Trusting in Your Ways or God's Way

Trusting in Your Ways or God's Way

by David Brenneman

Letting go of every single dream
I lay each one down at Your feet
Every moment of my wandering
Never changes what You see
I've tried to win this war, I confess
My hands are weary, I need Your rest
Mighty warrior, King of the fight
No matter what I face, You're by my side
When You don't move the mountains
I'm needing You to move
When You don't part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don't give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust
I will trust in You
Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings
There's not a day ahead You have not seen
So in all things be my life and breath
I want what You want, Lord, and nothing less
When You don't move the mountains
I'm needing You to move
When You don't part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don't give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
You are my strength and comfort
You are my steady hand
You are my firm foundation
The rock on which I stand
Your ways are always higher
Your plans are always good
There's not a place where I'll go
You've not already stood
When You don't move the mountains
I'm needing You to move
When You don't part the waters
I wish I could walk through
When You don't give the answers
As I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
I will trust in You

- Trust in You by Lauren Daigle

Was reading something yesterday and it's stuck with me going into today.  A friend was posting something totally unrelated to this thought but the passage used by him had words that have never caught my eye before. 

Matthew 10:39 "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it".  Note that wording "found his life".

Matthew 16:25 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it"

Mark 8:35 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."

Luke 9:24 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake, he is the one who will save it."

Luke 17:33 "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."

John 12:25 "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal."

A few things to note is within the same book it's evident that Jesus repeated himself due to the span of time between parts written.  

Secondly, it's that word "found" that sticks out from all the other ways it was said.  

We are constantly teaching children and adults to 'find themselves'. To 'just do it!'.  We teach people to dream of great career's and a home life.  To 'be all that they can be'.  But those are all our ways. The interesting thing is there's only ONE way that God has planned for us.  His way.

We try this and try that.  We might find enjoyment for a moment but it never lasts and we're weary of it.  We sometimes DO find ourselves living in God's Way and it seems to go on forever in fulfilment and in joy.  

We spend millions in our lifetimes listening to what others say is best for us from health to wealth.  In reality there's only 2 things that rise to the top of people's priorities.  Some spend hundreds if not thousands on worldly ideas on everything from finance to eating yet what we need, according to God is found in the Bible.  "for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." - 2 Peter 1:3 NASB.

We also read "All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work." in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB.

Our minds either will follow after God or they won't.  We either intentionally take up our cross and follow Christ or we don't.  We either are promoting self or promoting God.  We either lift up self or we lift up God. 

We are to take up His yoke upon us for His burden is easy and His load is light. 

We read earlier in that same chapter of 2 Timothy just what this world's idea of life in God on finding life is about.  He's talking about people IN the professing Church. He's not talking about those outside of it.

"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."  

Jesus already mentioned in another passage not to avoid those in the world displaying such things because they are of this world.  We are warned of avoiding contentious people who claim to be believers.  Here we are told to avoid people like this who claim to be saved and yet are not.  In Matthew 18 we are given instructions on dealing with people who are claiming to be believers yet aren't living it intentionally. 

"“Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." Matthew 18:15-18 NASB.

"Found his life" - wow.  So many believers often live like they've found life yet live lives that are so hollow.  They have everything they've wanted in this world and yet still lack any joy.   They try to convince themselves and others that they are happy when the truth is they are not.

The Prodigal Son left his Father and his Father's estate thinking he was going off to be happy. To live life in this world his way and at the beginning he probably did.  Yet in time he found the error of his ways.  Some do find it and do return to the awaiting Father.  Some go to their deathbed without returning because they get mad at God instead of acknowledging their wrong for what it is.

Our ways will always fail at finding peace, love and life.  Only in Christ Jesus are these things found. Only in His way, not our ways.  God's Way of living life is not going to be found in self-help books, will not be found in programs and things this world can devise.  It's only going to be found in the Word of God.  Jesus praises the Father in seeing the Father's Way realized and working as the Father planned.

If we trust ourselves and our ideas we will eventually fail.  We don't know all that God knows.  We have a part to fulfill in the body of Christ to do to the best of our ability but that doesn't mean we know everything the body is doing.  

In the human body the nervous system in in constant communication with the brain. That's how my mind communicates desires and needs to parts of me like my fingers, toes, back etc.  It's how I command it to sit upright in this chair, arms at an angle, typing out words.  

We must be in constant communication with the 'brain' in the body of Christ.  Doing what the head tells us to be doing.  Not what we necessarily think we ought to be doing.

God's plan for us extends way beyond our thoughts on things.  Blessings to us are to be shared with others.  Needs of others should be shared with us so that we can return blessings to those in need.  Doing our part in the body is crucial.  A group of cells in a body that aren't working WITH the brain are called a cancer.  They feed off the body yet do nothing WITH the body.  Read 1 Corinthians 12.  Paul outlines how the body of Christ is to function.

Our ways will not lead to happiness, will not lead to what we think we desire. Be it health, wealth or happiness, we won't find it outside of a right relationship with Jesus. 

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21 NASB.