By: John Mitchell
The following are examples of doing things our way, and then doing the same things God’s way. In the first example, it’s wrong thinking, to ask God to help us to have our will for ourselves, done for us by God. Good morning, Lord, I’ve got a lot to do today. It’s going to be a busy, busy day for me. Lord, please help me to get everything done today, on my to do list. First, I need to take out the rest of the garbage before the garbage truck gets here. Then, I need to eat some breakfast. I’ll eat in front of the TV, so I can catch up on what’s happening in the world around me today. (An hour later) Oh! Look at what time it is already! I’ve got so much to do that I don’t have any time left to read the Bible or pray. God, you know my heart. You know that I love You, and I know that You love me. And because You love me, I know that You are going to help me accomplish all that I want to accomplish today. O’ Lord, O’ Lord, what would You have me do? The above is all so wrong. We are supposed to be serving God, not God serving us. There are things that are predictable. Week after week, the garbage is picked up at the same time, on the same day, week after week. Part of putting God first in your life, is to have a plan to get up early, to take care of the garbage, so that the garbage doesn’t trash the time needed to spend with God every morning. There are things that happen unexpectedly that are urgent, like, the house is on fire!!! It’s urgent to get out of the house now!!! And there are things that are of great importance. Like, putting God first in your life, every day. In (Matthew 6:33), Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of heaven, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” In (Romans 8:28), we are told, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” We, expecting God to help us to accomplish our will for ourselves, is backward. (James 4:15) tells us, “Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” When we start our day by praying and reading the Bible, we are spiritually arming ourselves, to be able to, with God’s help, overcome whatever the world around us, may send against us. With God, we can overcome the world, and not be overcome by the world. In (John 16:33), Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” In (Philippians 4:13) “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And in (Matthew 19:26), “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” More wrong thinking is; Lord, I don’t have time to go to every worship service and Bible Study. I’m too busy working, so that I can have enough money to pay my bills. O’ Lord, O’ Lord, what would You have me do? Ask God in prayer, to help you find employment with a work schedule that would enable you to attend Bible studies and worship services, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. (Hebrews 10:25) and they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers, (Acts 2:42). Lord, just a quarter too much back in my change at the store, won’t hurt anyone. It’s too small to call it stealing. O’ Lord, O’ Lord, what would You have me do? Large or small, sin is sin, and sin separates us from God. Don’t let anything interfere with your relationship with God. Is having that 0.25 cents, that doesn’t belong to you, so important to you, that you would let it interfere with your relationship with God? “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. (Luke 16:10). Lord, if I tell the truth on my work application, I won’t get hired. Sometimes you have to tell a little lie here or there to get what you want. They will never know it’s not the truth, because they are probably too busy to phone everyone on my application, to find out if everything is the truth. Besides it’s too small of a matter to be called a lie. O’ Lord, O’Lord, what would You have me do? Large or small, sin is sin, and sin separates us from God. “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight. (Proverbs 12:22) Let your yes be a yes, and your no be a no. (Matthew 5:37) It may be that it was best for you to not have that job. More wrong thinking. Lord, a little cuss or curse word here or there won’t hurt anyone. In fact, some people want to be talked to that way, so it may be a help to them. O’ Lord, O’ Lord, what would You have me do? (Ephesians 4:29) tells, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. (Colossians 3:8). Lord, You know I’m 95% submitted to Your will for me. I’ve always made the right decisions about that small 5% area of my life, so since I’ve proven that I know what’s best for me in that part of my life, I just want to continue to be in control of that small 5%, part of my life. O’ Lord, O’ Lord, what would You have me do? “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5) Jesus said to him”, “You shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your mind. (Matthew 22:37) “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who DOES the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21) “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and DOES them, I will liken him to a wise man…” “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and DOES NOT do them, will be like a foolish man…” (Matthew 7:24,26). “But be DOERS of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James 1:22). After God has helped you to overcome a sin in your life, don’t let Satan tempt you to again, open the door to that sin, and let it overcome you again. It’s not the will of God that anyone should perish. It’s the will of Satan that everyone perishes. It’s our decision to make, to live our life following God’s plan of salvation for us, or to live our life our way, and be deceived into following Satan’s plan of destruction and damnation for us.