'Knowing' and 'Doing' Are Two Different Things

It's not enough to know what the Bible says. We can know it all day long and it still not affect our life. We must get to the place of actually doing God's Word. And there's the rub.

As difficult as knowing might be, it ain't nearly as hard as doing. Can I get an 'amen'? But it's only when we allow what we believe to actually govern what we think, say, and do that we will see God's Word rearrange our life for the better.

If you're anything like me, this gets even harder. Not only is it a daily challenge to allow what I believe to govern what I think, say, and do, but it's an even bigger challenge to not get into a "me-mindset" that has ME struggling in my own strength to do God's Word.

Yes, we're supposed to "do" the Word. But in all our doing, it can't be US that labors and strives and works. Otherwise, we labor in vain, which means our work will do little more than wear us out (can I get another 'amen'?). Instead, we must hook up with Jesus who leads us beside still waters and restores our soul, allowing the Holy Spirit to work both in us and through us.

In my experience, there's a telltale sign as to whether I'm the one doing the work or the Holy Spirit is working through me. Am I at rest? Or am I stressed out? Stressed out = me trying to be something I was not created to be, trying to carry a load I wasn't made to carry. At rest = me leaning my entire personality and life onto the Lord, trusting that He will take care of me.

Summary:
Don't just hear the Word; DO the Word.
Don't just believe the Bible; let the Bible govern our life.
But in all our "doing," let it be the grace of God working in us.
Our way leads to weariness. God's way leads to rest.

Rest is Better

Would you consider yourself a worrier? If we are familiar with God’s commands, we don’t like to admit it because we know He has said to us over and over, “Fret NOT.” We could say fretting and worry is one of the BIG “Don’ts” in the Bible.

How does one ever get to that peaceful and contented place of NOT worrying? I dare say it doesn’t just happen because we need it to happen.

For me? I was a born worrier. Maybe because I naturally like to control my environment and take command of what goes on around me? I tend towards schedules and plans and organization. These particular personality traits typically give over to trying to figure everything out, wanting to “fix” all my problems (and everyone elses), a need to know how everything will turn out… if I can’t then I worry... or if something or someone throws a curve ball into the mix, oh my… then what?

Actually that was more me a lot of years ago. After years of being overcome with anxiety, fears and worry and the effects of these showing up in many unwanted ways in my physical and emotional state, I made the determination to be free through the power of the gospel.

God sent His word and healed us . I literally looked up scriptures about trusting Him, and every passage I could find about peace and rest and the fathomless, unfailing love of God and ate them like medicine until I believed they were true for me. Because my mind was changed to a whole new belief system, anxiety and fear no longer had a strangle-hold on me. With this new way of thinking, I had a choice about the way I responded to whatever life happened to bring my way. In the process my relationship with the Savior of my soul was forever altered as well.

Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest says this about worry:
“Resting in the Lord does not depend on external circumstances at all,

but on your relationship to God Himself.
…We imagine that a little anxiety and worry are an indication of how really wise we are; it is much more an indication of how really wicked we are. Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way. Our Lord never worried and He was never anxious, because He was not "out" to realize His own ideas; He was "out" to realize God's ideas. Fretting is wicked if you are a child of God. … All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God.”

Ouch! Glad he said that and not me. But doesn't it ring true?

When I’m tempted to worry I still return to the same course the Spirit of God so lovingly taught me all those years ago. It was a gradual thing learning (and I’m still learning) to rest in God’s great love and concern for me. At first, I had to believe before I saw any change but then as a result of believing differently, I began to see changes in my life. It’s hard to describe but the way I felt physically and emotionally actually changed. Resting instead of worrying is something that happens in the deepest part of our being. Trusting God ‘feels’ completely opposite of worry and fear which makes me jittery, upset, angry, stirred up, anxious. I would describe “the feeling” of resting in God this way: it’s a smooth, cozy, comfy, cushy place way in the pit of my soul that knows and trusts God to be God. He is my Lord, He is my Savior, my refuge, my safety, my Healer, my Deliverer… He gave His Son to die for ME… He will take care of me and everything that concerns me. I rest in Him, I lean on Him, I run to Him, I hide in Him… great is my peace.

...'Til All I Do Is For You Alone

Thanks to mlm for covering for me last week. And a great post, too.

We had a marvelous vacation. I had lots of time to read my Bible, pray, meditate and “center my soul”. Each morning began the same for me waking before the sun crested over the distant mountains. With my Bible and my coffee, I greeted the day bundled up on the deck sitting in a rocking chair, contemplating the condition of my soul. There is just a connection that is alive and vibrant when I am outdoors with God’s creative beauty and it draws me into worship.

One of my favorite all-time scriptures is Jesus speaking in Matthew 11: 28-30, (from the Message Bible)…

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.”

These words call out to me in a most tender voice. I can “feel” the breath of God washing over me with rest for my soul as He gently and lovingly says… “Come… I’ll show you how to take a real rest.”

Something of note here is that, as in most instances, He does the beckoning and we must do the responding. Once I yield my heart to His beckoning He can then do the work in me which I so desperately need. I think of it this way. It is very much like when I accepted Him as my Savior and truly surrendered my life to Him. I heard the message of the gospel and something in my heart leaped out for what was being offered. Personally, I refused this offer for many years and though many invitations were made available, I flatly refused. But then one day, when that same call came …. “Come!” … I heard it with my heart and I responded with… “here I am.”

At that precise instant in time, my entire life was forever changed for the best. That was a long time ago but the tender call remains consistent … “Come!”

There’s a lot of talk these days about “core strength”. It is the area where your center of gravity is located and where all movement in your body originates. The term references strengthening all the abdominal and pelvic muscles which results in improving balance, overall coordination and increased protection and bracing for your back. In other words if your core isn’t strong, the rest of you will be lacking in some form or other. A weak core can make you susceptible to poor posture, lower back pain and muscle injuries.

I see a strong similarity here to the core of our spiritual being. We often go about our daily activities without first going to the source of our strength to be built up in our “core”. When we worship God and take the time to give Him our love and attention, He somehow spiritually strengthens the center of our souls. When we live and breathe from that strengthened place, all other issues of life are braced up and balanced. We have energy beyond the normal and the ability to go the distance.

If it’s been a while since you responded to the call of your Savior to spend some valuable time with Him, I encourage you to do whatever it takes to set aside the cares of this world at least for a few minutes and answer His tender voice. There isn’t anything more important in your day or your busy life. You will be refreshed, restored and strengthened so you can run your race with joy.