Time is fleeting! In one of my study books, I found this passage that smacked me right in the face.
“God knows the desires of my heart – He put them there. He knows the amount of daydreaming – and praying – I do about becoming the kind of woman He wants me to be. He also knows that while I am daydreaming, I am frightfully aware that the years are drifting by and that there is less and less time left for becoming that woman…”
(A Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George)
Ouch! How many of us sit and organize our thoughts and calendars planning to do all that is necessary to be the “new and improved me”? We have such great intentions and motivations, but life somehow speeds by us and then we gaze into our spiritual and physical mirrors and still see the same woman staring back at us, sometimes with a mere smirk on her face. And we feel like failures – again!
John 10:10 reminds us that “Satan comes only to steal and kill and destroy” – our time, self-esteem, family unity, and our desires. While we busily plan to improve our lives (all in “flesh mode”) Satan is laughing hysterically as he thwarts our efforts with busyness and fatigue. We need to concentrate on the remainder of John 10:10: “I have come that you may have life abundantly!” “I” have come. Jesus. He is the Mastermind of Goals and the Gatekeeper of Moments. Planning is great but when the flesh is leading, the flesh fails.
So here’s my challenge (as I look into my own mirror again!): Lay your desires before the Lord. That’s it.
Psalm 38:9 presents our request: “Lord, all my desire is before You, and my groaning is not hidden from You.”
He sees your wishes and frustrations. He GETS you! It seems so simple, yet so humanly hard to do.
So let’s do it together.
1) Write down your desires – no matter the size or difficulty or how absurd they may seem (He gave you those passions!)
2) Present them before the Lord, asking Him to approve, adjust or remove desires – so all are in alignment with Him.
3) Use a Bible concordance to list scriptures dealing with your topics/desires.
4) Read these scriptures every day, praying God’s words will soak into your mind, your heart and your actions, and will then give you discernment as your journey along.
5) Find an accountability group! I cannot urge this strongly enough! Seek out Christian women at Bible studies, ministry events, Sunday School, neighbors, etc…so that you will have support and encouragement as you battle Satan.
Yes, I said battle Satan! He will attack because you are now becoming a threat to his plan of disintegrating Jesus. When we are not doing anything for the kingdom (praying, witnessing, encouraging others), we are not a threat to him in any way. But when we walk with confidence, grace, and power… Satan gets irritated and attempts to distract or discourage us. Is not your flaws or your self-desires that prevent you from being used by God, but rather Satan standing in your way to become the woman that God wants you to be. The enemy will fill your days, wear down your resistance and tell you that you are worthless and beyond help. And then while you will sit and sulk, he will usher you back to square one: daydreaming and longing to be a better woman for God.
Sadly, we have all been there – in fact, some of us are returning to recently vacant but warm seats.
This year, let’s be different together!!
