Throughout my life (I am not alone in this), I have some sweet opportunities fizzle completely out and I wonder what the whole point of that was. The worst is when something comes about like someone out of the blue calling you about a job opportunity (this happened to a friend recently), you apply and they give it to someone else. Like really, what is the point. You are minding your own business and someone approaches you, it seems like this is your miracle, then nothing... It has made me think about what is the point of this. It make it hard to get excited about things that just fizzle out. It has also made me think about how to handle the frustration appropriately while being thankful and obedience.
Here are some thoughts that I have and you can weigh in on any of them. In fact I love other people's opinions and I am not always right.
Firstly, I look to quickly for the miracle, the sign, and don't ask God whether or not it is. If someone calls me up with a job opportunity, I automatically think this is how God is working without ever asking whether or not if God is working the way I think he is (that was mouth full). I need to consider God instead of jumping to conclusion, just like I am apply to dismiss God's power in other areas of my life because it does fit in the mold I have made God. Before jumping to conclusion, I need pray to God and ask Him is this your piece? Recently someone told me that God is teaching me how to be selective and it is crucial to understand discernment. Since stepping into this ministry, I have already had to say no to different things pulling me off track and it so crucial to stick what God has promised even if someone offers you a seemingly better off (And yes that has happened several times). Remember when something occurs that could be your miracle, ask God first because it will save you disappointment later.
Secondly, 1 Thess 3:3 says "so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them." One promise that I have seen clearly fulfilled, is the promise that life is not easy. Recently, I have been reading story of David. God promised him to be king but it was not an easy road at all. Saul tried to murder him so many times! When Saul died, he still had to wait over 7 years to get the whole kingdom as Saul's heirs fought over it. What we do know is that David was not afraid to look foolish. David was dancing half naked praising God and he was criticized, 2 Samuel 6:22 says "I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. David also chose a sling shot to kill Goliath opposed to a sword, but He won. David's faith was tested to the nth degree. Of course it would have been nice to have an easy transition into kingship, but that would not have taken much faith. He would not have been a man after God's heart because he would not be completely sold out for him. He believed that he was supposed to be King so well that even when he was almost killed he did not give up. It is also nice to read the Psalms because it explains what 1st and 2nd Samuel are unable to do, it explains his emotions in the process. David was real and he appropriately handled his frustration and turned them over to God and it made him more PASSIONATE!!!! (minus the whole sexual frustration thing with Bathsheba but hey Solomon was born and he was important!) I recommended reading story of David and how God developed his character through trial. Without the the struggle he endured, David would of been just a mediocre King. God prepared David to be at his best.
Thirdly, be okay with the unknown. Something that I find annoying about the Bible is that you get to see the whole process (Which is one of the most helpful things of the Bible), but what do you do when you only see a bit of it. You get to see that God provided when things looked grim, but in real life its hard to see what He is doing when you are in the midst of it. When all things look hopeless, when you feel alone, when you feel foolish, and when you are exhausted how do you hold on????? This is where faith matters. This is where you hold onto the promises and you are okay with not getting total affirmation. In order to become completely sold out for God, you need to be okay with not having "wordly safety nets" You will not learn much when things are freely given to you. Its liek a child who is provided for until there 18, how do the grow up and mature if there parents are still providing. How do they learn to trust themselves when they never have had a chance? How do we learn to completely trust God when everything is given to us by our own merit? In order to mature as a Christian, you need to be okay with mystery. You need to be okay with to holding onto God's promises when nothing outside of God that is affirming it to be true. At the cross, all Jesus had was God...
Part of being a Christian is accepting the mystery of Christ, I am (we are) too quick to label what God is doing, just accept that you have no idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in 2 Corinthians 1, Paul asks for strength to know the mystery of God, this guy new His mystery quite well!
Lastly, just laugh when crazy things occur. It does not always have to be disappointing, it can be quite humorous.
If you ever want to write a book, I would co-author and edit it with joy :-). Or, if you don't want a co-author, I would also love to edit, if Michael wouldn't keep the fun of that all to himself.
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