I have been giving a lot of thought to one of the questions asked in our last Cell Group: “How do we navigate our ups and downs in our lives as a Christian?”
Life is full of highs and lows. If we live long enough, we will face joys, successes, love, betrayals, failures, shame, frustration, and seasons where everything seems to go well. In the good times, it is easy to forget what God is doing for us, and we may even think our success is due only to our own ability. But when things go wrong, we may start blaming or questioning God: “Why did He let this happen? Why didn’t He answer my prayer?”
For me, I have had to learn to recognize the triggers in my life that affect the way I think about God. My father loved me, but I remember one particular day that stands out. He took a rare day off work, brought me to his favorite coffee shop, and proudly introduced me to his friends as his daughter. Later, we went to the movies—a joy I loved as a child. That day, both of our love tanks were filled. But as I grew older, my father became more absent physically and emotionally, and that created some wrong concepts in me about what a father should be.
When I encountered Father God’s love in a supernatural way, I forgave my dad for not being there when I needed him most. I wish I could say that I was instantly and completely transformed in my trust toward Father God—but it has been a process. I have to continually renew my mindset about who He is to me. When I struggle to trust Him, I remind myself that He is trustworthy and true. He has proven to me over and over that He is always with me. He may not answer prayers the way I want, or in the timing I desire, but His motives are always good, and His intentions toward me are always rooted in love.
God does not need to change to fit my expectations; instead, I must keep realigning my heart and thoughts with who He is and who I am to Him. I am learning to trust that Father God is always present with me. He considers me, fathers me daily, and raises me as His child. My part is to value and honor Him, giving Him full access to my life so I can grow in wisdom and faith. Like the prodigal son, I need to keep returning to my Father’s arms—not as a slave or orphan, but as a beloved daughter.
Though my earthly father has passed away, I remain grateful for him and love him dearly. Recently I learned that in Jesus’ time, the word “orphan” referred to someone without a father. But I have a Father—my Heavenly Father. I am not an orphan. I am His child, created in love.
So how do I navigate the ups and downs of life as a Christian? I remind myself that Father God knows what is best for me. As I walk through life’s challenges and joys, I walk with my Daddy God. When my heart or mind begin to stray, I adjust them back to trusting Him. I am learning to do this more quickly as I focus on His presence with me. When my thoughts are realigned with truth, my heart follows.
Someone once said: “When we are focused on something, we start to notice it everywhere.” For example, if you’re thinking about red cars, suddenly you start seeing red cars everywhere. In the same way, when I focus on God’s faithfulness, I start seeing reminders of His faithfulness in Scripture, teachings, and daily life. I can choose each day to focus on His goodness. Even in hard times, this brings peace and helps me not to fret.
I pray this short sharing encourages you in your own walk with God.
Scriptures to ponder :
Deuteronomy 7:9 – “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.”
Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Hebrews 10:23 – “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Ephesians 3:20 “He is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think.”
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