Life!!

How many of us have our plans for our life? We have our future all planned out - when we will retire, where we will live, what kind of house we want...etc. the list goes on. I know for me that my life has not gone AT ALL how I planned it. I had my nice family all living near each other, living in the same house till we retired...etc. God certainly had other plans. We have moved to 4 houses in 7 years and we now live in Ohio. Not at all my plans, yet God has used everything for his good - to grow me into the woman of God that he continually is shaping me into.

Jeremiah 10:23 says "I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps."

Until we realize this - and own it in our life - I think we will continually be frustrated at the outcome of our lives. Until we know that God has us where we are, right now, for a purpose, we will always want something else. Some may be in a life filled with trials and your wondering how in the world this is what God wants for you. Been there - yet through those times as well we must submit to Christ - daily asking him what he wants to do in you/me through theses trials and asking him to reveal to us what he wants to shape in us. It is easy to look to others around to change, thinking that will make our problems better but often we forget to look at ourselves and what God wants to do in us.

Most of us have seen the movie "Fireproof". Notice that the husband in the movie needed to face himself and God for his marriage to change. I am not saying here that others do not affect us and that we are always the issue. Just that we so often don't even ask God what it is that he wants to shape in us. We would rather put all the blame on someone else.

Then on the flip side of things is when we are living our life allowing the Lord to direct our steps. I absolutely love love love when I am living this out. There is so much freedom when we have surrendered our life to him. I was talking with some dear friends recently who shared with me that they just lost $100,000 in the last 6 months because of all the losses in the economy/stocks. He said it was the best thing that ever happened to him. Why? Because he realized that he was counting on it too much. Seriously - how many of us would take this approach? How would he have realized this except that he was inquiring of the Lord to show him. He knew that his life was not his but that the Lord is directing his steps.

So taking our next steps, with Jesus leading the way is THE ONLY WAY TO WALK! True contentment comes when we live this out.

I will close with Paul's words in Philippinans 4 - "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."