PROACTIVE.
No, I'm not talking about the acne product, but the characteristic that most all people seem to have. And maybe you're reading this and you're totally wanting to scream "I AM NOTTTTT PROACTIVE! I wait until the last possible moment to do stuff! You don't KNOW me, Carly!"
But let's be completely honest for a second, okay? Have you ever had trouble sleeping because you can't stop thinking about the following day to come? Or have you ever expected a day to go a certain way and then BAM! It blows up in your face?
I think we all have.
I was working on a project with a group from my church when we were on a mission trip to Mexico, and we were planning a skit for the kids. I was freaking out because I didn't know much Spanish, and we didn't know how to get the right props, and the story was hard to act out, and I was acting like a crazy person.
Our leader, a very wise woman, might I add, just told me we don't need to plan much. I was baffled. I agreed, because she's the leader, but in my head I was screaming "WHAT?! NOT PLANNING? That's crazy. Oh well."
We ended up killing the skit. It was awesome. The kids laughed and had the greatest time. And from that day on, I find myself reminding myself and others that we shouldn't plan everything we do. We shouldn't stress over things that aren't really in our control.
In case you haven't noticed, I haven't really been that consistent with the passages I'm writing about in the Bible, because I have no reading plan. I flip to a random page and write about it.
Today I turned to some passage in the Old Testament about God's instructions for buildings and rituals and all that stuff we usually skim when we're reading through the Bible :) I was at a brick wall. How am I supposed to write about this? How can I make God's instructions for people thousands of years ago relevant today?
What came to me is this: God has an exact, precise, perfect plan. Why do we stress out about stuff? Why do we try to control stuff when we could just trust and believe?
This doesn't mean that God wants us to be carefree and live lives with no standards... but when we encounter the times that are tough, just take a step back, pray about it, and be still and know He is God. He has a plan for our lives, and no matter WHAT happens, He will always be there, always.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..."
God doesn't plan for us to fail, or be endangered. If you believe He is good, and He is in control, and really does care about you, then just let Him handle it. God promises us He will send His Spirit to be our teachers while we're here on earth, and if we listen to Him, and live according to His word, there isn't much to be worried about.
Dear God,
We often doubt, or forget, and don't call on You for help. We don't listen to Your spirit and live our own lives, forgetting about You entirely. We are selfish and we plan our own days, live our own lives.
Help us understand that You have awesome plans for us. Help us be aware of Your awesome spirit, God! Help us, because in You, there is hope and security. There is a will to do GOOD things, for Your name.
Please help us throw off our chains and follow You, and help us stop thinking we have it all figured out.
Amen.
No, I'm not talking about the acne product, but the characteristic that most all people seem to have. And maybe you're reading this and you're totally wanting to scream "I AM NOTTTTT PROACTIVE! I wait until the last possible moment to do stuff! You don't KNOW me, Carly!"
But let's be completely honest for a second, okay? Have you ever had trouble sleeping because you can't stop thinking about the following day to come? Or have you ever expected a day to go a certain way and then BAM! It blows up in your face?
I think we all have.
I was working on a project with a group from my church when we were on a mission trip to Mexico, and we were planning a skit for the kids. I was freaking out because I didn't know much Spanish, and we didn't know how to get the right props, and the story was hard to act out, and I was acting like a crazy person.
Our leader, a very wise woman, might I add, just told me we don't need to plan much. I was baffled. I agreed, because she's the leader, but in my head I was screaming "WHAT?! NOT PLANNING? That's crazy. Oh well."
We ended up killing the skit. It was awesome. The kids laughed and had the greatest time. And from that day on, I find myself reminding myself and others that we shouldn't plan everything we do. We shouldn't stress over things that aren't really in our control.
In case you haven't noticed, I haven't really been that consistent with the passages I'm writing about in the Bible, because I have no reading plan. I flip to a random page and write about it.
Today I turned to some passage in the Old Testament about God's instructions for buildings and rituals and all that stuff we usually skim when we're reading through the Bible :) I was at a brick wall. How am I supposed to write about this? How can I make God's instructions for people thousands of years ago relevant today?
What came to me is this: God has an exact, precise, perfect plan. Why do we stress out about stuff? Why do we try to control stuff when we could just trust and believe?
This doesn't mean that God wants us to be carefree and live lives with no standards... but when we encounter the times that are tough, just take a step back, pray about it, and be still and know He is God. He has a plan for our lives, and no matter WHAT happens, He will always be there, always.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..."
Jeremiah 29:11 and Psalm 46:10
God doesn't plan for us to fail, or be endangered. If you believe He is good, and He is in control, and really does care about you, then just let Him handle it. God promises us He will send His Spirit to be our teachers while we're here on earth, and if we listen to Him, and live according to His word, there isn't much to be worried about.
Dear God,
We often doubt, or forget, and don't call on You for help. We don't listen to Your spirit and live our own lives, forgetting about You entirely. We are selfish and we plan our own days, live our own lives.
Help us understand that You have awesome plans for us. Help us be aware of Your awesome spirit, God! Help us, because in You, there is hope and security. There is a will to do GOOD things, for Your name.
Please help us throw off our chains and follow You, and help us stop thinking we have it all figured out.
Amen.
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