My wife, Cheryl, and I were watching a drama show on television once—I don’t even remember which show it was—but the characters' lives were filled with marriage problems, health issues and work problems. Drama.
Funny how we tend to enjoy shows watching other people’s drama. Maybe that’s because we know our life is sometimes filled with drama too.
But toward the end of the show, Cheryl looked at me and simply said, “I’m glad our life is not a drama right now.”
Wow! I hadn’t thought about it—but when I considered the definition—ME TOO!
Drama: any situation or series of events having vivid, emotional, conflicting or striking interest or results: the drama of a murder trial.
We’ve certainly had more than our share of drama before, and we may be there again. Thankfully most of it involved problems out of our control—we can’t control all the drama that the world brings in life—rather than mistakes we were making. Plus, much of the drama we have had in our life has involved people outside our immediate family. Our immediate family has remained mostly drama-free. That’s a blessing. And we know it.
The conversation reminded me, however, of some principles I have learned walking through periods of drama in my life, but also with others.
Here are seven suggestions when life is a drama:
1. Draw near to God.
People tend to go one direction or another during the difficult seasons of life. After years of struggling through trials, I have learned one thing well. Your life is best when your closest relationship is your God relationship. Allow the trials of life to strengthen that bond as you rely on His strength to see you through this season of drama.
2. Don’t make quick decisions.
In the early days of drama, you should be careful not to make life-altering decisions until you are certain you aren’t making them with an emotional response. There may be immediate decisions that have to be made. When that is the case, rely on an inner circle of people you trust to help you make them, but delay major decisions until you are able to think rationally about the situation. (Dramatic decisions made in the heat of the moment may keep a television drama viewership high, but it can be disastrous in real life.)
3. Keep the circle small.
As much as you need others around you, not everyone needs to know the intimate details of your life either. Your life is not a television show—even if the script appears so well written for one. I have seen so many people who never feel they can walk with pride in a church or community again because they shared too many details about their struggles with too many people. When the struggles are over, they are embarrassed to return to the same circles of people. People love to repeat your drama, and they don’t always tell it accurately or with the right intentions.
Find a few people you can trust, who will bear your burdens in confidence and point you in the right direction in life. You need these people, but keep that circle small. (Also, in this day of social media, be careful of the details of your life you place on Facebook. Don’t be the Sunday night drama everyone is talking about Monday morning.)
4. Seek wise counsel.
Now is the time to find wise advice. You need a more outside perspective on your drama. It’s great to build these type of mentors and/or investors before the need arises. But even if you have to be awkward in the request, reaching out for help is a sign of maturity. Don’t be afraid of professional counseling. That can be a healthy response to drama.
5. Work toward forgiveness.
Drama most always involves some need for forgiveness. It may be a need to forgive others, yourself or even God, but you will have injured emotions that need to heal. Part of that healing will likely require some letting go—some forgiveness to occur. Living as forgiving and forgiven people allows God to help ease your pain and strengthen your availability to receive joy by opening the door to complete restoration in your heart. Holding a grudge, remaining angry or bitter, only keeps you from moving forward from the drama.
6. Protect your heart for the future.
Seasons of drama come and go, but we are more prepared for them when our heart is kept close to God’s heart through the calmer seasons of life. I’m learning that all seasons of life contain drama, sometimes the drama is more intense than others, but throughout the whole of life our goal should be to guard our heart for God and people.
7. Learn from this time.
Don’t allow your drama to have a meaningless plot in your life. Learn from this season. There will be other times where life is in drama. If you’re intentional to grow during the drama times of life, you’ll be better prepared the next time.
Where are you now? Is this a season of intense drama—or would your life be more of a sitcom right now? How are you dealing with the drama of life?
