Can't I Do Anything Myself?
A few weeks ago leading up to Christmas many of the leaders of our Monday night group were busy and were going to absent from group. I was leading that night with just one other leader but we had prayed and God had shown us direction for the evening so I was feeling good. Then, as happens so often, my wife reminded me of our schedule for the night. She reminded me that I was taking my son to his Christmas performance that night because she was already busy taking our other son to his end of the season soccer team party! I had forgotten and now I was going to be very late to our group and couldn’t open up the room on time. I didn't know what to do!
So, I called the another leader that usually opens up for me when I’m gone and asked if he could open up but he said he wasn’t able to and I started to panic. But then the other leader I was on the phone with suggested we pray about it. My initial reaction in my spirit was, What is God going to do about this? This is just a schedule conflict that I have to figure out myself, isn’t there anything I can just do myself? Despite my momentary aversion to prayer I agreed because that would seem to be the right thing to do. As soon as I prayed God said to me, Late or Jake, that I would either ask my buddy Jake to open up for us as he was in the area of my son's soccer party and could pick up the key from my wife, or if he couldn't do it, I'd just let the group know we would be starting late. I immediately felt peace and confidence and the panic was gone. The options were simple, although they hadn't occurred to me but most of all since I knew God had directed in this way I could trust that either of these options would be a good course of action for all parties involved. As it turned out Jake was available, got the keys from my wife, opened up on time and it all worked out.
As I reflected on my aversion to asking God about this seemingly small issue He posed a couple of questions to me. What part of your life, however big or small, don't I want to be involved in? God loves us intimately and wants to be with us in every part of our lives if we let Him. God then highlighted to me that whenever we start thinking Can't I just do this on my own, however big or small the thing may be, is when we will run into trouble. We are desperate for God in every way and at all times and losing sight of that will lead to our eventual downfall. God wants to be with us and guide us not only in the big things but also the little things.
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:21
So, I called the another leader that usually opens up for me when I’m gone and asked if he could open up but he said he wasn’t able to and I started to panic. But then the other leader I was on the phone with suggested we pray about it. My initial reaction in my spirit was, What is God going to do about this? This is just a schedule conflict that I have to figure out myself, isn’t there anything I can just do myself? Despite my momentary aversion to prayer I agreed because that would seem to be the right thing to do. As soon as I prayed God said to me, Late or Jake, that I would either ask my buddy Jake to open up for us as he was in the area of my son's soccer party and could pick up the key from my wife, or if he couldn't do it, I'd just let the group know we would be starting late. I immediately felt peace and confidence and the panic was gone. The options were simple, although they hadn't occurred to me but most of all since I knew God had directed in this way I could trust that either of these options would be a good course of action for all parties involved. As it turned out Jake was available, got the keys from my wife, opened up on time and it all worked out.
As I reflected on my aversion to asking God about this seemingly small issue He posed a couple of questions to me. What part of your life, however big or small, don't I want to be involved in? God loves us intimately and wants to be with us in every part of our lives if we let Him. God then highlighted to me that whenever we start thinking Can't I just do this on my own, however big or small the thing may be, is when we will run into trouble. We are desperate for God in every way and at all times and losing sight of that will lead to our eventual downfall. God wants to be with us and guide us not only in the big things but also the little things.
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:21
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