Focus: Where are We Living?

@JeanneTakenaka

Does a song ever speak to you? We’ve been singing, “You Reign Above It All” for the past few weeks at church. This song speaks so vibrantly of how big, how powerful our Father is. It brought to mind an event where God began showing me the truth in this song.

Years ago, I walked into my women’s ministry office one Sunday morning after service. My heart pounded in indignation when I saw one of our volunteers sitting at my desk and rifling through some files for an outreach she and I were coordinating. 

What was she doing in my office? 

Without even asking?

I had only worked in Women’s Ministry for a few weeks, but already she had mastered the art of digging under my skin and doing things that felt disrespectful to the role I held. My focus was stuck on her and my frustration.

I found it difficult to work with this strong-willed woman who refused to do things according to church protocol. One day, after another incident with her, I was talking with my pastor’s wife, who was an older woman in my life.

She asked something to the effect of, “Are you going to live in the situation or above the situation?”

I stopped and pondered the deeper meaning behind the question. Of course I was living in the situation. I had to. 

That’s the thing, isn’t it? We may be smack in the middle of difficult situations, but our hearts don’t have to be mired in the emotions and the muck. Our focus doesn’t have to be fixed on all that is (or isn’t) going on.

Her words brought to mind the visual of being stuck in mud underneath a cloudy day, unable to move. This contrasted with an image of dwelling above clouds, viewing the situation from above, with Jesus beside me.

I didn’t have to allow this woman’s behavior to dictate my actions or my attitude. If I kept my focus on Jesus rather than on the woman, I could better navigate our time working together. I could glorify Jesus rather than misrepresenting Him by reacting in anger. 

When our eyes are fixed on the Lord rather than our circumstances we’ll endure and live above the situation.

We all walk through trials that bear down hard, that attempt to consume us. Regardless of what we face, we can fix our hearts on Jesus. We do this by remembering He is bigger than anything we confront this side of heaven.

He reigns above it all.

God is still God in all we face. Our Father’s God-hood doesn’t change with our circumstances. His omniscience isn’t altered by how we view Him in the middle of the dark spaces. Our perceptions don’t change the reality of who He is.

When we understand that God reigns above cancer, joblessness, divorce, prodigals, and every other heartbreak, we have confidence in yielding our hearts and lives to Him. When we trust Him to move in our situations—to act on our behalf—we are learning how to live above the situation.

When we trust the Lord to move in places where we can’t, 

When we trust Him to act in ways we can’t,

When we seek to emulate Him in each hard situation,

We are letting Him reign above all that we’re facing, and we’re living above our situations.

This woman who volunteered in our women’s ministry continued to push as we carried out the project. But, I learned how to set boundaries so that I wasn’t sucked into frustration with her.  And, I learned to pray for her. 

When we see God working in human hearts, we know He reigns above it all. 

What about you? How has God taught you to “live above the situation?” What helps you fix your heart on Him in hard circumstances?

Click to Tweet: Regardless of what we face, we can fix our hearts on Jesus.

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