Man for God  

The human mind is given to being hung up on the past, whether it be good or bad. Consequently, we remember our "glory days", long after the cheering has stopped, and we also recall bitter defeats, long after picking ourselves up off the mat. On the Christian walk, there is little room for considering the past. After all, forgiven sins are forgotten by God; why should they be recalled? Further, there is more than one good work for a person to do as the Lord's representative, so why do we seek accolades for good done long ago when there is yet more, and more impactful, good to do in the present? The road before us does not gently call to us. Rather, it directly confronts us, unmoved by our past successes and failures. Christian maturity is very much a "what have you done for me TODAY?" thing. No one can become more mature yesterday, neither can they grow in the tomorrow that has yet to arrive. So, it matters not whether I am yesterday's saint or sinner, or even tomorrow's hero or goat. As it touches my walk with God, it is imperative that I make history rather than recall it. Whether from the mountaintop or the valley, my life to this point has only given me a place from which I now "forgetting those things which are behind . . . I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." I have time neither to revel in past glories nor wallow in past sorrows.

I can honestly say I did not feel like the last broadcast was completed, so I'm rolling out a part 2 of "If You'll Let it Be." After looking at the mindsets of Jesus, Mary, and David, I want to go further and look at more examples of people who were challenged by what God required and said, in the words of Mary, "be it unto me according to thy word." The successful saint of God is not the one who got their program over, but the one who accepts their role in God's program. It may represent great change and sacrifice, upheavel and pain, but love for God compels that saint to say, "Shall we accept good from God, and not accept adversity . . . But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD." Without Jesus, I can do nothing, but with Him, I can do all things, If I'm willing to let it be.

Sometimes, the only way to get to where we wish to be is to accept where we are as part of the journey and allow the path to unfold before us, instead of seeking to choose it ourselves. Also, instead of seeking perfection in every step of the way from ourselves and others, we are better served by understanding that every step leads to perfection, even the steps we wish we had not taken. God does not place us on roads we wish to travel. Rather, He places us on roads leading to destinations of His choosing. Further, it is hard for us to walk on the roads He chooses unless we are also willing to walk as He chooses. If, as His children, we seek destinations or methods of travel which run counter to His will, then we may soon get an improved understanding of the psalmist's words, "Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me." (Psalms 139:5) Regarding His people, God is intent that they come to Him in a way He prescribes, not the manner of their choosing. If our intent is to serve Him, then He will have His way. As was spoken to Saul of Tarsus, "It is hard for thee to kick against the goads." Yielding to God means more than saying, "God is in control." It involves accepting that the life we would lead is not the best life for us. It includes acknowledging that our way of doing things does not usually work well. It demands saying “yes” to what we neither like nor understand, because we trust God with our lives more than we value having a life. Regarding the outcome of God’s choices for us, instead of bargaining for our preferences, we accept His – we let it be. Finally, yielding to God requires wanting to go where He leads by traveling His chosen path, starting from wherever we may be, and keeping confidence that we will arrive. Indeed, we will get there, or get there more quickly, if, regarding the path He chooses for us, we are willing to let it be.

There is no doubt that God desires His people to share each other's lives, burdens, and experiences as they walk with Him and await the Lord's return. However, anyone who's spent any time wrestling with their flesh can testify that, much of the time, salvation is a tough individual journey. Indeed, in many challenging times, it seems no friends are available, or that the ones who are tend to be of little help. Isolation from other people during difficult times has caused some to fall away from the Lord, but that was not His plan. The Lord delights in those who consider Him their portion, who seek Him to hear their cries rather than seek someone with whom to cry. There is no group plan to take people to heaven. Though there may be many to help us along the way, in the day when our soul is required, we will stand alone before God and His Christ. The wise among us will have learned to do so well before our personal day of reckoning. If you've realized that you cannot take your buddies to heaven with you, then you understand the path before you - it was Enoch's path, Noah's path, Abraham's path, Elijah's path, John the Baptist's path, Paul's path, and it was Christ's path. Though you may rarely or never need to do so, unless and until you are ready to walk alone before God, you may never get to where God wishes you to go. Are you ready?

Living for God is an around-the-clock endeavor. The presence of the Holy Ghost helps to make it so. Not only does God's Spirit watch over each saint to protect and guide them, It also watches each saint, observing how and whether they will reamin faithful to God. Are you saved on Sunday, but struggle when removed from the sanctuary? God is not only displeased, He wants to help. The Lord Jesus Christ is not Something we lay on top of our lives, as one would pour chocolate sauce over an ice cream sundae. Rather, He is to become our lives and make us new. However, to do that, He must, and does, watch us every second and observe all we do. If we really understand that the One who never sleeps is observing whenever He is awake, then shouldn't that impact how we conduct ourselves, even when the rest of our congregation is not present?

Saints striving to live godly regularly find themselves needing to show restraint in difficult situations. A common thought seems to be that by enduring hardness, we will become more patient people and there will be no need for trial. Well, here's the bad news: we don't get to determine how much patience we need. Here's some more bad news: when God makes a way of escape from trouble, we are not allowed to escape by running away. No one ever built muscle by running away from the weight room. Rather, they add more plates to the bar. The strength that is patience requires the consistent training that is trouble to develop. Oh, by the way, the impatient have no shot at Heaven.