Hahaha. I have to laugh. After such a high this weekend, it is just typical that my journey should take a minor dip at some point. And it has. So today I'm frustrated and annoyed. I really really want to make certain decisions which I know aren't necessarily good for me. And I don't want to make righteous decisions and follow God's will today! It sometimes just doesn't seem fair! How can you refuse and resist something which you really want purely based on it not being right with God? How can you say no to something you've wanted for ages just because it isn't the right time or the right thing? Grrrrrrr! As the title suggests 'I don't want to!!!'.
At the end of the day I know God has good plans for me and plans to prosper me. He has the best for me. But I don't always see the bigger picture. My eyesight is limited to the now. And the now looks good and appealing and I don't want to say no! So do I go with what will make me happy now, risking disobedience? Or do I wait and risk the fact that there may not be another opportunity? Please tell me I'm not the only one who has ever experienced this!
In Joshua today we read in v 6-8 'Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses.... You are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.' Wise words. And I would even go as far as saying that God knew we would have times of trial and testing hence the minor addition of the word 'very' as in 'be very strong'! He knows!
So what do you do? How do you live this out? How do you carry on making righteous decisions in line with God's will, even when you don't want to!? Praise God that we are saved by grace not works!!!!!
Heh, I know that feeling all too well. The fact that you're even asking the question means you've got the right head on to deal with the answers. Personally, I find it really helpful to recall times when I was obedient to God against my desires, and it turned out that he had a much better plan in store for me. When I run out of my own stories, I look for other people's - I think every Christian has them; I'm happy to share some of mine with you, but as they're mostly about *ahem* carnal desires I'm not sure they're necessarily best for public consumption! Message me if you'd like :)
ReplyDeleteIn the longer term, God's redeeming work is to realign our hearts with his. As we learn that he knows what he's doing, and we learn about his character, we start to want what he wants. As I said above, the fact that you're asking the question means that's happening. If it wasn't, you'd just have done it. The awesome thing about God giving us free will is that we get to choose whether we follow him or not, and see the consequences of that.
But, if you do follow your own desires, remember this: God will take your sin and use it for his purposes. My arms are legs are covered in scars; my self-harm was my sin, but it opens so many doors. Nothing says "I understand" like "I've been there".
thanks Rob - once again fab honesty and openness and wisdom. thanks you!
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