Rational versus reality
Rational versus reality
When everything is plain sailing and life is good, it's easy to conjure up and subscribe to theories of what is right ... what is wrong ... what is grey ... what should one do ... how one should respond ... how to handle situations that crop up, etc, etc, etc ... But when reality of life hits, where is the place of all these knowledge and theories? Emotions become something that confronts and maneuver almost every decision and action - where then is the place of rationality and cool-mindedness?
Pain and struggle can never be LEARNT through theories, and however well one is trained to handle such conflicts, it's altogether a different matter when it becomes something REAL.
I was asked to share Habakkuk 1:1-4 to the inmates last week and I had been encouraging them with the facts that (1) God welcomes honest expressions of our feelings, even if they are negative, (2) even if we don't know how to express our prayers in words, we can just sigh, cry or be silent before God, (3) God has a purpose in allowing situations to happen but that does not mean He is not in control or He is an evil God, (4) we must continue to wait and trust in God - it's His time, not ours, (5) the evil, the arrogant and the wicked will surely meet their doom in kind. I find it so ironic that when I was confronted with something I felt negative which God has allowed that I was the very first one to forget what I had preached and shared.
Sometimes God can be really humourous - He would deliberately test you to see if you practice what you preach, in the literal sense of the word. And I'm seeing Him placing a situation right now in my life. It's not easy, but I'm sure with His patience, grace and mercy, I'll learn.
When everything is plain sailing and life is good, it's easy to conjure up and subscribe to theories of what is right ... what is wrong ... what is grey ... what should one do ... how one should respond ... how to handle situations that crop up, etc, etc, etc ... But when reality of life hits, where is the place of all these knowledge and theories? Emotions become something that confronts and maneuver almost every decision and action - where then is the place of rationality and cool-mindedness?
Pain and struggle can never be LEARNT through theories, and however well one is trained to handle such conflicts, it's altogether a different matter when it becomes something REAL.
I was asked to share Habakkuk 1:1-4 to the inmates last week and I had been encouraging them with the facts that (1) God welcomes honest expressions of our feelings, even if they are negative, (2) even if we don't know how to express our prayers in words, we can just sigh, cry or be silent before God, (3) God has a purpose in allowing situations to happen but that does not mean He is not in control or He is an evil God, (4) we must continue to wait and trust in God - it's His time, not ours, (5) the evil, the arrogant and the wicked will surely meet their doom in kind. I find it so ironic that when I was confronted with something I felt negative which God has allowed that I was the very first one to forget what I had preached and shared.
Sometimes God can be really humourous - He would deliberately test you to see if you practice what you preach, in the literal sense of the word. And I'm seeing Him placing a situation right now in my life. It's not easy, but I'm sure with His patience, grace and mercy, I'll learn.
Comments