GIVING INTO PRESSURES IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN
July 10th, 2008 categories: Grazing Spiritual Pastures
“God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Life presses against all of us every day. There are pressures … things that we feel, or others feel, we just MUST take care of … They cause us to want to act … to figure out what to do … JUST DO SOMETHING! Get this pressure off me PLEASE!
And yet, hasty decisions made under pressure often bring terrible results.
Looking at the life of Saul, for example, we see that he gave into the pressures and lost dearly:
1 Sam 13:6-14
6When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits. 7Also some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. 11But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the LORD.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” 13Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14“But now your kingdom shall not endure The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
How many of us have have acted because business and/or those around us “were scattering,” what we are waiting on “did not come,” and our enemies “were assembling against us”? Sounds like a great deal of pressure, huh? I can SO relate!
In terms of Saul’s life, God was looking for a leader and Saul failed to act like one. He was following, not leading!
In terms of our life, God is also looking for those He can trust with His purposes in this Earth.
Mistakes happen when we take action and make changes that truly are not ours to make. According to the Serenity Prayer (which seeks a life of serenity, I think something we all want!) what we really need to discern in life is what we actually have control over, what we have the capacity to change. Once discerned, then we ask for the wisdom to know what and how to change what we have control over and then the courage to actually do it.
Otherwise, we accept what we can not change … which means being comfortable with non-action … Giving God His portion to deal with.
Knowing our portion and living in our portion. It requires focused attention … Acting under pressure simply is not the answer.
Rather, first submission! “Lord, I realize I don’t have the capacity to change all things here. What do I truly have control over here? What portion are you giving me to change? What portion is Yours? What wisdom will you give me to walk this out?”
Knowing our portion (and God’s) and then trusting God enough to let Him work out that which we can’t!
Difficult? Yes! Yet it is the path of true serenity!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and Lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:5-6
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