Upset Is Not the Same as Awake

How many times a day

How many times a day do we scroll past something on social media that makes our hearts sink? A tragic headline. An unjust act. A moment that makes us whisper, "Oh no, how could this happen?"

We react, we comment, we shake our heads. I used to do the same, until one day a few words I read shifted everything.

A magazine, and a prayer

In the book Lioness Arising by Lisa Bevere, she shares how she was reading a magazine when, for the first time, she learned about the atrocities of sex trafficking in Thailand. Distressed thoughts rushed into her mind and she began to cry. In that moment, she prayed a powerful prayer:

God, if there is any strength or voice I can lend to this issue, I am Your girl.

A few weeks later, she got a call from an organisation inviting her to go to Thailand to raise funds and awareness to help prevent sex trafficking. What an amazing story.

Don't confuse being awakened with being upset

Lisa wrote:

But when you're awakened, you can't help but respond. Don't confuse being awakened with being upset. If something upsets you, you may react in that moment, but being upset about something doesn't have the power to keep you from turning pages. You can be upset and not awake. But you can't be fully awake, and therefore alertly aware of the problems in the world, and not respond.

"Don't confuse being awakened with being upset."

These words shifted something in my heart.

I had been upset, and not awake

I realised that for a period of my life I had been worried about many things, and what did I do about it? Nothing. I didn't take action. Just like the tragic things we see through social media, I reacted emotionally, but I stayed still.

I saw that worrying about the past, wondering how I could have done things differently, or wavering over decisions I have made, will never move me forward. Instead, I need to take that worry to God.

The moment I read the words, "You can be upset and not awake," I realised I had been blinded. My heart was not open to go to God until that moment. I was clearly not awake. But those words opened my eyes to see that the enemy was holding me captive through worry, distress and guilt.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.

1 Peter 5:7

God's love will always find you

The enemy tries to destroy us with these tricks, but God's love will always find us. On a day when I was feeling gloomy, God used that little bit of faith in me to open up that book and pull me back into His path, to open my eyes to see.

Some things are out of our control, and that is why we have a bigger God. King above all kings. The name above every other name. He can move mountains. And when you go to Him with faith and surrender, ready to give Him all your worries, He is right there for you. You will see His grace shining upon your life.

Take it to Him

The enemy uses our mistakes and sins to keep us trapped. When you are caught in the loop of your own emotions, the enemy keeps dragging you down so you cannot see clearly. But you can take all your mistakes to God. Give Him your sadness. He has the answer.

Confess your heart to Him. Your past and your mistakes cannot be changed, but what you have is right now.

Right now, as you read this, you are breathing the breath God created. You are alive. That means God is not done with you. His plan for you is still unfolding.

In this very moment, you can go to God and place your heart in His hands. He will heal you. He will show you the way.

Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.

Revelation 3:2