You need to read this with an open mind and think about it. I believe I may have already addressed this in times past, but I need to make things more clear. Many go through life, wondering about changing jobs, or moving to a new location and there could be a variety of other things we face in our changing lives. We look to God asking His specific plan for us, to reveal His will for our lives. Things get complicated. We pray, look and wonder. People believe God has a plan for every detail of their lives, as if He has a graph on His wall with our lives all mapped out step by step. We grope about with little assurance on what He wants us to do. How are we really to know? If we take one direction and He has another, do we mess up His graph?
Let's think together and be real. I know of nothing spoken in God's holy word that He has a plan for each and everyone of us! That does not mean He does not care about us and the decisions we make, but I have never read once where God says He has a plan for us! He is more concerned about the kind of decisions we make rather than what decisions we make! We want to change jobs and we pray for the will of God. There is nothing wrong with that. But what is the motive and intent behind our decision? That's the real issue! Is it for money? Will it place a burden on the family? Will it help or hinder spiritually? Those are questions that determine everything. Motives are the bottom line issue in our lives. Listen to God speak: "You ask and you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures." (Jam. 4:3) Too many I have known jump into things without considering the spiritual effect on their lives. That's the concern of God. All our decisions should be affected by our relationship with God!!! That does not mean God has our lives mapped out. Our decisions are based on seeking to please Him. Our decisions are geared to bring Him honor and glory. I had a lady one time ask me to pray they sell their house because they were buying a new, bigger house. Nonsense! I never did or ever will pray for something like that for another. What are they saying about their relationship to the Lord? I do not believe she ever read Jam. 4:3.
In all our lives, we have the opportunity to make choices. God doesn't sit back and say, "Have at it and hope it all works out!" He works with us, in us trying to shape us and mold us into the likeness of His Son (Rom. 8:29). We gain His wisdom to help us make sound, spiritual decisions for our spiritual betterment. We understand He does not answer selfish, self-centered prayers and requests. The next time you are trying to make a decision about a new direction in your life, you might check your motives first as that is the most important thing to God and in your praying, look to make your decisions based on His honor, His glory and to please Him in all respects. Only then you will see what doors open and a better direction for your life! "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (I Cor. 10:31)
1 comment:
A refresher is always appreciated. Sort of goes with the idea that a lesson from God's Word should always be accepted with an open heart. Even a single verse can teach us something different every time we study it. I'll expand on that thought later.
The decisions we make are concerned far to often, sadly, with the physical world. This is even more true when you brought up the point about changing our lives. Our focus seems to be always centered on what is physical. Don't get me wrong; we do have to have some focus on what is physical. We cannot just ignore our physical world. However, where do we spend most, if not all, of our efforts and why? Is it about this world and our physical wants (seldom it's about needs)? Sadly, yes.
I hadn't really thought about it, but I would agree that so many believe that God has a specific plan for just them. Makes me wonder if they believe Jesus was sent to this world and died for our salvation or for just theirs. Isn't the Gospel for one and all? All I need to know about God's plans are in the Bible and do not have to be centered on just me, nor should they be. It's as you said; I should be about bringing honor and glory to God. It's not about God bringing honor and glory to me by having a special plan just for me.
At some point a person must humble themselves and realize that they must put their efforts and concerns in spiritual matters. Our focus on the physical life should become a lesser item for each and everyone of us. When we do, and strive for truth in God's Word, we will then realize that our preceived importance placed on physical things is nothing more than trivial.
Praying, as you said, is often used to emphasize the physical things of this world. I have even heard some that try to justify their physical wants by claiming that if God would do this or that, they would be able to do more for God. Talk about fuzzy logic. Yes, we must pray and realize that prayer is so very important, but as you said, what is really our motivation in our prayers?
If we spend so much time pondering the physcial things of our lives, how much more should we spend on the spiritual things? Our physical ife is but a vapor, while our spiritual life is enternal. We spend so much time seeking to fulfill those pleasures you quoted from James. Yes, we do make choices, even if we don't realize they could be for the wrong reasons and motives. God will, and does, give us over to our own desires and wants, regardless of any plan. That comes back to the choices that you mention.
It's easy to fool ourselves about the "motives" we have and how we justify them, even before God. Proverbs 16:2 tells us "All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,But the LORD weighs the motives."
Now back to what I eluded to in the opening. You mentioned wondering about if the woman ever read James 4:3. I wonder how much real study is actually done, even by those that are Christians. Many read, but without any real understanding or thirst for the truth. I wonder if those of this nature would really be willing to accept God's Word for exactly what it is and what it says.
Yes, I did get rather lengthy on this reply and tended to ramble, but what you said touched a nerve. You know, kind of made one of my eyes twitch some. Thanks for sharing these thoughts and taking the time to read my reply.
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