"The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell." (Ps 24:1)
"Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all." (1 Chron. 29:12)
"For exaltation comes neither from the east
Nor from the west nor from the south.
7 But God is the Judge:
He puts down one,
And exalts another." (Psalm 75:6-7)
We Human Beings are funny creatures - we are so interested in the future. We pay psychics over the phone, read horoscopes and other claptrap to see if we are going to have a good day. It isn't a new thing either (what is, really different between us and biblical human beings? - nothing), King Saul committed a grave sin by using a medium to contact a dead Samuel rather than trusting in the Lord.
This morning this topic resonated with me because I was having some nightmares about my children. It always centers around them wandering and falling into a danger that I cannot control.
As a parent, I am constantly worried on some level about my children. It usually doesn't rear itself in my daily life, but in dreams it can be quite frightening for me. It is my worst fears realized in nightmare form.
My fears in daily life (when I'm awake) usually center around provision and the desire to provide for the needs of my family and the hope that should something happen to me, they will be well cared for. At the same time, I hope that my career will grow and mature. When I was a younger single Christian, my primary desire was to find a good woman who was willing to spend the rest of her life with me (a seemingly insurmountable task at the time - praise God that He can work miracles!).
All these things are connected because they are all out of my control. I surely want to control them - to make sure my family is safe and secure and that my career is blossoming, but I cannot.
That is where the need to trust in and pray to the Lord comes into play. Trust is evidenced and developed over time - much like how a new marriage is fragile because it is so young, so too is our walk with the Lord when we are new Christians. Over time, the Lord's faithfulness is evidenced - not in the way that we envision, want or desire, but instead in the way that He desires for us, knowing the beginning and the end of our lives.
Consequently, our lives never ever develop in the way that we believe it will go. Yet, looking back on the time that I have been a Christian -- would I change anything? Would I trade my life for another? How can I? I am living the life that the Lord has granted to me, and it is well with my soul.
The Lord doesn't promise us perfection in life - living in a fallen world, tragedies happen all the time. Thorns and jagged edges abound everywhere and we can be cut physically, mentally and emotionally.
However, as a child of God - one whose Lordship is no longer our own, but given over to Christ, God promises eternal life and also to use our lives in a way that is beneficial to his kingdom - a life that is fulfilling because it fills our purpose for living.
At this point, earthly control - earthly results are no longer important. There is an eternity for us to look forward to. As Paul says boldly in Philippians 1:21, to live is Christ, to die is gain. There is no need for control over our futures, instead we merely need to focus on self-control and discipline in living God's ways (one of the fruits of the spirit in Gal. 5:22). Living in submission with Him, He will guide our steps and use us in the way that will maximize our lives, and the lives of our families.
Lord Jesus, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the dangers of this life can seem so large and imposing. I forget Your perspective and Your will all too easily. You are in control and You are my Lord. Let my life flow in whatever way and direction You desire. Let me never try to possess my life as if it is something for me to grasp or to lay pride upon. I am yours, and my family is yours. Help me instead to be the best that I can be for them and ultimately for You. In the amazing name of Jesus - the name of salvation, I pray. AMEN.
Showing posts with label control. Show all posts
Showing posts with label control. Show all posts
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, April 9, 2010
Trusting God With The Outcome
“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
Today I’m going to be interviewing for a position that seems like a decent opportunity. I have been prepping and I am feeling discomforted by the whole process. I want to do well for sure, but I don’t know if I am really ready. There isn’t more that I can study or prepare, probably just to do some light review, but what is done is done at this point.
What I started to forget is simple Biblical truth in my nervousness and desire to control the outcome. All this stuff – interviewing, trying to present myself well is all good. People should interview, people should try their best to put their best foot forward. However, God is the ultimate employer. He gives to each exactly what should be given at the proper time.
Whom shall I fear? Do I fear the whims and opinion of man? Do I dwell on what they can do to me? It is to my shame that I realize that I am so often concerned about other men’s opinions that I forget that the Lord is my God. The Lord placed me in certain key positions to have a career in accounting. I cannot say how and why it all happened, but it is the truth. I am what I am today because He saw fit to get me into a Big 4 accounting firm. I know for sure that I didn’t do it all on my own (because I didn’t really deserve it), but He did it. He planned it and opened the door accordingly. Whom shall I fear?
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Prov 9:10-11)
Rest in God’s wisdom and His leading. That is the message for today. I may or may not get this position. That is ok. God is in control and He will bring the right thing at the right time. That much is a certainty. I may have career goals and aspirations, but it is God who has veto power and the plan for my life. If I am to be an accounting manager, He will open that door. If I am to be even a police officer, which would be an odd thing since I have no aspirations to do that, He will open that door. It is God that makes men who they are and what they do.
I had tried to make myself “want” this position and to be motivated by the “want”. I realize that isn’t entirely right. To be driven by want and desire is of Satan. Satan wants us to covet and to seek out our own glories. We will then get wrapped up in the seeking, some made bitter by failure and others made haughty by success. Either way, God is pushed out of the picture.
The Lord instead asks us to simply be, to wait, and to trust. He has a plan and we will strive to do our best where we are at, doing the things we can, but ultimately waiting for HIM to clear our paths.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” (Prov 3:5-6)
God is the director. God is the leader. God has our lives completely mapped out in a good way. God works for the good for those who love Him and have been called according to His purposes (Rom 8:28). As a Christian, I have been called. God plucked me out of the depths and darkness of my sins where I was stumbling around in hopelessness, and He gave me life and life more abundantly.
There is very little I can do to “screw up”. God will still be at my side and God will accomplish what His plan is in my life. As long as I remain open to His leading wherever He prompts, I know that to be true. That is the ultimate definition of fear of God over man.
My path is set before me and it is fine. I no longer have the “want” for this interview to be successful – I simply will be and trust in whatever result occurs knowing that God is ultimately in control. If this position is where I should be, the proper door will open. If not, it will close. Neither result is good or bad.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your message through Your word today. I really didn’t expect to hear from You when I started journaling out of my nervousness, but You are always faithful and eager to grant wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5). For whatever reason, You have chosen to bless me and I am in a good place. Perhaps this interview is the next step, and perhaps it is not. What I desire is Your ultimate result. I can’t screw up because it will go as You planned. So my prayer today is to simply ask to help me do my best as well as I am able. Help me to be energetic, lucid, concise and even interesting. However, the ultimate result is in Your hands as it should be. May Your will always be done in my life and may I always rest in You. Thank You Lord. In the name of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, AMEN.
Today I’m going to be interviewing for a position that seems like a decent opportunity. I have been prepping and I am feeling discomforted by the whole process. I want to do well for sure, but I don’t know if I am really ready. There isn’t more that I can study or prepare, probably just to do some light review, but what is done is done at this point.
What I started to forget is simple Biblical truth in my nervousness and desire to control the outcome. All this stuff – interviewing, trying to present myself well is all good. People should interview, people should try their best to put their best foot forward. However, God is the ultimate employer. He gives to each exactly what should be given at the proper time.
Whom shall I fear? Do I fear the whims and opinion of man? Do I dwell on what they can do to me? It is to my shame that I realize that I am so often concerned about other men’s opinions that I forget that the Lord is my God. The Lord placed me in certain key positions to have a career in accounting. I cannot say how and why it all happened, but it is the truth. I am what I am today because He saw fit to get me into a Big 4 accounting firm. I know for sure that I didn’t do it all on my own (because I didn’t really deserve it), but He did it. He planned it and opened the door accordingly. Whom shall I fear?
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Prov 9:10-11)
Rest in God’s wisdom and His leading. That is the message for today. I may or may not get this position. That is ok. God is in control and He will bring the right thing at the right time. That much is a certainty. I may have career goals and aspirations, but it is God who has veto power and the plan for my life. If I am to be an accounting manager, He will open that door. If I am to be even a police officer, which would be an odd thing since I have no aspirations to do that, He will open that door. It is God that makes men who they are and what they do.
I had tried to make myself “want” this position and to be motivated by the “want”. I realize that isn’t entirely right. To be driven by want and desire is of Satan. Satan wants us to covet and to seek out our own glories. We will then get wrapped up in the seeking, some made bitter by failure and others made haughty by success. Either way, God is pushed out of the picture.
The Lord instead asks us to simply be, to wait, and to trust. He has a plan and we will strive to do our best where we are at, doing the things we can, but ultimately waiting for HIM to clear our paths.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” (Prov 3:5-6)
God is the director. God is the leader. God has our lives completely mapped out in a good way. God works for the good for those who love Him and have been called according to His purposes (Rom 8:28). As a Christian, I have been called. God plucked me out of the depths and darkness of my sins where I was stumbling around in hopelessness, and He gave me life and life more abundantly.
There is very little I can do to “screw up”. God will still be at my side and God will accomplish what His plan is in my life. As long as I remain open to His leading wherever He prompts, I know that to be true. That is the ultimate definition of fear of God over man.
My path is set before me and it is fine. I no longer have the “want” for this interview to be successful – I simply will be and trust in whatever result occurs knowing that God is ultimately in control. If this position is where I should be, the proper door will open. If not, it will close. Neither result is good or bad.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your message through Your word today. I really didn’t expect to hear from You when I started journaling out of my nervousness, but You are always faithful and eager to grant wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5). For whatever reason, You have chosen to bless me and I am in a good place. Perhaps this interview is the next step, and perhaps it is not. What I desire is Your ultimate result. I can’t screw up because it will go as You planned. So my prayer today is to simply ask to help me do my best as well as I am able. Help me to be energetic, lucid, concise and even interesting. However, the ultimate result is in Your hands as it should be. May Your will always be done in my life and may I always rest in You. Thank You Lord. In the name of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, AMEN.
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