Lord, Prevail in Our Lives

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

I've had a bit of an interesting week. For whatever reason, the Lord has brought situation after situation into my life this week that has stirred up my past of legalism. There was a prevailing idea in the circles I grew up in: If you do everything right, everything will go well for you.

It is an Old Testament concept really. The law continually stated facts like that. If you keep the law, you will be blessed. If you listen and obey, things will go well for you. The problem is, we are no longer under the law.

Being under grace means lots of wonderful things. But it also means that solutions aren't always found mathematically. In other words, in God's economy, 1 + 1, doesn't always equal 2. Does that make sense?

So many of my friends and I lived in fear, really, of feeling completely responsible for our destiny. That isn't Biblical. You realize that don't you? No matter what the world says. God loves us too much to let us go our own way all the time.

He has a purpose for those He loves, and it is His purpose that must prevail - not our plans.

What I've seen happen in my life and others I love, is that sometimes you do everything right, and "things" don't go well at all. I can't even tell you how many times I've had friends whose husbands have abandoned them with 4, 6, 9 children. They were "doing" everything right in their eyes....all of the duties of a Christian wife and mom. But they found themselves in the middle of devastation.

Now, please don't take me wrong. This isn't a license to do whatever you want. It is simply a reminder that God has a purpose for you. He needs to prepare you for that purpose. Sometimes the character He needs to build in your life and mine, doesn't come from never making a mistake. It comes from devastation.

We should still plan to do the right thing, because we love God. But when we don't see the results we were hoping for, it certainly doesn't mean God doesn't love us. He loves us too much to let everything go "right" all the time.

When we always do everything right, we risk:

Becoming self-righteous because our success is completely dependent on our actions.

Thinking that the success of God's kingdom is dependent on our actions.

Being unable to identify with the pain of others, therefore limiting our ministry.

Being unprepared for God's purpose for us, versus our plans.

Judging others for their inability to be as "right" as us.

God's purposes for us often begin with the devastation of our own plans and purposes - so that we can be at a place that we're willing to let him work.

In the end, it is a beautiful thing.

Years ago, I found myself praying a prayer. We were young. We'd been risking everything for the Lord. We'd pick up and move whenever we felt God nudge. We didn't worry about finances. We just wanted to be where we were supposed to be.

I watched older couples (laughing now because they seamed older then, but were the age we are now) begin to resist the "moving" of God. They were worried about their kids having to change schools. They didn't want to let go of their homes.

I asked God to never let Bill and I get to that place - where we resisted his "movement" in our lives.

Fast forward 12 or so years. The things we did "right" in our own eyes have not left us in a place where we feel things have "gone well for us." Finances seem to get worse every year, no matter how hard we work. Our willingness to go wherever God wanted and do whatever God wanted has not turned us into heros. We are at a place of utter confusion right now, in all honesty. It seems that everything Bill has done in the past has all doors slammed shut for the future. The things He's always felt called to, feel as though they are slipping away. The things I feel called to feel impossible at this point in life, where our family depends on my job.

We are at that place of devastation. A couple of years ago, I would be in a crying heap on my shower floor over it all. But today I realize that that devastation is often the start of the best things, and I'm looking forward to where it leads.

Last night I prayed a prayer. It was very similar to the prayer I prayed years ago. Because guess what? I can't imagine moving anywhere ever again. Our family finally feels settled. We are in the best church ever. Our kids have great schools. I have family here and friends, and it is home.

But I know that all of that has taken way to high of a priority in my life.

Last night I turned all those desires and plans back over to God and asked Him to make my heart willing again - while I made my actions willing first.

I don't know that God will move us anywhere, but I know my heart needed to be willing and my plans surrendered to Him.

....and in the end it will be a beautiful thing.