This life on earth is all about relationships. Relationship with God and relationship with man. In order to have a relationship with God, we need faith. And faith involves action. Read James 2:14-26 if you don’t agree.
John 14:15 says, “If you love Me, you will obey what I command”.
When you love God, you want to obey Him. Not out of fear, but out of love. Love is a greater motivator than fear.
God always calls us deeper in relationship with Him. But in order for that to happen, it requires obedience. Again, not out of fear, but out of love. He continually speaks to me and tells me things to do. I used to try to do them separate from Him, as if He was a commander sending me his soldier out on a mission. But I’ve learned that it’s more like Him inviting me to join Him in something He is doing. He comes with me onto the field.
For example, if God speaks to me and tells me to go and talk to the barista at the coffee shop about Him, I’m not going to the lady by myself. I’m going with God right by my side and we will talk to the girl together. He can show me things about her future, past or present. He can tell me she needs healing and I pray for her to get healed. I can only have a successful mission when I’m doing them WITH God compared to just being sent by Him.
The way we build a relationship with anyone is by spending time with them. Think of your best friends. You don’t just only talk with them. You go out and do things together. Many Christians really aren’t that close in relationship with God. There are many reasons for this, but one of the reasons is because we don’t obey Him and join Him in His work.
If I was married and every time my wife asked me to do something I said “no”, how intimate would our relationship be? Even if she was super gracious and servant hearted, she would be hurt by me saying “no” to her every time.
It’s the same with God. If we truly love Him, we will obey what He commands.
Over the past few months, God has been calling me into deeper relationship with Him and has been speaking to me about getting rid of my plan B. I never really realized it until recently, but I almost always have a plan B. A lot of the time it is in my subconscious, but regardless, it is still there.
Each time God calls me to do something that I deem difficult, I make a back up plan, a plan B. I do this incase the thing God is asking of me doesn’t work out. For example, when I was in Mongolia a few weeks back, He asked me to give away the one sweater I brought. Then I began thinking, “Do I need the sweater still? I only have a light long sleeve and a thin rain jacket, will these be warm enough? If by giving this sweater away, will I suffer a bit? Will God provide another sweater?” I began deliberating and making sure that I will be okay if I do what God is asking. I try to figure out how I’ll be okay if God doesn’t come through.
I do this all the time, especially when it comes to God providing for me. My credit card has always been my Plan B. Many times I didn’t have enough money in my wallet or bank account, yet God was asking me to do something that required money. So I stepped out, but always with the thought in the back of my head, “If this doesn’t pan out, I got my credit card”. I relied on Plan B more than I relied on the Word of God.
Another Plan B has been my friends and family providing for me. I trusted in them to provide for me more than I trusted in my good, Heavenly, Father who created the universe. I am now deciding to make a daily choice to not have a plan B and put my trust totally in my Father.
Today I cut up my credit card as an Ebenezer, a “memorial stone” of what God is doing in me. I wrote out “No Plan B!” so that whenever I think of using my future credit card as a Plan B, I will think twice and remember these things God has taught me.
Each time I think up an alternate plan, I need to take that thought captive and bring it to Holy Spirit for a check up. I’ll let Him determine if I should have that 2nd plan or if I should get rid of it. It’s a daily battle as God is always asking me to lay down my life and join Him in His work. I am faced with many choices all throughout the day and I get to decide when I say “Yes” or “No”. I desire to say “Yes” more often because I love doing things with Holy Spirit and because I don’t want to keep rejecting Him.
Is there anything you have been choosing as a Plan B instead of fully trusting in God?
Are there things God is asking you to partner with Him in that you keep saying “no” to?
Remember, if you love Him, you will obey what He commands.
