I’m an agenda guy! This day is already mapped out in my head: 9 AM I will be at point A, 11:30 I’ll be there, etc. It’s only 6 am on Monday, but my week is largely planned, with appointments penned in the calendar, with goals set for certain tasks. Structure is demanded is I hope to be productive, to meet the obligations that are a part of my life. However, I can become so committed to my plan that I squeeze the work of God into a little box that could not begin to contain His creativity! Every day, I remind myself that He owns the time. I am really only here to implement His Purposes. He is the One in charge of my calendar, I am just the manager. It’s easier to write that than it is to live it.
When life overflows my agenda, when crises arise that destroy my carefully laid plans, I am tempted to grow tense, even angry. (Sadly, sometimes I sin in those way.) Here’s what I have learned. He catches my attention, surprising me, reminding me that my life is not my own. Circumstances arrive in my life for which there is no explanation. Those moments are invitations to trust, opportunities to open myself to His gift of grace. In ways that cannot simply be chalked off to coincidence, I see the Lord use the days of chaos to help me grow.
In his letter to the disciples in Philippi, Paul says that he is in prison, not for some crime, but for preaching the Gospel. He had not blocked out a year in his calendar for that! But he sees God’s plan working out. He writes, "I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the followers of Jesus here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah." (Philippians 1:12-14, The Message) He is not simply being positive. He sees the fruit of faith!
The Word assures us "that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:28-29, NIV) I do not read that with resignation to fate! The sins of others and my own willfulness introduce situations into our lives that do not line up with the perfect will of God. The faith-builder of that passage is the promise that God is big enough to work in all things to accomplish His ultimate purpose in us. What is that purpose? To shape us into the likeness of our Savior. The Psalmist sang, "Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure." (Psalm 23:4, The Message)
Frustration will come today – big and small. It might be something like a car that won’t start. It could be huge- like a pink slip at work. If you are living close to Him, if your heart is seeking His kingdom; then remind yourself that it is His day. Thank Him for the promise that He is working in it for your good to accomplish His purpose. When you’re tempted to complain or curse, to desperately attempt to hang onto control of your life, look up and pray: “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, NIV) As Christ Jesus is allowed to be Lord of this day, you will not only know greater peace, you will also allow a greater holiness to shine through. This is to His glory, which is the best of all!
______________________
God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way,
He works in ways we cannot see,
He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide,
Hold me closely to His side,
With love and strength
For each new day,
He will make a way,
He will make a way.
By a roadway in the wilderness
He'll lead me,
And rivers in the desert will I see.
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain,
He will do something new today.
God Will Make A Way
Moen, Don
© 1990 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
No comments:
Post a Comment