“This battle is not yours! It’s the Lord’s!” This song by Yolonda Adams always gets me! Many times, this is true though.
I have found myself trying to fight, fix, and control plenty of situations that have been NONE of my business! The main one is trying to fix other people’s problems. When people would come to me with an issue, I was way more concerned about it than they were. This was out of care for the other person, but at the end of the day, it is not my job to solve people’s problems, AND people don’t always want my help, sometime they just need a friendly ear to listen and be empathetic (a mini-lesson!!!)
Other than jumping to fix other people’s issues, I would do the same with my own. If something happened in my life that was unexpected, my first instinct would be to try to figure out what MY best solution is. I would get to work trying to figure everything out. Remember when I told y’all I know how to handle my business in Lesson #3, well yeah this is a side effect of that.) Trying to find a fast solution sounds good, but if I am going to say that I am walking in-step with the Spirit daily (Galatians 5:25,) then that means that I need to consult with God. I realized that I needed to get quiet and still before the Lord to figure out what the next step would be. I’m not saying to sit and wait for a huge sign to hit you in the head, but I am saying that I have learned to pray, to listen, to check in with myself, to judge my first reaction to the standard that God has placed before me.
What I realized is that my first reaction was operating in the flesh. I wasn’t always remembering the promises that God had placed over me. I wasn’t remembering that God did not give me the spirit of fear, but a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7.) I wasn’t remembering that God’s plans are ALWAYS best for me. I was running ahead of Him trying to put my plans into place and we know that those fail each and every time.
I’m not perfect so I still slip up and rush ahead at times. My growth is evident in the fact that I am aware of when that happens. And even if I don’t realize it myself, I have a great community around me who will “call me in” and hold me accountable! By slowing down and leaving my problems (and other people’s problems) with the Lord, I have been blessed with peace and freedom. I am not carrying the load that I have to figure it all out. I am exercising my faith knowing that my God is all powerful! There is nothing I can do apart from Him anyway.
So today, really lay your burdens/problems/concerns/etc. at His feet (1 Peter 5:7). Invite God in to fight your battles! He will do it!
If you have also been blessed with a new-found freedom from fighting battles that aren’t yours, let me know what helps you to stay freed in the comments!
Love y’all!
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