I attended a women’s conference in Syracuse, New York last month. And while I was preparing to go I couldn’t help but think of all that was going on and all I had to do to take care of all that was going on. Being out of town didn’t seem like a good plan at that moment to me. God saw it differently.
Our keynote speaker, Damaris Carbaugh, began to share a message on the fruit of the Spirit. I imagine many, if not all of you, are familiar with the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
I don’t know about you, but I have heard many messages on the fruit of the Spirit in these last twenty-plus years of walking with the Lord. And if I’m to be totally honest with you, I wasn’t initially excited about hearing another one.
But God (I just love those words, “but God”) had something special in mind when He spoke to Damaris and asked her to share this message about His fruit with us. Our Abba Father who loves me—and you—so very much, chose to look past my “know-it-all” attitude and bless me anyway. In spite of myself.
As Sister Damaris spoke about patience, or long suffering, she shared a personal story about how she had allowed a situation in her life to become an idol by obsessing about it rather than waiting patiently for the Lord to work it out.
Oh, how the Holy Spirit spoke to me at that moment! I, too, like many of you, have been waiting on the Lord for a particular situation to be resolved. And waiting. And waiting. Seems like I’ve been waiting for years, when in reality it’s only been months now. Perhaps my desperation makes it seem much longer…
When I took an honest look at the situation with my friend and coach, I realized that I, too, had unwittingly made an idol of my situation, choosing to ruminate on it, worry—I mean pray—about it, and just plain think about it ALL THE TIME. It seemed as if everything that happened had something to do with it. And if it didn’t, then I made it connect somehow, in an effort to figure it all out and resolve it. Not intentionally, mind you, but the result was still the same—anxiety, stress, lack of peace and focus.
And in that moment that I heard Damaris’ story, God, in His infinite love for me, spoke to me and reminded me that He was going to work this out for me. If I allowed Him to. He assured me that He had my very best interests at heart and would always choose the best for me and that, even though I might do a good job of resolving it, He could do immeasurably better.
Instead of scolding me, He reminded me of His love for me and His promises for me.
I repented in that very moment and asked my Daddy to forgive me for putting this situation above Him. And then I relinquished my attempts to control the situation and handed it over to Daddy to do with it as He sees fit.
And in that very moment the weight that I had been carrying around all these months suddenly lifted. I felt lighter and freer and full of joy! I hadn’t realized how heavy this burden had become but, oh, how wonderful it felt to be rid of! And in what better hands could it be in than in my Dad’s?!
As you read this today, perhaps you, too, are dealing with a difficult situation that has consumed your time, energy and joy. I pray you will allow the Lord to speak to you as I did. I pray you will allow your situation to be put in its proper perspective and to once again put God first.
Today, you can choose to relinquish the hold it has on you and hand it over to the Lord so He can work on it. If we are really honest with ourselves, we know He will do a much better job than we ever could.
If this speaks to you, feel free to drop me a line or make a comment below. Know that the words you share will encourage some one who is going through a challenging situation, too. And if you think working with a life coach would be beneficial to you, I’d be honored to partner with you. Feel free to email me here or call me at (845) 481-0726. I look forward to hearing from you!