Getting a Do-Over - I Would Look for God (Part Quatre)

Getting a Do-Over - I Would Look for God (Part Quatre)

I am perfectly happy to be nobody, even to God. —Mother Teresa

AS I VISITED with Marcie, she mentioned that one thing that surprised her was how little she had to give up to follow Christ. Marcie had always seen the Christian walk as a sacrifice to living the good life. Oh, little did she know!

I think a lot of us get caught up with pulling out the scales to weigh what we think we might have to sacrifice (an exciting run of fun, fame, and fortune) versus what we might gain (a boring existence of joy, peace, and contentment). So many nonbelievers or new believers seem to have difficulty grasping that their lives are his, either way they go. And boring is the last thing he wants for them.

Several years ago, I was visiting with a young woman who had lost her baby to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Her grief burdened my heart. As she struggled in despair even years after her child’s death, I asked her if she was willing to give her life—and the grief of losing her child—to Christ. Her answer was immediate and flat: “No. I’m not about to give control of my life to someone else. Not even God.” Although her marriage had dissolved, her depression had taken her to rock bottom, and she functioned less every day, she thought she was doing a better job than he could.

Grief can do this to us. So can stubborn pride. As can ego. We so desire to live the big life, to be somebody, that we really don’t want to let go and give it all to God. But, girlfriends, giving up control of our lives is not sacrificial, it’s empowering. Once we hand over the keys of our heart to him, he can better align our will with the outcome he desires for us.

But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes. (1 Corinthians 8:3)

And there’s no place in the world more exciting, more fun, or more satisfying than being smack-dab in the middle of his will.