How about every time you run across a very big problem face to face, or on social media, you say out loud, "God TOO big to salve this one." Go ahead and laugh too.
All our (worldly) lives we are taught to set a goal and then strive toward that goal. When have we ever been taught or practiced to put the life of Jesus as that goal? When have we listened to Paul's teaching?
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. [Phil 3:13-15 NKJV emphasis mine] I know you are tired and even a bit discouraged that I don't give you a list of to-dos. Every other teacher worth their salt has many insights and methods for you to get better, think straighter, grow wiser, obey immediately, sin less, walk closer to God, be a friend to God, escape the trials to come, and on an infimum.
So here is my list of five things-to-do.
Or, just trust God! To let something happen presupposes it is already at work and you are not going to make an effort to interfere, alter, nor try to stop it from happening.
It is sort of if you are in the middle of a narrow road and a MAC truck is barreling down the road toward you and for some reason, maybe too many MARVEL movies, you stretch your hand out thinking you can stop it. Then a voice from heaven crescendos, "Move quickly or die." With an insight, that message stirs fear in your soul and you successfully leap out of the way of the truck as it speeds by just missing you. From this experience, you've learned many things including the will of the voice and its love for the driver to get to where she is going on time. Oh, maybe it loved you too. So what is this all about? People think they can author their destinies and once they have that down pat author other people's destinies. Yet many of the injunctions of the New Testament is for us to let (get out of the way of) something that is already happening. Take the verse quoted below as an example. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." (Romans 13:1, KJV emphasis mine) Jesus was so confident in Holy Spirit resident in Him He gave up all right to direct His way and humbled Himself to be obedient to the will of God for His life AND death. He knew that of Himself He could not initiate ANYTHING! Jesus also claimed that He would return as that very Holy Spirit but now by taking resident in those who trust Him to do so just as Mary His Mother trusted Holy Spirit to take resident in her to form the Christ. We trust not only that He rose but we too rose with Him to live in the newness of His living us. We now, like He then, can do nothing of ourselves but continue to trust Him. Trust Him to do what? There is the mistake we all take way too often. We want to shout at God, BE SPECIFIC! We want to not only know the road to take but to the foot the distance between each goal, and the method to get there. We want to control our moments and the ends of all our efforts!
Shame on us one and all for obeying this spirit of error for which Christ died to separate us. He destroyed the spirit of trying by replacing with His very self same Spirit of Trusting. "I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [ cut off from vital union with Me ] you can do nothing." (John 15:5, AMPC) "O YOU poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians (Americans)! Who has fascinated or bewitched or put a spell over you with the attitude (it takes me to initiate it and God will fill in where I fall short)? It was to unto you--right before your very eyes--Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and understood as crucified both with and in you, not just for you.
Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing the message of trusting Jesus? Was it from obeying a law of rituals or from the message of trust? Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun your new spiritual way of living by and through the Holy Spirit, are you now reaching perfection by dependence on flesh rules of behavior? Have you suffered so many things and experienced so much of Christ, all for nothing for no purpose--if it really is to no purpose and in vain you have trusted Him?" (Galatians 3:1-4, my expansion of AMPC) Simply put. Christ in you is your one and the only hope of God being seen by this age. It is not your good behavior initiated by the human will, but His presence ruling YOUR mind, heart, soul, and strength, in and through love. That Godly attitude will end the effort to create good behavior by efforts of your flesh, or mind, or will, or strength. Only God can both will and do to His good pleasure. God began this you with Him, and He will complete it. “And this IS eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” (John 17:3 NASB77)
Notice that Jesus says IS, not will be someday or might be someday. So how do we know God? Jesus answers that question simply too, “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” (1 John 2:3 NASB77 ) What does Jesus command us to do? “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (John 15:12 NASB77) “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you ALL THINGS, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." (John 14:26 NAB77)
You may be asking what do I need to do to have the Holy Spirit? It couldn’t be more simple, Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13 NAS77) We are without excuse. If we are seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness as Jesus taught us, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.” (Mat 7:7 NAS77) Simply ask. How many times have you let moral injunctions try to lead you and end up in failure? Paul in Romans chapter 7 says, 'every time'. So then, we can conclude, we can let God rule and not rules.
"I have found the unbreakable law, that evil is present in me and is the very one who is trying to do good." (Romans 7:21, DLT) Then how do we live? By trusting the One who both declares a thing and then does it, God. I watch and listen to many who are teaching methods to let the SUPER-NATURAL power of God work through them. Okay, I'll rant a bit. If God is in you, your very life, and eager to get out at any moment to love your neighbor and enemy alike what more do you need? We don't need more but to submit to the immeasurable ability of God working through love through us. We don't need something added nor removed.
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but trust in Christ which works through love." (Galatians 5:6, DLT 'in Christ which' added) |