One question I remember my mother rhetorically asking many years ago, and it has stuck with me - when going through a troubled time, dealing with a problem, just dealing with change or a difficult hand you've been dealt in life - "does this affect my salvation?" The answer - no.
Our conclusion then, is if it does not affect our salvation, why worry about it? Worrying about tomorrow does not help us today. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:33-34, "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." There are many times we fret over the small things in our lives, many times we just want to have our own way, many times we fear change. But in the end, life will go on. And our faith will continue to grow, having placed our future in our Savior's hands. And, whatever the circumstance it is that we had been dealing with, it will fade. As Ecclesiastes 3 reads, there is a time for everything. But after spending verses 1-8 naming different circumstances we face in our lives, verse 11-12 concludes, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." After facing our season, we find out what really matters: our faith, hope, and love. (I Corinthians 13)
So, next time you face the small stuff - you get discouraged, face someone or something you just can't seem to conquer, or just have a bad day - ask yourself, does this affect my salvation?
Now the big question - are we saved? And if not, how do we become saved? Answering these questions not only allows us an eternity with God, but while we are still alive, it will also allow God to conquer these issues in our lives. What does it mean to be saved? Please check out this website, listing step by step what we must do to be saved. The article is entitled, "How can I be sure of my salvation?"
http://christiananswers.net/q-dml/dml-y005.html
