Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. -James 1:2-8 NIV

God Didn’t Do That

Sometimes we seem to forget that we are but man and God is in control. We have a familiar way of trying so desperately to teach the class when we ourselves have not even passed the course. I have a nasty habit of getting ahead of myself and by doing so, whether I realize it or not, I end up pushing God and His plans out of my way. The result of this common thoughtlessness is common chaos.

It is our own fault when we run into walls because we are not looking where we are going. It is ironically the scars those injuries leave behind which teach us the things God had intended we learn in a much less painful and much more effective way. We are not to be looking anywhere other than at Him in making decisions in our daily lives. FAITH IS NOT EASY, BUT IT’S WORTH IT.

If we rely on our own conception of what is best for us then we should not be surprised when things do not go as WE had planned. As followers of Christ, we are always surprised because we do not know the plan, but know that if it is God’s then it is a good one!

When I was an addict, I spent 8 years repeating the same lesson over and over without even realizing I was being taught. As a result, I had to go all the way back to where I had started after years of running, never understanding I had been disqualified and none of it mattered! I looked hard for someone to blame, but there was no one else around. I had been living a lie and I was the liar.

It was through this experience and by my accepting accountability for my arrogance which enabled me to finally pass God Only Knows 101. Only by humbling myself and admitting to God that I was lost without Him did I make it to the next stage of my life and in my walk as a Christian.

We do not know how to be the instructor of our lives. We do not know why, how, when, what, or who and we cannot put on a fake look and expect the truth to manifest in our situations! If we take the lead, God will not stop us. Free will is a gift and it is also our worst deterrent from making progress. God will, however, be there when you realize you were not as smart as you thought you were. He will always be back where you left Him even if you lapped Him a hundred times.

“A courage which looks easy and yet is rare; the courage of a teacher repeating day after day the same lessons – the least rewarded of all forms of courage.” -Honore De Balzac

Praise God in all seasons and remind yourselves daily how lucky you are to have Him as your instructor. He will never fail you, but He will make sure you have really learned from what He has shown you before He let’s you move on to the next class. Don’t get stuck in grade school simply because you refuse to be taught. God wants to see you graduate with honors and in turn you are to give Him the honor, the glory, and the praise for grace and His wisdom.

Every day is a lesson, but it’s up to us to show up to class prepared and aware we are but the student. God is in control!

Live Happy