Life has its ups and downs. Some days are great while others are more challenging. And, the fact is, life can change on a dime. One minute everything can be great and the next minute the bottom can fall out. Now, this should not cause us to live in fear or be worried all the time. If we are in Christ, then we know that God is with us through it all. We know that whatever we face – our God is greater. Therefore, we must learn to live in confidence in the good times and the struggles.
As a pastor, I feel these ups and downs to the extreme. One minute I am celebrating with someone who has just accepted Christ – placing their life in the hands of Jesus for the first time. It is truly a moment of incredible joy and life transformation. Then, the next minute I can receive a call about someone who has passed from this life to the next. The incredible grief in the voice of the person who has called to share with me about their departed loved one. One minute joy and the next mourning. Or, performing a wedding one evening and seeing the pure love of the couple and then counseling a couple the next day in a marital crisis. Or, a baby being born, a sick person to visit. Then, celebrate someone’s job promotion and help another in a financial struggle; a mission trip to take, a sermon to preach. There are joys and struggles every day, but our God is greater.
It has been said that we are all either in a crisis, coming out of a crisis or going into a crisis. So, how do we live and stay sane in the middle of all the ups and downs of life and ministry? Well, three important notes for all of us.
1. Spend time with God each day. You don’t know what a day holds, but you know who holds the day. So, start your day off with prayer and reading God’s Word. As you are grounded in Him, then you are prepared for the highs and the lows that will come. You are not letting the world set your emotional response, but you are allowing God to be your sure foundation. Then, you can rejoice in the Lord when good things happen and you can hold on to the Rock of your salvation when the struggles come. Find your life and value in Christ alone, and you will not be shaken through the ups and downs of life.
2. Learn to pray in the moment. Prayer is not something that you have to be in church or alone to do. You can learn to pray in your heart and mind wherever you are in life. So, when good things happen, say a short prayer and thank God for what He has done. Give Him the glory. Focus on the Lord. And, when a struggle or a challenge arises, then ask God to help you and give you strength. This will allow you time to breathe and temper your emotions. Many times we fly off the handle at a person or an event, and then we later regret our response even more than the situation. Prayer allows us to invite God into the ups and downs of life.
3. Trust God. – Sometimes we can forget about God when things are going well or when things are hard we tend to fight on our own. But, in the ups and downs of life, trust that God is Sovereign and He has an overall plan and purpose for your life. The ups and downs are all a part of His Will. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” In any and every situation, trust that God is greater. Trust that He is ultimately in control. This will help center you in Him and not let you ride the emotional roller coaster of life’s ups and downs.
Where God is, there is always a greater plan at work. In life and in ministry remember this, our God is a God of miracles. When it seems life is too hard, then remember our God is the One who can part the seas, make streams in the desert, restore dreams and raise lives. Our God is greater than the ups and downs of your life. He is truly in control and He loves you. I admit that sometimes it is challenging riding the waves of ministry, but I have seen God change too many lives, heal too many wounds and restore too many hearts to think that the odds are overwhelming or it all depends on me. It is all about Him. Our God set us on this journey, and He promises to be with us through it all. Our God is the God of the ups and the downs. He is at work in and through it all. Trust Him, and hang on for the ride. With God, your life and journey will truly be greater than you could ever imagine.
He is Lord of all, and He is with you through it all – through the ups and downs of life and ministry. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Jesus, Matthew 28:20