Sometimes you get news that breaks your heart. And while I’m not at a point where I’m able to talk about that news (due to the privacy of the other people involved), the bad news I received made me do a lot of thinking.

What I realized was that, two or three years ago, the news I’m talking about would have completely thrown my world off its axis. Despair would’ve taken over. I would have panicked and I would have ultimately spent at least a few nights contemplating the negatives of the situation and getting just about no sleep while I worried.

But as I’ve grown in my walk with Christ over the past year and a half, I’ve really started to realize how powerful His peace can be in my life. When I got that bad news a few days ago, my first reaction wasn’t despair or sadness. The feeling I felt instead was immediate hope and resolve. I knew that my first step had to be prayer and positivity, not negativity and panic. I never once asked God “Why?!”, but instead focused my attention on asking God for His healing and blessings on everyone involved.

It’s incredible what freedom we have in God. Every day, life presents us with circumstances that require a reaction. How we choose to react is a direct reflection of the faith we have in Him. You’re not wrong to feel despair when you receive heartbreaking news. But you are wrong if you feel like a situation is hopeless and God doesn’t have the power to turn it into something positive.

He does.

So stay positive. Trust in His plan. Believe  in His unending grace. There’s more power in that grace than any other force in the universe. And if you need prayer, don’t forget to visit Lindsie’s new Facebook group “The Altar” and let us know. Lots of praying going on over there, and we’d love to have you in our prayers too.

-Mike

Photo by Evan Courtney. Thanks!