Arranger

The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you.
~ Galatians 3:11 (The Message)

This scripture is speaking of how we can't be made righteous by following the law even if we follow it to the letter. When viewed in this translation, and knowing the background, it makes me very aware of how much a life of faith has to be constantly lived in the context of modifying my life to center around God.

From the very act of salvation where we are able to enter into a relationship with the Lord only by accepting the gift He offers, to the daily living out of faith where I aim to move only in the directions that He sets before me, it all becomes about Him.

I can so easily be a list keeper, one who analyzes and assesses and checks off another box on a list that tells me I'm headed forward in a direction. I can be found doing things for God and I can give great speeches on Him and His power and guidance. Yet when I truly am honest with myself, I know that's not really the goal. The goal of my life is to wait on Him and then walk where He leads, when He leads. It's not about eloquently preaching to many or being able to discern where my next steps will land me three miles down the road. It's about really allowing Him to be the one that moves and then knowing and trusting the relationship I have with Him enough to simply walk along with Him.

Honestly, this is hard for me! I do not do well when I can't see the end or I feel like I'm stuck. Right now I want to fight God on this very point - I don't want to be where I am with particular things in my life and I want to just walk another way towards something different because these things are not resolving to my liking.

Then I read a verse like this and I'm reminded, yet again, that no matter how much I want to run off and do things for Him or just to move instead of wait, that's not what I need to do. I need to let God be the arranger and find contentment in walking beside Him or even (gasp) following Him instead of being the one to run ahead and lead.

So many rough edges exist in me. Refinement is hard, very much so. I know that God's perspective of progress is not mine. He is the arranger, I am the one who needs to stop trying to take His job.

Lord, help me to wait on You and to not do so with clenched fists and a desire in my heart to continue running but feet that stay just because you said to. Instead, help me to wait on You with contentment and peace and a faith that chooses to stay because I love you, not because I am forced to. Amen.