Troubles?

From Sarah Young's devotional Jesus Calling (January 26)

"Give up the illusion that you deserve a problem-free life.  Part of you is still hungering for the resolution of all difficulties...  Link your hope not to problem solving in this life but to the promise of an eternity of problem-free life in heaven...  My Light shines most brightly through believers who trust Me in the dark...  I am much less interested in right circumstances than in right responses to whatever comes your way."

Lord Jesus,

I am afflicted with the disease of problem-solving!  I try to fix things!  I get angry and frustrated when I cannot correct problems.  I feel like I have failed.

How arrogant!  Teach me to surrender my problems to You.  Teach me to let go!  I want to WORK things to pass, and You want me to TRUST things to pass!

Here I am again at the tension between the ideas of faith and works.  Believe God and work hard!  So often we tend to pit these ideas against each other as if they were polar opposites, but that cannot be true, can it?

I choose to trust You.  I choose to believe You.  I choose to embrace the problems of life.  I choose to accept their reality.  I will be cling to You.  I will work for You.  I will obey Your call to be Your hands and feet.  I ask one thing in this regard.  Define me by my trusting You, not by my hard work. Protect me from delusions that I accomplish anything apart from total dependence and surrender to You.

I consecrate myself, my work, my trust to You afresh today.

Thank You.
Amen