A few months ago, while swimming at night, I noticed my reflection in the glass ceiling of the indoor pool.
Last Friday I discovered, if I look closely, I can make out a faint reflection in broad daylight.
I imagine what I see in that mirrored reflection is what God sees when He looks down from heaven. A middle-aged woman moving intentionally along her journey toward the cross (Jesus) at the end of her “lane.”
The first thing that caught my attention as I focused on my reflection was just how slowly I was going.
God reminded me that the journey is not about speed, but steadfastness. The race of life is not really a “race,” at all. It’s not about when we finish, but how.
We’re not competing against other people, but against the ways of the world—against evil, corruption, desires of the flesh, ungodly temptations, and the devil in all his manifestations.
In the race of faith, salvation is our ticket; Godly-training, self-discipline and reliance on the Lord is our fuel; and being welcomed into the arms of our Heavenly Father is our finisher’s medal.
Nothing else matters.
It’s not about finishing first, but developing an unwavering faith—believing wholeheartedly, without hesitation, that God is with us and for us (Isaiah 41:10; Romans 8:31-39), while also asking Him to help us in our unbelief (Mark 9:24).
It is a race of patience, perseverance, hardships, and blessings that requires us to run with the end in mind.
The second thing that caught my attention was my form.
It wasn’t perfect—in fact, it was far from it. My arms weren’t straight, and my hands not angled just right to effectively catch and pull the water.
We are quick to criticize or condemn ourselves, but God reminded me that He sees us through a lens of love and grace.
We are no longer bound by the Covenant of the Law, but set free through the blood of Jesus! Because of His finished work on the cross, God sees us as righteous and accepted (Romans 3:21-22). We are created anew in Him (1 Corinthians 5:17)!
The voice that leads you to condemn or compare,
That tells you you’re helpless, or your situation is beyond repair…
It is LYING to you.
The voice that whispers “you’re worthless,”
“You’re all alone and forgotten,”
That says fear is a natural reaction,
And you should listen to it…
It is NOT from the Lord.
(For a list of other lies the enemy whispers and the scriptural truths to replace them, click here. I also have a resource, 10 Lies We Believe About Pain, that you can download and print for free.)
At that moment, the Lord spoke to my Spirit, urging me to focus less on myself and more on Him and His character. To stop fixating on my problems, my imperfections, and the like, and instead look up!
But, God, I’m already looking…..
As I was saying this in my head, I allowed my gaze to zoom out and saw exactly what He was talking about.
A beam of light pierced the sky like a sword, stretching from one end of the pool to the other!
I stopped swimming to stare at the Light in awe. It took my breath away!
One can say it’s simply science or the law of refraction, but those with “unveiled faces” marvel at His majesty in creation (2 Cor 3:18).
As believers we are capable of witnessing God’s glory in seemingly ordinary situations. We can train our eyes to see and ears to hear what the Lord has to say (Matthew 13:16). Realigning our antennas to tune into God’s presence through practicing the spiritual disciplines (e.g. silence, solitude, prayer, listening) opens up a whole new world of divine experiences that confirm we are seen and loved.
To my friend, Karen, who wrote an entire blog post about the beauty in a discarded flower—I get it now! To my friend, Becka, who was blown away by the truths in Zephaniah 3:17, I finally understand!
Nobody else seemed to notice the light beam, but God spoke to me powerfully through it. It was a blessing and an answer to a question I’ve been asking:
How do we live above our circumstances?
We look to Jesus!
The NKJV translation of Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Look unto Jesus!,” which means to take our eyes off our ourselves and our immediate surroundings and instead lift them up to the heavens!
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2
When mountains are looming, we have three choices. We can cower in fear and run in the opposite direction. We can stand hopeless in front of it, staring directly at the impenetrable rock. Or, we can shift our gaze to look ABOVE the mountains to the Lord who goes before us, who already has a solution in mind, and who will reveal it to us at the appointed time (Deuteronomy 31:8).
As you pray for direction, trust the Lord will give you one step at a time.
If He chooses to lead you over the mountain, He will strengthen and equip you for the climb.
But, chances are, He he’s making a way that you’re not able to see just yet…
Until you completely surrender to Him as your guide.
This is where faith comes in.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 ESV
Will you believe for it before you see it?
Will you shift your attention from your problems to His promises?
Will you declare, in the Name of Jesus, that addiction, fear, marital struggles, disease, hopelessness, anxiety, depression, and despair are not your story, but that He is?
As we contemplate the Lord’s glory, we are transformed into His image, from one level of glory to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18).
In theory, this sounds easy, but how do we put it into practice?
We listen to praise music.
We meditate on His promises.
We play healing scriptures and prayers in our homes.
(See the songs lists and scripture printouts at the end of this post.)
We record memories of God’s faithfulness in the past, and trust our current obstacles are no different. God will come through! We are more than conquerors in Christ!
We keep a journal of “God sightings”—a kind word from a stranger, a phone call from a friend, an open or closed door, etc.
We practice gratitude and express thanks for things that are true, right, pure, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8)!
Cling to His character!
God is good.
God is Love.
God is kind and merciful.
God delights in, sings songs of joy over, and passionately cares for you!
Where we focus is critical. We must take our eyes off ourselves, off the swimmers/runners in nearby lanes, off the ways of the world, and focus on Him!
He is the only Way to our final destination.
The goal is not comfort, but growth. Not happiness, but holiness. Not perfect circumstances, but spiritual maturity that empowers us to walk in peace through any and every situation.
Paul says we run to win (1 Corinthians 9:24), and I can relate to that mentality! I am competitive by nature. But, “winning” the race of faith is about finishing well and receiving the upward call of Christ Jesus (Philippians3:14). It’s about cultivating Christ-likeness.
Our victory is already guaranteed!
We will receive a crown of rejoicing!
But, in the here and now, we look to Him and His blessings.
In next week’s post, I’m going to share some things that “blur our vision” and hinder us from running the race well, in addition to the “clouds of witnesses” we can look to on our journey to encourage us along the way. (If you’re not already subscribed to my email list, you can do so here).
For now, check out these resources:
Post: Self-Discipline & Setting Intentions
Post: Trusting God Is Good When Life is Not
Post: How to Trust in God’s Timing
YouTube Presentation: Discernment
YouTube Presentation: Healing Scriptures
Scriptures to Speak into Your Pain
20 Scriptures for Troubled Times
Printable Scripture Cards to Win the War on Anxiety
30 Scripture Verses for Anxiety (by Rebekah Lyons)
Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) Scripture Card
Song Lists:
Printables:
- Philippians 4:4-9 Printable (Landscape)
- Philippians 4:4-9 Printable #2 (Landscape)
- Philippians 4:4-9 Printable (Portrait)
Call to Action: What’s one practice you can implement or truth you can meditate on to live above your circumstances? Share it in the comments!
2 thoughts on “Living Above Your Circumstances”
I love the encouragement of the grace mixed with tenacity. Grace gives us the desire to be tenacious. Sharing with my subscribers. Thank you.