Am I there yet?

Today’s scripture:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding…” (Proverbs 3:5)

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11)

Have you ever been at that season of life as a child or a youth where you think you have it all figured out? I mean there is nothing that anyone can tell you something that you haven’t already figured out yourself. You have probably said to yourself… “Don’t worry dude, I got this!” …Right?

I have boys of ages 19, 17, 12, 10, 8 & a girl who is 14. I hear all the time, “Yes, I know! You don’t have to tell me! I already know that!” It seems to be a constant daily task and challenge to teach them and bring them up in the Lord, instructing them in the ways they should go. When a teenager hears you say, “You are not old enough to be dating”, but they already think they got the whole “love” thing all figured out and are mature enough to handle their responsibilities, the last thing they want is your direction.

Actually, it’s pretty comfortable for us to think back to the days as a youngster and say, “yeah, I acted foolish and said some pretty foolish things”, or to join in with talk on how our kids act. I think it is comfortable because we either want to look at others faults and sinful behaviors rather than our own or we don’t mind to look back on our past as long as we think we have come along way since then.

The truth of the matter is we have not come nearly as far as we think we have. Think how that kind of attitude relates to how we tend to act with our spiritual authorities or our boss or our spouse, and especially look at how it relates to how we act when God tries to give us direction.

Think back to the last time God laid something on your heart. Now, I’m not talking about that thing where God is leading you to do something amazing. I’m talking about simple obedience of cutting off that relationship with the one you have been dating the past few weeks? Or, what about that favor you promised your friend last month that you would help them do yard work for their disabled relative? How about if God is telling you to wait and be still when your so excited to go after that job or go into ministry or get married or buy that awesome car?

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Don’t we tend to roll our eyes at God sometimes thinking we have got a hold on this thing? Sometimes we may even ignore His still quiet voice because we are too distracted by our own pride thinking we know it all. Like I have said so many times before, God speaks to us in several ways and your circumstances, whatever they are, is one of those ways. Stop and take a look at your circumstances and consider what God may be telling you what you should do. Try not to think that you have arrived at the place that you know better than God Almighty! Of coarse we don’t articulate it that way. We would never say that we know better than God. I mean that would be absurd! But isn’t that exactly what we are saying with our actions when we go against what God is trying to tell us what we should do?

Oswald Chambers said “The more a person knows of the inner life of God’s most mature saints, the more he sees what God’s purpose really is: to “. . . fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ . . .” (Colossians 1:24). And when we think of what it takes to “fill up,” there is always something yet to be done.”

Reflection:

Dear saints, we have to realize that not a one of us have arrived yet. We all still at times act childish in our attitudes toward God especially when He is wanting us to do something that goes against our own will. What He really desires from us is a humble and willing heart with the attitude that reflects back to today’s scriptures. An attitude that is honest, yet humble that says “I don’t understand why you want me to do this or why you don’t want me to do this, but that’s ok because I trust you Lord and I will obey.”

Challenge:

Think of your current circumstances right now. Do you feel God leading you to do something or not to do something? Dear one, be the child of complete obedience trusting that He knows things that you have know way of knowing and that He loves you too much to not let you have what you need. Just say “YES LORD”!