Staring at Doors. July 24, 2015.

July 24, 2015

I have to start this off with a mind blowing praise. So Traci and I were awaiting the Angel Wings airline to get a flight set up for us. Unfortunately they have to get volunteers for each “leg” of the flight so you end up with several different pilots. Well it wasn’t coming through and time is drawing near and everyone working on the flight situation were getting so stressed and Traci and I, while feeling the pressure of the importance of getting a flight, still had a strange sense of peace. We both just kind of said, “God’s got this.” Not in a “I’m going to sit back and enjoy a margarita way” we just knew that He is faithful to provide and doesn’t call us to be anxious about anything. Sure enough a woman that my Dad used to teach messages me and tell me that she has the flight to Seattle covered for Traci and I. It gets better. As exciting and praiseworthy that was she also has a friend who has a voucher that will get me back to Medford! Traci is covered by the hospitals points to get home so the flights are all taken care of. PRAISE GOD, He is so good and the power of prayer is stunning you guys.

I want to run with that idea of the balance between sitting back and letting God work, but not doing nothing. So many time I hear people say, “Let go and let God” and then just sit. They just sit and say that God is going to open a door for them, they are just waiting for a sign, then they will go forward. I remember falling into this trap myself. I was in high school, that awkward senior year when you have to make what seems like the life altering decision of to college or not to college. I remember getting so stressed out about the beginning of the rest of my life and I read that little quote on Facebook. “Let go, let God” It seemed so much easier, to just sit back and watch as God did His thing. So I sat. And sat. And sat some more, wasting time, waiting for God because I had “Let go.” To put it in analogy form I was standing in front of 3 doors, all of them seemed to be closed. College, Not College, and Europe. Instead of trying the handle I just assumed that if I sat there and stared at the doors then God would magically open one for me and I’d get up and walk through. When has a door ever opened by you just staring at it? Unless you’re Matilda and can move things with your mind. It wasn’t until I understood that “letting go” doesn’t mean giving up, it doesn’t mean sit back and sip a Mojito, it doesn’t mean be lazy and blame God not opening doors. It means to let go of our expectations. It means you can’t be prying open, tugging, and banging on the door you expect to open. You still have to do some work people! God is not a magic genie that grants wishes everywhere. Your job is to work hard, step outside of your comfort zone in faith, and do all things unto the glory of God. If you do this He will make a way. Stand up and let God take your hand to the door and open it with you, you can trust that He will choose what is best for you and won’t lead you astray. You aren’t going to open the door to a giant lion’s den waiting to kill you. The door might seem scary, had I stepped back and seen a door titled “Cancer” do you think I would have picked it on my own? No, but God led me to it and He will lead me through it. That’s what it means to “Let go and let God.” 

It's easy to say, "Well I don't know what my purpose is, I don't know what God wants me to do in this life." That's normal, and that's human nature! What isn't okay is to allow that statement to let you sit. The bible is clear that your purpose in life to do glorify God. He placed passions, desires, and interests in our heart! That's so cool to think that He made us all unique and placed different gifts within all of us. Now He didn't do that so that you could just sit around and not put them to good use. There is no magic formula, there is no magic pill to reveal your purpose in life. But if you're glorifying God there is no wrong way to go! Either God is sovereign or He isn't. So many times I've heard (and done it myself) "Well what if I'm not meant to be with that man?" Or "What if I made a wrong choice by choosing this career?" Guys, if your motives are not of selfish ambition and you are glorifying God in it, then He allowed you to be with that man or choose that career. Now if you downright chose a career because of money and it is not glorifying to God, or you married that man because he's hot and your marriage does not glorify God, then yes you could say that you did make the wrong choice. But God is still sovereign and He is still good and He allowed that situation to happen so he can use it for His glory. He uses sin sinless-ly.