So here I sit, staring at my computer screen, wondering what to write. To tell you the truth, I'm incredibly stressed right now. Some of you may know that I lead worship here and there and that I have an upcoming commitment to lead at this Saturday's Men's Breakfast. I had made all the necessary preparations of lining up a band, composing a song list, scheduling a rehearsal and even uploading all of this to my blog to share with those involved. Everything was ready for tomorrow's rehearsal when I got a phone call from a key member of my team informing me that he wouldn't be able to play . . .
Sometimes, when we exert ourselves and make grand plans, when everything is the way that we think it ought to be, the door belonging to the threshold we have all but crossed slams in our faces. I'm reminded of James 4:13–16.
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen to you tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you should say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.
The point is that God wants to be involved in everything that we do no matter how trivial it may seem. We cannot get wrapped up in our own plans; instead we must put them under His subjection. To risk the use of an analogy, He wants to guide us with precision like the machine that guides the bowling ball back from the other end of the ally and not just be the bumper rails that stay our spastic tosses. He is calling us into a place of constant reliance. He leads us to trust Him absolutely through intimate relationship with Him and we must surrender everything, even our well rehearsed plans.
God really does come through. In the middle of writing this and after having relinquished my plans for the weekend to Him personally, I received an e-mail all but confirming a replacement for this Saturday.
How ’bout that?
Remember thou art dust . . .
2 comments:
Oh how often that happens, surrender to Him and THEN the answer comes.
And so hard to do, sometimes.
Great post, Chris. And have fun eating pancakes this weekend!
The bowling analogy is one I would have never thought of, but it makes total sense to me. So often I just want to use God as my bumper rail.
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