God’s Beauty Beyond the Highs and Lows

Disappointments? Frustrations? Not-met expectations? You are never alone. 

The past few weeks had been such melancholy days. Thought ‘twas because of the new season as they say the spirit it brings. Never had been lonely since I came especially because I’m used to move to different places, being away from home and perhaps doing things alone. But uncontrolled circumstances arose like conflict in relationship at the office and you’re in between, frustrations from not meeting some expectations at work and the things I wanted to do, the feeling of ‘wish-I-could-do-more’ in my service to God but other things and my schedule collide. So, I’ve been trying to cope everything by meeting people especially with Christian friends, exerting efforts to eat healthily and regular exercise, striving to be such a better person daily in many areas of life (they help a lot though.) But what a best feeling at end of the day is when there’s nothing left but God alone. It is He who hears my every frustration, some vulnerabilities and all disappointments. Yet what I love in having some low points in life is when I tell God, “There’s nothing beautiful in me except YOU alone.” And God answers, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in your weaknesses.”

Yet nothing more helpful with the things we go through for each season but to embrace them with the learnings we have to imply and to apply to ourselves:

1. God can use you in spite of your situation. There are those times that you're in need of encouragement and prayers from others. But what's surprising is when God uses us to be the source of encouragement and a blessing to other people. Unexpectedly, God opens doors of opportunities to share His love to others and you may never know that other people go through the same situation as you. Just recently when I got to share God's love and Biblical principles about submission to authorities to a co-worker when she felt stressed from work as well. And just yesterday, as I was having a date with a close friend, she shared about equally almost the same area of struggles or way even more. It was a roller-coaster of emotions from serious talks in the restaurant, crying on the streets, laughing at the park, prayer time and reflecting the verses from Isaiah 40:30-31, “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Just as how God used Joseph and Paul mightily to be the light and salt to others as they were in prison and in deep sorrow, God provides unexpected opportunities and uses our words to uplift other people's troubled hearts. And it's like encouraging your own self too!

2. Commitment over Emotions. We often hear this from Biblical marriage talks but this principle applies in other areas of life. I learned this again recently when I have to do what I ought to do regardless of how I feel, like going to work and other stuff. Some women I've met say, when they are emotionally not okay, it affects everything they are and they don't feel like doing anything. I mean, there are tendencies for women to be like this. But if you are committed to do something like work and other commitments, you have to be responsible for them and to be productive at all times or at least at most times. Learn to master your emotions not your emotions to master you! 

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” -Psalm 139:23-24

3. More to see that break God's heart. Someone told me that when things don't go according to plan, always remind yourself of why you do what you do. This becomes real when some things don't go smooth as you desire to happen. Every time I spend time with God, the peace that transcends all understanding comes back and the Holy Spirit reminds me of my purpose, of why God sent me here. There are more to see, more to think of, more to do and more to pray. I call it ‘self-realignment’; realigning yourself to God’s will and His purpose in our lives. Yesterday, we had a prayer time for Japan, for the world, for the persecuted church and for our calling for missions, to preach the gospel to all nations and to start it to battle on our knees. It was a refreshing time of prayer, to be reminded that we have to fix our eyes on what is unseen and to not what is seen, to focus on eternal things and not for temporal things. Every time I pray about missions since college, this has been part of my prayer from a portion of a song lyrics,

“Heal my heart and make it clean, Open up my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like You have loved me. Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause. As I walk from earth into eternity...”

There is no one, no other source of strength, motivation and our faith, but only Jesus. Our circumstances may change but He is immutable, an ever-unchanging God. There’s always beauty beyond what we feel, beauty in brokenness, beauty in all highs and lows. It’s the beauty of Jesus’ love, His grace and His promises in every season of our lives!