How?
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 1 Corinthians 1:25
Insight
One of my favorite summer traditions involves watching America's Got Talent with my family. Over the years, we’ve all had our "Golden Buzzer" favorite picks, but one contestant named Shin Lim stood out to all of us. Shin is without question the greatest up-close magician I have ever seen.
His slight of hand tricks boggled my mind and dropped my jaw. Time after time, he would pull off a stunt that seemingly had no rational explanation. I lost track of how often we would gasp and say, "WOW....how in the world, did he do that? I just don't get it. How?"
How? It's a question I've uttered quite often during my short time on this spinning globe. How will things work out? How am I going to get through these circumstances? How can I get to where I want to be? How?
Like many of you, I hold a picture of what I want my life to look like. I possess dreams and desires along with aspirations and goals. I can draw out all of the "If I were God, I would do this..." diagrams with the best of them. These plans rarely turn out like I hope they would. Detours and dead-ends cause me to bypass all of the scenarios I concoct in my head.
A walk with God doesn't happen in a straight line. Certainty serves as the enemy of faith. Predictability perishes when we stop leaning on our own understanding and decide to follow Christ's way. We often get so caught up in the "how" that we don't take steps of faith. Because we can't comprehend what God is up to, we question His faithfulness and goodness.
But, our ability to understand how God is going to do something has no bearing on His ability to do it. Every step and curve in our path is deliberate and purposeful. His plans for us are always good, even if they don't seem that way on the surface or when they leave us scratching our head in bewilderment. Christ leads us into circumstances that require us to lay down our will for His own.
Now, don't get me wrong. We should be asking "How?," but not in the way we think. Rather than ponder "God, how are YOU going to make this work out?," we should look inside ourselves and ask, "God, how can I be faithful at this moment? How can MY response to MY circumstances glorify YOU?"
Reflection
Where are you trying to comprehend God's ways? How is your questioning influencing the way you respond to your circumstances?
What would it look like for you to be faithful in your current circumstances?
Prayer
God, help me to trust You and Your ways. Rather than demand answers, may I walk in obedience and faith. Give me the courage and boldness to pursue Your heart in any circumstance I face, knowing You are for me, not against me. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.
