Daily Delight
Sometimes we're begging, God, please tell me what to do. And He answers, Pray.
Our response is, But I want to do something. His response is, Pray.
We decide that we'll just go ahead and throw our hands in. We'll fix this situation, we'll fill this need, and God will bless it because we have the right intentions.
Before we know it we're knee deep in stress and exhaustion, feeling completely overwhelmed and depleted. We question God, Why do I feel this way when I'm doing Your work? And He continues to urge us to pray.
We push on, we keep going until we no longer have the physical or mental capacity. We begin to resent the work of a Christian and ask God in frustration, If this is for good why do I feel so bad? And He gently answers, Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28). Just Pray.
We get angry and quit the good work, quit talking to God, even to tell Him our frustrations. We go days, weeks, months without acknowledging God at all. We begin to feel lonely and forgotten.
We turn to the wrong things for comfort, for companionship; TV shows, food, shopping, alcohol, relationships both good and bad. Our crutches eventually begin to break beneath the weight of our dependency. They were never meant to carry the weight that Christ's cross bore.
Slowly the world around us crumbles, the rug is pulled out from under our feet, and we find ourselves collapsing onto bruised and beaten knees. Jesus, I need You more than ever. Please forgive me. I don't know what happened, how I drifted so far. But I want to come back. I need come back.
And do you know what happens? Jesus lovingly accepts us back into His arms. He has been patiently waiting right here where we left Him, waiting for us to pray.
What if we had prayed in the beginning? What if we had fallen on bruised knees in humility and trusted that God loves us unconditionally?
Why wait to run later? Why not run first? Why not run now?
{photo: @zuleikajamilla}
About the Author
Bethany Boynton
≫ ≫ Bethany is a twenty-three-year-old blogger, newlywed, and book addict living in central Kentucky. There are few things she loves more than having a strong cup of coffee with a good book or a group of girlfriends. Bethany strongly believes in the importance of vulnerability, authenticity, and sharing one's story of God's Love and Grace. To connect with her and learn more be sure to check out the Choosing Jesus Blog at BethanyBoynton.com.
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