So many times we want to change God’s plan for
something familiar. Something comfortable. When
you choose to make Jesus the Lord of your life and
you walk in God’s plan for your life, you have to keep
in the forefront of your mind that it’s God’s plan, not
yours’. It’s His perfect will.
He has never told us things wouldn’t get uncomfortable.
But He did tell us to trust Him. I’m not saying
that we are robots and should live our lives as such.
God gives us freewill to choose. If we choose to follow
Him, he will make our paths straight.
Being in control of the outcome of a situation is
something I have personally struggled with like many
other people. I understand that it can be hard to see
a situation right in front of you and when someone
says, “trust God,” it seems almost impossible to do.
Someone might say, “just pray about it,” and I know
that when you have been in a tough situation for a
while it may feel like your prayers aren’t heard.
But I believe that it is our tough situations that
shape our lives. I believe that our tough situations
test our faith, our identity, and our purpose.
Hard times teach us to rely on God rather
than ourselves.
Take our faith for example, whether its faith
in God or faith in our own abilities, we all have
what I like to call faith muscles. In each area of
our lives we have a way we believe that things
will come to pass. Our belief is normally based
off of things we have overcome in the past,
things that we see our peers go through, or
simply things we have read and believe in the
Bible. I compare faith muscles to our physical
muscles in our bodies. We know that the physical
muscles in our bodies become stronger
only by the “pressure” of weight lifting. There
is some stretching and pulling that must take
place in order for those muscles to increase in
strength. As they grow stronger, your
body can handle heavier weights or
more pressure.
It’s the same with our faith muscles,
for when we are tested with life situations
and we overcome, it makes us
stronger in faith. Rather than letting an
unfortunate situation overtake us with
sadness, depression, or bad thoughts,
we should take on that situation from a stance
of victory and attitude that we have already
won. Yes it will be tough to walk through but
know that with God, we have already defeated
it. Taking on the mindset of the victor has
helped me to accept that God’s plan for my
life is not my own and I am not in control of
it. I can only control how I react to things that
happen. I can control the things I choose to
say and do once a situation has occurred.
God’s ideas of what is best for me are not
always what I desire to do, but I do it with
gratitude and gratefulness to have the opportunity.
Ultimately, God knows what is best
for his children. He is the author and finisher
of our faith. A lot of times, it is easier to stay
in our comfort zone because it feels safe. It’s
what we can handle or control. Our comfort
zone is where we thrive! It’s where we feel
like the best version of ourselves. But I have learned
that I cannot grow by consistently staying where I am
comfortable. I cannot increase my knowledge if I do
not challenge myself by getting educated. Someone
once said to me, “Nothing changes if nothing changes.”
That statement is simple but profound. We have
this plan of how we think our lives should go and
when God shifts things, we have a problem with the
change. Or when God brings to our attention that we
need to adjust in a certain area of our lives, we get
defensive and protective of that area instead of being
immediately open to change.
Sometimes, that one small adjustment will make a
world of difference in the outcome of situations in our
lives. In everything you experience, whether alone or
with others, remember that God has promised to never
leave nor forsake you. God loves you and only desires
what is best for you. So challenge yourself today
by getting out of your comfort zone and do something
brave for the Kingdom of God!
