Our first instinct, when difficult circumstances strike, is to turn to God and ask Him to intervene and change our circumstances. We focus our energy and attention on getting God to intervene with the situations that create resistance and bring about change on our behalf.
Although it is biblical and normal for a believer to do this, over time, we can get so focused on the breakthrough that we lose sight of intimacy with God and our own growth. We become obsessed with the issue over everything else.
The Call for Change
In the process, we ignore the invitation for growth that every difficult situation can bring about. An upgraded mindset not only prays for God to change the circumstances, but also “God, change me!”
In my journey, I have found that God will certainly deliver us from trials and tribulations, but He often leads us through the difficulty, growing us to live as overcomers, where the situation before us loses power to take us out.
The overcomer’s heart realizes there is growth available in the midst of the struggle. Too often we can jump to looking for relief and not lean into the maturity God is calling us to in the midst of our battles.
What the enemy meant for working against you can actually develop a resilience and growth like nothing else. Let your difficult circumstances be an invitation to carry a level of peace you didn’t previously carry. It’s there, it’s in you. It just needs to be cultivated. Difficult circumstances can cause us, if we have the right mindset, to focus in on carrying a greater level of peace in our life.
Confronting Our Discomfort
In this process, we also have to confront our longing to live in comfort. This need can often rise above everything else. Many times we are pleading with God about our circumstances, primarily because we don’t like being uncomfortable.
We’ve become a culture that runs from discomfort at all costs. Yet our circumstances are often calling us to press into a higher level of connecting to who God is and activating our divine potential.
If our personal comfort and ease was God’s number one priority, then every plea and cry for instant relief would be answered. Yet if your experience is anything like mine, there is often a deeper invitation for maturity, patience and growth.
But for so long my honest prayer was, “God, just get me out of this!” When I leaned into the growth He had for me, not only did I see much greater fruit, the problem in front of me slowly lost its power over me.
Peace Resets Your Focus
When I take in the peace of God, I reframe my focus. Whatever I focus on is what I will keep looking for in life. So if my focus is on the peace of God, then I will transpose that power onto every circumstance of life.
The more I focus on the peace of God, it becomes the narrator of my life. I find it so important for the peace of God to be involved in writing my story. If I interpret my journey through the lens of God’s peace, clarity arrives and I can better connect to the wisdom of God. That peace authors helps to author the testimony I carry.
If I am focused on “I’m all alone,” or “this is going nowhere,” or “I can’t do this,” then I will spend my day looking for evidence to corroborate those lies. It will dictate my attention and steal my peace. But if I shift my focus and attention on what God says about me, I can dwell in His peace and thrive in any situation. The situation then bows to the authority of God’s report over my life.
Growing in Peace Capacity
Now that wasn’t my mindset for a long time. In fact, I would very easily be taken out by every wave and current the enemy would throw my way. I could very easily be taken out.
In my begging God for peace, He granted me a new invitation. “Turn your focus on letting Me grow you in any circumstance and watch the storm lose it’s power.”
It’s taken some time and I have so much to learn, but I am not who I was 15 years ago. What took me out on a daily basis became the laboratory for God to grow me up and out of those prison cells.
Today I have new battles that challenge my peace and at times, take me out of peace. But I know what I can return to. I also find that when I lean into the maturity in front of me, I can always win. If my focus is always on God doing something about my situation, I can bounce up and down in my perspectives.
In no way am I saying to give up praying about your circumstances. But what we need is a more empowered focus as we seek to breakthrough.
Developing Your Focus
If you zero in on the peace of God, you’ll learn the importance of developing a laser-sharp focus in these days. Everything around you is set to steal your peace, so be aware of what takes your focus and attention.
So as an exhortation, become aware of what gains your attention the most. Whatever has your attention will determine what you focus on in life.
God is saying to us, “My peace is available to you, but it needs your undivided attention.”
Recommended Resources:
- I Will Not Fear Book
- I Will Not Fear – Online Training Course