Time to Choose?
I love Ecclesiastes. I know, I know- not everyone's favorite book. But there is SOOOOO much good stuff in there, and I know I have, over the years, written about quite a lot of it. Here I go again, back to one I have camped on before.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 says "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted..." I think when we read a familiar passage like that, we tend to think about it like this: Issues, good and bad, come into your life. Thank God for the good times, and trust God in the bad times. Understand that you are NOT in control, and that God brings these experiences along as HE determines.
That is true. Nothing wrong with that analysis- and if you need that today, I hope it helps. But I want to look at it in another way. Instead of "experiences" that God brings into your life, what about DECISIONS? What about the times He tells you to "suck it up and stop fighting with your spouse or kids?" What about the nudge God gives you to change jobs when you are pretty comfortable? What about the conviction that it is time to stop a habit, start or stop a relationship?
How many of us have had THOSE impressions? God telling us that it is time NOT to "accept an experience" but to "make an obedient choice?" Since a choice is before us, we DO have power, to a degree, to OBEY or REFUSE. Can we accept God's choice in telling us that it is TIME to DO something or other...or will we tell Him, in effect, that we will NOT be doing what He leads us to do?
The two are very different things. Accepting what you cannot control is difficult- and some never do this- but the experience is UPON you and where will you go? Choices are different...and our WILL can so easily get in the way. If God tells you that it is time to choose, especially when you know what He is after in your case, WILL you recognize the appropriatness of THAT time, and do it?
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 says "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted..." I think when we read a familiar passage like that, we tend to think about it like this: Issues, good and bad, come into your life. Thank God for the good times, and trust God in the bad times. Understand that you are NOT in control, and that God brings these experiences along as HE determines.
That is true. Nothing wrong with that analysis- and if you need that today, I hope it helps. But I want to look at it in another way. Instead of "experiences" that God brings into your life, what about DECISIONS? What about the times He tells you to "suck it up and stop fighting with your spouse or kids?" What about the nudge God gives you to change jobs when you are pretty comfortable? What about the conviction that it is time to stop a habit, start or stop a relationship?
How many of us have had THOSE impressions? God telling us that it is time NOT to "accept an experience" but to "make an obedient choice?" Since a choice is before us, we DO have power, to a degree, to OBEY or REFUSE. Can we accept God's choice in telling us that it is TIME to DO something or other...or will we tell Him, in effect, that we will NOT be doing what He leads us to do?
The two are very different things. Accepting what you cannot control is difficult- and some never do this- but the experience is UPON you and where will you go? Choices are different...and our WILL can so easily get in the way. If God tells you that it is time to choose, especially when you know what He is after in your case, WILL you recognize the appropriatness of THAT time, and do it?
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