Today…
When choosing council, choose wisely for you do not want to be their advice to "swallow up the course of your path."(Isaiah 3:12)
God has plans for each and every one of us. We never truly know the whole plan he has for us but we can always trust in his path.
I say due to my own fall thanks to the world’s council for me and strayed from His path. I have lived in a world full of riches not knowing I was rich. Trying to reach the goal of having others look up to me and say, "Look how successful she is in her job, family, and walk with Christ." But God has broken me down to a humble woman. And when God chooses to do this it is not a fun task. He showed me where I had an idol in my life. My idol was success and money. In my world I never thought I had enough, always looking for the next job or goal that would get my family closer to the life we "deserved". Can you believe that how bold was my thinking? I deserve? What I deserve is eternal damned nation. I am a sinner and it is by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ alone that I even have a hope for a life spent with my Creator. See these where my plans for my family not God's plans. I was listening to wrong council and not God's council. My path was getting swallowed up one by one. I had a hard time understanding why. But as I continued to walk down the path God pulled me over to the side and said "STOP!"
You have heard it say "When God closes a door he opens another." Well, I was not seeing that to be true in this case. God was closing and closing and closing doors left and right. I didn't understand why until I went to a conference where Jen Hatmarker was speaking. Ladies if you ever get to go to a conference lead by Jen, please go! God speaks through her in a way only God can do.
Jen said "I was a Christian living and perusing the American dream." That was me!!! Are you kidding me, God there are more out there like me? Thank you Lord for showing me I was not alone in this fight.
Jen began to step all over my new pair of boots!!! She talked about when she was faced the choice to give up her new boots at the alter on an icy Easter Sunday night for some homeless people and the battle that went on in her head. This was the same battle I was having asking God PLEASE don't have her ask for our shoes! And BAM... it hit me, I have a problem with greed. God reminded me of the Matthew 6:26 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."
Ouch!! I have been trying to serve two masters and this was not pleasing to God. My heart broke for I have forsaken my Creator. This is why the doors where shut with nothing opened to replace the other door.
See life can be viewed like a football game. (And according to my husband and other men everything can be explained with a football game analogy.) If life is like a football game then God is the head coach. When he sees one of his players get out of line he put them on the bench till he can heal their mistake and forgives them. Once the player allows the coach to teach them and forgive them only then will God, the coach, place the player back into the game.
So here is my question who are you seeking council from? Is it the world or is it from the love letters our Creator wrote just for you? Only you can answer this question. Seek his face not his hands!
This is my journey of shedding my idol. Will you dare to do the same and with me shed it daily? I promise to be real. I hope you will walk with me. Let God show you where you place your council and maybe even an idol. The idol could be your job, kids, husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, money, ministry, or even education. If we place anything before him scripture say He is a jealous God! He wants all of you!
