How To Stay At Peace When Times Are Tough: Set In Order What Remains

Titus 1:4,5,8,9,10,11,15
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains.  Be hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that you may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not [teach], for the sake of sordid gain.  To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

Romans 12:18
If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed [be] the God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

    Sometimes things happen and they aren’t what you expect.  Your body may be failing you; someone in your world might not be the way that you wish they were or, your job may be tricky for you.  But God has a great strategy to keep you at peace when times are tough.  He says, “Set in order what remains.”  That simply means to work with the cards that you have been given.  You may wish you had four aces in your hand, but if all you have is 5 odd numbers, those are the cards you have to play.  Focusing on what you don’t have or how someone’s not acting is totally unproductive and gets you nowhere.  Instead, when your mind turns to the “I’m Not Liking This” game, say to yourself, “Set in order what remains.” You might not be able to do all the things you once did because your body has changed.  Then your task is to reboot and think about what you can do. Someone in your world may be driving you crazy because their nature is not your nature.  Stop trying to change them. Work on comforting them with the comfort that God has given you when He has allowed anything in your life to work out even when you didn't deserve His mercy. When someone gives you a task, instead of thinking how tricky it is for you, re-route your mind to think that if you did the task, it would be so very helpful, in the way that you wish someone would help you. That is “Golden Rule 101!”  But always remember, God doesn't tell you these things just to help others.  He knows that as you go about “setting in order what remains,” you will be taking control of what is in your word, what you can do something about.  So this day, set in order what remains.  It is the way for you to feel peace about where you are and re-route your anxious heart.  

 Click the link below to see my books,

"Keeping Your Lamp Lit"
http://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Your-Lamp-Lit-Schuler/dp/1451559321/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277386999&sr=1-1#noop
"Good Strategies for Bad Times"
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategies-Bad-Times-Schuler/dp/1438257775/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265471485&sr=8-1