Are You Your Own God?

December 7, 2015

Have you ever run into the old “brick wall” that stopped your progress cold? How about a “marsh” that slowed your steps? Did you ask God what you should do or did you decide to take matters into your own hands?

This frustrating behavior pattern is rampant in those of us who have had the tendency to be the strong ones, or to be in charge of ourselves or others. Rest is practically a foreign concept in such cases.

This the problem: Jeremiah 17:5 clearly states
Thus says the LORD,
“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the LORD.” (NASB).

Let’s dissect this passage and apply it to ourselves:

When we curse ourselves we negate God’s influence for good in the situation.
When we trust in ourselves (mankind) we are not trusting in God. We negate His blessing.
When we rely on our own strength, we are always disappointed and our hearts turn away from the Lord.
We are disappointed in Him and in ourselves.
And we are frustrated. “Why isn’t this working?” we cry. “What am I doing wrong?” Or worse, “Why isn’t God helping me?”

The hard lesson is this: when we take the authority for ourselves, God will not interfere with our choice. Even when we want Him to wrest the authority from us, He will not negate our free will. And the only way to learn to trust God is to . . . trust God.

Trust Him in the little things first. Then increase the size of your trust. Exercise that spiritual muscle until it gets strong and reliable.

That’s how to go from being your own god to allowing Jaweh to be God.