There is a prayer often recited by people in various types of recovery programs called the Serenity Prayer. Here the short version:
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.
I have recited this prayer myself many times but I often fail to grasp the meaning of it. Why? Because at times I still try to change the things I cannot change. I have spent countless hours worrying about my family that are still Jehovah’s Witnesses. Wondering “how can I open their eyes to the truth about the truth”? I believe this is a natural phase we all go through. This has been a very difficult time for me and I have not had much serenity ever sense I learned “TTATT”. There is another very popular saying among recovery groups and it is, “Let go, Let God”. That one has always hit me hard because I know it is bases on scripture… one of my favorites here at Phiippians 4: 6-7, “Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let YOUR petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard YOUR hearts and YOUR mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.”
That sounds great doesn’t it? “The peace of God that excels all thought” sounds to me like perfect serenity. In my case, this is easier said than done. To not be “anxious over anything” is almost an impossibility for me! I can pray and let my petitions be known to God but I sure have a hard time not being anxious. Why is that? Could it be I fail to let go? Like the popular saying goes, “Let go, let God”. I honestly think that is what my biggest problem is. Even though I hand my problems over to God, I don’t fully let go.
So how do we let go? I believe the entire Serenity Prayer might shed some light on this:
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.
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;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
If one could actually live by these words he would no doubt find serentity. If we are not finding serenity then we must be doing something wrong. I know I have been. I do try to live “one day at a time” and when I truly apply that, I do worry less. “Enjoying one moment at a time” is difficult for me. It helps if I get out of the house and go for a walk outside. When I am at home I tend to check my e-mail often and hang out on X-JW forums and web sites most of the time. I hope this is just a phase that I can grow out of because it is not helping my serenity. What it does do is make me more and more upset with the GB/Borg/Watchtower and I tend to hold a huge resentment. I need to realize that Christ is going to take care of them in his due time and “let go, let God”. Give it over to him and get out of the way. Not that I won’t write anymore articles about the Watchtower. I feel a need to contribute any truth I find about the “truth”. What I mean is I need to not be so absorbed in it all the time. Reading the Bible and meditating on Gods word is far more productive than talking trash about the “borg” online. IMO
I would like to ask you a question, have you found serenity? If so, how? What do you do? Any suggestions would be helpful to all of us. I welcome your comments.
Your brother in Christ,
Greybeard
Posted on jwstruggle.com