I was recently asked for advice by someone struggling to surrender control of their situation to God, and to overcome stumbling blocks to their faith. I was humbled at the request, since I too struggle with issues involving control. God spoke to me through my response to this dear lady, and I wanted to share it with you:
The most important tool in affecting change in ourselves (or anything for that matter) is prayer. I know of one particular prayer, prayed directly in the face of Jesus Christ, when He confronted the father of an afflicted child about his faith. The parent said, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24) This prayer reminds me that, even when we believe, we can always believe more. To say what the fearful parent said is not the contradiction it appears to be. His previous actions give clarification. He brought his son to Jesus, demonstrating his faith. But then he said, "If you can…" as a lead-in to his request of Jesus. I think building the kind of faith that knows God will move instead of wishing He will takes prayer (talking to Him) and Bible reading (allowing Him to talk to you).
What has helped me build my faith is to reflect on the Scriptural examples of the faithful. Hebrews 11 has often been called "the Hall of Fame of Faith." Since you are looking for ideas, I recommend reading that chapter, then looking up the stories of each name listed there, and reflecting on each one, comparing their example to your own life. (Online tools like www.BibleGateway.com make such searches easier.)
God bless you as you turn loose of control and surrender your situation to God. It is only when He has free rein and total reign that He can make the most out of us. It is because of His power that we can, "Be still and know that I am God..." (Psalm 46:10a)
No comments:
Post a Comment