A Tangled Mess
Dear Friends,
My sister and I regularly chat on the phone. She was sharing with me one morning about what was going on in her life. She had several decisions to make, responsibilities to order and things which were concerning her. She was finding it hard and said that the picture she had was of a tangled ball of strings, all knotted and muddled up, yet as much as she tried she couldn't untangle them.
But what is too hard for us is not too difficult for God! "Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you." Jeremiah 32:17 (ESV)
She took her concerns and worries to God, but as she did so she was still trying to find the solution herself. She suggested several answers to God. For example, she would say to him, if such and such could happen then things can work out, or if you would do a, b or c, then this would be good. After a while, she realised that she was trying to tell God what to do. She was telling him what she thought the best answer was and she was trying to keep in control of everything.
God showed her another picture of the strings, but this time each one was untangled and laid out straight. She believed he was showing her that what seemed hard to her, what seemed to be all knotted together and a problem for her, was not how God saw it. He had it all under control, he already knew the answers and he didn't need her to tell him what he should be doing. Everything was clear and straightforward to God. What he wanted from her was for her to willingly relinquish her control, to hand everything over to him, to trust him to show her the best answer to what was troubling her.
As we chatted on the phone I thought what a great picture it was she had shared and how many of us can feel like that at one time or another. We try to juggle responsibilities, work out the things we should be doing or should let go of and try to work out the way forward. What is it that has you feeling like your life is one tangled mess at the moment? Is it work related, relationships, health, your service at church, managing your own expectations or the expectations of others, trying to make a dream come true or achieve a goal? Have you found that the harder and longer you try to untangle the mess the tighter the knots become and the more tangled your life gets. Frustrating isn't it?
After a while perhaps we realise our need to take this mess to God for him to unravel things and separate the strings so they are free from knots and tangles. How long will it take me (and you) to learn this lesson? God longs for us to take our concerns, our problems, our mess to him, the psalmist wrote in Psalm 55:22 "Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail)." (AMP)
But when we do take it to God, do we do what my sister did? Do we wait on him to work things out in his time, to wait for his answer or do we actually go to him and try to tell him what he needs to do? Do we trust that he knows best? Do we leave it all with him and release our cares and concerns into his hands?
When we can do this we find our peace restored. Life becomes more manageable because we are no longer trying to do it all on our own, using our limited human resources but we are living dependently on God who enables us to live out his best for us. We discover that life is more fulfilling and enjoyable as we move in step with him and allow his Holy Spirit to work out God's purposes for us.
In Philippians 4:6-7 it says "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (NLT) I also like how The Message paraphrases it: "Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life."
To Think About:
What concerns, cares or difficulties do you have in your life at the moment?
Will you take them to God rather than worrying over them and trying to work them out for yourself?
What difference does it make to your life when you leave these things in God's hands?
Vicki
My sister and I regularly chat on the phone. She was sharing with me one morning about what was going on in her life. She had several decisions to make, responsibilities to order and things which were concerning her. She was finding it hard and said that the picture she had was of a tangled ball of strings, all knotted and muddled up, yet as much as she tried she couldn't untangle them.
But what is too hard for us is not too difficult for God! "Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you." Jeremiah 32:17 (ESV)
She took her concerns and worries to God, but as she did so she was still trying to find the solution herself. She suggested several answers to God. For example, she would say to him, if such and such could happen then things can work out, or if you would do a, b or c, then this would be good. After a while, she realised that she was trying to tell God what to do. She was telling him what she thought the best answer was and she was trying to keep in control of everything.
God showed her another picture of the strings, but this time each one was untangled and laid out straight. She believed he was showing her that what seemed hard to her, what seemed to be all knotted together and a problem for her, was not how God saw it. He had it all under control, he already knew the answers and he didn't need her to tell him what he should be doing. Everything was clear and straightforward to God. What he wanted from her was for her to willingly relinquish her control, to hand everything over to him, to trust him to show her the best answer to what was troubling her.
As we chatted on the phone I thought what a great picture it was she had shared and how many of us can feel like that at one time or another. We try to juggle responsibilities, work out the things we should be doing or should let go of and try to work out the way forward. What is it that has you feeling like your life is one tangled mess at the moment? Is it work related, relationships, health, your service at church, managing your own expectations or the expectations of others, trying to make a dream come true or achieve a goal? Have you found that the harder and longer you try to untangle the mess the tighter the knots become and the more tangled your life gets. Frustrating isn't it?
After a while perhaps we realise our need to take this mess to God for him to unravel things and separate the strings so they are free from knots and tangles. How long will it take me (and you) to learn this lesson? God longs for us to take our concerns, our problems, our mess to him, the psalmist wrote in Psalm 55:22 "Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail)." (AMP)
But when we do take it to God, do we do what my sister did? Do we wait on him to work things out in his time, to wait for his answer or do we actually go to him and try to tell him what he needs to do? Do we trust that he knows best? Do we leave it all with him and release our cares and concerns into his hands?
When we can do this we find our peace restored. Life becomes more manageable because we are no longer trying to do it all on our own, using our limited human resources but we are living dependently on God who enables us to live out his best for us. We discover that life is more fulfilling and enjoyable as we move in step with him and allow his Holy Spirit to work out God's purposes for us.
In Philippians 4:6-7 it says "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (NLT) I also like how The Message paraphrases it: "Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life."
To Think About:
What concerns, cares or difficulties do you have in your life at the moment?
Will you take them to God rather than worrying over them and trying to work them out for yourself?
What difference does it make to your life when you leave these things in God's hands?
Vicki
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