At
times, I get tired of submitting to others, and I want to protect myself. We
cannot change another person's choices, behavior, worldview or thought
processes, but we can make our own decisions in areas that personally affect
us.
We
do not have to reap the consequences of another person's choices. The real
issue during each moment of the day is God's plan for our life. If we choose to
follow the ways of Satan, the flesh, or the world, we often disappoint God with
our choices.
I
wonder how often God grants our request, knowing all along that it is not His
best plan for us. In our quest for life, sometimes we look for fulfillment in
all the wrong places. Then, we reap the results of our own choices.
God
gave the Israelites a prophet to speak to them directly, but they wanted a king
instead (1 Samuel 8:5). Eventually, it turned out that their king had to go to
the prophet to find out God’s will for them at any given moment.
A
king is merely a middleman; however, Israel wanted a king, so they could be
like all the other nations in their world. They wanted to fit in, and to follow
the normal behaviors of their society.
Do
we marry the wrong person, take the wrong job, go to the wrong school, move
into the wrong neighborhood, buy the wrong car, and wear the wrong clothes just
because we want to be like everyone else in our world?
As
we focus on laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
rust corrupts, and where thieves do not break through nor steal (Matthew 6:20),
we are much happier in life.
Prayer:
Father
God, when our heart longs to be like the world, we step out of Your will for our
life. Help us not to sew to the flesh, because we will most certainly reap
destruction (Galatians 6:8). Transform our mind to see things from Your
perspective, and make us content with Heavenly treasure instead of earth's
counterfeit.
Remind
us that we can choose to be different from others. We can put You first, living
out Your will for our life, and dressing and living in such a way as to give
glory and honor to You (1 Corinthians 10:31). As we seek first Your kingdom, You
will provide us with everything that we need to live in Your peace, joy and
unconditional love (Matthew 6:33).
Thought
for the Day:
When
we seek to follow the Spirit’s direction with our life, we may not always see
the results, but we know without a doubt that we are laying up treasures for
our self in Heaven.
