Ep.1094: How Do You Handle Being Uprooted in Your Life?
Finding value in the upheavals of our life experience
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CHAPTERS
Theme Scripture: Psalm 116:12
Being uprooted can mean a lot of different things. It can be the onset of a disease or disability, the loss of a job or loved one or experiencing a difficult trauma. Maybe it is a change of location - a physical move or perhaps an emotional jolt that makes us reset our thinking. Being uprooted is by definition unexpected, unwelcome and uncomfortable. It messes up our lives! Christians might like to think that because we have God working in our daily experiences, we are going to be shielded from such things. This is entirely untrue. On the surface this might seem disappointing, because nobody wants to go through experiences that mess everything up! The good news is that uprooting experiences, especially for a Christian, can be some of the greatest tools of our lives!
How do we change a difficult, uprooting kind of circumstance into a tool for growth? While there is no magic potion that alters the reality of our experience, there is something powerful we all can access. Perspective. Perspective does not have any power over the uprooting challenges we may face. It does not take away an illness, cancel out an emotional loss or reverse a job change. So, if perspective can’t change the undesirable circumstances we are facing, what good is it? Turns out that perspective can, if we let it, alter our destiny.
Ask the right question
When faced with hard circumstances - even as people of faith - we often react with some bewilderment. It is easy to blurt out that age-old question of frustration, “What does God want from me?” We can all sympathize, as we have all felt this way at one time or another. Here one of the great hidden truths of life regarding the questions we ask comes into play. We can never get the right answers unless we are asking the right questions! It is in this moment where perspective has its power. Instead of asking, “What does God want FROM me?” we should consider asking, “What does God want FOR me?”
With this subtle yet mind altering change, we are suddenly looking for how God will walk us through an experience rather than wondering why he dropped us into it. We can now see the uprooting we face with assurance rather than bewilderment. We are acknowledging that God has a reason behind it. This is perspective beginning to shine!
How do we put this all together to have an impact? Check out our October 7, 2019 podcast, “How Do You Handle Being Uprooted in Life?” We walk through several biblical examples of individuals being uprooted. We observe how each of these uprooting experiences was different in the way they came about. They all had diverse reasons for happening. Most importantly we trace God’s “why” for these heroes of faith and how that “why” can easily apply to us as well. Uprooting happens! Make it work for you!
Thanks Rick and Jonathan. I really enjoyed your program on being uprooted. Forwarded it to several who are going through some tough trials–also to my Mom, because I want her to move to Alabama.
You all: Rick, Tricia, Jonathan and Jewel have been in my prayers for a while.
Lord bless and keep you.
Love
Karen
Thank you so much for your comments! We are humbled that it was of help. – Christian Questions