This is Something That is Easier Said Than Done
We have a plan for what we expect life to be. Then life happens and things don’t work out the way we’d planned. This can leave us feeling disappointed and disheartened.
Life is full of the unexpected. The question is…what you’re going to do about it?
An example of this is a Peanuts comic strip. Peppermint Patty and Roy are walking outside. Peppermint Patty says, “I learned something in school today. I signed up for Folk guitar, Computer Programming, Stained Glass Art, Shoemaking and a Natural Foods workshop.” Then she turns to Roy and says, “I got Spelling, History, and two study periods.” Roy says, “What did you learn?” Peppermint Patty responds, “I learned that what you sign up for and what you get are two different things.”
Isn’t that the truth.
We all have had these kinds of experiences. The key is to not let those unplanned occurrences be the thing that controls your life.
We need to remember that we’re not in this alone. Our life is a partnership with God. It’s up to us to join in and accept this partnership.
When the Israelites were trapped at the Red Sea by the pursuing Egyptians God didn’t need Moses to part the sea, but He asked for Moses to do his part. God said to Moses to “Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand. Exodus 14:16
We’re also asked to partner with each other. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, but when we work together great things can happen. 1 Corinthians 12:14-20
We need to be open to God’s involvement in our lives.
You’ve probably heard the adage “Pray like it all depends on God and work like it all depends on you.” Life is a partnership after all.
Those words aren’t in the Bible, but the idea is certainly biblical. A good place to see this principle illustrated is in Matthew 26:36-41. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus leaves Peter, James, and John. He went a little farther alone and agonized in prayer about his crucifixion.
When he came back, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?… Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Matthew 26:41 There it is. Watch and pray. The watching is our part. The praying is us asking for God’s help.
We must remain alert and vigilant or else we risk falling into temptation as Jesus warned Peter.
The reality is that our efforts alone aren’t enough. We need God’s help. When we are doing our part of the work it puts us in a more effective position to ask for God’s help. Prayer is a necessary part of life. Jesus often went off alone to pray. If the Son of God needed to pray, what does that mean for us?
Work like it all depends on you, pray like it all depends on God.
In Acts 16:9-15 Paul thought he had it all figured out and then God told him differently. He was sent to a different country to preach to people who weren’t Jews. On top of that, it was a woman. Lydia was the beginning of the first church in Europe.
Open your eyes and look around at the things God does in your life. Don’t let the unexpected deter you from doing the things God wants for you.
