What is it Going to Take?

What is it going to take? Sometimes I ask myself this question.

God, what do I have to do for you to bless my life?

You see this thinking is backward. I wish God would just tell me how my life would play out so I can know what’s coming up, and figure out if that’s what I want or not. I like to convince myself that I’d be okay with whatever plans He has for me but I don’t think that would be the case if I actually knew them all.

” You see, the thing is, He already has done that but in a way, I wish it was different. For example:

Psalms 1:1-2 says:

1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,

2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.

So in very blunt terms, God is saying don’t spend time and live amongst the wicked and live and dwell in sin. But if you delight yourself in Him then you’ll be blessed.

BUT I almost wish it said: Tyler if you take this job, and live in this city, and go to this church, and listen to this music, and act this way, and wear these clothes, and marry this girl and so on, specifics. Tyler, if you do all that…then I’ll bless your life. Would the Christian life be so much easier? ”

I might have mentioned this but I began my first semester at Maranatha Baptist University and I love it but during the first week of school something happened and I’m not going to lie, I prayed multiple times: “God, seriously? Why this? Why now?

” I was mad – and it’s been 4 weeks but it’s felt like 4 months and it’s been difficult. I would be lying if I told you I gave it to God and He worked in miraculous ways because that’s not the case. I didn’t give it to God. I harbored frustration, anger, someone else had caused this and I was bitter.

So these last few weeks haven’t been easy. So last night I was lying in bed at 1 am and I couldn’t sleep, it sounds dumb but I couldn’t get this out of my head and I was frustrated, annoyed, actually slightly angry and I kinda yelled inside “God!

” I just want this to work out and don’t want to deal with this anymore and then I kinda just realized that God was like “Tyler, what are you talking about? How am I supposed to do anything and how can I be glorified if you haven’t given it up to me and trusted me with it?

Tyler: I died for you, they drove spikes through my hands and feet because I love you, they beat me, tortured me, they hung me on a cross…because I love you. If that’s not good enough for you Tyler, What is it going to take for you to trust me?

I kind of just lay there in bed kind of awestruck and realized that of course, I knew Christ did all of that out of His love for me but why was that not impacting how I was handling and trusting him with this situation? Then something I saw in high school popped into my mind.

I will include the link for that video at the end of this but if you have a few minutes after this I would strongly recommend watching that video. ” Why is this happening? This was supposed to be getting better. But then I knew He was like: Tyler, you couldn’t trust me for even 24 hours?

” So here I am – in less than 24 hours I went from trying to get through this on my own, to trusting God, back to relying on myself and here I am again, trying to trust God.

I’m so far from perfect and He knows that clearly per my story, I make mistakes…more than I’d like to admit, but God regardless of my situation still loves me and still died for me and still wants me to trust Him.

Like I mentioned in the beginning I like being in control of my situations, I want to always know what is going on and I wish God would let me have control of some of my situations but looking back on my past and seeing how God has worked so many other situations in my life out for my good I think it’s better I trust Him.

So pray for me, I’ll probably fall again, and try to trust myself, but I know God is worth trusting.

So this one was a little more personal but what about you? Everybody struggles with things, some things are bigger than others. But the question is what are you trusting in?

You can trust yourself and let yourself down because you may fight hard enough and God will allow it to work out but it won’t come without pain and frustration. Or, you can give it up to God.

It won’t be easy, trusting God sounds simple, but it’s easier to fall back on trusting yourself if it doesn’t immediately work out. God isn’t a genie – He won’t grant wishes, He is the creator of a universe and He has his own plans for your life and I promise they are better than your own plans for your life.

It’s not a matter of will God come through and keep His promises but rather a matter of will you have the patience and faith in God to see His plans reveal themselves in your life.

Psalm 33:4 – For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness

1 Peter 4:2 – That he (man) no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – 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 straight your paths.

And one of my favorite verses:

Jeremiah 17:7-8 – Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

But remember this: God is worth trusting.

Here’s that video I mentioned earlier. It’s 8 minutes long, but I promise, it’s worth every second.

https://youtu.be/RwX_EpNR4CA

thanks for reading,