Have you ever tried to push or rush God? I mean, have you asked God for something or for direction, then when you didn't get an answer that you wanted, or didn't get it in the time frame you wanted, did you move ahead on your own? Were you satisfied? Were you miserable? Were you somewhere in betweeen?
Many times in some of our discussions, in previous studies, we have talked about spiritual gifts. Do you know yours? I Corinthians 12:1-11 tells of some spiritual gifts, Ephesians 4:11 tells of some more. A good way to identify your spiritual gift if you don't know it, ask someone close to you!
Now back to my origianl question - Have you ever tried to push or rush God? If you know your spiritual gift, and you know what you are supposed to be doing, because God has told you, are you doing it - great! Are you trying to move ahead too fast and do things that are more than what God has told you to do? Just food for thought. Do what God tells you to do. Join Him where he is working. Don't rush God. Don't push God. Let Him grow you and equip you for what He is calling you to do!
You have a couple of weeks to get the work for week 7 done - keep working. Keep checking the blog. I'll be posting some things. If you have comments or questions, post them so that we can see what you are thinking! Love you guys!
Have I ever tried to rush God? Certainly! How did it turn out? He continues to teach me. One lesson keeps coming to mind, Isaiah 40:31: (KJV) 31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
ReplyDeleteWhy this verse? That little power packed word – WAIT. I am an impatient person by nature. Society as a whole today has made us expect an “I want it, and I want it now” mentality. Tried to push or rush God? You bet. Where did it leave me? Learning new lessons. Sometimes what I learn is more about the character of God Himself. I’ll come to Him in prayer with a problem/question, then in my own little analytical mind, I devise a “solution” – then I prove what I really want is His rubber stamp of my “plan”. God, however, does not need me to be His advisor. He wants me to WAIT upon the Lord. If I WAIT, then He will renew my strength, if I allow Him to, He will help me not be weary… but if I go with my own plan “B” then I am choosing my own solution rather than WAITING on God. Self-defeat.
Notice I said my own plan “B”. Just as Pastor Cliff has taught us, God has plan “A”, and there is no plan “B”. Plan “B” in my case is self imposed, willful choice to follow self, or rely on self rather than Christ. Let me assure you, this behavior is DANGEROUS and DISTRUCTIVE.
God is so cool though! Even with my attempts to play “God” , He has used that sense of humor to allow me to stumble and re-recognize my need for Him, and those times have been some of the best times of Him using my circumstances to grow me and equip me for what He is calling me to do.
Another thing I have learned is, “He doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” I didn’t make up the saying, and don’t specifically remember where I heard it, but I do know that the times where He asked me to step out in Faith, and I was obedient (even when it didn’t make sense) then He was able to use me. He wanted me to have a willing heart, an obedient heart. Again, He didn’t mean for me to come to Him with a list of my great talents that I could use for Him. He wanted me to report for duty, and be willing to do whatever He asked me to do, and know that if He was the one who was calling me, then He would equip me. Why? Because if I could do things without Him (on my own power or based on my own talents) then I would not be showing other’s Christ within me, but that I don’t need Him.
Ephesians 2:12 (NLT), “12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. “ This verse was talking about a time that was before I/we accepted Christ as our Savior. I for one, cannot even fathom, and do not want to, living apart from Christ.
So many times we as Christians are very judgmental of non-Christians. Meaning, we expect non-Christians to act like Christians. The real tragedy is when we as Christians, act like non-Christians. How do I relate this to your question of do we push or rush God? As Christians, we are told to WAIT. I’m still still learning, and He is a patient God.
When I was a kid, we learned a little song called He’s Still Working on Me:
He’s still working on me… to make me what I ought to be.
It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars, the Sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars…
How LOVING and PATIENT He must be… Cause He’s still working on me.
Thank you, Lord, for being Patient with me. Thank you that you will continue your good work in me, in-spite of “me”. Hebrews 13:21… “May He equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him. All glory to Him forever and ever! Amen.”
Thanks for your blog, Beth, it makes you think!
Lori
I loved your post Lori I also learned that song growing up and I feel like I too and still learning to WAIT ON GOD! I wish sometimes I knew my calling but right now in my life I have no idea like you said I am great with kids that was what I did before kids was take care of other peoples kids all day! I also love women and love to talk and get so much out of bible study but I am not sure that either of them is or isn't my calling I guess for right now God wants me be patient and Wait maybe I need more work well I know I do but I guess I am gonna be patient and wait to be lead in some direction in the mean time hope to set a good role model to my husband and kids and of course everyone(friends, family, strangers) my hope is even a stranger might some how see Christ through me or in me : )
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for all you ladies and your words of wisdom for me it is so uplighting to read your thought and to think about!
Sylvia