When Christians come to the realization that God's world does not revolve around us, our world is meant to revolve around Him and that the ultimate desire for our lives should be to bring Him glory. Then Cultural christianity will no longer be "the faith poison".
This is a completely different view from what I once thought or believed, but at the same time it is so freeing to realize and understand. Realizing that the world does not revolve around me, and my immediate wants and desires, that there's a much larger picture is very freeing indeed.
Whether it is through tragedy or triumph, loss or gain, God is in control of my past, present and future. My wants and desires are null is comparison to my life bringing glory to my King.
That does not mean that God does not care when we hurt. FAR from it. "The Lord is near to the broken hearted." "The Lord is compassionate, slow to anger abounding in love and mercy." No, no, no He is very loving indeed. It means that there is a much greater purpose and we should always be mindful and trust Him with that.
When you allow your successes or failures to bring you to your knees and for them to bring you to a greater understanding of Who He is, the church will, finally, once again come to a place of revival.
When I am able to take a "Paul and Silas in prison moment" (Acts 16) and instead of sulking, I find myself praising, and declaring, "Lord, I know You have this and one way or the other. You will ultimately be magnified through this". I will know that I have finally Got It.
![]()
This is a completely different view from what I once thought or believed, but at the same time it is so freeing to realize and understand. Realizing that the world does not revolve around me, and my immediate wants and desires, that there's a much larger picture is very freeing indeed.
Whether it is through tragedy or triumph, loss or gain, God is in control of my past, present and future. My wants and desires are null is comparison to my life bringing glory to my King.
That does not mean that God does not care when we hurt. FAR from it. "The Lord is near to the broken hearted." "The Lord is compassionate, slow to anger abounding in love and mercy." No, no, no He is very loving indeed. It means that there is a much greater purpose and we should always be mindful and trust Him with that.
When you allow your successes or failures to bring you to your knees and for them to bring you to a greater understanding of Who He is, the church will, finally, once again come to a place of revival.
When I am able to take a "Paul and Silas in prison moment" (Acts 16) and instead of sulking, I find myself praising, and declaring, "Lord, I know You have this and one way or the other. You will ultimately be magnified through this". I will know that I have finally Got It.
I find satisfaction in nothing more than being a pawn on God's chess table. He uses me and moves my player in order to bring Himself victory in the game. Whether it is through my pawn being taken out of the game early or even pawns around me. Think about it for a second. It may sound a little strong off the cuff, but think about it.
If my life is totally surrendered to His ultimate will and He compares His love for us to the love of an "amazing earthly father" but His love is magnified in being a heavenly Father...
Follow me here...
An earthly father wants good things for His children. An earthly father wants to dote on his children, see them smile and be comforted. In saying that, an earthly father isn't there, at all times, to help guide your steps nor to help map out your path. An earthly father, even though he wants good things for you, all that he can direct you in, is what he may see in the immediate future.
For instance, "Yes, you should get this college education, at this great school, so that you can receive a great education, become a lawyer, be well off financially and hopefully make a difference. etc. etc." In our logic that may sound like a good plan. Your earthly father knows that you've talked about doing that for a long time and it's what you would like to do with your future.
However, your Heavenly Father made you from scratch, He breathed air into your lungs. He knows your strengths and your weakness's. He knows the challenges you will face at that school. He knows where the spouse He created for you will be found. He knows (for instance) that you will get to age 25 and just starting off your career as a lawyer and your heart will be longing to be a wife and mother. He knows that you would rather die than have to leave your children for your work. He knows that with the debt you will accrue in college it will be an impossibility for you to stay home etc., etc., etc. He knows your paths.
I'm not saying that if you are a sold out child of God that you won't face challenges. Oh mercy no! But they're different when you come to the "Pawn Realization". When you face challenges while seeking His direction, continue seeking His direction and accept His Lordship. Be mindful of His promises and He will guide you through it. Whether it's by Him shaping your heart and desires towards His will or by accepting that whatever comes my way does not catch Him by surprise and that I can take the moment and reflect on His Grace or I can run hide under my covers and sulk. He wants to be magnified in our lives. He wants us to know Him better. He wants us to know and trust Him for who He is and accept His Lordship in all things.
I am not saying that it's easy, but suffering will come one way or the other and we have the opportunity to surrender it and accept His authority over it and know that somehow, someway He will receive the glory for it or we can diminish His glory by trusting in our idols or pouting, sulking and "Why Me -ing."
I am in No Way trying to diminish people's pain. Please do not read "that" into this. Oh I have so many friends who have endured unimaginable pain.
If Paul and Silas had sulked, do you think the other prisoners and guards would have seen Christ in their life? If Daniel had sulked do you think God would have kept the Lions mouths shut...? (Daniel 6) Possibly, but I wonder. If Hannah (1 Sam. 1) would have been pitching a fit, blaming and hollering at God for not giving her a child, do you think He would have chosen her and opened her womb and blessed her with a Samuel.
I find satisfaction and hope in that. I find satisfaction in knowing that my life is of far greater importance than just me. When I entrust my life to His hands, my chess piece is promoted from a pawn to a knight. There's a heck of a lot more power in that. And that my God will be the Ultimate Victorious Champ in the game and that my little player was used at all in the game, kinda rocks my socks off!
If my life is totally surrendered to His ultimate will and He compares His love for us to the love of an "amazing earthly father" but His love is magnified in being a heavenly Father...
Follow me here...
An earthly father wants good things for His children. An earthly father wants to dote on his children, see them smile and be comforted. In saying that, an earthly father isn't there, at all times, to help guide your steps nor to help map out your path. An earthly father, even though he wants good things for you, all that he can direct you in, is what he may see in the immediate future.
For instance, "Yes, you should get this college education, at this great school, so that you can receive a great education, become a lawyer, be well off financially and hopefully make a difference. etc. etc." In our logic that may sound like a good plan. Your earthly father knows that you've talked about doing that for a long time and it's what you would like to do with your future.
However, your Heavenly Father made you from scratch, He breathed air into your lungs. He knows your strengths and your weakness's. He knows the challenges you will face at that school. He knows where the spouse He created for you will be found. He knows (for instance) that you will get to age 25 and just starting off your career as a lawyer and your heart will be longing to be a wife and mother. He knows that you would rather die than have to leave your children for your work. He knows that with the debt you will accrue in college it will be an impossibility for you to stay home etc., etc., etc. He knows your paths.
I'm not saying that if you are a sold out child of God that you won't face challenges. Oh mercy no! But they're different when you come to the "Pawn Realization". When you face challenges while seeking His direction, continue seeking His direction and accept His Lordship. Be mindful of His promises and He will guide you through it. Whether it's by Him shaping your heart and desires towards His will or by accepting that whatever comes my way does not catch Him by surprise and that I can take the moment and reflect on His Grace or I can run hide under my covers and sulk. He wants to be magnified in our lives. He wants us to know Him better. He wants us to know and trust Him for who He is and accept His Lordship in all things.
I am not saying that it's easy, but suffering will come one way or the other and we have the opportunity to surrender it and accept His authority over it and know that somehow, someway He will receive the glory for it or we can diminish His glory by trusting in our idols or pouting, sulking and "Why Me -ing."
I am in No Way trying to diminish people's pain. Please do not read "that" into this. Oh I have so many friends who have endured unimaginable pain.
I am however trying to magnify Him and put a magnifying glass on our upside down world view, and how He desires to take our brokenness, our ashes and to create them into something beautifully surrendered.
If Paul and Silas had sulked, do you think the other prisoners and guards would have seen Christ in their life? If Daniel had sulked do you think God would have kept the Lions mouths shut...? (Daniel 6) Possibly, but I wonder. If Hannah (1 Sam. 1) would have been pitching a fit, blaming and hollering at God for not giving her a child, do you think He would have chosen her and opened her womb and blessed her with a Samuel.
You see our American Christian World View is WAY off when we think that all His glory is to be pointed at us. We are not the god's that need to be magnified. My life is a Pawn in my Masters hand!
I find satisfaction and hope in that. I find satisfaction in knowing that my life is of far greater importance than just me. When I entrust my life to His hands, my chess piece is promoted from a pawn to a knight. There's a heck of a lot more power in that. And that my God will be the Ultimate Victorious Champ in the game and that my little player was used at all in the game, kinda rocks my socks off!
But when I fully see and understand my role: I am freed up to love, without fear of rejection; I am freed up to trust, without fear of being let down. I am no longer concerned with being inconvenienced or outside of my comfort zone. I am freed up to be 100% sold out and doing everything in my power to serve the Lord without fear of burn out, because my life is no longer about me, but the One who's in control of me. We are to go, do, teach and Trust, Love, Obey and leave the details in His hands. I am NOT saying I am successful at living this out daily, but this is the mindset and the heart I am longing for. I must decrease so that He can increase. John 3:30
challenging and well put. thank you.
ReplyDelete