How many times have you asked Him that
question? Was it a single question or a string of them rolled into one? What I
mean is, were you asking Him why you had to suffer the things you have in life
or were you asking Him why you didn’t get or don’t have the things you think
you want in life? Were you asking Him because you wanted to receive something
from Him or because you wanted Him to take something away from you?
We seem to always be asking for something
and sometimes when we get or receive what we think we wanted we realize as soon
as we receive it that we didn’t really want it after all. Why is that I wonder?
Is it because when we were in the asking mode we were not seeking the will and
the plan of God?
If we knew all that God had planned for us
in His great tapestry of things and if we could see just a little bit of what
God has in store for us we might not ever ask for anything again unless God was
telling us directly to ask Him. He does tell us to ask in His Son’s name and we
will receive (John 16:23), but what God means is that we ask according to His
will and purpose (1 John 5:14). Knowing His will and purpose requires that we
have a close and intimate relationship with Him.
When we pursue a close and intimate
relationship with Jesus we begin to see and realize that the things we used to
think we wanted from the Lord aren’t even legitimate requests or wants because
we now see that what we should be asking for are the things which will bring
what He wants for our lives.
This new life in Christ is going to bring
new desires and wants, but sometimes it takes us a little while to realize that
and at first we may still, even if just emotionally, think we want the things
of the past. We might think now that we have healed and been set free that we
can handle or have certain things in our life that we couldn’t before and that
might cause us to ask the whys—why can’t I do it or have it now, Lord? I am
stronger and I can handle it now.
If
we’re not careful we can start to lose track of what God has brought us out of
and we can even forget (unimaginable, but true), how bad our life was before we
surrendered it to Him and let Him deliver us from the bondage of addiction and
all the yuck and consequences that come from living that kind of life. How do I
know? Sadly I know from personal experience and it is not something I am proud
of, but as I always say there is no waste with God so He will use even our
backsliding away from Him for His glory and to teach us a lesson. What is the
lesson? We cannot do life on our own and we especially cannot do this newly
created life on our own, and as soon as we try we will fall!
Let’s begin to ask God what should my
desires be and how should I pursue them? What are Your wants, goals and desires
for me, Lord? These are the questions which God will answer in His great and
glorious way and when we get those answers we need to grab onto them, pursue
them just as tenaciously as we did our addictions and that lifestyle and watch
God change us from the inside out.
We may be going along and doing very well
in our walk with God and this new life He has given us, but if we don’t seek
Him and what He wants for us we can get tripped up and deceived (yes, deceived)
into thinking we don’t need God anymore or at least not as much as we did at
first. We might think I don’t use drugs or alcohol anymore; I don’t look at
pornography or engage in lewdness or fornication anymore so why do I still need
so much of God in my life? Maybe I only
need Him on Sunday mornings when I go to church or maybe I only need Him when I
am in a serious crisis—but not all the time. After all I am better now and I
don’t do the things I once did. This is a very dangerous mind and heart-set to
get into and it is one I guarantee will lead you right back to a life of
destruction if you aren’t careful and recognize it when it comes and get your
heart and your mind back where they need to be.
The world has a different answer than God
and His kingdom and it is one that says you must be independent and
self-reliant and you must learn to handle everything on your own, that way you
can escape the pain of others hurting you (or so we think), and you don’t have
to answer to anyone except yourself. But there is nothing in God’s word, ways
or kingdom that ever tells us we are to do anything on our own, in fact, God
doesn’t like it when we ignore Him and try to do things on our own. He
considers that seeking something before Him and it is a form of idolatry and or
worshiping or relying on someone or something more than we do Him.
Our whys to God need to be more in the
tone of, why did you save a wretch like me? And why do I get to know the
healing power of Jesus Christ while others are still bound in their addiction? Or
why are You so merciful and good to me God? And why was I chosen to be used by
God Almighty in this special way? And then resolve in our hearts and minds that
we don’t deserve any of it, but we are grateful to Him that He has done it for
us and brought us to where we are in our life.
I have said this before, but it bears
repeating, you cannot maintain your freedom from addiction and your new life in
Christ without Him being the center and the Lord of every area of your life!
The whys are a manifestation of our heart condition and our closeness to God.
If we are asking why we haven’t reached a new level or season in Him and it is
His will that we do, He will answer our whys, but if our whys are asking
something like—woe is me, why am I always suffering or not getting what I want
in life then He might not answer except to show you that those are not the
things or whys He is concerned with answering.
We may be asking why we have to face the
trials and struggles we are facing right now in our life, but everything we go
through has a godly purpose and reason and we don’t always need to know the
why. Sometimes we just need to know that NOTHING we go through is ever in
vain—even if it is a mistake or misstep He will use it for His glory so we
should keep our hearts and our minds focused on Him and His whys and wants for
us.
God’s whys are so different from ours—they
are as such, why don’t you trust Me with every area of your life, and why don’t
you seek only Me for your answers? And why do you think I have left you without
answers to your questions? Or why do you think your questions are more
important than mine?
Maybe one way we can begin to change the
questions we ask God is to understand and remember that we are now living this
new life in Him and He wants only the best for us and He never means us harm. Jeremiah
29:11 (NIV) tells us “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans
to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” If we
really take hold of that scripture and live everyday like we believe it and it
is the key to our future, I believe we can stop asking our whys and start
asking what. What is our part in His great plans to prosper and not harm us,
His great plans to give us the future we didn’t have before we let Him deliver
us and set us free?
The answer to our question, “Why me,
Lord?” can be answered this way—Jesus says to each of us no matter what the
actual or underlying question is, “You ask, ‘why me, Lord?’, and I answer you—because
I love you, I gave My life for you, I have great plans for you and I know what
is best for you—that’s why.”
~
Thank You for a wonderful Blog.... When I began reading it reminded me of a Song
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBADk6dmGMI
Kris Kristofferson - Why Me Lord
Just copy and past.. Have a blessed journey as your Blog reaches many
Dolores
Thank you Dolores for your kind and encouraging blessings--thank you for the song too. God bless you. ~
DeleteSister Sarah, I ask God to give me the strength to go through because He knows where He is taking me to and I have to be willing to trust Him. HE IS TRUSTWORTHY!! Have a wonderful weekend in the LORD! Please visit my Christian Blog: A Pastor's Wife, Minister, and Housewife at http://www.cynthiarrobinson.com.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Cynthia. Your encouragement is a blessing to me. Yes, I will visit your blog. God bless you. ~
DeleteAmen. Awesome message. May all who read this, be blessed by it. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
KW
You're welcome and thank you for your encouragement and blessings. May God bless you. ~
Delete