The past few weeks, my Bible reading has been in 2 Chronicles. It’s crazy to see generation after generation of David’s descendants fall so headlong into evil. They didn’t want the peace and favor of a God who they’d have to submit to. They wanted to do their own thing. They had hearts of rebellion. And their rebellion pulled down an entire nation in it’s wide berth. As I’ve been reading, I just keep thinking, “This is me. I am rebellious like this.”
Needless to say, God’s been convicting me of these threads of rebellion deeply-rooted in my heart this week…and as He has I’ve started to notice some patterns of behavior that SEEM to be godly and wise, but are actually quite the opposite: deadly and life-altering. And the one that He pointed out THIS week? I am careful.
It sounds healthy and good, right? How could being careful be wrong?
I am careful in relationships,
in decisions on food and living and clothes and my budget
and on running in the right neighborhoods or locking all the doors
or triple-checking that I’ve turned off the curling iron before I leave the house.
I am careful. And some would say I am being a good steward. I have told myself that with a faint aroma of pride a time or two. So how could being “careful” be wrong?
God created us to live in a perfect world where we would never be hurt by ourselves, much less the rest of the broken world. He created us to live these fantastically wildly joyful lives, loving Him with all the exuberance of a First-Love, being loved in return as if we are the most precious creature He ever created. And in so many ways He is actively working that out in your life and my life even now. But we don’t see it. His glory is in the shadows, not of this world. And my careful-ness takes away His opportunity to lavishly bless me or take care of me or to give me great love. My carefulness is an equation for safety without God.
I’m not saying that we’re supposed to go running in the dark at 10pm or leave our doors unlocked or fall in love with the cute party guy with bad character. Nope. These are things that are common sense that we should be led by The Holy Spirit on, in line with God’s Word…but we also have to follow other leading of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we are called to do something out of the ordinary…to fall in love with a godly man who is chasing us. Yes, he might hurt you. But if your heart is entrusted to God, then you just keep getting out there, following where The Holy Spirit is leading!
Some people are careful because it is wise. But, I was being careful because a part of me doesn’t trust that God will do it like I want Him to. My “careful-ness” was just as bad as the evil kings in 2 Chronicles. It was rooted in a distrust of God’s plan being best…and thinking I could somehow control bad things from happening to me if I was careful. Ah…it often does come down to “control” with us ladies, doesn’t it?
Do you have small things in your character that are part-good, part-bad? What do you think about all this I’m learning? Praying for each of you today…that you may sense His Presence evermore in your life. He is the God Who Moves!
You are loved,
annetta
PS. AWAKEN VIPS!
We are stoked y’all will be joining us for Awaken friends! We would have made EVERY person who entered a VIP if we could…so without further adieu: The winners of the VIP access at next week’s Awaken are:
Meghan Galvez
Jessica Dromgoole
Perla Silva
Gayle Novak
Kelli D.
Y’all take a minute to send an email to info@goingbeyond.com! We want to connect with you and give you details on the evening!
