There is a book I am halfway through right now, and I would most likely speak more in depth about this book when I am done, but the base of this is that I have been relying on God too much for immoral decisions in my life. By immoral, I mean things that God wouldn't consider as important as those things He has plainly commanded me to do.
For example, if I sit back and ask God to tell me to either go to Wal-Mart of Hy-Vee for groceries. Or to pursue what major in my life. The author even dared to put "who I will marry" into this category. The argument in summary says that what God commands us to do fully is shared in His Word, and the choices we make down here can not possibly mess up His Sovereign rule and reign. He calls us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind...and also to love our neighbors. God gives us desires and pursuits, and in His Sovereignty He will call us to places...but not every choice we make is going to make or break God's will as long as we are pursuing those main commandments in our lives.
My flaw, is that I've wanted God to make all my choices. Everything I do, I needed to know where to go, and I wanted to wait for a verse to point me somewhere, or a sign of some kind from people around me. Truth is, I make the choices. It's my life, and God's desires in me and wisdom planted in me will help me make the right choices. God doesn't need to tell me every single time what to do. Sometimes God will make it very clear to me. I am not saying He doesn't, because He has numerous times through His scripture. He also does indirectly through who He made me to be. He gave me a brain and a will to make choices. I can't mess Him up, and me being super cautious has given off that impression. It has held me back from really fulfilling the commandments He has set straight before me. In everything I do, I should acknowledge Him and pray for open and closed doors, but how do I know what's open and closed if I don't make the choice to try? It doesn't matter what I am doing...God can use anything to accomplish His will. Now, in the quietness of my heart, I do feel God tugging and pulling me in different directions...but I reflect on those and they all revolve around specifically loving others...not how I will do it, but that I just do it with what I am able to do.
God knows my plans ahead of time (Jeremiah 29:11), he created me and knows me fully (Psalm 139), He has my future all planned out so I don't have to worry (Matthew 6:34), He grants me my desires to fulfill His commandments (Psalm 37:4), He wants me to be part of an amazing adventure (Matthew 4:19, Song of Songs 2:10), he gave me gifts, money, talents...and did not give it to me just so I can bury it (Matthew 25:14-30), His love rests on those who keep His commandments (John 14:21), I don't have to worry when everything in this world has already been overcome (John 16:33).
Recently, I am looking at Nehemiah. What I see with Him is that he did not ask the Lord "is rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem okay? Should I do this?" Instead, he just did it! He knew it was right, God didn't have to tell Him. Nehemiah prayed and acknowledged the Lord in this choice. Chapter 4 verses 4-5, the prayer is focused on God's intervention, not his own. Verse 9, they prayed and acted. God made a way, and He gave them boldness, but Nehemiah made the choice. I need to make the choice and trust that God will provide the rest of it.
In saying all this, there is a huge problem in our world today that breaks my heart, and it destroys the beautiful design that God had originally created in his beloved daughters: sex trafficking. This can be a separate blog post in itself, but I want to touch on this by sharing a link, a movie, and a dream.
http://nefariousdocumentary.com/ -Nefarious: Merchant of Souls
A friend of mine prayed "God, it's not what one person can do, but what you can do through that one person." We were challenged to help in three ways: prayer, awareness, and giving. Right now I feel a desire and see a way to provide in all three ways, and I am going to make the choice to make that happen. It is in obedience to God's commandments. I will not limit God's ability to reach out through me. Alone I can do nothing, but God can do amazing things through me and my choices if I believe God is able...and I know God is more than able.
To close, I will leave you with Peter's second letter, starting at chapter 1 verse 3-11.
To God be the glory, now and forever. Fight the good fight of faith, and continue to break your chains that are holding you back from seeing God's divine intervention. He has given you everything you need. How is God able to use you with those things?
Confirming One’s Calling and Election
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I love you all.
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