"This is not fair. God, why is this happening to me?" You may be facing a challenge right now that's got you all stressed out. You may feel like a person has you painted into a corner, or an unfair situation has sapped the life out of you. You've been working hard, praying, doing your very best, but you still have no control over an unfair situation that's happening right now. In times like these, it's so easy to revert back to your old habits, or think that you can somehow change it yourself. You simply have NO control over it, but you keep trying to handle it "your way". My friends, you have two choices when it comes to being treated unfairly with no way to change it yourself: 1. You can blame your situation on somebody else. It's their fault because you believe that you've done nothing wrong, and because of them all of your faith and hard work are in vain. They control the outcome of all your prayers, and they are the keeper of all your blessings. WRONG. When you choose this choice, it will turn your bad situation inward and then eventually outward. Like a cup of coffee being filled up, the cup can only hold so much; the more you take, the higher it gets and then eventually overflows and YOU get burned, not them. The second choice you have in an unfair situation is: Give it to God. Trust Him. Don't over-think and don't overreact. It is not the end of the world. Life is not over. God is still in complete control. You must begin to give these situations to God. He has placed people in your life for a reason, and you can't always figure that reason out. There will be times in your life that you must realize that you can't fix it, only God can. So in times like these you must accept the challenges He gives you with all your heart. These challenges are FOR you. There is nothing that He will put in your life that you can't handle. God's challenges are helping you grow into the person He wants you to be. The Real You is formed through adversity. The daily tests you face are allowed by God to help you become who He longs for you to be. And you may be fighting against a person or a situation right now, it's not fair; it seems like the harder you work, the worse your situation gets. Maybe you feel like doing good just doesn't pay off, that your prayers are being ignored. Friends, God has not forgotten you. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. His promises remain. So just because you don't see anything happening, does not mean that He is not hard at work. Right now, He IS hard at work, using your circumstances FOR YOU. HE IS GOD. HE CAN DO ANYTHING. Just because it looks grim, today, does not mean that tomorrow won't hold your victory! This is not the end of your story. Your book will never be finished until you are standing face to face with Jesus Christ and God Himself. So, relax. Have a sense of peace. Know in your heart that God's promises for your life still stand firm, and there is nothing that nobody can do about it, no matter how hard they try. Have an attitude of thankfulness. Why? Because right now, God is preparing you for something so much greater. If you could only see HIS PLANS, you would smile wide! Right now, through your faithfulness in adversity, His level of blessings are being raised higher and higher AND HIGHER. HE SEES YOU. And the very things that you pray so hard for Him to change, for Him to take away or fix; those are the very things that He is using to get you closer to Him, and become who you were made to be. You can pray, "God, fix this person! This is not fair! They are draining all of my energy and they care for nobody but themselves!" or "God, PLEASE change this situation I'm facing, I don't know how much more I can take!" Friends, this is when you must give it to God. When you have no control, He takes control. When you've done all you can, He does what you can't. He takes care of it. That's how you keep your joy, because you KNOW He's got it. If you ask him to change a situation, He might not be changing it because He's never seen you on your knees so much. He wants you to pray, so He might not change what you want, right now, because He's never seen you pray so hard. God is developing your character and helping you grow. Your challenges are helping you hone your faith. He is forcing you to rely on Him and only Him. He created you, so He wants you to have Him in your life. He is trying to show you that you have no control over any situation or person; that you only have control over how you react. He wants you to react by giving it to Him; by knowing that nothing can happen if He didn't have something better to come from it. If you think you can handle it on your own, He will step back and say, "Ok, go ahead. You obviously don't need my help." But if you allow your situation to bring you to your knees, God will use all of your adversities for your advantage. If you will forgive others, rather than try to control them, God sees that. He's gonna bless you for it. If you will pray about your unfair situation, rather than worry so hard about it, God sees that. He's gonna bless you for it. If you will show love to the unloveable, God sees that. He's gonna bless you for it. So when you face an unfair circumstance, have an attitude of hope and joy. Don't woller. Pray. Pray, "God, I know that you are in complete control of my life. And no matter how much I'm tempted to be angry, negative, or disappointed, I refuse to believe that I'm a victim. I refuse to blame. I refuse to hold grudges. I refuse to become bitter. And I refuse to allow anyone or anything to take away the joy that you give. Although I can't see it right now, I know that you are using all of this mess for your ultimate glory and my eventual benefit. I will thank you and praise you for all you are and all you are doing in my life." So today, my friends, if you are facing a situation that is unfair, know that this too shall pass. And yes, it is good to be happy and comfortable, those days will come all throughout your life; but True Growth comes from challenges. God knows what you can handle, He knows your strength, and most of all, He knows who you really are. He knew you before He created time. He is trying to get you to where you should be in your life. He WILL test you hard. He WILL challenge you daily. And He will use the very things that you hold near and dear to get you closer to Him, to help yo find your True Purpose. So remember to pray, trust, and keep your joy - especially through life's toughest challenges. After all, your loving Heavenly Father would not allow anything to happen in your life if He did not have a greater purpose for it. HABD & GIG! -Matt {Facebook Post from Alarm Security that spoke to me}