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No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:37 (ESV)

A few months ago, I ran into an old friend I hadn’t seen in years. I knew her sister had passed recently, so I immediately offered my condolences. Her response took me by surprise. She said, “I often think of how God gave you strength after Dave died, and I know He will get me through this.” Wow, almost 15 years later, and God is still bringing blessings from the worst days of my life.

Where you look matters

I am a big fan of that saying: if you look at your problems, they look bigger; but if you look to God, you are reminded that God is bigger. It helps me change my perspective when I need to quit worrying and start trusting. Over the last few months, I have had to repeatedly change what I am looking at. As many of you know, I am in the process of moving, and it hasn’t been easy. What started out as a dream come true when I found a wonderful home just minutes away from my grandchildren has turned into a long, drawn-out battle as I try to sell my old house.

So every day now I find myself making a choice: am I going to worry about what this housing market is doing to my finances, or am I going to trust that God is working everything together for good? Each day I choose to trust Him.

If I look to Him, I am always reminded of how great He is.

Why it is important

When we keep our eyes on God, something happens beyond our own peace. Other people see where our hope comes from. The way we walk through difficulty can become part of our testimony.

My friend reminded me that even on my worst days, my life testified to His goodness. And almost 15 years later, it is helping her through her worst days.

We often wonder as widows what our purpose is now that we are no longer wives. Paul reminds us in Acts that our lives still have purpose:

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Acts 20:24 (ESV)

Like Paul, we have the opportunity to testify to the world about the grace of God. When we keep our eyes on God in the middle of difficulty, our lives become a testimony to His grace.

His grace is how we live and breathe. Every single day. And others see Him at work in our lives.

We are part of God’s kingdom here on earth, a testimony of His goodness.

Celebrating the Victories

As part of God’s kingdom, we need to celebrate His victories. His victories, not ours. I always think of the story of Peter walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33) to remind myself not to think, even for a moment, that “I” did this. Peter stepped out of the boat at Jesus’ command. But when he saw the wind, he became afraid and began to sink. His experience reminds me how quickly fear can take over when we focus on the storm. With our eyes focused on God, He can do miraculous things. It’s His power that works through us.

And we need to celebrate those victories. Celebrating the victories helps us remember His faithfulness. It also encourages us to stay focused on Him as we move forward.

Today, we can choose where we will look. We can stare at what is frightening us, or we can turn our eyes toward the One who loves us and holds us securely.

If today is a particularly tough day, take heart, sweet sister; God is not finished with you yet. You are His living testimony! Because of Him we will be more than conquerors. Even in difficulty, our security and hope are found in Christ. Keep your eyes on Him!

Dear Heavenly Father, this journey is so hard! Our hearts are broken, and we feel like all is lost. But we are so thankful that it is not true. Because of You, we will be more than conquerors! We are Your Kingdom on this Earth, testifying to Your goodness. Thank You for the reminders that You send us that others see You through us. Help us to be more mindful of keeping our eyes on You and celebrating Your victories! In Jesus’ name. Amen.