Friday, March 9, 2012

Control leaves us joyless.


The more control I feel that I have by pushing forward on my own without trusting in the Lord to guide me, the less peace and joy I have. This season, as long as it has been, the Lord has been teaching me to rely on Him; to lean on Him with all my needs. I've discovered how joyless and miserable I am when I take the steering wheel. 
I think I'm getting closer to what I want, when I just end up crashing and burning. 
Everytime, Christ is there waiting for me.

Romans 8:5-8
5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

When we want something, really badly, we figure in our own brain, 

"Why can't I have my way? Don't I deserve this? I think I've waited long enough."

This has been a very long season of waiting for me. I could probably have a whole blog on it's own over this season of waiting. The harder and more difficult a season, the more the Lord can and will teach us.
Just when we think life is unfair, as believers, we have to take a moment to step back and ask ourselves, 

"Am I who I say I am? Am I living in the Spirit? 
Am I allowing Christ to dwell deeply inside of me in everyday life or am I pushing away from Christ?"

I have to admit I've grown tired and weary. I've forgotten that disobedience is sinful. 
I've learned discipline is in the Lord's favor because of His great love for us. 

   Hebrews12:7-11 
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

We may not always understand why we go through various trials or difficulties, but be reminded that God does. We may think life is unfair at times, but let us not forget the great suffering Jesus endured for our salvation and redemption. Let us not forget He holds us in His hands, and His hand is upon us, watching over us, guiding us along the way. Be awed by His mysterious works, whether too quiet to hear, or invisible to the naked eye. Away He works, when we're awake or sleeping, day in and day out.

When we are too weary to pray, remember words aren't always necessary. 
The Spirit knows our hearts;


Romans 8:26-28 tells us so.
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 

How sweet it is that He carries us.