Slow Burn - Pt 4

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13 ESV).

A third practical means of stopping the “slow burn” is to practice letting meaning overcome mood. Really I’m talking about practicing resilience. As the picture comments, resilience is “the courage to come back.” This is the impact of Paul’s litany of opposites in our reading. He has learned how to be content in every circumstance by understanding that regardless of our mood, we can find meaning and power in Christ who has secured our future by his sacrifice on our behalf. Whatever circumstance you may be facing, you can overcome the fear of that future by knowing the hope of the future God has guaranteed for us through the work of Jesus on our behalf. You can decide that the meaning you make is more important to you than the mood you find yourself in. Rather than being stuck in your present circumstance, move forward to your purpose for that moment. You start each day by announcing to yourself exactly how you intend to make meaning on that day, how you intend to deal with routine chores and tasks, how you intend to relax; how, in short, you mean to spend your day, and you consider all of that, the rich and the mundane alike, as the project of your life, one that you are living with grace and in good spirits. You reduce your emotional distress by checking in more on your intentions and less on your mood. Last week I found myself being shuffled from one examination and/or treatment room to another for hours. I was at my cardiologist’s office where I was undergoing a nuclear stress test. It seems I am showing symptoms that may signal a return of a heart problem that was treated four years ago with surgery. The test itself required periods of waiting between each phase to allow certain drugs to take effect in my system. I found myself agitated after a bit. The waiting was longer than I anticipated; the chairs were uncomfortable; the waiting room was crowded; the television program was one which I could care less about; and, when I did get into the exam room, I was very uncomfortable. At one point, as they purposefully stressed my heart for that phase of the exam, Mary late said, “I thought you were dying!” My immediate response was, “That would’ve been better!” I was in a bad mood. And that mood was determining my emotional stress levels. I did recognize the slow burn and was able to talk myself into a place of contentment. It could’ve been much worse. Focusing on that allowed me to see the future as hopeful, not hopeless. In Christ we are never in a hopeless situation. Heaven is just around the bend; and, it is guaranteed!