“If you want God to close and open doors, you’d best get your hand off the doorknob."
This
is one of my favorite quotes. I live off
of this quote.
A
common struggle among all believers is the constant itching we have to control
all of the problems we have on our plate. We have all been guilty of it at some
point in time. We have this weird tendency to try and fill in God’s shoes.
Relating
to the quote stated above, we mess with the door that only God has complete
control over by trying to intervene in His plan. We get into such deep slumps
at times that we feel like we need to do something about it ourselves. Here is the thing, though: if you want
to see major changes in your life, you need to let go of the door knob and give
it to God.
It
is important to face the fact that God is the only answer to our
problems. We can try as hard as we want to fix our problems and patch them
together, but it will never work. We are imperfect human beings with imperfect
plans that will only fail us in the end. But
God? Oh, no. He is perfect with perfect plans that will only benefit us in
the end.
As
sinners, it takes an obstacle to teach us all a lesson. God never wastes a hurt,
though. The same applies when we try and make our paths straight. God will
surely let you try, but He will just end up showing you that only He can get
you where you truly need to be. None of us will be able to absorb this
lesson unless we learn it through the mistakes we make.
Great
things can occur when your desires circle around God’s desires and plans for your life.
Here
are some Bible verses to remind you just how thorough God’s plans are for you:
For
I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not
for evil, to give you a future of hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)
Trust
in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In
all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make our paths straight. (Proverbs
3:5-6 ESV)
And
we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for
those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans
8:28 ESV)
And
the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a
spring of water, whose waters do not fail. (Isaiah 58:11 ESV)
The
heart of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. (Proverbs
16:9 ESV)
For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the
Lord. (Isaiah
55:8 ESV)
God’s
plan for your life extends far beyond your mind’s creativity level.
As much as we want to plan our lives, life certainly has a way of surprising
you with unexpected things that will make you happier than you originally planned.
This is what you call God’s will. The infamous K.P. Kelly once said, “When
God places a purpose upon you, when He makes His will clear to you, when He
tugs at and guides your heart, no matter how difficult or how uncomfortable it
may be, stay the course. His plan is better than yours and your faith will be
rewarded.”
God
will always have a bigger and brighter plan for you than you will ever have for
yourself.
I
will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you
with my eye upon you. (Psalm 32:8 ESV)
In
the Book of Luke, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray with His disciples
following Him. When Jesus knelt down to pray, He said, “Father,
if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
yours, be done,” (Luke
22:42 ESV). Jesus, Himself, prayed for the Father’s will be done, not his. Although Jesus
was about to undergo the most difficult struggle of His life, he demonstrated
the turning point in prayer for all of us. Instead of praying for a way out,
Jesus prayed for God's will to be done in his life, regardless of the cost that
may have included. Jesus not only prayed about this, but He also lived it.
When
we want something desperately, choosing God’s will over our own is no easy feat. If
we truly trust God, though, we will have the strength to let go of our wants and passions and
embody the belief into our lives that God's will is perfect, right, and the
absolute best thing for us.
Take
up your cross, ladies. Deny self. God is faithful, even when we are faithless.
Be willing to give up everything to please God. Follow Jesus and the plans He
has for you.
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