Wow. What a day yesterday was.
Honest confession? After posting that post about having to decide if we are going to live by faith or in our flesh, “life” came swooping in and I had a hard time trying to not live by my own selfishness.
Today this journey has become harder than pressing “publish” on a screen.
I really don’t want to write this out. But this 30-day journey is all about stretching myself. I think when we feel like we want to start giving it up is when we need to push through the most. Because most likely, the breakthrough is on its way.
Maybe I need to chew on this concept some more today.
Think so.
Day 5
Either we are going to walk by faith or we are going to walk in the flesh -there is no in-between with God.
A friend of mine posted something on twitter that sums this up: I want you to learn a new habit. Try saying, “I trust You, Jesus” in response to whatever happens to you. -Jesus Calling [the book it was from]
And if that isn’t enough, here is the passage I’m in today:
Romans 8:5-8
“Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God!
6 Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life.
7 Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing.
8 And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.”
Question 1- What does this passage say?
1. When we trust, we find God
2. Not trusting in Him is going to lead to nowhere.
3. When I choose to not trust…I choose to ignore God.
Question 2- What does this passage mean?
Romans 8 is all about freedom. The opposite of freedom is bondage. The key to being free is trusting.
Question 3- What does this passage mean to me?
I have to say I feel like my eyelids are cracking open in relief of this idea today. I’ve never thought about when I don’t trust that I am ignoring God.
As a mom to three busy girls, many days I feel like what I’m saying is being ignored. “Girls, for the FOURTH time…pick up your towels off the floor.” It frustrates me to have to say things over and over. I feel like they ignore me purposely and it frustrates the living daylights out of me.
Think God feels the same way?
According to this verse…he isn’t pleased with it.
What are some of the areas God asks us to trust Him?
Purpose/Calling, Money, Relationships, Forgiveness, Healing…
Those are all the areas I struggled with yesterday.
An ugly honest confession….I think I have a hard time with trust.
I’m not sure why. There are a few areas that are popping into my mind of places I have struggled with trust…but I don’t think its any different than the typical struggles a person has in life. People are going to let us down…that’s obvious. But I’m wondering if deep in the corners of my soul, I think God is going to let me down too?
I’ve decided that trusting is a decision…not a natural instinct. At least for me.
So really, the root of being in bondage with these areas that I struggle with is a trust issue. Not trusting is exhausting.
I don’t want to be exhausted. I don’t want to ignore God.
My challenge today is to speak those words out loud when anything rises up against me….good or bad: “God, I trust you.”
I’ll let you know how it works out tomorrow…
