The Serenity Prayer is one that some of us may be familiar with. I heard this prayer for the first time in a movie where it was offered at an Alcoholic Addiction support group, and I was immediately hooked. Coined by American Theologian, Reinhold Niebhur, it is one so powerful. If granted, it will impact the direction of our lives.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference” is a shortened version of the Serenity prayer we should make our daily hymn. In this post, I will break it down into three parts:
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.”
Serenity is a calm and peaceful state which we often struggle to achieve. Having a calmness in your spirit despite the many challenges life will throw at you will help you through any storm you face. Consider the farmer who plants seeds in expectation of good weather. While he may be able to control the species planted, for instance, he cannot accurately predict the weather because it is out of his control. The only option available is to hope and wait.
I think every pilot prays for a turbulence-free journey up in the air, but no matter the concrete plans made, turbulence could still occur. Sometimes, we get so discouraged, trying to change things that are beyond our control. We try so hard to change what cannot be changed. At the end of the day, despite our best-made plans, things could still go wrong, which is why we need the serenity to maintain our inner peace when it does happen.
“God grant me the courage to change the things I can.”
Courage is a virtue. While it is easy to identify issues or problems we have, we find that we are often tongue-tied to speak against them, even when our voice would have made a world of difference. We know about the negative traits we have that can be changed, but we choose to do nothing. Because it is easier to do nothing.
Effecting change in yourself is an act of bravery, one that is necessary for growth. I love Mark Twain for this quote of his, “the absence of fear is not courage; it is acting despite it” when paraphrased. Search your life and discover the negative aspects that you can change positively. Get rid of procrastination and start to effect the change that is within your control.
“God grant me the wisdom to know the difference.”
This last part is the summary of the prayer. When you have reached a point in your life where you can differentiate between what you can change and what you cannot change, you have developed a solid-proof personal character. And this character will speak for you even in rooms where you are absent.
Finally, wisdom will show you when to pray for serenity (to handle things you cannot change) and when to pray for courage (to change what you can). I sincerely pray that you and I have the wisdom to truly know the difference.
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Love,
Diane
