I like advice. I will listen to ideas about how to do something better from almost anyone. I won’t act on all of it, certainly, but if I am struggling with something, or wondering about something, one of my first reactions is to ask someone what their opinion or ideas on the subject are. What color should I paint the living room? Do you nurse a baby on demand, or on a schedule? How should I teach my children about the Lord? How do I disciple them? How should we discipline them? And the big one…What to do about family planning?
God has been showing me lately that I am much quicker to go to a person for advice than I am to turn to Him. I feel like I am reading a litmus test of my faith that reads too much acid, not enough Base. It boils down to that, doesn’t it? Advice from people, even Godly people, can be acidic, eating away at my faith in God. For if I follow their advice readily, but forget to ask God, who already knows my question and obviously has the answer, then my faith in God erodes as my faith in people, in myself, builds up. But if I turn to God first, then I my decisions are built on the Base of His omniscience and wisdom. Faith is basic…but not simple.
We talk about trusting God, about following His leading. I feel like those phrases have become almost cliche in Christian culture. For what does it mean to really trust God? What actions follow the heart-act of truly trusting God? Isn’t the first action of that truly trusting and grateful heart to turn to Him with my questions? I am camped out on 2 Peter 1:3 for a while: ”…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
He has given me everything I need for life! This life filled with children, sports, school, and friends. I have felt the Holy Spirit catch me so many times lately. Sitting in Sunday school, a question comes to mind – is it possible for an adult woman to become more nurturing, or is the amount of nurturing tendency pretty much set? – and almost immediately, He gently reminds me, “With God, all things are possible, child!” I am struggling with changing my style as a mom…wanting to shift the paradigm of our family philosophy from rule-followers to discipleship. My immediate thought is of the first 3 people I’m going to email and ask what discipleship-parenting looks like, and how discipleship and parenting can be woven together. Even as the thought enters my mind, He is there reminding me of His role – Father-discipler. He has given me everything I need for life and godliness! But I must look to Him, fix my gaze on Him, and let the rest fade to background. As I am going to discipline, to disciple, my daughter who is trying to solve a sibling problem by picking the sibling up and turning her upside down, I must ask Him what this situation needs, rather than focus on this ridiculous act of sibling disagreement.
When I coach volleyball, I always remind the girls, “Keep your eye on the ball! If you have to find the ball first, you won’t have time to react appropriately!”. Isn’t this true of my faith-eyes, too? That if my faith-eyes are fixed on anything but God, I won’t have the chance to find Him, fix my gaze on Him, and do the right thing. My life will be a series of blind actions, done in hopes that it will all work out.
Faith in God is fixing my eyes on Him, then, isn’t it? It is having faith that He has all I need, that He is all I need, He is enough. Trusting God is realizing that when I keep my eyes on Him, He will give me what I need. Gazing on Him with a grateful heart is waiting for Him to supply, and resisting the urge to look elsewhere for answers.
