“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”
So many of us have a hard time allowing God to do what is best for us. If we are honest, most of us are pretty hard-headed. We want what we want, and we want what we want, when we want it. Our lives are not lived for anyone but ourselves and our requests are things that make us feel better about what we think is best for us. This is a hard habit to break.
But then one day God does something that challenges our motives. He withholds something from us that we want, and we go to war with Him. How do we go to war with God? We resist Him, we argue with Him, we second guess Him and we curse Him. Our hearts depart from knowing that He always wants the best for us, knowing that we often do not know what that is.As Jesus showed us, His will is sovereign in our lives when we surrender to Him.
At a time when politicians and protesters are telling people to march and resist, Christians should be submitting to Christ and learning how to rest. The strife in the world is not for us, because Jesus has overcome the world. Tearing things down is not for us, because Jesus came to save this world. Should we want justice? Yes, and we should know who is "just". It is not you or I, it is God who is just! The solution is not man's will but God's' and we should be the first to seek it at all times.
So a person of God learns to stop struggling all the time. He or she learns that resting in the Lord is what ends strife. Prayer is what brings freedom, and faith is what brings about spiritual victory. All of that is abiding in Christ and learning to walk in the peace of God. It is not time to resist, it is time to rest. It is time for the people of God to seek a place of solemn prayer before God so we seek and do His will not our own. Start with your own life!
...a person of God learns to stop struggling all the time. He or she learns that resting in the Lord is what ends strife.
Our Confession in Prayer!
Join us in the following prayer of unity under God:
"Heavenly Father, we know that we resist you in many areas of our lives. It is like we do not believe you want the best for us. We want things in our lives, but do not know how to get them for ourselves. We work so hard to get what we want and get angry at you when you will not do what we want. Forgive us Lord!
Like children, we throw tantrums when we do not understand or when we do not get an answer from you that we like. Forgive us Lord. Save us from ourselves by making us lie down and rest sometimes. Take from our hands the ability to rule over our lives so that you might not only be Savior but Lord. Help us to rest in your will!
And as you cause rest to come upon us, Lord create new things in us that will bless our lives. Deposit new wisdom, inspiration, vision, and passion for the things that please you. Cleanse us Lord so that we can rise to new heights in loving and serving you!! Bless us as we praise you Lord, and raise us from our beds renewed and restored in YOU!
In Jesus' name we pray, Amen!"