Trials.
We all go through them on a regular basis. Some are small; others are not so small. Some are easy to get through and move on; others...well...not so much. Sometimes trials are as little as failing a test or getting a speeding ticket; but other times they are on a much larger scale. They could be things like losing a loved one or getting emotionaly hurt. They come in all shapes and sizes but whether we like it or not, they are impossible to get around.
If you are a girl or anything like me, when a trial comes around...you over-think and completely analyze the entire situation. I tend to pick apart every little detail and replay everything in my head. I dissect it all and attempt to figure it all out myself. Then after I have sufficiently evaluated and considered everything possible to evaluate or consider, I go vent to my friends and talk their ears off for as long as I feel so inclined.
Hmmm, as I went back and re-read that last paragraph I realized that it sounds unbelievably silly because honestly, analyzing the situation...never helps. In fact, sometimes it makes the trial harder to get through. It makes it hurt worse.
God is sovereign.
God is all-powerful.
God is in control.
God is good.
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
So...
Why the heck am I so inclined to think everything over by myself?
Why don't I immediately go to the One who can actually help?
Why don't I pray right away?
Answer: Well that would be because I am a self-righteous sinner.
Even though I fail everytime when I lean on my own strength, I don't seem to learn. Why? Because, I am arrogant. Prideful. Selfish.
I need to learn that when I am weak, Christ is strong. I can lean on His strength. In fact, He WANTS me to lean on Him.
Trials are hard. But we can get through them. Not on our own, but through the power and help of Jesus Christ. In Him we can find peace, comfort, and strength. In Him we can find joy, happiness, and love. In Him we can find grace, mercy, and truth. Through Him we can get through our trials...whether they are small or big...He is there. He will help.
Jesus, grant me the humility to lean on You through trials. Grant me the strength to get through them.
"When the storm is raging all around me
You are the peace that calms my troubled sea
And when the cares of this world darken my day
You are the light that shines and shows me the way" -Beautiful Lord, Leeland
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Sovereign God
Trust.
What does it really mean?
Dictionary.com--"reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence."
Sovereign.
Dictionary.com--"being above all others in character, importance, excellence, etc."
What the heck do these words have to do with eachother, you ask? Good question.
Well let's think about it for a second...if someone was truly above all others in character, importance, and excellence then wouldn't you rely on that person's integrity, ability, and strengh assuming they were a just person? I would.
Seems simple, right?
Now let's say that not only do you have to trust that person with some things, but ALL things. You trust that person with your entire life. You give them control and let them run everything. No exceptions.
Seems a little harder now, huh?
Well this is what I have been struggling with. As christians we are called to surrender our lives to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We need to trust Him with everything. We need to give Him all control because when it comes down to it...He's in control of everything anyway. Take it from me, this is not an easy task. But why is that? Shouldn't it be easy? We know from the Word of God, that He is in control. He's got it all covered. He is Sovereign. All-powerful. All-knowing. Everlasting. Faithful. Loving. Forgiving. Just. Wrathful. Merciful. Wonderful. Perfect. Shouldn't it be easy to trust someone as awesome as Him? It should be.
Sin.
Dictionary.com--"any act regarded as such a transgression, esp. a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle."
Selfish.
Dictionary.com--"devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others."
Pride.
Dictionary.com--"a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc" (In other words, the root of all sin.)
We are sinners. We are selfish. We are proud.
Because of our sinful, selfish, proud nature, we find it difficult to completely give over our lives to Christ. We think that we can handle everything on our own. We think that we are so amazing that it will be no big deal. When it's all laid out like that...we are really stupid people. Everytime, however, we fail on our own. We need His control in our life. We need to trust His sovereignty to survive. If we have the option to let God sit in the driver seat of our lives than why would we even want to drive?
God is continuing to show me in many ways that there is no way I will make it without Him. I always trust Him for awhile and then fall away again. But the great thing is that God is faithful and he constantly brings me back to Him and reminds me that I MUST trust Him.
We are weak and powerless. God is sovereign.
"13I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen." I Timothy 6:13-16 ESV
What does it really mean?
Dictionary.com--"reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence."
Sovereign.
Dictionary.com--"being above all others in character, importance, excellence, etc."
What the heck do these words have to do with eachother, you ask? Good question.
Well let's think about it for a second...if someone was truly above all others in character, importance, and excellence then wouldn't you rely on that person's integrity, ability, and strengh assuming they were a just person? I would.
Seems simple, right?
Now let's say that not only do you have to trust that person with some things, but ALL things. You trust that person with your entire life. You give them control and let them run everything. No exceptions.
Seems a little harder now, huh?
Well this is what I have been struggling with. As christians we are called to surrender our lives to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We need to trust Him with everything. We need to give Him all control because when it comes down to it...He's in control of everything anyway. Take it from me, this is not an easy task. But why is that? Shouldn't it be easy? We know from the Word of God, that He is in control. He's got it all covered. He is Sovereign. All-powerful. All-knowing. Everlasting. Faithful. Loving. Forgiving. Just. Wrathful. Merciful. Wonderful. Perfect. Shouldn't it be easy to trust someone as awesome as Him? It should be.
Sin.
Dictionary.com--"any act regarded as such a transgression, esp. a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle."
Selfish.
Dictionary.com--"devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others."
Pride.
Dictionary.com--"a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc" (In other words, the root of all sin.)
We are sinners. We are selfish. We are proud.
Because of our sinful, selfish, proud nature, we find it difficult to completely give over our lives to Christ. We think that we can handle everything on our own. We think that we are so amazing that it will be no big deal. When it's all laid out like that...we are really stupid people. Everytime, however, we fail on our own. We need His control in our life. We need to trust His sovereignty to survive. If we have the option to let God sit in the driver seat of our lives than why would we even want to drive?
God is continuing to show me in many ways that there is no way I will make it without Him. I always trust Him for awhile and then fall away again. But the great thing is that God is faithful and he constantly brings me back to Him and reminds me that I MUST trust Him.
We are weak and powerless. God is sovereign.
"13I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen." I Timothy 6:13-16 ESV
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