What to Do When Life Gets Complicated
Daniel asked a question to gain a better understanding of the situation and then took deliberate action to save many lives.
“It’s complicated,” said a young man with whom I spoke recently. In the past year, he made some life-altering choices, and those choices carried negative consequences. Now he stands at a crossroads and wonders which way to go.
I admit—his situation is indeed complicated, but it’s not without hope.
How can I be so sure? Because the Scriptures tell the story of another young man whose life became complicated and how he navigated the course successfully.
Meet Daniel
He and three buddies were captured by the Babylonians and chosen for an elite training program. During their training period, the ruling king of Babylon suffered from disturbing dreams. He demanded that his wise men tell him what his dreams were and then interpret their meaning.
They argued with him, saying his request was unreasonable. This infuriated the king, and he ordered that all wise men in Babylon be executed. Unfortunately, Daniel and his buddies were on the hit list (Daniel 2:1-13).
Daniel’s response
When the executioner showed up at their doorstep, Daniel knew what to do:
Daniel could have gone on a rant about the king’s foolish decree. He could have curled up in a fetal position, paralyzed by fear upon hearing the decree. He could have let the executioner do his job. Instead, he asked a question to gain a better understanding of the situation and then took deliberate action to save many lives.
Prayer played a role
A vital element in this process was prayer. The men asked God to show them the secret, and God answered immediately:
“That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision.” (Daniel 2:19)
What did Daniel do next? He praised God for being the source of all wisdom and power, and for sharing that wisdom and strength with him.
Follow Daniel’s example
If the word complicated describes your life today, then follow Daniel’s example:
No matter how grim your situation looks, rest assured it’s never beyond God’s wisdom or strength. He offers healing and hope, and He’ll bring you through as a stronger, wiser person.
Know you are loved,
Grace
If you’re needing encouragement in a storm right now, or you know someone who does, order a copy of my devotional book, Keeping Hope Alive: Devotions for Strength in the Storm.
Available wherever Christian books are sold or order your autographed copy here.
Winner of “Devotional Book of 2022” in the Golden Scroll Awards
If you’re needing encouragement in a storm right now, or you know someone who does, order a copy of my devotional book, Keeping Hope Alive: Devotions for Strength in the Storm.
Available wherever Christian books are sold or order your autographed copy here.
Winner of “Devotional Book of 2022” in the Golden Scroll Awards
Isn’t it sooo true…when things turn upside down in our lives we fret, stress, get all balled up…
Turning to the Source of help, organizing our thoughts as you’ve shown in the 6 bullets at the bottom of your message is sooo right on and can only lead to His ultimate healing in our lives.
I especially appreciate the fourth bullet – “•Confide in trustworthy friends and urge them to pray specifically.”
Understanding that it’s okay to talk about what we are going through, it’s okay to confide and share our troubles with one another…we need to be reminded of that from time to time. Confiding in a trusted friend can be the best medicine, especially when that friend engages you in prayer where true healing finds it’s roots.
I think too many times we keep it all bottled up inside not wanting to reveal our weakness, or ashamed of the situation we are in…there are many reasons why we don’t share the hard stuff but sooo many times the healing begins once we let go of our pride and draw towards that ear of understanding.
Thanks Grace for another “goodie” :o) (also thanks for being that “ear of understanding” in my life!)
Johnna
You’re so right about how we keep our stuff bottled up inside, not wanting to reveal our weaknesses. That’s probably fear-based: we’re afraid to let others know about our struggles for fear of what they might think of us.