Think about a situation you are greatly worried about—now, imagine setting that worry aside, letting it go, leaving you calm and at peace.
Now, think of a tough decision you have been putting off, rationalizing that procrastination was preferable to making a hard choice— then, think how good it will feel to declare your decision with confidence, knowing in your heart you are making the right choice, no matter what happens.
We have a tool available to help us make those types of choices. It is called the Serenity Prayer, one of the most famous poems ever written, and it can change your life:
“God grant me the serenity to Accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference.” (Reinhold Niebuhr)
God grant me …
The power in the Serenity Prayer comes from seeking God’s direction and becoming willing to accept his guidance. Everything else in life flows from there.
The serenity to accept …
Acceptance comes from a position of strength, not weakness. It is not the same as giving up or giving in; it is faith in motion, and it brings with it peace.
The things I cannot change;
We may think we control the outcome of every situation, but we don’t. We need to let go of the worry and striving for control that comes with thinking we can.
Courage to change …
Living a spiritual life involves making tough decisions, and having the strength to follow through. It’s tempting to avoid difficult situations we know we should address. It takes courage to change.
The things I can;
We do not control other people, but we can control ourselves. Often, making a personal change is the best step we can take, especially when it’s hard.
And wisdom to know the difference.
In some situations, we may feel we know the right answer. It may not be what we want, or it might be hard, but inside we know what we should do. In those cases, the Serenity Prayer can give us the assurance we need to follow through on those tough choices.
Some decisions are not as clear. We think and pray, talk to wise people, check out what the Bible has to say, and think and pray some more. The key is to become willing to surrender our own desires and trust God for the answer. Then, we take a step of faith and follow through on that choice. The outcome will be what it will be, but we will have done all we can do.
Frankly, the outcome is not the most important part of the equation. God can, and often will, shape the outcome no matter what we decide. It is possible (perhaps, even likely) that God is more interested in using the situation to transform us into the person he wants us to be. Recognizing this can relieve much of the pressure and bring us greater peace.
The remainder of the Serenity Prayer is less well-known than the initial verse, but the gentle words offer us a wonderful model for living with serenity and courage:
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
As it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His will;
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen.
As with most things in life, the first step in a new direction often seems to be the hardest, but it’s also the most important. Which decisions are harder for you: choosing serenity to accept or courage to change?
Action: Pick a tough choice you need to make, and practice using the Serenity Prayer.
