As you have read in previous posts, I am very much a planner and I love to schedule things for the day, the week and by the hour. At my job, I use Outlook to schedule my day and in my personal life I use Google Calendar. I like to consider myself a very organized individual and I sometimes get frustrated if things don't go according to plan. However, one of the biggest things I have learned in my walk with Christ and ESPECIALLY in my marriage is that we must trust GOD's timing.
GOD is the author of time and therefore is not constrained by our human imagination of how time should be used and constructed. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. That means we don't have to plan every single detail of our life. It's always good to be prepared and we know that faith without WORKS is dead. BUT, we also must understand that GOD is sovereign and has the final say! He knows what's best for us and he won't lead us astray.
GOD is a good father and when I think about GOD, I am reminded of how my father and my Papa (my grandfather) used to discipline and teach me when I was a little girl. I often would be eager to do things before I was able to do so i.e. I wanted to drive before I was 16, I wanted to work before I had a work permit and I wanted to mow the yard before my feet could touch the petals. What can I say? I was an eager, outgoing, excited little girl! LOL! I wanted to do it all! I also would go to the store with my dad and ask him to buy me certain things. For example, I wanted a candy bar, a new doll and a smoothie all before dinner. However, my dad would often tell me the consequences of eating sweets before "real food" and the importance of being grateful for my current dolls and taking care of them before asking for more. At the time, I would get upset and even sad because I wanted my plan to work. Yet, I'm grateful that I had a good father who knew the importance of allowing me to grow in maturity before just giving me what I wanted.
My Papa was the same way. Often times before buying me something, he would make me do an evaluation of myself. As a little girl, he would make me think like someone much older. He would ask me how I'd been in school that week and if I thought I deserved whatever I was asking for at that moment. He then would tell me that he wanted me to make sure I took care of the thing for which I was asking and wanted to make sure that I understood the right timing for receiving different things. For example, I couldn't expect a car until I was ready age-wise and maturity-wise. I had to show him that I was ready to start driving and could handle the responsibility associated with having a car. This is exactly how GOD does us!! He allows us to endure tests, trials and pain to MATURE us. It's not to hurt you dear heart. It's all to make you better. (1 Peter 1:7 ~ These [trials] have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.)
Ultimately, GOD has everything in his hands including your life and every part of your journey. He won't allow your purpose to birth inside of you, get you to the point of it being released and not let it come to fruition. (Isaiah 66:9 ~ Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?” says the LORD; “shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?” says your God.
In marriage, I would often want things to happen at a certain time and tried to plan accordingly. I wanted us to own a home at a certain time, pay off our debt by a certain time, be elevated spiritually at a certain time and the list goes on and on. However, I have realized something very essential: GOD is at the head of your marriage. As we submit to GOD, my husband submits to GOD and I submit to my husband, we are in alignment with our purpose to fulfill GOD's call on our lives. Therefore, since we are in order and aligned, GOD will bless us in his timing and according to HIS will. He even uses the tests and trials of our marriage to mature us and ensure that we are ready for what he has in store for us.
My father wouldn't let me drive his car until he saw how I rode a bike. In the same way, GOD ensures that we are ready and prepared for what he has in store for us by pruning us, grooming us and molding us into his image. He knows everything about us because he created us. Further, he knows ALL things about our journey because he's the author of our life's script and he is sovereign. He's an amazing father and knows when and how things should be done in our lives. Therefore, the key is understanding that his plans are to prosper us and not to harm us, but to give us hope and a future. Trust in his timing!
I leave you with this word of encouragement over your life: Ephesians 3:20-21 ~ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Nuggets to remember:
1) Don't worry yourself crazy by trying to plan every single detail of your life. It may not always go according to your plan and that's okay.
2) GOD is in control of your life and is SOVEREIGN. Therefore, his plan will always trump yours.
3) But don't worry dear heart. GOD is an amazing father and his plans are to prosper you and not to harm you. He knows best!
4) GOD will allow us to endure things to mature us and to make us better. It's all working together for you good!
No comments:
Post a Comment