What do you do when things don’t turn out the way you planned? You didn’t get the raise. The promotion went to someone else. You received a surprisingly low grade. You’re team lost. You get the picture. We’ve all been there and some of you are there right now. You’re trying your best to process a difficult situation, but “what do you do?”
Albert Einstein dealt with family struggles. He made terribly destructive decisions that resulted in divorce and the loss of his children. He was a pioneer in the field of theoretical physics but was ostracized by the scientific community. He was the only one convinced that his work was right. Eventually, Einstein became mentally and physically ill. But it was in the middle of this time of difficulty that he penned these words, “Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow.” That sounds much like the words of Scripture in Romans 15:4, For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
The Bible contains the blueprint for successful living. That includes navigating troubling times. Life is a journey. It begins, it changes, and it takes us to both challenging places and wonderful places. A blueprint is a plan that defines the end result. Today would be a good time to start following God’s blueprint for your life. The Psalmist said, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm 32:8