about what is happening to us when we are in the middle of our own trials. Are we “letting it” have its perfect way? Then each of us should ask ourselves what we need to do to grow in this area.

With much affection!

For His Glory,

Cheri