Part One:
I think sometimes we read Scripture as a collection of good verses to remember. But Scripture is more than something to quote.
IT IS truth meant to shape the way we think, live, respond, and see the world.
The word of God is alive.
Paul tells us:
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
— Romans 12:2
He tells us to think about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.
He tells us to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.
And he reminds us to set our minds on things above, not merely on what is happening right in front of us.
Take some time and write these down, study them until you believe👇
Romans 12:2.
Philippians 4:8.
2 Corinthians 10:5.
Colossians 3:2.
Why do you suppose God gives us so many reminders about our minds?Because He knows what life on earth means.
He knows what sin carries.
He knows what we will face.
He knows there will be moments when we look at our lives, our families, our world, and even our own stories and think:
“It wasn’t meant to be this way.”
And you know what? There is some truth in that statement too.
It wasn’t all meant to be this way.
Death, disease, brokenness, betrayal, injustice, grief, pain… these things were never God’s original plan for humanity.
But when that thought comes, we have a choice about which direction we take it.
We can take it down the road of self-centeredness:
Why me?
Why them?
This isn’t fair.
Look at everything I’ve lost.
Nothing will ever be right again.
And we can settle into pity.
and let me tell you this, pity and compassion are not the same thing.
Or we can tell ourselves the whole truth.
Yes.
It wasn’t meant to be this way.
But God is still working to redeem and restore.
He has not left us, and He will not forsake us.
And He says:
“Behold, I am making all things new.”
— Revelation 21:5
That changes how we carry what hurts.
It doesn’t mean we pretend it doesn’t hurt.
It doesn’t mean we call something good that is actually broken.
It doesn’t mean we don’t grieve.
It means we surrender what we cannot fix into the hands of the One who can redeem it.
And I believe this matters just as much in private as it does in public.
Both matter equally!
Because someone is always watching.
Someone is watching what we do with disappointment.
Someone is watching whether our faith holds up when our circumstances don’t.
Surrender will always produce better fruit than wallowing.
Every. Single. Time.
And one more thing I think is so important to add here:
God does not cause suffering, death, disease, or pain in order to teach us a lesson.
No.
Scripture tells us that the wages of sin are death.
We live in a world that is broken by sin and its consequences, and doesn’t realize it has the keys to freedom.
But the beautiful thing about God is that He can take what was never His intention and, when we surrender it to Him, use even that for His glory and for our story.
He can bring beauty from ashes.
He can bring life from death.
He can bring redemption from what was broken.
And He can take our stories, and use them to show someone else His loving kindness and point them toward a better way.
A way to choose life.
Abundant life.
Everlasting life.
So the next time that thought rises up…
It wasn’t meant to be this way. (Whatever “it” is for you)
Please don’t stop there.
Tell yourself the rest of the story.
It wasn’t meant to be this way….
BUT God is still with me.
God is still good.
God is still working.
And He is still making all things new.
Watch for PART TWO: The Truth! Coming later this week❤️
Shannon R. Hess 