We made it through Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Did you do any shopping? Did you get anything great? This may come as a surprise to some of you but I like shopping. Lest I lose the respect of all the men reading this blog let me clarify something. I don’t like going shopping. I like shopping for the perfect gift. I love giving gifts that are just what the person wants. I do not enjoy perusing stores. I don’t mind perusing the internet but I do so with a specific person in mind.
Over the years I think I have generally been more successful in finding that perfect gift than not. But there have been a few times when the expression on my loved one’s face was an attempt to be thankful rather than a spontaneous jubilant reaction. More often than not that happened because I ran out of time in my shopping and had to settle for something less than I knew was the perfect gift. My family is always gracious but I don’t give gifts to solicit graciousness. I want to see delight in their eyes. But, like I said, I had to settle for something less.
I’ve had a couple of conversations with people lately who’ve been going through a difficult time. Their circumstances are different and it’s arguable that their difficulties were not their fault. Almost daily we face challenges to our faith. It’s part of the Christian life. But I was disappointed in how they responded to their hardship. They accepted the emotional and spiritual pain that accompanied the hardship and were just living with it. I was disappointed not in them but for them because I think they settled for something less than what God wants for them.
[Tweet "God doesn’t allow hardship for us to wallow in it but to make us stronger in our faith."]
Are you settling for something less than God’s best for you? Have you let some trial or circumstance steal your joy? Don’t give in! Don’t settle for something less! You will get your joy back!
[Tweet "The joy of the Lord is God's perfect gift to you!"]
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