Thursday, December 6, 2012

Don't Let Your Goals Be a Stumbling Block

I don't remember the exact words she used but I understood what she was asking. She was one of the callers on a radio program I listen to and the question she asked had to do with her and her husband of three months making plans about how they would serve God together. The response to her question was rich with wisdom. "You are young and you do not yet know the challenges you will face. It is good to have goals of what you want to do for God but don't let them become stumbling blocks if your life doesn't turn out the way you planed for it to turn out." I'm not sure if these were his exact words either but they are what I heard.

I remember the goals I had as a young woman leaving home for the first time. I dreamed of serving  God in dramatic ways. The truth is if I had been the author of my own story it would look far different than it does today. Looking back now I wonder if I was seeking to bring God glory or wanting my own glory by seeking God?

"You are young and you do not yet know the challenges you will face. It is good to have goals of what you want to do for God but don't let them become stumbling blocks if your life doesn't turn out the way you planed for it to turn out." I had no idea when I was a young woman what the challenges were that I would face. If I had placed my faith in myself or my goals I would have been crushed long ago.

What I have found throughout these years of longing to serve God is that it is both a humbling and a purifying pursuit. The challenges I have faced have been like a refining fire exposing my prideful heart and desperate need of a Savior. The role that God has given me has not been that of being the author of this story but of trusting the one who is.

Lord Jesus, I am fixing my eyes on You. You alone are the author and perfecter of my faith. I lay on Your alter all my ambitions, hopes and dreams.

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