beLIeVE

We live what we believe.

If I believe I am a failure, then I will live my life disappointing people, I will be miserable, and I will not accomplish my goals.  If I believe that I am not beautiful, then I will live my life focusing on my flaws, comparing myself to others, and wasting my valuable resources of time and money trying to be something that I am not.  If I believe I can't, then I won't.

We live what we believe.

If I believe the words of Proverbs 3: 3-4 (ESV), then I will bind steadfast love and faithfulness around my neck and write them on my heart so that I will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.  If I believe that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), that I am God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), and that I am precious and chosen by Him (1 Peter 2:4), then I will live a life holy, honorable, worthy, satisfied, and beautiful.  If I believe "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13 ESV), then I CAN do ALL THINGS. 

We live what we believe.

"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ..." 

--2 Corinthians 10:5

More Trials of Trust

Nothing challenges my faith more than trust. It's not that I don't trust God, because I most fervently do, it's that I don't put my trust in Him. I struggle daily with this. I try to control, manipulate, and badger God instead of simply putting my trust in Him and His Will for me. Ha! "Simply" I say. Simply and trust shouldn't even be seen in the same sentence.

Trust isn't as simplistic as I'd like to think. If it was, then why can't I put my whole life into God's hands and go on without another thought about it? Why can't I just entirely surrender myself to Him as I should? Why do I question, doubt, stress, worry, and impatiently pace about in my mind over things I really can't control no matter how much I'd like to think I can? If trust was simplistic, then God wouldn't ever need to test me.

Daily I hear God say to me, "Trust me," and pretty much daily I fail to fulfill this "simple" request. I put my trust in lies, insecurities, routines, my own limited knowledge and experiences, what I can see and touch, and in worldly things. I try to limit God, humanize Him, and lessen His love and care for me. This is why I need and welcome the daily trials of trust.

God is trustworthy. He is more knowledgeable, more powerful, more gracious, more loving, more caring, more concerned, more capable, more miraculous, more wondrous, and more everything. That's where the simplicity of trust can come in--knowing God is just "more." He's more than any situation, circumstance, worry, doubt, stress, struggle, failure, disappointment, joy, blessing, and plan. He is more, and if I would trust in Him, then I can be more too.

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37 ESV)

Listening to His Sweet Voice

If I want to be more intentional in living my life for Christ, then I must listen to His voice. Romans 8 talks about living by the Spirit, and when we do, we must distinguish the Spirit's voice from all the other voices in our heads. I was reminded of this during the early hours of this morning.

Last night I went out to dinner with my lovely mother to a very nice restaurant. We ordered an appetizer of mussels. They were absolutely delicious! As we were eating and talking, I grabbed one of the shells and a (what I thought was silly at the time) thought came in my head, "Don't eat that one. It'll make you sick." As quickly as it came, I dismissed it. Well, guess what? Yep, I was sick in the early morning hours and throughout most of today.

Was that just a way for God to say, "See! I still speak. Are you listening?" Obviously, I have not been. What would've happened if I didn't dismiss that thought and tossed that one particular mussel aside? I can 100% confidently say I would not have been sick today. How do I know? Romans 8 was my devotion this morning, and I feel God has used this small,painful yet preventable lesson to teach me that He still speaks. I just need to start listening more to His sweet voice. If I easily dismiss it when it comes to little warnings with food (and why wouldn't He warn us of something that would unknowingly harm us), then how often have I dismissed it when it has come to big things?

I know one thing after this experience: no matter how silly it seems, I'm going to heed to His instructions. I don't want the unpleasantries that come when I don't listen. Intentionally tune-in to His station, and nothing but sweet, saving sounds will come.