When Disappointment Leads to Zork
Zork? Yes, Zork! We talked about those "choose your own adventure" books we read as children, and to me, this is what came to mind! Wow did this take me back!
As we closed in prayer today at church, we asked for strength and courage to hand over the pen of our life, to the Great Author. So often we want to grab the pen and begin to write our own story. We want to change course, and "Choose our own Adventure" like we did when we read those books as a child. However we do so without understanding (or wanting to understand) that there is already a plan for our life, a perfect one. We just need to sit back and let Him read our story to us, and not spend our time fighting for the pen.
This perfect plan however, doesn't seem so perfect to us at times, and soon disappointment seems to justify our disobedience (Mark McGilvrey, www.5milechurch.org). That one hit me hard Mark! In a real, loving, and "light shining on darkness" kind of way. How true that is, that once we seem to start becoming disgruntled about the way this plan is taking shape, we [want to] try again to fight for that pen.
Without application and transformation however, powerful (and even anointed) words or sermons, are just that, words and sermons. So I suppose my next step is to ask myself the question, "What is His plan for my life, and am I trying to fight for the pen?" I don't think the answer to that question is as difficult as it may seem. While I don't know the plan itself, I think I can safely say that I know when I'm not following it. How? As I said before in another post, the inaudible words of God are often more real and clearly understood than when someone is standing right next to me. Point being, I don't think it's hard to tell when you are disobeying God. There is a sense of discontent there that we may try to suppress, but it is fairly obvious (at least to me) when I'm going against the will of God.
So then, I guess we're back to that next step again? What is it for me?
Obedience. If I can understand ... I can obey.
I try to explain to my kids that obedience is not just what they should do, but that I care for them and it's in their best interest, not just something I want. As a loving father I will never ask my children to obey a command that will put them on the wrong path. Sounds like I need to continually hear the same lecture from my heavenly Father as well. When I think back on those more significant moments in my life where I took a greater leap of faith (obedience), the joy and adventure was all that more great as well. I hear the words, "Trust Me, I got this" ...
I'm encouraged to take that next step of faith. What is yours? Is His voice calling you in a different direction, or is His voice just a whisper of encouragement, saying: Jump. I got you.
Listen ... He is talking,
~Matthew
As we closed in prayer today at church, we asked for strength and courage to hand over the pen of our life, to the Great Author. So often we want to grab the pen and begin to write our own story. We want to change course, and "Choose our own Adventure" like we did when we read those books as a child. However we do so without understanding (or wanting to understand) that there is already a plan for our life, a perfect one. We just need to sit back and let Him read our story to us, and not spend our time fighting for the pen.
This perfect plan however, doesn't seem so perfect to us at times, and soon disappointment seems to justify our disobedience (Mark McGilvrey, www.5milechurch.org). That one hit me hard Mark! In a real, loving, and "light shining on darkness" kind of way. How true that is, that once we seem to start becoming disgruntled about the way this plan is taking shape, we [want to] try again to fight for that pen.
Without application and transformation however, powerful (and even anointed) words or sermons, are just that, words and sermons. So I suppose my next step is to ask myself the question, "What is His plan for my life, and am I trying to fight for the pen?" I don't think the answer to that question is as difficult as it may seem. While I don't know the plan itself, I think I can safely say that I know when I'm not following it. How? As I said before in another post, the inaudible words of God are often more real and clearly understood than when someone is standing right next to me. Point being, I don't think it's hard to tell when you are disobeying God. There is a sense of discontent there that we may try to suppress, but it is fairly obvious (at least to me) when I'm going against the will of God.
So then, I guess we're back to that next step again? What is it for me?
Obedience. If I can understand ... I can obey.
I try to explain to my kids that obedience is not just what they should do, but that I care for them and it's in their best interest, not just something I want. As a loving father I will never ask my children to obey a command that will put them on the wrong path. Sounds like I need to continually hear the same lecture from my heavenly Father as well. When I think back on those more significant moments in my life where I took a greater leap of faith (obedience), the joy and adventure was all that more great as well. I hear the words, "Trust Me, I got this" ...
I'm encouraged to take that next step of faith. What is yours? Is His voice calling you in a different direction, or is His voice just a whisper of encouragement, saying: Jump. I got you.
Listen ... He is talking,
~Matthew
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