Somewhere along the line I picked up the belief that the world revolves around me and my happiness.
The world does not revolve around me.
It is about time, hey!? I seem to have a tendency to make my decisions and plans both consciously and subconsciously (when it comes right down to it) based on what seems most convenient and comfortable, not simply in obedience to God.
Most of you probably wouldn't advertise that you hold fast to the opinion that the world revolves around you, but what is in your heart? Isn't it true that we really like to believe God or obey Him when His instructions seem to fit into our ideals of comfort and happiness and health? And isn't it true that when what God tells us to do doesn't match up to out ideals that we often try to ignore Him or rationalize Him away? Read Matthew 22:37-40, and John 14:15 When I am living like this, patterns of failure in those areas of my life keep repeating themselves over and over and I am not happy or fulfilled until I finally concede to obey Him and break the pattern of failure.
I seem to forget this, though, every time He instructs me in something else.
Every time I've obeyed, He has been faithful and I've had peace.
We cannot succeed without Him and in obedience to Him we cannot fail.
In human terms, the worst thing God could have for us or require of us is better than the best thing we could plan for ourselves in self interest.
He knows the big picture and is in control.
Why do we elevate ourselves to that status? 1) Who does my world revolve around today? Only God knows the heart, but my words and actions will give a good indication, and my conscience will tell me if I want to know.
-Are you at peace with you and God? - Do you trust God? Enough to obey Him in that one thing that you know He has been talking to you about? 2) In that light, it is my prayer for all of us today that God would allow us by His strength to know what it is that He is speaking to us about and to obey Him in whatever it is, so that we would not prolong failure and dissatisfaction, but begin to experience peace and fulfillment in those things.
3) He is trustworthy because He is faithful and more than able.
He is Life and He calls us to himself so we can experience life in abundance.
Like the song says, "Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
" So if you are in Him, quit kidding yourself, just obey Him and save yourself some agony.
The world does not revolve around me.
It is about time, hey!? I seem to have a tendency to make my decisions and plans both consciously and subconsciously (when it comes right down to it) based on what seems most convenient and comfortable, not simply in obedience to God.
Most of you probably wouldn't advertise that you hold fast to the opinion that the world revolves around you, but what is in your heart? Isn't it true that we really like to believe God or obey Him when His instructions seem to fit into our ideals of comfort and happiness and health? And isn't it true that when what God tells us to do doesn't match up to out ideals that we often try to ignore Him or rationalize Him away? Read Matthew 22:37-40, and John 14:15 When I am living like this, patterns of failure in those areas of my life keep repeating themselves over and over and I am not happy or fulfilled until I finally concede to obey Him and break the pattern of failure.
I seem to forget this, though, every time He instructs me in something else.
Every time I've obeyed, He has been faithful and I've had peace.
We cannot succeed without Him and in obedience to Him we cannot fail.
In human terms, the worst thing God could have for us or require of us is better than the best thing we could plan for ourselves in self interest.
He knows the big picture and is in control.
Why do we elevate ourselves to that status? 1) Who does my world revolve around today? Only God knows the heart, but my words and actions will give a good indication, and my conscience will tell me if I want to know.
-Are you at peace with you and God? - Do you trust God? Enough to obey Him in that one thing that you know He has been talking to you about? 2) In that light, it is my prayer for all of us today that God would allow us by His strength to know what it is that He is speaking to us about and to obey Him in whatever it is, so that we would not prolong failure and dissatisfaction, but begin to experience peace and fulfillment in those things.
3) He is trustworthy because He is faithful and more than able.
He is Life and He calls us to himself so we can experience life in abundance.
Like the song says, "Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
" So if you are in Him, quit kidding yourself, just obey Him and save yourself some agony.