Not my job!

"Remember that your ultimate goal is not to fix everything around you; it is to keep communing with me."

That was the line that bounded off the page in my "Jesus Calling" devotional last night.  I had read this twice before that day, but it was the last reading that caused a jump in my thinking.  Is that what I try to do?  Is that causing anger and stress in my heart?  That fact that things are wrong around me, whether at work, at home, in the world....wherever, so much of my frustration comes when I can't "fix" or change things.  When all the complaining in the world provides only more frustration because nothing gets better, what happens?  I get more agitated and more irritated and I lose my peace, my witness, I lose sight of the one good thing....Jesus.

So now this one line causing a shift in my thought process....it's not my job to change things around me (at least not in this sense).  It's my job to focus on Jesus and let His love come through.  The more I am in contact with Jesus, the more "sane" I stay.  The more at peace I remain.  I know a few weeks ago I was experiencing this to a greater degree than ever, but somewhere along the way I fell back into my old pattern of looking for, expecting perfection (and that is my idea of perfection) around me. Perfect house, perfect co-workers, perfect spouse, perfect drivers, perfect world around me, perfect me, everyone and everything performing and playing out as I see fit.  When did I get to be God?  LOL  All the complaining in the world wasn't changing anything.  Whether I complained to myself, my supervisor, my coworkers, my husband, to God....nothing changed.

So then this one sentence and it clicked.  "Get your eyes off everything but Me", the Lord seemed to be saying.  Wow, what a concept, focusing on the Lord!  LOL

Isaiah 26:3  You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staying on you.  

The New Living Translation puts it this way:

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You.

It all comes down to what am I letting rent space in my head.  Where are my thoughts going.  Thank You Lord for this rebuke and correction.  Help me to focus my heart and mind on You this day and forget about the troubles around me.  You are so good that You continually work with me on my weak areas.  Your patience is awesome.  Thank You. If You desire people, circumstances and events to change around me it is Your job to facilitate that change, not mine.   I fix my eyes on You today, Please help me to keep them there.