As a Christian the obvious answer would be Jesus! But, are we living like it?
I’m talking about trusting and relying on Jesus for everything in your life; job, family issues, disease, health, marriage, finances.
It is so easy to take some things in life into our own hands, instead of handing them over to Jesus, and often times without even realizing.
Maybe you’re walking through family issues and trying to find ways to fix the situation in ways God only can, or you’re struggling with finances and stressing about all the ways you can make more money and make ends meet, or even deciding between leaving your current job for another but too fearful to take that step.
Whatever the situation may be so often we think, “If only we do more, make more money, or have a greater title, then things will get better”.
It’s so easy for our first line of defense to be “What am I going to do to fix this?”, instead of asking God, “What are you going to do to fix this?”
You see, when we take things into our own hands more often than not we will fail.
And if we don’t fail, the outcome won’t be as good as the outcome God had planned. I think the image below says it all!
So, how can we know if we are trusting and relying on God for everything in our lives?
1.Are you stressed or worried about a particular area in your life?
God is not a God of stress or worry!
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6
2. Do you have a self centered approach or a God approach?
Has what you’re walking through turned into YOUR hurts, YOUR feelings, YOUR happiness, and YOUR dreams?
Or do you look at it through kingdom eyes?
Looking at OTHERS hurts, OTHERS feelings, OTHERS happiness, and OTHERS dreams like Jesus did?
“And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.” I John 4:17
“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4
3. How would you react if your prayer for your situation wasn’t answered?
This is one of the hardest questions, especially when we are praying for BIG things. What we ultimately have to remember is this…
Everything that happens or is part of God’s plan is for his glory and our good.
Everything has a purpose and he always turns everything around for our good!
Those are his promises!
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.” Romans 8:28-30
God’s plan is always better than our plan, even if we fail to see this immediately or in the near future. He’s a good God!
4. Are you exhausted or worn to the bone in any area of your life?
Do what you can and leave the rest to God.
Work hard, do what you can well, and then rest in the fact that God’s got it!
It always helps to have a kingdom mindset…
Will what you are wearing yourself out about matter at the end of life when you’re standing before Jesus about to enter eternity?
Or better yet, is what you are wearing yourself out about unable to be placed into the creator of the universe’s hands, for him to do what only he can do?
He doesn’t want us to wear ourselves out, he just wants us to be faithful and trust that what we’ve done is enough and he can handle the rest.
5. What in your life has the most attention from you?
Think hard about this one, this could even be your spouse, or your family.
You may be trusting and relying on your spouse or family members more than you are God.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t give them our attention but if that attention takes the place of God in your life, it becomes an idol.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26
6. When a trial happens in any area of your life what is your first response? How am I going to fix this? Or How is God going to fix this?
God wants us to bring everything to him in prayer and leave the rest to him.
As we’ve talked about above, we aren’t God and can’t accomplish what he can, so it then makes sense for us to turn to God first, in everything.
God wants us to trust him fully!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
He wants us to rely on him fully!
Human strength is just that, human strength, where God’s strength is just that, God’s strength.
The strength that created the universe, killed giants, healed diseases, raised the dead, and is ruler over all!
I don’t know about you but I would rather have that kind of strength than my own strength any day!
I want to challenge you this week to take specific note of an area in your life that you feel you haven’t given completely to God.
Take that area of your life and pray about it then hand it over to God with open hands.
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