When There is No Peace

       Lately I've been discouraged, I have seen miracles happen and people taken care of in their lack, but I have felt discouraged towards my own work and my own life. I have felt lately that the work I do isn't always appreciated. But I was reminded of something today, pride is a big issue with me. This isn't about me, it's about Him. It's about glorifying my Father in heaven and telling people about Him. Sometimes I get lost looking at the numbers of the responses I see to a certain post, or the overall blog stats and I start to get full of myself thinking 'wow, they like what I wrote!' and then I get addicted to that emotional high, and let down again when it isn't repeated everyday. I will find myself worrying over the numbers of responses. When these things aren't important at all, not in the large scheme of things. It's not about me, it's about Him and I need to let go of my self-righteous pride and allow God to work. I need to be as happy with two views as I am with hundred, because He is the one causing it to touch the people He needs it to.
          Oftentimes, when I am dissatisfied with life it's because my spirit is out of alignment with God, without God there is no true peace, and when there is no peace that allows for these feelings of discontentment and discouragement and feelings of lack to appear. There's only one way I know to combat these feelings that works every time. I confess my sin to God, either privately or publicly like I did here. I ask for forgiveness and strength to stay out of this snare in the future, and then I read more of His word. Even if I'm not reading something that directly ties in with what I am experiencing just reading His word, His love letter to us, brings me so much comfort.
       I pray that if you are struggling with emotions that you take some time and really look at them, find the root of those feelings, it probably won't be comfortable and will mostly likely come back on you. But that's good, once you face the problem and admit it, everything from there is easy and less painful by comparison. It hurt to realize that the reason I have felt crummy the last couple of weeks was me. I didn't want to be the source of my own discomfort because it's easier to blame others, but there's no healing or peace in that, just more pain. Forgiveness had a price, and it is a price that Christ paid, all we have to do is let go of pride, humble ourselves before Him and accept what He already gave. Be blessed brothers and sisters.

Psalm 103:10-14        
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

1 John 1:9        
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

James 5:16        
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.