It's my birthday! In FOCUS that means it's time for birthday wisdom!
God had shown me a bit of wisdom this last year that has quickly permeated my thoughts and decision making processes. In the last year God has taught me that His way is the best one and only one He will tolerate. These lessons came amidst times of joy and, because of my stubbornness, times of pain.
As it turns out, God knows what He's doing, a lot better than me actually, and it's a wise idea to follow His plans and abandon my own when the two don't match. I've found that it's easy to say that I trust God and that His will for us is best but it's much harder to act in a way that confirms those words.
There have been many times in the last year where I faced a fork in my life, a decision point. Standing at these forks I often see two paths. Off that way is the one I know, I’m familiar with it, I know what lies down that path with its challenges and rewards. That’s the comfortable path I want to take. Off this way is the other path. I’ve not traveled this one before; it looks steeper than that one, more difficult. I’m not even sure where this one goes… maybe a serene sunlit meadow or a damp cave, or over a cliff. This is of course the path I sense God saying to take. He wants me to venture into the unknown, untested territory of His will.
Thoughts flow through me –
“Is God really saying this way? I like that way though, I like where it leads. I can take God’s path next time, no big deal. Maybe I can try that path and if it doesn’t go well I’ll come back to this one. But how can I say God’s plan is best and knowingly take the other?”
God then throws in a helping thought –
“You’re mere words aren’t good enough to prove your faith, either you act in agreement with them or they are false sayings and yours is a false faith.”
That gave a good bit of clarity to the situation. Ignoring my rebellious mind, I chose God’s path. It was much more difficult than mine. I had to get Him to help me many more times than that path would have required. But I knew I hadn’t made a hypocrite of myself before God and that was important.
As it turns out, I was right. God’s way has proven far better than my own. Now when I meet the forks of life and find myself with a similar choice, I rejoice in the chance to again prove to God that I trust Him and will stake my future on Him. I will jump off a cliff if asked to, without looking back, because I know Him and know He has my best interests in mind and is trustworthy.
