"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."
-Viktor Frankl
This morning (literally this morning, not making it up), when I got to work I had a rather unpleasant conversation. It was more than an unpleasant conversation actually, it was confrontational and uncomfortable. A stranger looked me in the eye as I tried to hand him a couple of water bottles and attempted to don a new nickname upon me - I will not be using the nickname on this devotional! Let’s say it wasn’t a name that I will be asking you to call me anytime soon. After we had an unproductive exchange, the man walked away and our days went on. I walked away in a tizzy, ready to bemoan my innocence, find how many ways I could cut this guy down in my head, and garner sympathy from the next person I saw.
This morning, a man abruptly woke up. He was outside, chilled to his bones with no jacket, draped only by a small blanket, and all alone. The first words that stirred him from his slumber sounded something like, “Good morning man, I have to ask you to move somewhere else.” This voice came from a stranger who stood above our second character (seemingly judgmentally), looking like he might need a new nickname that embodied his abrasive tact. Instead of substantive help, our sleepy new friend was kicked out of the corner where he had found a sliver of comfort and safety. So he got up, shared a piece of his mind, and ventured on, disquieted and discouraged.
The story all depends on perspective, right? How we respond to trying circumstances has everything to do with our view of God, ourselves, and others. Our unadulterated belief system bubbles to the surface when we face difficulties and seemingly unfair conditions. It is when the rubber of our true, deep-held beliefs meets the road of real-life events. Our big question is, “What do we do when it feels like things can’t get any worse?”
Read 2 Samuel 16
1. Think of a time when you felt you were being treated unfairly, or when it seemed like things couldn’t get any worse for you - What was your initial response? What did that say about how you view God, yourself, and others?
2. When things go poorly, what is a disconnect between your professed belief in God and your actual response? What keeps you from living according to what you say you believe?
3. How do you think God views you in those moments? Is it different from when you act consistently with your beliefs? Why? (Don’t feel like you have to offer the “right” answer).
4. In what ways do you think God is calling you to change your perspective when your life feels unfair? How can you put that into practice this week? Who are you going to invite in to this call?