Did you ever notice how things seem to break
down or blow a fuse at the worst possible time? The water heater
goes out on Friday night instead of Monday morning. You run out of
hot water at the beginning of your shower rather than at the
end. The electricity goes off just as you turn on the hair
dryer. The car breaks down on the way to work instead of after
work. And, well, you get the point! Life can be full of annoyances,
for both women and men.
Sometimes though, life can hit you with REAL
challenges. Your relationship falls apart. Your boss blows a
fuse. Your family suffers a tragedy. Most of you have BEEN THERE. It
seems as though no one is going through what we have to endure. We
often wonder if anybody knows or cares how we feel. GOD DOES!
Jesus was no stranger to annoyances or to real
challenges. He told His followers to expect to put up with the
things of this world because they were NOT OF THIS WORLD (John
17:16.) In John 16:33 Jesus said, “In the world you will have
tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Common Sense Application
1. For electrical outages keep a few large
candles in each main room of your home. Make sure you have matches
to light them.
2. If the water goes off, remember, there are
gallons of fresh water in each toilet tank, NOT toilet bowl! It is
NOT usable for personal hygiene purposes, however, if you use any
additive in your toilet tank, such as drop-in chemical cleaners or
those that color the water, then don’t EVER use toilet tank water for drinking or cooking!
3. If the heat goes off, close off all but one
room by closing doors and blocking the space under the door. Your
body heat and any ‘still-working’ appliances will produce enough
heat to warm the room a little. It’s a good idea to buy a small
electric heater if you have recurring heating system
problems. Provide ventilation and DO NOT close off the room if you
use kerosene or other fuel type heaters!
4. To keep the general annoyances and even
serious events of life in perspective read the Old Testament books
of Psalms and Proverbs and, in the New Testament, read the four
gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), and the challenges the
apostles faced in the book of Acts.
