Continual Surrender...

For at least a year now, I've been praying and others have been praying for me, for a new job...one that will fit me like a glove. Now, I KNOW He can do this, as He's done it for me before. But, it's been over a year now, and nothing has appeared! Hmmm...has He become deaf? What is the problem???

Well, during the sermon yesterday, a thought came to my mind...a 'new saying,' if you will. Here 'tis...how much of our lives do we spend 'waiting on the Lord,' when it's really Him waiting on us? We can think we're being so 'spiritual' and/or patient, 'waiting on the Lord.' But, if we could get an email from Him, how many times would He tell us that HE's waiting on US??? Waiting for us to let go of 'that' particular sin, waiting on us to forgive someone, waiting on us to believe Him, and I'm sure there are countless other things He's waiting on...ad infinitum! I have to wonder how many of us think about THAT! After all, it seems much more 'spiritual' for us to be waiting on Him, right? "Wretched (wo)man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Rom 7:24)

I've often told others that most Christians can quote part of Romans 8:28, but when times become difficult, do we really believe it? Most Christians will 'quote' it as, 'God works all things together for good.' But this omits the beginning and the end of the verse! Here is the WHOLE verse: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Let's break the verse down. It starts off with 'we KNOW!' Do we? We 'know' the verse, but do we really know the truth of the verse? I'm often much better at believing it for others than for myself! That's unbelief, or at least hypocrisy, if I don't believe it for me as well! Then, after 'the good part' that we all can recite, it says 'to those who love God.' Then, I have to ask myself, does it apply to those who DON'T love God? The verse doesn't say it does. We have to then consider the verses about reaping what you've sown. Now, THAT can be painful! I think many of us are guilty of reciting this verse on behalf of another believer when, in fact, they are reaping what they've sown. Not always, of course, but then we have to be careful of being like Job's friends! aarrgh...

Anyway, I'm not saying He's not waiting on me to let go of certain sin(s), but I also believe He's waiting for a deeper surrender to Him. Am I willing to trust Him for that job that will really fulfill me and allow me to function in the gifts and/or passions He's put within me? Do I trust Him that when He brings it, it will be enough to actually live on? I want to, but am not sure I'm there yet. So, I might be waiting a little longer...while He waits on me...