The Inevitable Result of Being Alive

"Much of what we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive." Oswald Chambers

This quote made me laugh this morning- and think. How much of what I/we complain about in life is really just "the inevitable result of being alive"? Traffic, bad days at work, tiredness, colds and flus, financial ups and downs, family conflicts. I wonder how much time and energy I waste on these inevitables, instead of focusing on the great love of God. As a result of being alive we are going to have trials and pain and difficulties. Yet, righteous and faithful, God's love walks us through all these things. Yes, we do occasionally truly walk through "the valley of the shadow of death" and experience a real test and trial of our faith.

Maybe it's just because I am a pessimist by nature, but I find that I need perhaps more reminders than most that it is God's love that triumphs, that that is the truth of the world, not the evil and suffering that are so prevalent. When I truly know him and know his love, the inevitables fade from view, not because they aren't there but because I'm not paying attention to them; I expect them. It's like the more I know Christ the wider my vision becomes and yet the narrower my view. I gain the grander vision of the Kingdom and narrow my view from the distractions and treasures of this world. I find that this wider vision and narrower view allow me to embrace life and people more fully. When I see things as "inevitable" they just don't rattle me as much.