My trip to Michigan this time has been kind of an eye opener. To say the least Ive learned a few things about what I want vs. what God wants for me. Ive struggled with my relationship with God, I've been mad at God and Ive been in complete awe of God, but today I understand God. I stood on the pier at grand haven last night and really questioned why we couldn't live here in Michigan; why did we have to move so far away from a place we obviously love to be in a place of stress and hardship. Then this became so clear to me. We are right where God wants us. We have been dreaming of everywhere else to live but where we are. Like Sara groves puts it "we are painting pictures of Egypt leaving out what it lacks" is this what we do all the time? we leave out the worst parts of the different places we have lived all the time, but we need to come to grips that those places we long for are the places we've grown out of, like an old pair of pants we have grown past what they can hold. Even though we love those places that feel comfortable and tangible God has called us to something greater, a new stress in our lives to make us keep growing to him. Are you discontent with where you are? are you mad that God is forcing you to stay somewhere that would cause so much turmoil in your life? have you ever thought that maybe the turmoil is happening because you are directly resisting what God has called you to instead of pressing into what he has for you?
Oswald Chambers puts this in a beautiful way saying
" It is unnecessary to change and arrange my circumstances myself. Our
Lord’s inner abiding was pure and unblemished. He was at home with God
wherever His body was. He never chose His own circumstances, but was
meek, submitting to His Father’s plans and directions for Him. Just
think of how amazingly relaxed our Lord’s life was"
are we “ Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) And Abiding in our father (john 15:4) no matter what or where we are?
we should be focusing on abiding no matter where we are, being content to serve God and press into what he has for us where we are; because when he wants us to move he will do it not us. Maybe our home isn't here in Michigan or there in Washington but our Home is with our heavenly father and when we stop looking to him as our home we start feeling discontent with where we are and we want to find a new place but we leave out the parts that it lacks in. the places we use to live cant hold us any more and future looks so scary but its not about where we want to go or where we've been but its about what we are doing presently for God, and are we doing it in a pleasing and glorifying way that would make God proud to call us his sons and daughters or are we stubbornly hardening our hearts because we want. Maybe its time to take a good look at our lives and do a self check. Another place isn't going to make life easy, getting what we want the way we want it isn't going to make us happy. our joy come from the Lord, that means doing exactly what he has called us to do even if that means we have to give up our selfish desires.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC9cKaELnG8
