Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Tossed by the wind

Wisdom.
We'd all be a little bit better off if we had it and then used it.
Last year I was having a hard time hearing God's wisdom. I didn't know what to do. (I was especially conflicted because what I thought was different versus what my parents thought.)
Then I come across James.

James says:
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. James 1:5-6

So I thought, "God, I don't want to be tossed around like the sea. I believe! I believe you will give me wisdom!"

So I asked. And I asked. And I asked. Eventually I figured out what God wanted and did it, but I didn't understand WHY I had to do it. It took me almost six months before I understood why God told me to make a certain decision.

Then at church on Sunday, we studied that same verse. The verse that I had so often looked to and engrained in my brain by writing it on post-it notes and scribbling it on my arm and writing in my journal...you get the point. And guess what. The word "doubt" is literally translated to mean something like "divided mind."

Oh.

Here's the thing... our emotions often get in the way. When the emotions get involved, we can justify just about any action we want. We can honestly believe that God wants - even yearns - to share His wisdom with us, but if our minds and hearts are not fully surrendered to God, we're not truly going to see it His way.

Looking back, I know I was holding onto certain things in my life that was blocking me from receiving the wisdom God wanted me to have. Despite the fact that I really wanted to know God's heart, MY heart was conflicted. I didn't really say, "I'm good with whatever you say." No. Because if God had said something that I didn't want to hear, I ignored it. I twisted it in my situation so it didn't sound as bad. I delayed obedience. And delayed obedience is still disobedience, folks.

So if you're going through a trial right now...whatever it may be...be honest with yourself. Before you can receive wisdom, you need to truly surrender EVERYTHING in your life to God. You need to trust that no matter the answer God gives, you're going to be blessed obeying.

That's So Shway

I came across this story on Digg and couldn't stop laughing. Not gonna lie. I really wish I could have written this story.

http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2010/05/the-greatest-news-lede-that-will-ever-be