In the book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Holocaust survivor, Viktor Frankl wrote about his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp.
“Everything was taken away from Jewish prisoners. They were stripped of their clothing, their pictures, and their personal belongings. The Nazi captors even took away their names and gave them numbers. Frankl was number 119,104. But Frankle said there was one thing the Nazis couldn’t take away.” He wrote, “Everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”
We can’t imagine the suffering and horror Viktor Frankl and the millions of others suffered in these camps. I have deep respect for Franks’s ability to control his heart, mind, emotions, and attitude, even in the worst possible circumstances.
This question arises today: How do you and I respond to our circumstances? This year, in one way or another, we have all experienced set backs due to covid-19 and the restrictions placed upon us. How are we responding spiritually, emotionally, and in our relationships? How are you doing with your attitude?
Life and it’s challenges come at all us. We experience grief, heartache, illness, financial setbacks, broken relationship, worry, stress, and discouragement. How are you responding?
Like Frankl said, “Regardless the circumstances, we get to choose our attitude. We get to choose how we respond.”
I think of another man who was in prison. He was called by God to preach the gospel. As a result, he and his co-worker were stripped and severely beaten with rods. Then they were thrown into a terrible prison and their feet were put into stocks.
I can’t imagine the pain and suffering they experienced. How defeated they must have felt. Here they are obeying God and now they are bleeding and in prison. How did they respond? Well, they too, decided that they could control their reaction. They decided to worship God anyway.
The story is found in Acts 16. Verse 25 says, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.”
They were complaining. They weren’t angry at God. They weren’t playing the victim card. The knew something we have to learn.
Worship refocuses our hearts and minds on Jesus. Pastor Mark Batterson wrote, “Worship is forgetting about what is wrong with you and remembering what is right with God. It restores the joy of your salvation.”
No, it’s not easy. If it was everyone would do it. It’s hard to worship God when nothing seems to be going right. Anyone can worship God when life is good, but isn’t God still good when life isn’t?
Like all of our spiritual disciplines, worship must be intentional. It won’t happen any other way. I believe the enemy of our soul knows what worship does and so he’s determined to keep our focus away from God and on our problems.
Here’s a truth to hold onto today: Your present circumstances and your feelings do not change what is true about God.
If you are on the mountain top, He is with you. If you are way down in the valley, He’s there too. He will never leave you or forsake you.
Let’s rise about discouragement, defeat, and despair. Let’s rise about worry, stress, fear, and anger. Let’s determine to have an attitude of worship.
Today’s Challenge: Choose to worship God today. Regardless of how you feel emotionally, regardless of what you might be going through. As you worship, your focus changes. You’ll be reminded of the goodness and faithfulness of our God. I believe you’ll be encouraged.
