But they replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, following our own evil desires.” Jeremiah 18:12 NLT
Some people are going to reject God’s plans for their life. God will go to extreme measures to reach people, He may use you to attempt to reach them, but God will allow people the freedom to reject Him.
I think too many times, however, we spend more attention on others than we do on ourselves when it comes to obeying God.
Consider your life for just a moment. How compliant are you to the will of God for your life? Are you willing to follow God wherever He may lead? What if following God involves extreme sacrifice, which it most often will require you to do? Will you follow God then? If doing God’s will involves a total surrender of your life to Him will you still do His will?
You have the freedom to reject God’s plan for your life, at least on a short-term basis. Ultimately God is in control, but for today (if God tarries), you can live your life, as you want to live it. God’s heart, however, is seeking people who will say, as Jesus did, “not my will, but THY will be done”.
Does that describe your heart today? (Does it describe mine?)
What would you have to change in your life in order to completely follow God with all your heart?
I made major headway last year in surrendering to Jesus and trusting him for a new path. I have been a long time Christian but always maintained the "final control or veto" for myself. Not this time, I totally stayed the course with Him through a very laborious and dragged out process for a very difficult new purpose in my life. I now face the hurdle that I won't surrender to His timing again — though I did once before. I think that means I haven't truly learned to surrender. I only "situationally" did it once. I haven't adopted the spirit of surrender. I am now wrestling between the concepts of surrender and abdication. How do I resolve the difference?
I feel like my life is too dominated with stuff. Not bad stuff, just stuff. Good books, old clothes, endless papers and knick-nacks, unknown cd's, office supplies, craft supplies, fabric, junk food prepackaged for the weekends–stuff. I want to give it away–give it back to God–but it's too heavy to lift and I am decision impaired (INTP).
I'm with you. Stuff is stuff!