The Unheeded Secret

The following text was taken from Oswald Chambers daily devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest." Many of the posts on this blog find their beginnings in the work of this devotional.
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"The great enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ today is the idea of practical work that has no basis in the New Testament but comes from the systems of the world. This work insists upon endless energy and activities, but no private life with God. The emphasis, is put on the wrong thing." (The wrong thing being 'activity')

He goes on to say...
"You have no idea of where or how God is going to engineer your future circumstances, and no knowledge of what stress and strain is going to be placed on you either at home or abroad. And if you waste your time in over activity, instead of being immersed in the great fundamental truths of God's redemption, then you will snap when the stress and strain do come. But if this time of soaking before God is being spent in getting rooted and grounded in Him, which may appear to be impractical, then you will remain true to Him whatever happens."
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I don't feel comfortable "adding" anything to what Mr. Chambers has said above. However, I do feel like a participant in what he is talking about. My life is plagued with busyness, much of which has nothing to do with the New Testament, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, etc, etc. At least I should say, there's nothing extremely "evangelical" about my life. Evangelism (sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ) just doesn't seem to be happening right now.

However, it seems from Mr. Chamber's statements, that God has this rhythm of preparing us for what is to come. I feel like he has been preparing me for about 8 years now. I think that is a long time, and I'd rather be finished with the preparation time. Not only that, it seems like the preparation ground is getting more and more filled with things to challenge me in various ways. Not exactly what I'd call "a light burden" as is promised in scriptures. I'm not saying that Jesus lied in the Bible...that would just be silly. What I am saying is that your burden changes weight depending on how you perceive it. Are you looking at your current burdens through the eyes of God, or are you looking at them through your own eyes (the eyes of the world.)

There is a powerful statement above that eludes to God preparing us for future things that we know nothing of. We really can't judge current challenges / trials if we know nothing of what is coming. God is preparing a way to provide you with some things you've "always" wanted regarding His purposes for your life, and positioning you for huge blessings (because he wants to show he loves us more and more). And here is a difficult truth to deal with; if we aren't willing to go through what God has put in front of us to CHANGE US into what HE DESIGNED and had in mind when we were created in His own image, then we will never receive some of the things on this earth that God wanted us to have straight from Him. This is for His glory and to exalt Jesus Christ, the reason we have any relationship at all with God.

Us, we don't like to change when it's not on terms we can control. If I knew exactly where God was taking me, I tell myself that I would be more willing to change. People I know every day justify that they are open to God's leading because they are willing to change, but all they do is change into things based on something they have complete control over, leaving nothing to the power of the Holy Spirit. It is easy to change when you have control. It's not easy to let something so intimate, powerful, and unhinged as the Holy Spirit change you. I've fought it. More days than I have not fought it, I have fought it. I fight the Holy Spirit's desire to show me and uncover things in my life that He wants to change, destroy, or create in my heart, in my head, in my life, in my character, in my example to others...in everything.

It's that word surrender. I have to give up. I have to give up what I think I want. Give up what I think I need. It's not that I have to be miserable. I'm not saying that I have to give up "everything I like to do" or "everything I enjoy." This is an entirely different line of thought here. I'm talking about the things that wrong God. Things that added lashes to the back of Jesus Christ. Things that drove the nails into his hands and feet. It's our sin that drove the soldier to spear Christ in the side. It fulfilled scripture, and the fact that the spearing happened to fulfill scripture, and that it was driven by sin proves that God composed a love story with the entire Bible. God's story included our fallen state...He designed to restore us to Him. Isn't that worth my surrender? With this love story as the backdrop of history, seeing my life in that perspective...sure I owe it to God. I think God wants me to love Him though, not just "owe" Him. He wants my heart.

I guess that makes the secret this: With trials you face, God is preparing you for a future you do not know. He knows, and that is why it would probably be best to let Him prepare you. Trials are not from God in order to punish. Trials are from Him as attempts to woo you back to Him and for His glory. We're in a love story with the God of the Universe. In the times you can't handle it, or you are frustrated or angry at the situation or at Him...He wants you to tell Him. God wants a relationship with you in every way. Why do you think He walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve? Relationship and Worship.

God doesn't tempt you, He tests you. Tests will always come. Reaching to Him for the strength and the means for your life is always the right thing to do. Open your heart to Him. Life will mean more to you with Him involved every step of the way. I'm not going to lie to you, it's bitter-sweet on this earth. Some things get harder, some things get easier. Things change, that's for sure. In the end though, when you've lived your life on this earth, you're good to go because you have a relationship with Jesus. It's all good then.