Walking in the Good Works Prepared Beforehand for YOU... learning to let go and not say "yes" to everything

Sometimes it’s hard for me to walk in the good works that God has prepared beforehand for me to walk in. Not because I don’t want to do good things, but rather because I want to do too many good things... or I want to do someone else’s assigned “good works” because I honestly think I could do it better. I know how prideful that sounds, and it truly is just that! I’m not claiming that this is right thinking, but nevertheless, I’m embarrassed to say that it’s what I think sometimes.

I’m a “yes girl” (plus I’m single without a family), so I get asked to do a lot of things— things I enjoy, things I don’t want to do, things I don’t know anything about, things I could do with my eyes closed, things I invest almost my entire life into, things that only take up an evening... the list goes on. And when I’m assigned any sort of task, I take on that full responsibility, often carrying it with me much longer past the intended time. This is also pride, because it’s really a control issue. And for a long while, I thought it reasonable for me to think, feel, and behave this way because, well, “It only makes sense that I can’t trust the next person to do it like I did it!”; “How could they possibly do it better?!”; “Besides, if I don’t do it, who will?” ...and other haughty sentiments.

What I didn’t realize is that my thoughts, words, and actions were actually communicating something MUCH more contemptuous than even the above confessions... what I really believed in my heart is that God isn’t reliable or powerful enough for me to entrust all of these “things” to Him. I didn’t believe that He would be able to carry out His sovereign plan without me.

Go ahead, read that again... you read it correctly the first time: I. Thought. I. Was. Better. Than. God.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t walking around with those exact words ringing in my head, but the explication of my arrogant thoughts is the exact same! And you know what? The enemy has been whispering these same lies since he slithered over to Eve in the Garden. Unfortunately, just like her, I fell for it and took the fruit. 

Through a continuous series of events in my life that the Lord has sovereignly ordained to draw me to the foot of the cross, He humbles me over and over again. He kindly directs my eyes to Christ, sends His Spirit of Truth coursing through every cell of my body, and tells me this:

I AM the Lord your God, there is none like Me.

I AM the Creator of all things. 

I AM the Sustainer of all things. 

I AM the sovereign Lord who is faithful to fulfill every promise I have made in My Word. 

I AM responsible for and fully capable of carrying out my plan. 

And I have chosen you...

...to be My own.

...to be a part of My plan.

...to be obedient.

...to walk in the good works I’ve prepared beforehand for YOU to do.

...to submit yourself to MY will.

...to carry out MY good pleasure.

...to serve in MY Kingdom.

 

Whoa!! Reality check! Much like Job was told to “gird up his loins” before the Lord God basically flattened him with Truth, I have come out on the other side raw, hurting, and frail... but strengthened by the arm of the Lord and humbled by His Word.

Sometimes, things still happen that threaten to jerk me back into the thinking that I am better... and my flesh relishes it. But Jesus has given me His Spirit, so I can be victorious in dying to myself and living for Him!

REJOICE WITH ME OVER THIS TRUTH! ✨

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” -Ephesians 2:10

Acres of Hope: Singleness and the Hope of what's to come

I talked with a friend last night about how we are both single and would prefer not to be. We spoke of the difficulties we experience watching others whom we love be swept off their feet and carried away by these incredible men of God. We spoke of how lonely it can feel. How it can cause us to ask the "why?" question a lot.

But what we ended on wasn't frustration. In fact, we spoke quite a bit of how Jesus has swept us off our feet, and how He continues to pursue us, and how because we are not distracted with husbands and children, we are able to focus our attention on our intimacy with Him in the way that Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 7. And you know what? It's been a slow, hard lesson to learn, but I've finally come to the point of thanking Abba for all of my single years. Now, that doesn't mean that my desire for a husband is gone. But what it does mean is that one simple yet profound Truth has surfaced in my heart that I've always tried to stuff down and all of a sudden these past several years make sense to me now...

If Abba had given me a husband when I asked Him to, I would have made him my god. 

At first, that reality came like a strong blow to my chest. "Me? Make someone else a god? Never! God, You know me! You know I love You more than anything!"

I raged.

It took some time, but somewhere along the way, when I finally shut up and let Him allure me into the wilderness and speak tenderly to me, I heard His sweet, soft, True, non-condemning voice... 
"Yes. I DO know you. And I know you perfectly. Better than you know yourself. Can't you see that I've gifted you with this time? Can't you see how I've lavished My love on you, how I've never stopped pursuing your heart to make it more like Mine, how I caused My Spirit to make you yearn for Me? Can't you see how without this time, you would have never learned to love Me above all else? I love you. And you know that well. And you trust Me. Because we've spent all this time together."

Oh, He's right. He's right! I would have so quickly put my trust in a husband. I would have worshipped him as my redeemer from my single years. As my first love. As my lord.

There was much repentance, but it was followed with much grace.

If and when Abba does choose to gift me with a husband, I now know Who my first love really is. I know Who my Redeemer is. I know Who my Lord is. And I know that because of His Spirit, I can trust that He will carry out to completion the good work He has started in me.

I do not write all this to say that I am rid of my desires and totally 110% captivated by Jesus and I'll never cry again when another friend gets engaged. No, I will still struggle. And I will still need my friends to remind me of Truth and to point me back to Jesus as my Hope, not the possibility of a future husband.

But the difference is that stillness in my heart. It's that realization that I truly am fully known. And that the motto I preach to myself every day is true...

Jesus is better. 

If you're interested in listening, this song is sweet to my soul!

Image taken from here.