This book is part
workbook, part girl-talk, part devotional. Feel free to read it with a pen and write
your responses in the margins and next to the questions and doodle your
thoughts all over. It’s my desire that this book will help you to break free
from the exhausting drama-filled life, and that you will find the peaceful,
abundant life that God has prepared for you.
What do I mean by “Drama”?
The word “drama”
has many meanings. It can be a play performed in a theater or it can refer to
the art of acting. It can also refer to stories or movies that are serious in
nature. Lately, I’ve noticed that “drama” has become slang for the craziness
that invades our lives. The phrase “Save the drama for your mama” and calling
an overly emotional person a “drama queen” have both become popular.
For the purposes
of this study, I’m going to define drama this way:
Drama – a
chaotic, frenzied response to the trials of life.
Years ago I was a
high school drama teacher. I had a student who was a serious behavior problem.
She was very disrespectful and difficult to handle in class.
At a
parent-teacher conference, her mother said, “We don’t know why she doesn’t do
better in your class. She is a very dramatic
person.”
I wanted to tell
that mother that being a dramatic person and doing well in drama class are two
totally different things.
Let’s think about
the opposite of drama. Words like peacefulness and patience and self-control
come to mind. It’s interesting that those attributes are listed among the fruit
of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, and yelling, tearfulness, rage, moodiness,
uncontrolled emotions, being stressed out, or exaggerated reactions are not
included.
How can I have the fruit of the spirit?
Love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (NKJV)
are called the fruit of the spirit.
That means they are the outcome of a life lived in the spirit. These attributes
are not something you can force yourself to do in your own strength for very
long. You must have the Holy Spirit living in you and you must abide in the
Lord, as described in John 15:1-17.
The Foundation for a Drama-Free Life
When you know
that Jesus is your savior, that everything on this earth is temporary, and that
you will live eternally with the Lord, that makes the trials of this life far
less concerning, and you can start to live a life free from drama. Have you received Jesus as your savior?
That’s the foundation for this life of peace.
How can I receive Jesus as my savior?
Just remember your A, B, C’s . . .
1.) Ask – Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. According to
Romans 3:10 and Romans 3:23, we have all sinned. Sin is anything that we have
done that separates us from God, and the blood of Jesus that He shed on the
cross is the only thing that can wash away our sins.
2.) Believe – According to Romans 10:9, Acts 4:12 and Acts 16:31
we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. We must believe that He
is the only son of God, the sinless sacrifice for our sins, and that He arose
from the dead and is alive in Heaven and will return for His church one day.
3.)
Confess – Use your voice to pray and declare that Jesus is the
new Lord of your life, ask Him to cleanse your sins, and tell Him that you will
try to turn your back on your sin. Romans 10:9 and I John 1:9 tell us that confession
is a vital part of salvation.
If you Asked,
Believed, and Confessed just now, I am so
happy for you. Congratulations! It’s your Spiritual Birthday! Write it down
on your calendar, and circle this day in red. It’s the day you became a
follower of Jesus. Luke 15:10 tells us that the angels in heaven are rejoicing
right now because you have repented and come to Christ.
Now that you’ve
laid the foundation, let’s look at ten steps you can take to build a drama-free
life on that foundation. We are going to find these ten steps in the
life of a true Bible hero.
Our Example – Mary the Mother of Jesus
I think we’ve all
had seasons of life that have had too much drama. Maybe you’re in one of those
seasons right now. Maybe you’re not, but you’d like to learn how to respond
without drama when you’re faced with trials of life the next time they come.
The best source
for wisdom and help is God’s Word. It’s helpful to look at Bible heroes and
learn from their lives. In this study, we’re going to look at the life of Mary
the Mother of Jesus, and learn ten steps we need to take as we face the
trials of life without being overcome by drama.
Step 1 – Recognize that God Knows
Let’s think about
Mary for a moment. She was a young, unmarried teenage girl. The angel told her
that she would have a baby, and Mary was honest. She said that she was afraid.
If you or I were in her situation we would be afraid too. She couldn’t tell her
fiancé, Joseph, that the baby was his, because she was a virgin. How would
Joseph react? He had the power to stop the wedding, and to tell everyone she
had cheated and ruin her reputation, possibly destroying any chance Mary would
have to ever get married.
The Lord helped
Mary in her situation. He sent an angel to talk to Joseph. Joseph decided to
believe the angel and obey God. So many times we focus on the fact that God
chose Mary. That is important, that her character was highly favored and she
was chosen, however, I think it’s also important to point out that God chose
Joseph, too. I believe that God orchestrated the engagement of Mary and Joseph,
because He knew Joseph would be the sort of man who would listen to the angel
and obey.
Mary’s trials were prophesied about thousands of years
before they actually happened. At the very beginning, in the Garden of Eden God
prophesied that the offspring of woman would crush the head of the serpent.
(Genesis 3:15 NIV) thousands of years before Mary was born, the prophet Isaiah
prophesied that a virgin would conceive and bear a Son. (Isaiah 7:14)
Mary’s dilemma
didn’t catch God off guard. He didn’t cause her to conceive and then think, “Oh
no, how am I going to get her out of this?” Not at all. God is infinite in His
wisdom. We can’t comprehend the height and depth of His knowledge and wisdom.
He knew exactly what Mary would face.
Just like Mary, God knows all about our trials in
advance, before we ever experience them. Why is that important for you
to know? It’s important, because God is not distant. He is not a stained-glass
window or a porcelain figurine. He is real, and He is an active part of your
life. It’s important to know that He knows, because He loves us. God loves you. According to John 3:16,
God sent His son, Jesus, to die for the world because He LOVES us. Be aware, a
tactic of the enemy is to get people to think that God doesn’t love them.
Just because you have difficult circumstances doesn’t
mean God doesn’t love you.
This
life can be hard. I know that some right now are facing sickness, divorce, the
death of a loved one, financial hardships, and it’s tempting to think that God
doesn’t love you when you are in the middle of those hard times.
You
are important to God. According to Luke 12:7, He knows the number of hairs on
your head. Our society has put such a low value on human life, that we forget
the high value God places on human life. He loved humanity so much that He
sacrificed His own son. God loves you, and you are important to Him.
Remember that God has planned a path for
you through the trials. Galatians 4:4 says that in the “fullness of
time” God sent His son to be born. God’s timing is perfect. It may seem insane
for me to say that to you. You may have just had a horrible incident in your
life, but God’s timing is perfect. He WILL use that horrible thing that just
happened to you and make something good out of it in your life. (Genesis 50:20)
The enemy may have attacked you, but don’t despair, God will use that situation
to make you better and so that you may be a blessing to others.
How should we respond?
First,
we should trust God and acknowledge His authority in our life. Proverbs 3:5,6
(KJV) – Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto your own
understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Second, we should
take the path He has planned for us.
I Corinthians
10:13(b) – God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what
you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape that you
may be able to bear it. (NKJV)
Jeremiah 29:11 – For
I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)
The preceding
verses tell us that God has made a Path, a Way, and a Plan for us. His Path,
Way, and Plan are the best. They might lead us through trouble at times, but
they are still the best, because He sees where
they are leading. Only God can see into the future. So get on the Path,
Way, and Plan the He has prepared for you!
