When something happens or someone disappoints you do you rush to the phone to call your friends to fill their ears full of your frustrations? Do you keep repeating it to more and more friends?
After you have rehashed it to a few dozen people, how do you feel?
Does it make you feel better?
Like Dr. Phil would ask those people that kept doing something over and over without results in his funny sarcastic way:
“How’s that working for you?”
For years I tried that and it doesn’t work. You just feel worse because you keep talking about it and nothing ever gets resolved.
God does not want us to keep talking about our problems, He wants us to be taking our problems to Him.
We are to cast our cares on Him, not our friends.
My friend and Bible Group leader always says, Vent Vertically. I love that visual and reminder.
I also love this funny quote:
We need to take it to the Throne instead of the Phone – Joyce Meyer
Yesterday in our study we did something new. Each one of us went around the room and vented vertically to God about what was going on in our lives. I have to say it was encouraging to hear my sisters in Christ express some of the same feelings and frustrations I was having and each of us venting vertically and praying to God seemed to of just melted away the frustrations and disappointments we had walked in with.
After all, He is the only one that can change our circumstances or take away the hurts we are feeling, so why not call on Him first, and make it the only call we make.
The phone a friend only works on Gameshows. People will disappoint but God never does!
So the next time you are tempted to pick up that phone and tell your friends about the rotten day you had or find yourself starting to gossip about someone that hurt or disappointed you, stop and send it up! Send it straight up to God.
Venting is a good thing if we keep it vertically.
XXOO Michelle Bollom
Restored People Community 