The question was recently asked - how do I leave something in GOD's hands? What does it mean to "not do things in my own strength?"
It was a question that really got me thinking. When I say I'm 'leaving it in GOD's hands' what does that mean? What am I actively DOING that leaves it in GOD's hands? How do I not do things in my own strength?
Strength in the Websters dictionary is defined by: inherent capacity to manifest energy, to endure and to resist. Of all the definitions of strength, I think this one says it best. To have strength one has to manifest & exert energy. Strength is an ACTIVATION - an ACTION of something. I believe that when we do something in our own strength, it means that we are actively doing something in an effort to drive or obtain a result. We are pursuing something, whether it be a career, a child, a relationship, a breakthrough, a victory or a loved one's salvation.
For example: if we are seeking GOD for a different career or a specific job opportunity, we are likely praying for HIS 'favor', HIS provision, HIS 'will' - we are praying: "If it be your will Lord, please give me this job _______ or a job or a job in this field _________ ." In order to activate GOD's will, HE calls us to act. We should be putting in applications for that particular job or field. But activating in our own strength might mean that we are so sick of the job that we are in or so bored of the job that we are in that when an opportunity arises when a job that isn't in that field comes up....we take that job, without praying, without seeking the Lord's direction, and we take it simply because we're tired of waiting and 'atleast it gets me out of where I am now'.
If we are seeking GOD for a breakthrough in our lives - for example, a financial breakthrough, we are likely praying for GOD's provision, HIS financial blessing, a miracle! We are praying: "LORD, open the floodgates of heaven and pour down your financial blessing on us. Provide the money to save our house, provide the financial provision to buy a new car to replace our clunker", or "LORD - my electricity will shortly be turned off, please provide the funds to pay for my electric bill!" In order to active GOD's will, HE calls us to act. We should be withholding from spending any existing money we receive on careless things such as clothes, shoes, movies, cigarettes, eating out or going out with friends. Every dime we have & receive, we should be saving to all add up to what's required for our bill. But activating in our own strength might mean that two days after we ask the LORD for provision, we go out to get a PayDay Loan. Our bill isn't due for another week, we just prayed last night but we're just too afraid that we won't get what we need so we go out, we get a loan & we use that money to pay off our bill. We believe GOD can provide - we've seen GOD provide - but we just want to make sure!!! We just want to be sure that our APS doesn't get turned off. It's not that GOD won't provide for us, it's just that 'if I pay the loan back, then no harm-no foul'!
Maybe we've been waiting on a relationship - a husband or a wife. We are struggling because we've been faithful...we've kept ourselves pure...we've stayed in the WORD...we've served in the church....we've stayed away from things displeasing to the LORD...and yet, we see what feels like everyone around us getting married. Even those who are freshly saved are finding spouses! And we're still waiting. We are likely praying: "GOD, please! Please bring my husband/wife! I have been faithful! I've been patient! I've been pleasing to you! Please bring me the man/women you've promised!" In order to active GOD's will, HE calls us to act. We must continue to remain pure, we must continue to trust on the LORD...we must continue to support our friends in marriage while we wait for our own spouse. But activating in our own strength might mean that we say 'yes' to the first person who shows interest in us. They don't exactly line up with what we know we want in a husband/wife - they say they re a Christian but they don't regularly attend church, they're sexually active with other people inside and outside of the church, they are often found at bars getting drunk or they have a bad temper and often explode on people around them. They disrespect their mother/father, they watch racey movies & they dress provocatively. But they're interested in you - they say they love GOD - they raise their hands during worship & they pray over your dinner when they take you out. They say they love GOD so that should be enough. Everyone has sin, right? I can't judge them. I'm just tired of being alone and he/she is SO cute & so nice - I just want to be a husband/wife so I'm going to make this work. I'm not praying about it....I'm not seeking GOD's face to know if this is my spouse. I'm not listening to the LORD's voice when I see the warning signs. As long as I go into it knowing divorce isn't an option, it has to be right, right? They believe in GOD, which means we aren't unequally yoked. I'm just tired of waiting so it's fine!
Maybe we are already married & our prayers have been for our spouse. We are frustrated - we need change in our marriage! Maybe our spouse is an unbeliever; maybe they have an addiction to drugs or pornography or drink; maybe our spouse doesn't help us around the house or has unforgiveness in their hearts or struggles with not wanting physical intimacy. We have been praying: "Please LORD! Please intervene! Change my husband/wife. Free him/her from this addiction. Make him/her more helpful around the house. Please change my husband's/wife's heart & make them more passionate, compassionate & giving. Restore our marriage - make us love each other again!" In order to activate GOD's will, HE calls us to act. We as wives should be submitting to our husbands - speaking in kindness, quick to forgive - no matter how often their faults. We should be free of nagging our husbands - we should be cleaning the house even if they never help. We should be hugging our husbands, kissing his cheek before bed and before we leave the house. We should be in our WORD daily, praying for our husbands, asking the LORD for change and we should be speaking to our husband in love, encouragement and respect. Husbands should be helping with the household and the children, going out of their way to love their wives even if their wife's response is sour & unkind. They should be holding our hands, cooking dinners, speaking in kindness & loving their wives as GOD loves them and HIS church. But activating in our own strength might mean that we as wives stop cleaning the house in an effort to 'show our husbands what we do everyday'. We get tired, weary of doing it all on our own so we stop cooking dinner for them so they can 'learn how much we do'. We are praying for that our husbands would put down the remote and pick up a mop but we just aren't seeing change so we take the batteries out of the remote, hide all the refills & hand him a mop and a bucket, telling him it's time for him to 'do something for once'. We yell, we call him a 'lazy man', & remind him of how much like his father he has become. We withhold sex from him when he desires us & we stop wearing dresses & live in our sweatpants. We know GOD can change him. We know that GOD has the power to change his heart & make him the man that we want him to be but we're tired - we're worn out - and quite honestly, we're angry. We 'deserve' better than this. We 'deserve' to be happy & we're tired....we're tired of being unhappy. So we 'motivate' our spouses by telling them every time they aren't doing what we want them to do. We are 'telling them how we feel' so that they don't have to 'wonder' and so they can't tell us they never knew.
I believe operating in our own strength doesn't always mean we purposefully cut GOD off & take control. We don't necessarily go into it having the motivation to 'be GOD' or take care of our own problems. Waiting with patience is one of the greatest challenges we face. We want things so deeply and especially if we see others around us happily enjoying what we want....it creates an opportunity for satan to use that as a foothold & a distraction.
I believe that when we turn things over to GOD, that means that we truly seek HIS face & HIS direction & HIS strength in providing or waiting for that thing we are seeking HIM for. I think truly giving over a desire to GOD - in HIS hands - is the difference between Sarai and Hannah. Sarai got tired of waiting - she had GOD's promise but she didn't see if manifested for years and years and years. She finally grew weary and she, in her own strength, gave her slave to Abraham to bore them a child. Hannah, on the other hand, had a word from GOD & mourned over her desire for a son. She waited & waited & waited & she kept her faith on the LORD, trusting in HIS timing, waiting on HIS provision, doing nothing but speaking HIS faithfulness....& GOD gave her a child - more than 1 to be exact.
I'm not denoting the antagonizing pain that comes with waiting. Especially if we've received confirmation from the LORD that HE does have a job for us, a spouse for us, a child for us...that HE will give those things to us on HIS timing.... I don't denote the excruciating pain & weariness & disappointment & sorrow that can come in waiting. You are not displeasing the LORD if you feel like giving up....if you feel disappointed....if you have a brief moment of doubt that your promise will be fulfilled. You are not displeasing the LORD if in frustration & down-right mourning you question the LORD in prayer, asking HIM if HIS promises will ever be fulfilled. You are not displeasing the LORD if you make a mistake and you DO operate in our own strength & you try to manifest your promise yourself. You are not displeasing the LORD if you have moments in your time with HIM when you cant bring yourself to say anything because...well...you're a little angry. You're a little angry at GOD, if you're honest with yourself, because you've been faithful in your waiting...for months...a year...5 years...10 years...25 years....40 years....60 years. You're angry that your daughter/son/wife/husband/mother/father/sister/brother/grandchild(ren) aren't saved. You're angry that you've been trying & trying & trying to conceive children - you've had word after word after confirmation after confirmation that HE will give you your hearts desire & you have yet to conceive - you're angry that you have been married for 5, 10, 20, 30 years and your spouse is still the same person & you're angry that you're doing all the right things & you still aren't seeing change.
Giving it to the LORD, & not relying on your own strength, doesn't mean that you won't THINK about what you're giving up. It doesn't meant that you won't LONG for what you're giving up. It doesn't mean that you won't WANT what you're giving up. It doesn't mean that you'll FORGET about what you're giving up. It doesn't mean that you won't be asked by GOD to rejoice in OTHER people getting what you're giving up. It doesn't mean that you won't be presented with something that LOOKS like what you want but you KNOW in your heart of hearts that it's not GOD's best. It doesn't mean that you won't have to wait another year, 2 years or 5 more years to get what GOD has promised you. And it doesn't mean that you won't make mistakes along the way...waiting for what GOD has for you.
What it all means....to leave something in GOD's hands & to "not do things in my own strength" - it means that we trust that GOD is bigger, GOD is better, GOD is mightier, GOD is stronger, GOD is greater, GOD is more faithful, and GOD is more true than what we are seeking HIM to do. It means that we trust that despite our circumstances...despite our emptiness....despite our waiting....despite our weariness...despite our imperfect jealousies, envies, and frustrations....that we trust that GOD is the same GOD who bore Abraham a child well after his child-bearing days, the same GOD who grew a child in the womb of a virgin, the same GOD who rose a man from the dead....the same GOD who created the world with simple WORDS - that this same GOD is the GOD who will give you your heart's desire & will give it to you in abundance - more than you could ever anticipate or imagine. It will be bigger, better & will far exceed your expectations.
I know the waiting is long.
I know the waiting is exhausting.
I know the waiting makes it harder and harder to believe you'll see GOD's promises.
But GOD is faithful.
GOD is not a man that HE could lie.
HIS passion for you burns deeply, deeply within HIM.
You are HIS child & HE only gives HIS children the very, very, VERY best.
Hold tight.
Your promise IS coming.
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