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How Big Is God in Your Life?
August 1, 2008
Well, I have a few more days left to my summer break and then it’s back to the routine of the work day. I’ve been keeping busy learning new coaching techniques and studying to be a lay counselor. In my lay counseling class the other day the teacher, Sarah Trollinger, made the following statement, “God will be as big in our lives as we allow Him to be.”
Being a coach, I started asking myself questions. “What keeps God from being ‘big’ in my life? What am I afraid of? Do I not trust God?” Suddenly I was feeling anxious with all my self-interrogation. I was sinking into the pit of self-doubt. I’m not good enough, educated enough, not talented enough, not deserving enough. Stop! Stop! Stop! I slapped myself alongside the head! I decided to change my questioning pattern. Do I accept that peace is my birthright? (John 14:27 says,” Peace I leave with you; My peace I now give and bequeath to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid”. Amplified Bible) Or do I accept the ‘fears’ that scream loudly over the quiet whisper of God?”
The first time I realized I wasn’t living my birthright was ten years ago when my then two year old granddaughter had to have open heart surgery. Daily I begged God to give me peace that she would live. Daily He did not. Either I chose to finally listen or He tired of my begging. He said to me in that quiet whisper, “you don’t need to know if she will live or die, you need to trust that I will take care of you and will be with you no matter the outcome”…peace…there it was, bold, loud, satisfying.
Over the years I have had to make the choice often to live my birthright. Some crisis have been big like that one ten years ago: my young nephew’s brain aneurysm, no guarantees from the doctors, his wish to sign a ‘do not resuscitate’ order…my in-law’s deaths…my daughter’s brush with death as I helplessly watched it happen…the death of a pre-born granddaughter….my husband’s heart procedures.
There have been small crises too. The everyday kind…the adult bully at work…the neighbor being abused but won’t listen to reason and leave…concern that if I say ‘no’ people won’t like me…should I further my education...to sell the house or keep it…managing an already tight budget…the GAS PRICES!...the odd weather…the next president. You can get swallowed up by them too. The everyday worries of life can cause us to sink into the pit of self-doubt and despair.
Peter was walking on the water towards Jesus when the storm came up, he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to SINK. Mark 4:39 says,” Jesus arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still! And the wind ceased and there was a great calm (a perfect peacefulness.)” Amplified Bible That’s when I lose my birthright, my peace, when I take my eyes off the One who gave me the birthright in the first place. Instead of telling God how big the storm is I should be telling the storm how big my God is.
In what area of your life today do you need to allow God to be big? What do you need to do to live in your birthright?
Rhoda
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