Giving up or giving in, Not a concept most American take to very well. Our history is full of people who made it by not giving up or giving in. In our walk with God, I think being American can be a draw back...Ingrained in our culture is the spirit to stand on one's own two feet and make it by the sweat of our brow and the labor of our hands.
I do truly believe we take a step closer to God when we pray "God, I can't handle it (it being life, problems, concerns, worry, etc) any longer. I put it at your hands to deal with it and to let your will be done in this situation"....
You have just taken the strange step of relying less on your own devices and stepping on the faith and promises of God. God said " you have not, because you ask not."James 4:2.…and this is OH SO TRUE...or it has been for me in my Christian life over the years, but you better be asking for the right things with the right intentions in your heart. You don't need a whole load of faith because Jesus promised “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20
The step from our known devices to giving our problem to God, lock stock and barrel, isn't that hard to do but it is the simple trust in a simple plan that God has control that gives us problem. I'm sure we all think "My problems are pretty big. Am I 100% SURE God can handle all of that?" .....*gulp*....but but but....
But nothing. God said "Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you" 1 Peter5:7.....and that is a truth we can believe in but it isn't easy to take that first step of faith.
The Bible goes on to say "25"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?…" Matthew 6:25 to 27..... However, who in this modern life lives like this??? It is pretty hard to wrap your mind around that considering all the modern things we have around us.
For a worry wart like me, the statement "do not be worried about your life"...is a hard pill to swallow, but God cares for us a great deal and I know I haven't stopped to consider how much he does care for me but methinks I'll be thinking about it in the days to come.....
God is good or at least I can say he has been good to me.
J.
