ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
Today's reading: 2 Kings 4-5

"One day the widow of one of Elisha's fellow prophets came to Elisha and cried out to him, My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves." 2 Kings 4:1 NLT

I'm not a widow.

My husband has never served a prophet.

The creditors aren't beating down the door.

I don't have two sons, I have one, but not two.

But...

I see myself in this gal.

In the way she used her words.

In the way she slid a simple, but factual, statement into her plea...

...and you know how he feared the Lord...

Could have come from my lips.

It's a phrase used by myself, and others--yes, I'm throwing you under the bus right along with me this morning--when bad things happen to godly people.

But I've served the Lord...

But I've attended church my whole life...

But I'm doing everything as God wants me to do it...

But I was in church last week at least three times...

But I have read my Bible every day for ten day straight...

But I've given my tithes...

But...

But...

But...

Oh, it hurts when we think it shouldn't be happening the way it is coming to pass. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't seem, shall I say it in my very best dramatic third grade girl way--FAIR!

It's during those unfair times we tend to throw out the facts we have that should even up the scales.

It's while we are hurting that we look for reasons why we shouldn't be.

It's when things look bleak or unlovely that we tend to peer into the windows of other people's lives to notice what they have and we haven't.

It's while things seem very topsy-turvy that we begin with our 'checklist of godliness' and check off every box we've accomplished.

But shouldn't that be the very time when we should be bowing our knees and thanking God for knowing better? For knowing more than we do? For seeing farther than the moment we're standing in? For still loving us? For having it under His trustworthy control? For working ALL things together for His glory and for our faith-muscle building good?

I'm going to have to remind myself of that...