Recently, I had one of those “wow” moments when God revealed something profound to me. It was something I had known for a long time, but I haven’t been applying it in this one area. It has to do with making plans and decisions, and then carrying the weight of it, rather than realizing I don’t have to carry it. I realized that much of my thinking has come from a limiting worldly perspective. We are taught to be independent and self-sufficient. It may have even been thrust upon us whether we wanted it or not. We are rewarded for self effort, and perhaps at times this is appropriate if we have struggled to overcome a hardship or difficulty. Finishing grade 12 or graduating from university deserves some recognition and a celebration. But as we journey through life, we soon discover that few things turn out the way we expected. In my case, I have had to wait for God’s best. I had to wait many years for my writing career to transpire. It all came in God’s perfect time. I didn’t need to strive as much as I did about it. I just needed to trust Him, and then focus on the tasks He had given me to do at that time.
Another thought, and we need to be careful with this one, is that we may think that we can do whatever we want, therefore, we should plan our life according to our own wishes and desires. For example, the saying “Live and Let Live” may be popular and we may even agree with it. After all, you have the right to do with your life as you please, right? No one should interfere. Yet, what I think is good for me may harm you. Another one is, “You do your own thing, and I’ll do mine.” Isn't this taking a cavalier attitude that allows me to do whatever I want without thinking of consequences? Well, truthfully, this is the world’s wayward way of thinking. We have this idea of freedom all wrong. We think that freedom has to do with our rights, and the right to do what we please, when we please. But this will put the success and failure of our plans and deeds squarely on our own shoulders, right? Hence, the extra stress we carry that keeps us awake at night.
I used to think that freedom meant doing my own thing. Then when the Lord rescued me, and spoke to me at Bible School when I needed a friend, everything gradually changed. My thinking changed. It took awhile though because I had to learn to trust in my new Friend, that He was steering me in the right direction. Soon, I discovered that He’s the only One who can steer us in the right direction, and that He is the only one who can really set us free.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
I was to learn that our real freedom lies in the level of our submission to HIM. Just how much are we holding back from Him at any given time?
In addition, it’s unlikely you’ll give your heart and life to someone you don’t know very well. That’s why God reveals Himself to us so that we know Him. AS we get to know Him and His love for us and His faithfulness to us, then we start to trust Him more.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
So God reveals Himself to us through His Spirit to our spirit. We cannot understand Him in the natural. It is all done in the spirit.
Likewise, when it comes to living our day to day life, we tend to drift to the natural and not make decisions based on specific spiritual guidance. We think that as long as we live a moral and ethical life, we can pretty much do whatever we please whenever we please. We’ll leave the really big things to God, and we’ll take control of, or take care of, everything else. Scripture will disagree with this.
The fact is, when we came to Christ, we became new creatures. We were adopted brand new into the family of God, and we became His child. Just like when you get married, you are no longer a lone ranger doing your own thing irrespective of your spouse’s desires and wishes. If you think you can hang onto your independence to the detriment of your spouse, then your marriage will fail. So, there is a whole new set of dynamics to consider.
As new creations in Christ, we are no longer our own:
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1Co 7:23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
You are His chosen, predestinated, and His purchased possession:
Eph 1:4 According
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Carefully read these Scriptures (Ephesians 1:3-14) because they will lay an important and firm foundation in the way that you think about things, whether you should just go ahead and live your life because it is yours to live. Rather, your life belongs to Christ, and He has a plan that He will reveal to you day by day. Look at verse 11 again: being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
When it comes to the “will,” this is where the rubber meets the road. Whose will is my life directed by – God’s or mine? This is a sobering thought. Is my will in the way of God’s will, and therefore, the brakes are on (as far as moving up or forward) until my will is submitted completely and entirely to Him? You know that this means I must accept a NO when I really want a YES for that job, or that house, or that trip, relationship, or whatever.
One of the most powerful and freeing verses for us to follow is what Paul had discovered–the power of living the new life in Christ, and realizing the old life is gone forever.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
So what does this mean exactly? It means that I (the old sinful me) am crucified, and I no longer exist as the sole ruler of my life, but “Christ liveth in me.” I live by His “specific” direction and guidance.
To sum this up, if you apply these Scriptures and expound on them, for instance, look up the doctrine of pre-destination and ask God for wisdom and revelation about it. This is a tremendously freeing study, and you’ll see how, when you view yourself in God’s pre-destined plan for your life, you really don’t have to stress about making decisions. He’ll clearly and plainly show you the way; He’ll open and close doors; He’ll give you grace and peace, and an assurance that all is well. What an incredible, blessed, and stress-free life we can live when we realize our life is no longer our own.
