God’s Power
August 22nd, 2010 § 4 Comments
There are times in life where I feel my problems are too great for God’s help. There have been several times in my life where I thought that not even God could help me out of a situation. The truth is that I need to start looking at my problems in the light of God’s power instead of looking at God in the shadow of my problems. God’s power is greater than any problem I could get myself into. I am a master at looking at my problems through my human eyes and forget that God’s perfection and power are greater than my understanding of his ability. This world is full of doubters who think they can logically exclude God from existence. In reality God does not need affirmation for his existence, no more than he needs me as his defender. What he wants is my obedience to trust in Him and know that He is greater than any problem I can get myself into. I need to stop living through my capabilities and start living in the shadow of His great power and strength. My favorite verse in the Bible is Jeremiah 29:11, ‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ I know I’ve used this verse before, but it is always so powerful to remember that God already knows the perfect plans He has for my future.
This post was previously posted on April 14, 2009. I decided to add a few things and republish.
Why Not Me?
August 19th, 2010 § 3 Comments
Recently, a friend of mine made the decision to follow a different path in his journey. The neat thing about his decision is that both he and his wife are perfectly in sync and focused on God’s calling to make this change. I admire them both for their obedience to God’s leading, but I have to admit, my second reaction to the news was to ask God, “why not me?“. Why couldn’t God give me a special calling that I could be excited about? It was so easy to forget that just over two years ago God gave me a special calling to start this season of my life. He did not include me with twenty of my closest friends; he took me!
At the very end of the book of John, Peter is walking with Jesus when he notices John (described in John 21:20 as “The Disciple whom Jesus loved…”) walking behind them. Peter asks Jesus in verse 21, “Lord, what about him?”, referring to John’s future. In verse 22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” When the disciples heard this they started a rumor that John would not die until Jesus returned, but in reality, Jesus was simply saying, “don’t worry about John, worry about Peter…“
This is essentially what God reminded me of this past week. Maybe not in these exact words, but God clearly said, “the plans I have for you are for you and no one else.” I know I say this a lot, but God’s plan is perfect! He has given each of us a special calling that we must make a conscious effort to follow. Each time I wish I had someone else’s calling, I short-change God’s perfect plan for my life.
So what was my first reaction? It was an immediate sense of loss. While this friend of mine and I don’t really hang out that much, I can truly say that at times he feels like a brother. I will miss him more than he will ever know, but God has a perfect plan for his life and to not listen to God’s calling would mean to fall short of God’s potential in his life. God’s Speed, little brother…
Before I Was Ever Formed
August 8th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” – Jeremiah 1:5
This passage was written to describe Jeremiah’s relationship with God and His purpose for Jeremiah’s life. The amazing part of this verse is that it shows just how soon God knows the purposes for each of our lives. Before I was ever formed, God had a purpose for my life that was explicit and planned. It helps me to know that my life is directed through the plan that God has for me. The purpose for my life is very clear to God and it should be very clear to me as well, but I need to be actively pursuing a relationship with God that ensures I am working in the plan he has for me. One of my biggest struggles is that I tend to work hard at finding a plan for my future and what I really need to do is work on listening to where God is leading me. He knows where I need to be and where my gifts will be most effective. If I listen to God’s leading in my life and listen to His voice His perfect plan for my life will be revealed and I will be everything He planned for me.
Giftedness
April 27th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
My role as a believe is something I continue to try to understand as I grow in my relationship with God. I know he wants me to accomplish great things for his kingdom, but somehow I always equate “great thing” with “big thing”. I heard this past week a great quote, which said, ” Spiritual giftedness does not equate spiritual maturity.” Even at 41, I am still maturing in so many ways. I so easily forget the old saying; God is in the details. I need to keep reminding myself that I can be an instrument of details just as effectively as in the big things. I don’t need to be used to make an impact to the masses, I can just as effectively be used by God to touch someone in a very specific way. Everyone’s life fits into God’s big picture. He is the master of the puzzle and my role is both insignificant and crucial, all at the same time. Being a big fan of SciFi, I see shows that talk about the importance of continuity; the minor actions I take today can have a huge impact on the big picture of tomorrow. My actions as a believer are never insignificant, no matter how small they are. I need to be open to where God wants me and what He wants me to accomplish, but I need to have the maturity to understand that my gifts are something that God has given me and they are for the fulfilment of His plan not mine. I experienced this in a very clear way this past week when an old friend (they are not old, I’ve just known them a long time), who I did not expect, made a commment about this blog. My first reaction was to get heady about the fact that someone actually read it, let alone was touched by it…but I had nothing to do with that. It was my small part of God’s plan and it is His plan that touches and impacts my friend’s life, not me. I want to be an instrument for God and I am humbled that he chose me to take part of His plan is someone else’s life.
