Do you really trust God? (I need to follow my own advice)

Have you ever realized that you can trust God in certain areas  in your life, but not other areas?  I catch myself doing that all the time.   He always comes through and provides financially and always has this AMAZING way of showing me that He will take care of me in ways I never even thought possible or was even an option.  So why cant I trust God in other areas?  Why do I try and keep a-hold of control with things I know I cant have control over?  

I know as humans its our natural sinful way of trying to be in charge or take control over situations and we want to have control of our lives and for some, to have control of other peoples lives.  We do have responsibilities in this life with taking care of your house, going to work on time, raising your children and whatever else God has given each individual.  

I like to help mentor people with their walk or talk about their struggles and I know that's what God has gifted me with.  I catch myself when someone shares a struggle how easy it is for "me" to overcome those if I had that struggle.  I'm instantly reminded when I think those thoughts that each and every single person walking this earth is struggling with something.  It could be eating too much, drinking, drugs, spending money, porn, lust, laziness, working too hard, worrying, etc., the list goes on.  None is better than the other if they are a sin.  The truth of the matter is we don't have the strength within us to overcome these on our own.  

The older I get, the closer I walk with the Lord, the more I realize how black and white this world is.  How much this world is fallen and how sad it truly is.  People fall into one of this addictions or struggles and it can overcome their lives to where they fall into a depression or even death.  The past few weeks I have been struggling with faith.  I was doing so well, I was happy and content and was excited about my life.  Then in a blink I started to doubt everything and question my future.   Your mind is where the enemy likes to attack.  He likes to tell you that your:

• no good
•  your worthless
•  your never going to mount to anything
•  your life is useless
•  your too fat
•  your too skinny
•  no one wants to marry you
•  your kids are always going to give you problems
•  what's the point in living
•  its okay to eat that
•  eating that is going to make you fat
• your too ugly
• your better than them
•  everyones life is better than yours
•  your always going to be alone
•  this isn't what marriage was supposed to be like
•  you need to get a divorce and get with someone else if you ever want to be happy
•  your wife needs to lose weight
•  your husband needs to make more money
•  watching this show is fine
•  staring at this picture isn't bad
• your never going to get pregnant
• making more money will make your problems go away

 and the list goes on.  

If you notice how tricky the enemy is, he likes to sweet talk you into sleeping with someone and then after you do it, turn around and accuse you and make you feel guilty of sleeping with them. He will do that with anything and everything.  He will sweet talk you into eating something and then turning it around after you eat it and feel guilty.  When you are tempted with ANYTHING next time, think about the way you will feel afterwards.  Not only will the devil laugh at you cause he got to you, but the fact that you went against God.  One of my devotions said, "The devil cant go after God, so he goes after Gods children".  We will always sin to the day we die, but putting on the full armor of God, as believers is what we need to face this spiritual warfare.

Eph 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

If you read that scripture verse it clearly shows that we arnt taking a stand against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil.  How powerful do you think the devil is?  Look around!!!!!  Look at the music, the shows, the performers, the people, the government, etc. We cant always give the enemy the credit of our actions though.  The truth of that is we are born sinners.  We are born to go against God, but when you accept Jesus in your heart is when the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you.  That's where my personal battle is.  I have peace knowing with the Holy Spirit that God has great plans for me and a bright future, but my human self wants certain things to happen NOW or really quick and then I doubt Gods love.  I don't want to rush my life wishing and hoping for the next best thing to happen in Gods perfect timing, but that's exactly what I'm doing.  I'm trying to rush through a season and I know we are guilty of trying to fix the problem so we can get thru the trial or storm faster.  

I remember hearing a story where we look at a baby growing.  A woman gets pregnant and it takes 9 months to grow the baby and the woman cant wait for the baby to come.  The baby comes and then the mom cant wait till the baby sleeps through the night.  Then the mom cant wait till the baby crawls and then walks.  She cant wait for the baby to talk and then learn their A,B,C's and then start school.  Then she cant wait till they go to junior high and then high school and then to get a job and then they leave and then........she wishes she enjoyed each step and soaked it in, because now the baby is grown.  She was so focused on the next step or the next phase of the babies life, she didn't soak in the 'now'.

I know with different seasons of our lives we do the exact-same-thing.  Its in those seasons is where we truly find Gods lessons, grace, love, mercy and all the true blessings.  .....................I'm pretty sure that I need to be telling myself this same advice right now.  We all are in different seasons and we cant make them go by faster or quicker and we sure as heck will be in a season longer if we keep pushing what God is trying to show us and teach us to the back burner.  I personally am the type of person that tries to ask God, "Lord what do I need to do, to get through this faster, I don't know what more I can do?"  I can hear God laughing when I pray that, because its not in our time, its in His.

Whatever you may be struggling with or facing, pray and ask God for His strength and His direction to overcome them.  It may take a while but it honestly is worth it (it took me to type that last sentence slow, because I need to apply my own advice in my life). 

 

Last but not least, I had someone share this with me today with my struggle and I wanted to share it with you.

 

As Christians we like to think that we can 'arrive' and be at a place where we always feel God, feel peace, etc... But a quick breeze through the bible shows that this is not the case. The 'feeling' that God is not there does not equate to fact, and that's what faith is all about. Trusting without reason.
How do you think Shadrack, Meshach and Abendigo felt about to be tossed into a furnace? I'm sure there was doubt, but they held on and trusted, despite their circumstances, and God saved them. Or consider Job. God never really abandoned Job, but from Jobs point of view he felt abandoned, yet he held on to his faith and God saw him through. This is really a centerpoint of our faith, trusting God, even when there seems to be no reason.
And yes, it's not easy, but it's not supposed to be easy. For it's in trials that we grow and stretch and learn. If God made everything easy you would not grow. If you want your faith to grow God isn't going to zap you more faith, He's going to put you in a situation that stretches your faith, so that when the trial is past your faith is stronger. It's never fun to go through, but it is part of what we choose when we choose to follow God.
God doesn't lead us to what WE Think is best, or what even makes sense to us, but to what is best for us in the long run. Our growth is more important to God than our comfort, so don't fret over the choice God lead you to, even when it seems it's failed you, because tragedy is often when Gods plan unfolds and we see the good at the end we couldn't see before.