“Wouldn’t it be awful to spend all your life trying to make God an apple pie, only to die and discover He never liked apple pie?” ~Peter Lord
This quote really caught my attention because for many years I thought that what God wanted from me was to try my very best to live the Christian life–to avoid sin, serve in the church, read my Bible, share my faith, pray daily, give, love, be like Jesus, etc. Boy, was I wrong!!! In the past couple of years God has shown me that’s not at all what He wants. He wants me to simply rest and enjoy the life of Christ that’s within me. (Matt 11:28-30; Jn 10:10; Gal 2:20; Col 2:6) When I try my best to live the Christian life, that’s being indepedent of Him. He wants me to admit that I can’t do it and depend on Him to live His live out through me. The only person who can live the Christian life is Christ!!
I read in a devotional book by Bill & Anibel Gillham this morning that depending on Him means letting Him live through me any way He chooses. As I thought about this, I remembered how I got frustrated yesterday when circumstances didn’t fall in place smoothly the way I wanted them to. If I’m going to depend on Him, I must first give up my perceived rights–the right to have things happen my way, the right to be in control of my circumstances, the right to…, and then accept His way. So, I have two choices:
1. do it myself/hold onto my way——->things don’t work out——->inner conflict & frustration
2. give up rights/accept God’s way——>His way always works——->success & peace
Here’s the paradox: What we think will bring us success, peace, contenment, fulfillment (doing it my way) actually leads to conflict & frustration, and what we think will cause conflict & frustration (giving up my way) actually leads to success, peace, contenment, and fulfillment.
Rebecca