Your Way or HIS Way?

Well,

Before I get into this real good, I have to say, I've learned one thing. When God puts something on my heart to blog (share), I need to do it right then. There was so much I wanted to share from the last 2 nights at FVBS, but fatigue and then packing and moving furniture and boxes into storage; I didn't share and now, I don't know that I can recall all I wanted to share.

However, I do want to share from Sun. service. I think this service hit home for me because I basically had shared some very similar thoughts and words with someone the day before.

Basically, Pastor Evans talked about us doing things our way or God's way. There is this thing called flesh and spirit. Flesh is when we come at things from a human perspective or point of view. This is also known as mans way or secular thinking. We meet our own needs independent of God. Then there is the spirit, which is God's point of view and perspective. We meet our needs depending solely on God.

I used to wonder why a person who says they are a Christian, would get so upset when another Christian would give them God's perspective on a situation. Well, you know pastor explained it right?! The Christian that gets mad is basically a Christian that lives by the flesh, the other is one that lives by the spirit.

Pastor also made a great anology. We go to church on Sun and hear from God's radio station, but Mon - Sat we are listening to the flesh or worlds radio station. The sad thing is we figure we are supposed to be able to function a full and abundant life this way and get mad when we don't. If I'm honest with you and myself, I've been there. I've prayed and prayed "Lord bless me with abundant life". But now I can fully understand why that didn't happen. I was trying to have that abundant life while listening to and following the junk on the worlds radio station, independent of God. This would include decisions I've made about my relationships, finances, etc.

How can we seek answers from a sinful and fallen world and expect to have God's best for our lives? How can we go on our feelings, what makes us feel good, and expect to live a life of joy and peace? It sounds absurd, but we do it every day.

Listening and obeying what God tells us is not always easy. I'll be the first to admit that. We have this body of flesh that is at war with the Spirit. It wants what it wants, but the Spirit says there is no other way to that unspeakable joy.

I'll give you an example: I want my marriage to be restored. I want my family to have a legacy of divorces stopping with me and my husband. We've been to counseling a couple of times, but to no avail. I'm sitting in church and I'm thinking, this is what has been missing all this time. We've gone to "Christian Counseling" but not once have we been instructed, nor dug in the Word for ourselves to see what God has to say about our situation. And if there is one thing I learned yesterday in church, it's that God has His own view on EVERYTHING in your life!!! How can I expect anything to change if I am still confronting it with my feelings or the worlds point of view?

If you are expecting any lasting changes, that abundant life, a life of joy unspeakable, you will have to lay down your will and take His. You will have to get into your Bible and see exactly what God has to say and you can't stop there, you must apply it. It won't be easy, you'll want to give up. That is your flesh wanting to do it's own thing.

Think of a toddler who is learning to be independent and you're trying to help him do something and he says "No, I'll do it myself". Well, we are like that toddler, only God will step back patiently and let us see we really can't do it ourselves, but think of how much time we have lost in our lives and the lives of others around us. Time is something you can never get back. Time is something that keeps moving forward, regardless to whether you're walking around in the wilderness for 3 years or 40 years.

How long will you walk in the wilderness? Can't figure out why your relationships aren't getting better? Why your child(ren) are disrespectful or rebellious? Finances never seem to be enough for all you have to do, even after you got that big promotion or raise? Could it be that you are doing things your way and not HIS?