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| Look! I'm helping, Mama! |
How many times have you heard a toddler lisp these words? "I don't need help!" or "I can do it myself!" Of course, you know they do, and they can't, but you let them try, anyway. You let them do what they can, and even though it takes you three times as long, and sometimes you have to do it over after they go to bed, you let them try.
How many times has God heard you speak these words? "I don't need help!" or "I can do it myself!" Of course, God knows that you do, and you can't, but He lets you try, anyway. He lets you do what you can, and even though it takes Him three times as long, and sometimes He has to do it over after you go to bed, He lets you try.
Probably one of the most oft-quoted verses in the Bible is Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." We like the way this sounds. Hey, if I'm following Christ, I can do ANYTHING! We many times forget to read the verses preceding this one, however. Philippians 4: 11-12 read: "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."
What??! The "all things" I can do include being abased and hungry, and suffer need? That doesn't sound right. Can it be that we are MEANT to suffer? We aren't supposed to be able to fix everything? God doesn't promise that Christians will be well-thought-of, well-fed, and well-off? Can it be that God's provision may not be health and wealth?
How many times have you tried to pull yourself up, or make your life better, and it just didn't work? That new job didn't come through. Or you lost the job you had. You, your spouse, your parent, your child got sick. You lost your car, your electricity, your house, your friend. Can you trust God in times like these? Can I? Can we continue to praise Him when we can't see anything praiseworthy? Can we wait for His provision, and His timing, knowing that His way is perfect?
A friend of mine described our myopic vision quite well. She said that it's like our lives are a beautiful tapestry, but we're looking at the threads on the back. If you've ever done needlework, you will know that the back of it looks basically like a mess. God is looking at the beautiful picture on the front.
Another favorite verse states: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28. During those times when our lives seem to be going wrong, we are tempted to take the reins and try to turn them the right direction. This is not all bad, and sometimes we need to take a hard look at ourselves and see where we are messing up. But in the end, it is all up to God. None of our efforts will succeed without God's help. It is tempting to make our plans and ask for God to bless them, but we will be blessed if we ask for God's plan for our lives.
*This is part of a blog series on "Waiting on God," compiled from a group of ladies who are trying to learn how to blog for the glory of God! Please take time to read the other posts in the series!
What a wonderfully realistic post. I loved it! We all needed to be reminded of this :)
ReplyDeleteUgh, waiting - I know it's a necessary part of life but it's still something that frustrates me. On the other hand it is during those intense waiting periods that I grow the most in my relationship with God and others.
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