Growing Your Faith: A Beginner's JourneyНамуна

Day 4: The Mind of Christ

One time, I lost my wallet right before a major road trip. The irony is that it happened right after I had an amazing call with my friend, during which we prayed and encouraged each other about God’s faithfulness. It happened in a flash, between finishing the phone call and jumping into the vehicle to head out of town for the road trip.

It was not until about 30 minutes into the trip that I realized my wallet was missing when I stopped at a convenience store. Unfortunately, with essential stops scheduled, turning back wasn’t an option. Panic set in, but for some reason, James 4:7 came to my mind. This verse urges us to submit to God and resist the devil. This prompted me to reflect deeply on what this verse meant and how it applied to my situation.

As I wrestled with my worries and sought understanding of James 4:7, I started to trust that God had a purpose for my discomfort and that the experience would ultimately work out for my good. This wasn’t an easy decision. I needed to submit to God’s will, recognizing His control while fighting against the instinct to worry and allow it to overtake me. The enemy would have loved for me to be overwhelmed with anxiety during the trip, robbing me of my peace and disrupting my fellowship with friends.

Instead of giving in to panic, I embraced peace and simply prayed for the return of my wallet and the protection of my personal information. An hour later, I received a call from someone who found my wallet! While you may have lost your wallet before and had it returned to you, this was a completely new experience for me.

I knew it was God's intervention. By choosing peace and trusting God, I was calm in the midst of my prayers being answered. Thankfully, I retrieved my wallet with everything intact at the end of the trip.

We all face different challenges. Yours may not include losing a wallet, but perhaps God's word draws you to take different thoughts or actions than you normally would have. Have you ever acted contrary to your feelings because God's word highlighted a different response? And then felt blessed as a result? What is one example from your life where you see God responding to your choice to act Christ-like?