Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean
not on your own understanding; in all your ways
submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
proverbs 3:5-6
There is no other way we can successfully live without leaning on Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter how much money you have, how smart you are, how inviting your personality, how capable you are.... we are all incapable of living the lives we are meant to live without Him. Psalm 23 (NIV) says that the Lord "guides me along the right paths, for His name's sake". He knows the right paths, not us.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are
your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “ For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways
higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
isaiah 55: 8-9
I don't think leaning on the Lord comes easily... most of the time. Often times the things that we must put in His hands are the things of our lives that cause stress, frustration, anger, anxiety... all these things God has asked us to lay aside. All these negative emotions the world deems normal that God says we don't even need to feel if we truly rely on him.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts
out fear, because fear involves torment. But he
who fears has not been made perfect in love.
1 john 4:18
Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about
your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than
food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds
of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather
into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
matthew 6:25-26
I have lots of concerns in my life right now. Lots of paths/directions I can't discern on my own. I MUST lean on Him.
The worst thing about decisions is the fact that it is normally difficult to determine what is best, right? That is what always makes it a challenge and a risk. If one way was totally clear as the right path, there's hardly a real decision to make - you just go that way! Normally deciding on a path means you have 2 or more ways, all with their own benefits and risks, and they are all somewhat viable options.
Some crossroads I'm at right now are...
Do we sell?
Do we rent?
Do we move?
Do we find a new day for Dance Ministry?
Do we take a break?
If we take a break, will it ever begin again?
Do we start trying for a baby next spring? Is it too soon?
How much do you sacrifice for a project you believe in?
How far do you go for something if you aren't sure how it will work out?
How do you know when to say "enough is enough?"
Some of these questions must stay a little vague because they are more personal, so they may seem like they have easy answers, but I assure you they do not.
So many of my personal questions are tangled up in living situation issue and financial concerns (I'm sure with where things are in our world most people have questions tied up in these areas too). About a year ago, I would have worked myself into a mental tizzy thinking about all these questions, allowing them to flood my mind and make me so concerned to make the wrong choice I'd do almost nothing at all. And if I made a choice, I second guess it the entire step of the way.
By God's grace, I have moved away from this place more and more, and have entered a place where those thoughts aren't captivating my entire mind anymore. I am NOWHERE near perfect, I have not mastered this at all. But I was pondering it today and remembering the lessons I feel like I have learned, and hope that it might be of some encouragement to someone out there. :) Maybe we can find some clarity together.
I'll be posting Part 2 of this over the next few days so share what I feel like the Lord has shown me as he's brought me out of captivity in this area.
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
psalm 119:114
I love reading this. Thank you for sharing. You encourage me, my sara!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nico! :) Tell your friends! j/k
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