Will God Save Me from This?

There’s a particular area of my life in which I am extremely unhappy. It reduces the quality of all the other areas of my life, too. Every day I ask God to save me from this thing, and every day that I am not saved from it I am faced with the question, “Is God going to save me from this thing, or am I supposed to save myself from it?” How much of this is in God’s hands, and how much of it is in mine?

Since I do not know the answer, I continue to pray and to do what is in my power to do, in hopes that things will change either as a result of my actions or God’s mercy. Or perhaps a combination of both. I don’t want to fall into the habit of over-spiritualizing real life situations, nor do I want to fall in the habit of under-spiritualizing them. I believe there’s a balance between “waiting for God to fix a problem” and “taking matters into our own hands.” We both have a part to play. For instance,

  • God does not write resumes and cover letters. You do. But maybe God gives you ideas of how to word your qualifications.
  • God does not transport you to a hospital when your health is declining. You do, or a loved one does. But maybe God gives your body warning signs that something is wrong, or gives your loved one the determination to get you to the hospital despite obstacles.
  • God does not ask that person out on a date for you. You do. Although God may give you the courage to do so.

For some reason God partners with us in our lives, giving us some agency in our own healing and success. So I will continue asking God: “Please save me from this thing. Whether I get out of it through my effort or your grace, or a combination of both, I will praise you for the rescue.”

 


Addendum: I suppose it is also possible that I will never be saved from the thing that makes me cry almost every day. Perhaps I will learn to live with it; perhaps its trouble will be mitigated with time or by distraction; perhaps it will make me a more resilient, compassionate, or wise person. But “silver linings” do not necessitate the clouds, and until I know that it is the right thing for me, I will assume it is the wrong thing for me. And until then, I will work toward and pray for release from it.

 

 

image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay