Searching for God Knows What

This past weekend I had the privilege of watching a few football games.  One of them included my beloved Roughriders, who managed to pull out a hard-fought win.  There were a lot of great plays on both sides of the ball, and I thought that each team represented themselves very well.

There are many people involved in a team game like football.  The numerous coaches, the practice roster players, the starters, the back-ups, all have a role to fill, and all have to perform at the highest and most consistent level to enjoy success.  There is a continuous searching for that 'sweet-spot' when everything is working in unison and moving toward that goal of attaining victory.

We might not all be professional athletes, and we might not even find ourselves working with a team of any kind, but I believe we all have that desire to be successful in life.

As a Christian, I need to be mindful of what real success looks like, and I need to make sure that my priorities match up with my 'coach' who is trying to guide the paths that I follow.

For a Christian, it is imperative to understand that following God's lead must come first.  It is His desire to show us the way.  I have to remind myself again and again that I can't go running ahead on my own, whether in thought or action, as that puts me in the coach's position, and that is not my place, even in my own life!

Psalm 46:10 says 'Be still, and know that I am God."

Usually our understanding in life is "be actively pursuing and performing; be proactive because you are responsible for your own life; be doing, doing, doing. . . . . ;If you have a question that needs answering then get on your horse and find out---make it happen!"

I take this way of living and seamlessly apply to my spiritual life as well---if I have a question about God, then it is up to me to find out the answer;  If I am struggling spiritually, then I had better get on that and do better because it's my own responsibility; If I am feeling dry in my spirit, then it is up to me to get the water I need; if there is a sin that I need to overcome, then I had better apply all my resources to the problem and overcome it!

But this only shows me that my priorities in all of life, both the practical everyday life, and my spiritual life, are messed up. 

God says to us:  "This is your first priority:  Stop!  Stop, and you will discover that I am your God, and in that revelation I will begin to 'coach' you in your life.  You will begin to see life differently.  You will see the directions and choices that make the most sense.  You will begin to discern a spiritual maturity that will help you live more wisely.  Your life will change for the better.  But you need to stop first.

Stop first--that is the first priority in life.  Once that happens consistently--stopping and being in the presence of God to allow Him the space and time to begin to do what He wants in your life--then, and only then will the 'game plan' begin to be revealed.  Once that happens then, we are able to act in concert with our Creator.  It is just like football really--the players need to wait on the coach to lead so that everyone is on the same page.  The players must trust the coach, that he knows what he is doing and that what he asks of you will bring the victory-the success.

We are all searching--and ultimately we are searching not for 'God knows what' but for 'what God knows'.  So I want to encourage you to take being still before Him seriously.  Wait on him and know that He is your God and He will show you the way.

BT