We often use God in our life, rather than allowing Him to use us. We treat Him as our “Aladdin’s Lamp, desiring that He grant all of our wishes, and ignoring Him the rest of the time. We make our own plans, and then pray for God to bless them. We forget that, instead, He wants us to consult Him for His will for us (Proverbs 3:5-6).
We have no concept of entering His rest and allowing Him to work through us. We attempt to control life to keep our self and our loved ones safe. This is as wise as trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube – it rarely works out well.
One reason for this is that the modern, American church has convinced us that we are here to “work for God.” We are in control, and we make our own decisions and ask God to bless them, until we face a mountain that we cannot climb. Then we get on our knees and beg God to deliver us from the trials, which we made by our own decisions.
God gave us His Holy Spirit as our Helper, Comforter and Guide. If we pray before taking any action, He will teach us what we need to know and bring to our mind the Biblical mandates and wisdom we need to succeed in every action that He calls on us to perform (John 14:26).
We have no good ideas on our own; but we are at peace and find joy in following God’s plans for our life (Ephesians 2:10). This often takes patience that we do not have; however, if we wait on the Lord (Psalm 27:14), patience will have time to perfect us (James 1:4).
After our salvation, we are at the “starting gate,” and we are eager to dash off in our race to serve God; but if we do not consult Him for His plans for us, we are simply wasting our time and His. As we walk in His will for us and follow His direction, we succeed every time (Proverbs 3:5-6).
With our mind centered on God's will, living in the moment grounds us, and enables us to make conscious decisions and holy reactions. We actively listen to others and have the time to show compassion and care for what they are going through.
If we are stressed, anxious, fearful, insecure, etc., we can step back from the issues and hide under God's wings (Psalm 91). As we consciously and slowly breathe out our stress and breath in God's peace, our adrenalin subsides, and we feel peace regardless of the circumstances.
Prayer:
Father God, when we trust in people, places, events and our talents and bank account, we get disappointed; however, when we put our full trust in You as our provision, stronghold, guide Savior and King, we stand on solid ground (Psalm 26:12). Show us Your perfect plans for our day, and help us to trust in You rather than to rely on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Remind us that when we suffer in life, we have more compassion to share with our self and others. If we attempt to guard our self against future hurt, we feel vulnerable and defensive toward others. Help us to learn to live with an open heart, knowing that You heal all of our wounds (Psalm 34:8-9, 147:3). We put our trust in Your infinite wisdom rather than in our own finite reasoning, and we know that everything will work out for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).
Thought for the Day:
When we live in God’s will for us, we can choose our responses rather than to give in to the compulsion to react negatively, which only causes conflict within our self and in our relationships; God leads us in His paths of righteousness for His name’s sake, and He showers us with His abundant blessings throughout our day.
– Psalm 23:3, 106:8, Isaiah 48:9-12
